Great Motivational and Personal Development Books
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Meditations
by Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius was the Emperor-Philosopher of the Roman Empire and one of the most enlightened leaders ever. Meditations is a collection of journal entries he wrote to himself and in this book we'll explore some great Ideas of his Stoic philosophy—from the importance of never confusing ourselves with visions of a lifetime all at once, to not worrying about what others think of us and living a life of purpose and service.
Rumi Daylight: A Day Book of Spiritual Guidance
by Rumi
Rumi's poetry is stunning. In this book, we'll explore some inspiring wisdom from the Sufi mystic and have fun applying it to our 21st century lives—from the importance of having patience and seeing challenging times as God's way of strengthening us to working hard and going for it.
The Analects of Confucius
by Confucius
Confucius. Talk about old school. I’ve waded through some of the arcane stuff from his classic "Analects" to bring us some highly practical wisdom for our 21st century lives. We'll take a look at a bunch of big Ideas on the importance of being a passionate (and patient!) student of life while striving to do our best. Good stuff.
The Bhagavad Gita: A Classic of Indian Spirituality
by Krishna
The classic text of Hinduism is *packed* with wisdom. In the book, we take a super quick look at the context for the book and then jump into some powerful wisdom—including the importance of meditation, the fact that making mistakes is an inherent part of our growth process and the uber-importance of letting go of our attachment to results.
The Dhammapada: The Sayings of Buddha
by Buddha
A core text of Buddhism, The Dhammapada literally means something along the lines of "the path of truth and righteousness" a nd is packed with wisdom. In this book, we'll take a quick look at some central tenets of Buddhism (like the Four Noble Truths, nirvana, and the eightfold path) and soak up some Buddha mojo on how to rock our wisest lives
The Enchiridion
by Epictetus
Epictetus is one of three Stoic philosophers we profile (Marcus Aurelius and Seneca are the other two) and this former slave turned leading philosopher of his era is incredible. He echoes the wisdom of all the great teachers as he reminds us that, if we want to be happy we've gotta realize the only thing we have control over is our response to a situation. We'll have fun tapping into a lot more of his vast mojo
The Selected Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson
by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson is a hero of mine (he occupies the Great- Great+ Grandfather slot in my spiritual family tree) and his esssm and one of the top old school classics of all time. In this book , we'll take a look at everything from making use of solitude to the fact that the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first st ep (heard that before, eh?!). We'll also learn to let go of our attachment to future results and gracefully roll with the ebbs and flows of life.
Habits of Highly Effective People
by Stephen Covey
This book has been a top seller since it was published in 1990, offering advice on how to improve your leadership and get ahead in business.
How to Win Friends and Influence People
byDale Carnegie:
First published in 1937, this book aims to help people of all age. Allen This short book will help you realize that yo u’re only as good as you think you are and help you change the way you see and imagine yourself.
Way of the Peaceful Warrior
by Dan Millman
This story may be fictional, but it offers powerful lessons in being strong in mind an d spirit rather than in the body.
The Alchemist
by Paulo Coelho
An easy evening read, I read this book a f ew years ago and was quite entranced by it. It is told as the fa ble of a young shepard boy who goes on a quest to find a worldly treas ure. From his home in Spain, he journeys around the world and learns the values of hard work, and following his dreams.
The Celestine Prophecy, An Adventure
by James Redfield
This book practically became a cult phenomenon. This book introduced the concept of Syncronicity. Actually syncronicity is redefined in this book. A fun read, sometimes it is a little predictable and I found that the ending needed work. However, if you haven't read it, you probably should.
The Greatest Miracle In The World
by Og Mandino
One of my favorite books of all time. I used to buy this in paperback and give copies away for Christmas. Once you read one of Og Mandino's books, you'll start reading them all. His books are very popular best sellers. They are all very easy to understand and the story in this one keeps you guessing.
The Magic Life - A Novel Philosophy
by Ace Starry
It is a story of a young accountant who meets a street magician and learns from him a philosophy of following your dreams. Anatomy of the Spirit by Carolyn Myss: This book blends religious doctrine with human anatomy, showing readers how their thoughts and health may be connected.
French Women Don’t Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure
by Mireille Guiliano
This author explains how people can still eat the foods they love (cheeses, indulgent chocolates) without packing on the pounds by following this European regimen.
Once a Runner
by John L Parker
If you want to start running or are already a devoted jogger, this fictional novel will inspire and educate.
In Defense of Food
by Michael Pollan
Learn to navigate the food choices you make with more aplomb in this book.
Never Give Up
by Richard Simmons
Whether you love or hate Richard Simmons you won’t be able to deny the motivation the stories in this book offer.
Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss
by Joel Fuhrman
This book isn’t just about losing weight–it teaches readers about food so they can made educated choices about what they consume and can make sustained lifestyle changes.
You on a Diet
by Mehmet C. Oz and Michael F. Roisen
The authors of this book believe that the best tool for losing weight is knowledge.
Uplift: Secrets from the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors
by Barbara Delinsky
If you have cancer or another illness, these stories of strength and survival are sure to raise your spirits.
Younger Next Year
by Chris Crowley and Dr. Henry Lodge
Check out this book for advice and information on staying young well into your golden years.
Mutant Messages From Down Under
by Marlo Morgan
One of my more recent reads, I found that the story was so gripping from the first few pages, that I couldn't put it down.
The Way of the Peaceful Warior
by Dan Milman
I recently read this and was absolutely amazed at how similar it was to my own writing. I hope to meet Dan Milman some day and talk about our writing styles.
The Way of The Wizard
by Deepack Chopra
More of a guidebook really. The fiction in this book isn't really even necessary.
Stranger In a Strange Land
by Robert A. Heinlein
This book was a gift, that I've truly cherished. Though it is a science fiction novel, it is a very powerful philosophy book. I loved it.
As A Man Thinketh
by James Allen
Your thoughts and your dreams determine what you are and what you will be. This little book is meant to stimulate men and women to the discovery and perception of the truth that they themselves are makers of themselves, by virtue of the thoughts which they choose and encourage.
How to Win Friends and Influence People
by Dale Carnegie
I love this book. I used to buy it for all my employees. The main thing I remember from it is that you can get ahead in life by simply doing a "little" more than the other guy. You don't have to do great and amazing things. Just simply take care of the little things and learn to care about the other guy. This is what leads to true success. If you haven't read this book, there are many copies available on the market. Buy it and read it and pass it on.
Think and Grow Rich
by Napoleon Hill
The title tells it all. Your thoughts determine your actions and therefore your success. This is one of the best books ever written on the power of positive thinking. I cannot recommend this book enough. When I first got out of college I read this and I was changed forever. Buy this book and you will not be sorry.
Unlimited Power
by Anthony Robbins
Over the years, I've read and listened to a great deal of self-help type books. Unlimited Power provides a clear path to maximizing one's own potential. Unlimited Power" contains three different parts: Section I: The Modeling of Human Excellence Section II: The Ultimate Success Formula Section III: Leadership: The Challenge of Excellence. Tony Robbins is an excellent motivator. I highly recommend any of his products.
Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires
by Esther & Jerry Hicks
This is pretty much the Bible on the Law of Attraction and in this book we'll take a look at how Esther and Jerry define The Law of Attraction (they say it's kinda like tuning your radio to the right station so you can hear the music you love!), how to use your Emotional Fuel Gauge (that's one of my favorite Ideas ever) and how to create intentions throughout your day to put yourself in the driver's seat of life.
Big Mind Big Heart: Finding Your Way
by Genpo Roshi
Zen Master Genpo Roshi spent decades figuring out how to best help people develop enlightened awareness and came up with his revolutionary process called "Big Mind." In this book, we'll take a peek at some Big Ideas from the Zen Master including how the root of suffering (dukkha) is getting stuck in one perspective and how that's about as effective as having a Maserati stuck in first gear. We'll also explore the place beyond idiot compassion as we become integrated human beings giving ourselves joyfully to the world.
Body Mind Mastery: Creating Success in Sports and Life
by Dan Millman
Dan Milllman's a former world champion gymnast and coach of the Stanford and Berkeley gymnastic teams whose got some great ideas on how to achieve Body, Mind and Spirit mastery. In this book we explore a bunch of 'em including how to deal with the fear of failure, what we can learn from babies and how to build new habits as we become masters of our lives who shine everywhere!
Do You!: 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success
by Russell Simmons
Who knew the Godfather of hip-hop was also an incredible yogi and spiritual teacher?!? In this book, we'll have fun learning how to "Do You!!" as we tap into the importance of having a powerful vision for our lives, the fact that a mantra is literally a "tool of thought" we can use to shape our minds, and how important it is to take the next baby step in front of us as we give ourselves most fully to the world.
Everyday Enlightenment: The Twelve Gateways to Personal Growth
by Dan Millman
This is Dan Millman's magnum opus where he walks us through "The Twelve Gateways to Personal Growth" and in the book we check out Big Ideas ranging from the importance of discovering our self-worth (and how to do so) to the fact that, although "Carpe diem!" sounds good, it's impossible to do. We can’t "Seize the day!" but we *can*
Money, and the Law of Attraction
by Esther and Jerry Hicks
This is one of three titles we cover by Esther and Jerry Hicks. In this book, we'll look at some Big Ideas on how to rock the Law of Attraction to circulate wealth. We'll explore the fact that the most valuable skill we'll ever have is the control of our minds and how we need to make our lifetime career all about discovering and following our bliss!
Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
by Robert T. Kiyosaki
One of the best-selling self-development franchises of all time, this book is packed with Big Ideas. In the book, we'll quickly look at why you want to invest in assets that produce income and how your house is (gulp) a liability, not an asset then we'll move on to explore the keys to thinking like the Rich Dad—controlling our thoughts, facing our fears, and all that jazz.
