Show notes
Hey everyone and welcome! I hope you are having a great week. As I'm recording this the sun is out, there is a breeze and I can hear bird song. I'll be heading outside as soon as I can to get in a jog and do some burpees. That Spartan race is not going to run itself. I wanted to share with you today some of the books that have changed my life for the better. I've read a lot of books that have had an impact on my process and thus influenced positive changes I have made. Over time I'd like to share with you all the books that I found helpful to me in the hopes that they will be helpful to you as well. But there are some books that went right to my core and transformed what I believed about myself, other people, the world and what was possible for me and my life. Each of these books helped to lighten my load and see things in such a new way that I found myself experiencing less stress and more joy. I'm listing them in the order in which they came into my life and not in the order of overall impact in my life. Each book was the most impactful book while I was reading it because it was exactly what I needed at that time. You have to follow your own instincts to take you to the resource that will best serve you, where you are right now. Here are the books that gave me what I didn't realize I needed at the time. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff and It's All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson This was probably the first personal development book I was introduced to. It was published my senior year in high school and I'm pretty sure I read it that year or my freshman year in college. Although I gave this book away many years ago (I don't believe in holding onto books; I believe they are meant to be gifted away) I remember seeing the wisdom in not getting so worked up over little things. This book, in a wise and gentle way, challenged common held beliefs and ideas about the "should" in our life. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz If you've been listening to this podcast for any length of time you've heard this book mentioned time and again. This book was a game changer in my life. Published almost 2 years after Don't Sweat the Small Stuff, for me this book was a deep dive into exactly what was at the root of my stress. Each of the four agreements, if you understand them correctly and live by them, will transform how you relate to the world around you. The four agreements are: Be Impeccable With Your Word, Don't Take Anything Personally, Don't Make Assumptions and Always Do Your Best. I read this book right at the end of my college years and I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I felt more free, more confident and joyful. It was a blessing I didn't see coming. A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle This book builds upon Eckhart's other book, The Power of Now, but I was introduced to A New Earth first. A New Earth is about a shift in consciousness that is currently occurring. This shift is from that of the ego-mind to a consciousness that is at the core of who we are. If you've heard Wayne Dyer's quote, "you are not a human being having a spiritual experience, you are a spiritual being having a human experience," this is exactly what Eckhart is getting at. Reading this book ignited in me my clear understanding that I was called to be a coach. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer I put these two books together because, even though they each separately have value, for me they delivered and reinforced a similar message. Reading The Power of Now introduced to me the concept of the observer behind the thoughts. It helped to anchor for me the spiritual being having a human experience. We are not our thoughts or our emotions, nor are we the doer of deeds. We are actually the observer behind these things. The Untethered Soul took this a step further for me and I have more regularly had experiences of utter peace and joy. I'm still in the practice of this but that's all part of the journey. Loving What Is by Byron Katie Although I was introduced to Byron Katie's website years and years ago because someone reference we had similar philosophies, I did not immediately resonate with her. Well, have you ever heard the expression "When the student is ready the teacher will appear." Right before the New Year I was ready to hear what she had to say. I heard an interview with Byron Katie on another podcast and it wasn't so much what she was saying, though I listened to the episode twice, it was who she was being. She was so peaceful and loving and accepting and I wanted to listen to her talk for hours. And so I did. I downloaded the audio version and listened to the entire book in 2 days. I got so excited by what I was learning I downloaded her works sheets and took myself through the questions. Over the next week several clients said things that made me think of Loving What Is and so I recommended they read or listen to the book as well. They all had transformational experiences. If you've ever found yourself resisting the reality of a situation, if you say the word "should" at all you will get tremendous value out of this book. The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein Again, I heard of Gabrielle Bernstein years ago but did not resonate with her at the time. I loved her message but I was in a place then when I wasn't venturing out into unknown territory as much as I am now. I was in a safer place and so did not find myself yearning for a safety net. It has been common in my business that there is a new client lull that starts a couple weeks before Christmas and will typically last 2-3 weeks into January. This year looked different. Although I could speculate on the reasons why this year was different, the facts were I was not getting new clients well into February. I was meditating and practicing gratitude, refocusing my thoughts and took actions to change the situations. However, weeks went by and the situation did not appear to be changing. I found anxiety starting to creep in and I didn't like waking up and instantly feeling… (overwhelmed, burdened, disappointed)…yuck! I am not committed to living that way and so I knew I needed something different. I had also hear a recent podcast interview with Gabby and I believe something came up in my newsfeed as well. I grabbed this book the 3rd week of February and it was a nice compliment to Loving What Is. However, instead of binge-listening I listened to a chapter each morning and took time to do the homework assignments and journal. I think I went through the book 3 times because I kept getting something new with each listen. If you feel like you could use some extra support or you notice yourself working harder and trying to control the outcome this is a great book for you. The Law of Attraction: The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham by Esther Hicks and Jerry Hicks This book was recommended by another podcaster who was familiar with concept of the law of attraction and was venturing into the area of quantum mechanics. She recommended reading this book to get the background of what she was exploring with quantum mechanics. I was intrigued so I downloaded the audio version of this book at the end of March. This book covers 4 concepts: the law of attraction, the science of deliberate creation, and the art of allowing, and the practice of segment intending. A little background on me: the coaching process I am trained in and use with my clients is called Core Energy Coaching. It is rooted in the understanding that we are made of energy and our thoughts, emotions and actions have a vibration. It's not so much what we say, feel and do that creates an experience for ourselves and others, it's who we are being when we say, feel and do things that creates that experience. In fact, who we are being influences the how and the what that we generate. So from this perspective tactics and strategy are helpful but not as impactful as your level of consciousness (clear perception): your level of self-awareness, and awareness and attitude toward the people around you and the environment you are in. Put simply, oftentimes we don't see things for what they are because we've attached so much story to what we are seeing. Our perception is then a misperception and we are making choices based on incorrect information. However, by clearing away the story we raise our level of consciousness, see things more clearly and can act accordingly, gaining better results for our effort. Now, coming back to the Law of Attraction, I could absolutely get how the vibration we put out could attract back experiences of a similar vibration, much like a magnet. What the Law of Attraction dives into is how to get clear on what you want and how to align your vibration so that you are attracting more of what you want and repelling the things and experiences that you don't want. I think The Universe Has Your Back and The Law of Being has helped to remind me of how powerful I am and has also given me a new appreciation and facility with the concept of co-creation. Yes, this does require some faith and that can be uncomfortable for you. However, there is no risk in listening, doing the work, and being open to what comes. Three weeks after buying The Universe Has Your Back I unexpectedly got a new client and 6 people have hired me since then. That's 7 new clients in 2 months after 3 months of no new clients. You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero THIS was the book I wanted to buy in mid-February but it was not released until April 18th and I believe this was how it was meant to be. I was in a much better place to hear what Jen had to say. And she got me in the introduction. I heard this gem 14.5 minutes into the introduction to the book: "You have everything you need right now to start turning your financial reality into something that doesn't make you wake up screaming in the middle of the night. You just have to be willing to do what it takes. And here is what it takes: agreeing to get really, really, really, really uncomfortable over and over again. We've been raised to believe that you have to work hard to make money. And certainly there are times when this is true but the real secret is you have to take huge uncomfy risks. You have to do stuff you've never done before to make yourself visible, to acknowledge your own awesomeness, to risk looking stupid. You must not only admit to desiring and commit to creating wealth but most important you must allow yourself to do so." Holy mother of God, is that not the truth?! Now I started the first couple of chapter reading like I did The Universe Has Your Back – focusing on one chapter a day. After chapter 3 however I had two 2.5 hour road trips in a weekend and I binge-listened the rest of the book. I did not feel like that was the right experience for this book but I couldn't stop listening. So, I'm going back to chapter 4 and I'm going to do one chapter per day again. Have you read any of these books? Leave a comment on the post that accompanies this episode or wherever you found it. Lastly, if you feel like you've been struggling or plateaued in your business or in your life in general I'm going to recommend you take the assessment tool I use in my business to help my clients uncover exactly what keeps them facing the same challenges over and over again or not making progress on a goal that they've had for some time. Thank you so much for joining me and here's to your success! Thank You to Our Sponsors Zebralove Web Solutions: Your website tells a story about your business! At Zebralove Web Solutions, Milly and her team are going to make sure your website tells the story you want your customers to hear. Connect with Milly at zebralovewebsolutions.com to create the impression you want to make! Resources Private Facebook Community: Chat, share and collaborate with other women in the community! Accomplished: How to Go from Dreaming to Doing: A simple, step by step system that gives you the foundation and structure to take your goals and make them happen. 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