Choosing Your Destiny

Ways to Manage Feelings of Isolation and Loneliness

2013-06-10T14:38:00.001+10:00

It's pretty ironic that with the invention of social networking a lot of people are now feeling more isolated and lonely than ever. A lack of social connection may result in loneliness which is a strong sense of emptiness and solitude. Being a subjective experience, it is possible to feel loneliness both when alone as well as within a group or crowd.

Common aspects associated with loneliness include;

Resisting change and new experiences.
Not trusting other people enough to open up to them.
Feeling anxious and as though no one will understand how miserable/isolated you feel.
Feeling invisible and lacking the skill of assertiveness.
Feeling uncomfortable starting conversations with strangers.
Having the limiting belief that something is wrong with you.
Experiencing low self-esteem.
Feeling angry and defensive which leads to being critical about things even if they don't directly relate to you.
Shyness when around other people.
Feeling disconnected to other people when in a group or crowd.
When in a crowd you feel like you are drowning in the voices.
Feeling that you’re the only person who doesn't have any friends.
Feeling extremely self-conscious in most everything you do.
Feeling that other people won't understand your problems because they are so unique.
Having thoughts of suicide.

If you are unwilling to open up to other people chances are other people will also avoid opening up to you and the sense of loneliness that you feel will increase. If you want friends then you need to be a friend first. It should be no surprise that love gives life to others yet it is important to remember that in order to love someone else effectively you must love yourself first. You can't give what you don't have.

In order to stop feeling lonely you will need to develop friendships with other people however before doing that you need to become comfortable in your own company and feel better about yourself in general. Following is a list of ideas on ways to decrease your loneliness;

Remind yourself the feeling of loneliness is temporary.
Put yourself in situations where you will meet people.
Make an effort to speak to someone new.
Join societies like church groups, volunteer organizations etc.
Stop listening to lonely songs.
Open yourself to others.
Don't judge new people on the basis of past relationships with previous people.
Intimate friendships usually develop gradually as people learn to share their inner feelings with each other.
Lead a well-balanced life and pay attention to nutrition, exercise and getting sufficient sleep.
Spend time alone for self-reflection.
Reflect back on good memories and be grateful for what you have.
Learn a new skill e.g. dancing, drawing, painting etc
Spend time meditating or praying
If you feel you need assistance with overcoming loneliness or you are feeling depressed don't be afraid to seek help from a professional –doctor, counselor, coach
Do a program such as 60 Day Self Esteem Challenge

As technology increases and allows us to do so much more from our own homes the level of isolation and loneliness that people feel also appears to be increasing. In order to overcome feelings of loneliness it is necessary to have interaction with others in person. If you want to feel less lonely than it is up to you to do something about it and make an effort to put yourself in situations where there are people to interact and socialize with. The first step in letting go of your loneliness is deciding that you want things to improve. Once you have made that decision and give some of the suggestions listed above a go you might even find yourself learning skills you never imagined learning and also having fun.

Flat Belly Challenge - Last Day

2013-02-27T08:52:00.001+11:00

It has been 28 days of clean eating for me along with regular exercise and the results are in. Although I only lost about 1 kg my waist measurement reduced by 5cm and I feel more toned, fitter and healthier than I have in a long time.
I had the advantage of moving into somewhere that I had no food only a couple of days before starting the challenge and therefore any food I brought was challenge approved. I think it also helped not having a teenager around to be eating junk food in front of me as has happened during previous attempts to follow healthy eating plans.
I actually found the greatest challenge came from the cheat meals that were permitted each week and I found myself scrutinizing things I would never have even thought of doing that with previously. I found that homemade chocolate blueberry protein bars were enough to overcome any chocolate cravings. Being a bit of a fan of potato chips when I got a desire to eat some of those I had the healthier option of either parsnip or kale chips, although still undecided as to whether I like kale chips or not.
My intention is to continue eating in a cleaner way than I did before the challenge and am looking forward to the muscle I have been building gobbling up the extra fat that is still hanging around. Apparently my ideal BMI requires me to lose another 20 kgs although I think I would be happy with 10 kgs. If you would like to try it yourself go have a look at www.flatbellychallenge.com
Okay now for the proof that doing the challenge was worthwhile!!

Flat Belly Challenge - Cheat meals

2013-02-14T17:19:00.003+11:00

I've been on the Flat Belly Challenge for two weeks now and I think the hardest thing so far was having the cheat meal where you can have whatever you want.
Having only recently moved into where I was living and starting the Challenge only a couple of days later I only brought food that was challenge approved so without going out it was all approved food. The recommendation in the challenge is to have the cheat meal on a weekend which makes sense to me despite having started on a Wednesday. When the Mum of the kids I look after a couple of days a week offered me a glass of wine I accepted and decided that this could be a mini cheat and I didn't even end up finishing the whole glass.
Than came the weekend and I decided that I had better fit my cheat meal in there somewhere so as I was going out thought that was a good opportunity. Mind you after all that good healthy eating I walked around the food court looking at all the options being very aware of how much fat and processed food was on offer. I eventually decided on a piece of lasagne which much to my dismay had far to much pasta layers and to be honest I didn't really enjoy it at all.
In regards to the program, well I feel as though my belly is getting flatter although I have measured my waist a number of times and that still seems to fluctuate quite considerably. I did manage to weigh myself after the first week and had lost about 1kg I think however no idea what the weight is yet this week. Mind you as I feel that the exercise I am doing along with the eating challenge is making me more toned so I'm not actually that concerned with the weight and besides my clothes appear to be fitting better.
I'm still finding the program easy enough to follow and since your eating so often never seem to be hungry although sometimes it seems like you're totally preoccupied with food and eating. I look forward to see the results the next couple of weeks bring.

Flat Belly Challenge - The first week

2013-02-06T10:01:00.002+11:00

Hard to believe a week has gone by already and I also forgot to blog after the end of the detox like I had intended to do. I didn't find the detox part of the plan difficult at all. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the 'green' smoothies for breakfast and have had the since finishing with the addition of protein powder and also gave putting oats in it a go one morning and that wasn't too bad either.
I seem to have gone okay with not drinking coffee other than when I went to the shops on the second afternoon of the detox and I could smell coffee and all other manner of food I was now choosing not to inflict upon my body. I ended up with a slight headache after that trip however it didn't last long and drinking green teas seems to help.
So with the detox done and dusted I moved onto the rest of the eating plan. Although the protein powder I brought was only vanilla I'm pleased to say I think it is yummy! I'm a bit of a cheese lover so being able to eat some cottage cheese was awesome. I was really feeling like some chocolate so decided to make the high protein chocolate bars and oh my goodness! they are delicious. They smelt so good whilst they were cooking and if I hadn't have eaten my dinner before trying one I may well have been tempted to eat the whole tray full of them.
The one thing I was a little challenged by was the amount of meat that is needed to make up a portion of protein. Now this isn't so much of a problem for me when making dinner however when I put 100g of turkey slice on my rye bread sandwich it looked like so much meat considering in the past I would only put on a couple of small slices. Once I added the salad and started eating it was actually pretty good.
Meals aren't all that difficult to put together since I have cooked up extras of most of the things I have so far cooked and put them in portion size amounts to be taken out of the freezer and used later. Well it's time to go cook one of the other recipes from the plan - meaty muffins, so I have some more variety in what I have to eat and from what other people have said about them they are yummy.

Flat Belly Challenge - day 1

2013-01-31T08:59:00.001+11:00

The first three days of the flat belly challenge are detox days which involves only eating fruit and vegetables. I've done other detox diets in the past including both the lemon and coconut detox which I don't think I will ever do again. The lemon detox included unpleasant laxative type treatment every day and as with the coconut detox drinking the same thing for each meal quickly becomes a challenge. The coconut detox was only for three days however it made me feel really really unwell and I think for a good portion of that time I slept.
When I read through the flat belly challenge detox I thought it would be much easier to do as there is still scope for variety. For breakfast I made a 'green' smoothie which as the mixed berries won out in the colour stakes actually looked pretty good and you could hardly taste that there was spinach in it. It was humongous though and took me a while to get through.
As I wake up relatively early it was around 930-1000 that I was set to have my morning snack. I time when having the juicer on hand would have been good as it doesn't seem nearly as weird having vegetable juice that early in the morning as it does a salad.
Lunch was another salad which I have no problem eating salad for lunch and carrot + celery sticks for afternoon snack, all going well so far!
Having cut out the coffee I did have a few cups of green tea and after doing an Aquarobics class in the evening was certainly ready for my green salad with steamed veggies when I got home.
All in all I would have to say the easiest detox I have tried so far.
I was looking forward to my Mango 'green' smoothie this morning and although it tasted okay it was as it's name says - green.

Flat Belly Challenge-Pre Starting

2013-01-30T17:17:00.001+11:00

Over the past few months my life has been somewhat unsettled, self imposed but unsettled none the less. Since halfway through November I have quit my job and stopped being an employee, packed, moved my stuff to a storage container, cleaned, moved out, house sat, stayed at my Mum's a couple of nights before driving to Melbourne for the New Year period and than onto Adelaide. I arrived in Adelaide on the 2nd of January and had varies places of accommodation thanks to some wonderful and generous friends. On the 17th January only a couple of days before I was set to move into a more permanent living arrangement my Grandfather died so the following day I flew back to Sydney to spend the week with my family, did I mention I also left my Son behind in Sydney to find Student Accommodation as he is going to Uni there. After a little over a week at my Parent's place I flew back to Adelaide and am pleased to say by this time my Son had both found somewhere to live and moved in.
For a good portion of the past couple of years I have exercised by doing Pole dancing along with a Strength and Conditioning class which I haven't done now since halfway through December. I may not have been eating as well as I could have and once I arrived in Melbourne and Adelaide I was going out most nights and having what were really nice meals along with either alcoholic beverages or soft drink (which if I was eating at home I wouldn't be doing)
When I got back to Mum's place I jumped on her scales only to discover that I had gained about 2kgs in the 3 weeks I had been gone, oh dear no wonder my clothes are becoming tighter and tighter. Mum is fan of juicing so during my week there I did at times substitute regular food with a vegetable juice. I must have done okay as by the time I left I was back to where I had been three weeks earlier, woohoo.
I have heard great things about Rene's Flat Belly Challenge from friends who have already done it so I decided that I would give it a go. Even better shortly after I made this decision Rene rain a competition and now I am even getting to do the challenge for free as a result of the prize.
I had intended to start on Monday however didn't really think that through too well as I didn't get back to Adelaide until almost 6pm Sunday night and wasn't moving into my unit until some time on Monday afternoon. Another little glitch with my plan was that in South Australia the shops are actually closed on all Public Holidays not just Christmas Day, Easter Friday and ANZAC day like I am used to.
I'm good at being flexible so move the start up until Wednesday giving me the opportunity to move into my unit and than spend Tuesday buying all the things I would need.
There is good and bad about starting an eating plan when you move into a place with absolutely no food. The good is that there is no junk food to be tempted by, the bad is that I just about had a heart attack when I had to pay at the cash register. Mind you I still think the cost is worth it as it will be cheaper than having to go out and by a whole heap of new pants!!
Although I have actually started the plan I will leave my thoughts about the first day for the next post. I plan to write every couple of days or so during the time of the plan with my progress. The first three days are a detox phase in which it is best to not drink coffee, I suspected this would be the case so over the past week cut back my coffee drinking each day to make it easier to handle once I stopped completely.
Okay I have a couple of things to get done before heading off to try out a gym that is close-by and give Aquarobics a go.
If you would like to give the flat belly challenge a go yourself than take a look at http://www.flatbellychallenge.com/

If you feel you need to get your mindset sorted out beforehand and would like to find out more about personal success coaching you can contact me at http://www.destinybychoice.com.au/contact-us

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2013-01-04T07:59:00.000+11:00

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It all depends on your perspective.

2012-12-15T07:22:00.001+11:00

Yesterday I handed back the keys of the house I've been renting for the past three and a half years which effectively makes me now homeless as well as jobless. Depending on your interpretation this could be seen as a bad thing however since both of these things were by choice for me it is a matter of providing myself with the freedom to focus on what I most want to be doing along with being open to opportunities that I may not of even thought of previously.
My first new adventure is to house and pet sit for a couple of weeks in which time I plan to get plenty of work done on the self esteem program I am creating. I'm not far from where I was previously living however a bit further away from the train line so it is much more peaceful more of the time. I was able to spend the evening with the family whose house I am staying in which was lovely and as they left early this morning it is just me, the dog, the cats and the chooks, oh and a few bush turkeys thrown in as a bonus.
First off I plan to give myself a couple of days off, although when I consider that last week when I took a break from pulling apart my bed my idea of a break was to fix something on one of my websites I'm not sure what my chances of doing that completely are especially since I already feel like I'm behind on where I wanted to be as I did the cleaning of the rental place myself instead of having a cleaner doing it as I had first intended.
The pets are all fed and back asleep, must be time to hang out the washing, drop off the rest of the things in my car to where the rest of the stuff is and go find something to wear for the 90's themed Christmas Party I am going to tonight. I must admit having been in the process of packing and moving out I'm not really in the Christmas spirit this year however looking forward to going to a Party.

Learning from every situation!

2012-12-14T07:21:00.001+11:00

I'm of the belief that everything happens for a reason even if we don't know what the reason was at the time. Today will see me finishing the move out of where I have been living for the past three and a half years. My furniture was moved out on Sunday and for the most part since then I have been cleaning and gardening, neither of which would be anywhere near my list of favourite things to do.
My plan was to have someone else do the cleaning allowing me more time to work on my self esteem product creation project but obviously the universe had other ideas and obviously there was something for me to learn in doing the work myself.
Although it isn't glaringly obvious what I have learnt from this experience one thing I can say is at least I have gotten plenty of exercise this past couple of weeks. I did take some of my own advice from the previous posts and listened to the audiobook Success Principles by Jack Canfield whilst cleaning windows, kitchen, bathroom etc.
I'm looking forward to giving myself a bit of a rest tomorrow before attending the Pole Dancing Studio's Christmas Party and getting into some serious focus on my self esteem program development over the next couple of weeks whilst I do some housesitting.

Final 20 books of 100 top Self Improvement Book List

2012-12-10T20:16:00.001+11:00

Below is the final 20 books of the 100 top Self Improvement Books from previous blogs.

There are some awesome looking titles here that I haven't yet read myself which I have added to my ever increasing list of books I want to read. If you have read any of these books and would like to share your thoughts feel free to leave a comment.

If there is a self improvement book you really enjoyed reading that wasn't on the list I would love to know about it so leave a comment about that too. One of my own personal favourite self improvement books that doesn't appear in this list is The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks

Sometimes I like to listen to books rather than read them, it's particularly good if you are walking, commuting, in the car or doing housework etc. If you would like to grab any of these books you can click on the heading links for reading options or to get an audio version go to

1. The Power of Full Engagement - Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

As Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz demonstrate in their groundbreaking New York Times bestseller, managing energy, not time, is the key to enduring high performance as well as to health, happiness, and life balance. Their Full Engagement Training System is grounded in twenty-five years of working with great athletes -- tennis champ Monica Seles and speed-skating gold medalist Dan Jansen, to name just two -- to help them perform more effectively under brutal competitive pressures. The Power of Full Engagement is a highly practical, scientifically based approach to managing your energy more skillfully. It provides a clear road map to becoming more physically energized, emotionally connected, mentally focused, and spiritually aligned -- both on and off the job.

2. I Know What to Do So Why Don't I Do It - Nick Hall

STOP not doing what you know you should do! Unlock the biochemical code that will free you to EASILY achieve ANY goal - for the rest of your life. You might think laziness, lack of willpower, and/or low motivation are to blame for the fact that you aren't achieving your goals. But fascinating research in the field of psychoneuroimmunology has revealed another, far more likely possibility. One with the potential to transform your life in a dramatic way. The typical excuses for not doing what you know you should are, in fact, manifestations of a complex, interconnected web of psychological, chemical, and neurological factors. When activated, these factors can effectively paralyze you - making it virtually impossible for you to take the actions needed to create change in your life. In other words, even if you're highly motivated, if you've got these internal circumstances operating, you AREN'T going to be able to do it. But while the biochemistry may be complex, the solutions are actually quite simple.

3. Stumbling on Happiness - Daniel Gilbert

• Why are lovers quicker to forgive their partners for infidelity than for leaving dirty dishes in the sink?• Why will sighted people pay more to avoid going blind than blind people will pay to regain their sight? • Why do dining companions insist on ordering different meals instead of getting what they really want? • Why do pigeons seem to have such excellent aim; why can’t we remember one song while listening to another; and why does the line at the grocery store always slow down the moment we join it?In this brilliant, witty, and accessible book, renowned Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert describes the foibles of imagination and illusions of foresight that cause each of us to misconceive our tomorrows and misestimate our satisfactions.

4. Living as a River - Bodhipaksa

To face reality is to embrace change; to resist change is to suffer. This is the liberating insight that unfolds with Living as a River. A masterful investigation of the nature of self, this eloquent blend of current science and time-honored spiritual insight is meant to free us from the fear of impermanence in a world defined by change.

5. Overachievement - John Elliot

Were you ever advised to "just relax" before making a big speech? Or to focus on learning from your mistakes at work? In Overachievement, John Eliot, a rising star in the field of perfor-mance enhancement, says that these and many other traditional strategies are not only ineffective, but may actually hurt your ability to excel. Much of the conventional wisdom about performance enhancement—including visualization and trying to achieve "flow"—is simply wrong. Eliot explains the latest research into why goal setting, relaxation, visualization, stress management, and flow just don’t work for most people. And he offers his own counterintuitive and unconventional concepts—"Definitely Put All Your Eggs in One Basket," "Think Like a Squirrel," and "Butterflies Are a Good Thing"—that will not only make you better at what you do but will also teach you to thrive on pressure, not just endure it.

6. How We Decide - Jonah Lehrer

Since Plato, philosophers have described the decision-making process as either rational or emotional: we carefully deliberate, or we “blink” and go with our gut. But as scientists break open the mind’s black box with the latest tools of neuroscience, they’re discovering that this is not how the mind works. Our best decisions are a finely tuned blend of both feeling and reason—and the precise mix depends on the situation. When buying a house, for example, it’s best to let our unconscious mull over the many variables. But when we’re picking a stock, intuition often leads us astray. The trick is to determine when to use the different parts of the brain, and to do this, we need to think harder (and smarter) about how we think.

7. Your Brain at Work - David Rock

YOUR BRAIN AT WORK explores issues such as:
- why our brains feel so taxed, and how to maximize our mental resources
- why it's so hard to focus, and how to better manage distractions
- how to maximize your chance of finding insights that can solve seemingly insurmountable problems
- how to keep your cool in any situation, so that you can make the best decisions possible
- how to collaborate more effectively with others
- why providing feedback is so difficult, and how to make it easier
- how to be more effective at changing other people's behavior

8. Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor E. Frankl

Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the experiences of those he treated in his practice, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. Frankl's theory—known as logotherapy, from the Greek word logos ("meaning")—holds that our primary drive in life is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful.

9. Looking Out for #1 - Robert J. Ringer

In page after page of this self-confidence and life-enhancing bible, bestselling author Robert Ringer guides you on the most exciting and rewarding journey of your life. This #1 bestseller will clearly demonstrate how to get from where you are now to where you want to be--with friends, lovers, finances, and all other areas of your personal world.

10. Unlimited Power - Anthony Robbins

If you have ever dreamed of a better life, Unlimited Power will show you how to achieve the extraordinary quality of life you desire and deserve, and how to master your personal and professional life. Anthony Robbins has proven to millions through his books, tapes, and seminars that by harnessing the power of the mind you can do, have, achieve, and create anything you want for your life. He has shown heads of state, royalty, Olympic and professional athletes, movie stars, and children how to achieve.

11. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

Published in 1957, Atlas Shrugged was Ayn Rand's greatest achievement and last work of fiction. In this novel she dramatizes her unique philosophy through an intellectual mystery story that integrates ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, politics, economics, and sex. Set in a near-future U.S.A. whose economy is collapsing as a result of the mysterious disappearance of leading innovators and industrialists, this novel presents an astounding panorama of human life-from the productive genius who becomes a worthless playboy...to the great steel industrialist who does not know that he is working for his own destruction...to the philosopher who becomes a pirate...to the woman who runs a transcontinental railroad...to the lowest track worker in her train tunnels.

12. Think like a Champion - Donald Trump

Donald Trump shares his thoughts on life, personal and professional, in essays that reveal his winning strategies and lofty goals. With a foreword by Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Trump covers “Learn to Think on Your Feet,” “Keep it Short, Fast, and Direct,” “There are Times When You Should Move On,” and “How to Get Rich.”

13. Blink - Malcolm Gladwell

Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant-in the blink of an eye-that actually aren't as simple as they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept? Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while others end up stumbling into error? How do our brains really work-in the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom? And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others?

14. Building the Bridge as You Walk On It - Robert E. Quinn

Building the Bridge As You Walk On It tells the personal stories of people who have embraced deep change and inspired author Robert Quinn to take his concept one step further and develop a new model of leadership—“the fundamental state of leadership.” The exploration of this transformative state is at the very heart of the book. Quinn shows how anyone can enter the fundamental state of leadership by engaging in the eight practices that center on the theme of ever-increasing integrity—reflective action, authentic engagement, appreciative inquiry, grounded vision, adaptive confidence, detached interdependence, responsible freedom, and tough love. After each chapter, Quinn challenges you to assess yourself with respect to each practice and to formulate a strategy for personal growth.

15. First Things First - Stephen Covey

I'm getting more done in less time, but where are the rich relationships, the inner peace, the balance, the confidence that I'm doing what matters most and doing it well? Does this nagging question haunt you, even when you feel you are being your most efficient? If so, First Things First can help you understand why so often our first things aren't first. Rather than offering you another clock, First Things First provides you with a compass, because where you're headed is more important than how fast you're going.

16. Follow Your Heart - Andrew Matthews

The concepts in this book ring true with practical, applicable advice, and Matthews's lucid writing and witty stories help bring his message into sharp focus. Follow Your Heart is everything you could ask for in a self-help book. It is about doing what you love, dealing with bills and disasters, discovering your own power, and finding peace of mind. Start down the road to changing your life because as Matthews says: "Our mission in life is not to change the world--our mission is to change ourselves."

17. Many Lives, Many Masters - Brian L. Weiss

As a traditional psychotherapist, Dr. Brian Weiss was astonished and skeptical when one of his patients began recalling past-life traumas that seemed to hold the key to her recurring nightmares and anxiety attacks. His skepticism was eroded, however, when she began to channel messages from the "space between lives," which contained remarkable revelations about Dr. Weiss' family and his dead son. Using past-life therapy, he was able to cure the patient and embark on a new, more meaningful phase of his own career.

18. Lateral Thinking - Edward De Bono

The first practical explanation of how creativity works, this results-oriented bestseller trains listeners to move beyond a "vertical" mode of thought to tap the potential of lateral thinking.

19. Now, Discover Your Strengths - Marcus Buckingham

Unfortunately, most of us have little sense of our talents and strengths, much less the ability to build our lives around them. Instead, guided by our parents, by our teachers, by our managers, and by psychology's fascination with pathology, we become experts in our weaknesses and spend our lives trying to repair these flaws, while our strengths lie dormant and neglected.
Marcus Buckingham, coauthor of the national bestseller First, Break All the Rules, and Donald O. Clifton, Chair of the Gallup International Research & Education Center, have created a revolutionary program to help readers identify their talents, build them into strengths, and enjoy consistent, near-perfect performance. At the heart of the book is the Internet-based StrengthsFinder® Profile, the product of a 25-year, multimillion-dollar effort to identify the most prevalent human strengths. The program introduces 34 dominant "themes" with thousands of possible combinations, and reveals how they can best be translated into personal and career success. In developing this program, Gallup has conducted psychological profiles with more than two million individuals to help readers learn how to focus and perfect these themes.

20. Use Both Sides of Your Brain Tony Buzan

Using the latest research on the workings of the human brain, Buzan provides step-by-step exercises for discovering the powers of the right side of the brain and learning to use the left side more effectively. By increasing our understanding of how the mind works, Buzan shows us how to use our brains to the best advantage.

I hope you have enjoyed this series of blogs with the the list of 100 top Self Improvement Books. If you are interested in a greater level of support and encouragement on your journey of self improvement go to http://www.destinybychoice.com.au/contact-us where there is a link to book a virtual coffee chat session to find out how personal success coaching may be able to assist you.

20 More of the Top Personal Development Books

2012-12-02T21:12:00.003+11:00

Below is the fourth lot of 20 books from the 100 top personal development books list. If any of the books grab your interest just click on the heading link to get yourself a copy. If you would prefer to listen to any of the titles, take a look at what Audible has to offer.

1. The One Minute Manager - Kenneth H. Blanchard

For more than twenty years, millions of managers in Fortune 500 companies and small businesses nationwide have followed The One Minute Manager's techniques, thus increasing their productivity, job satisfaction, and personal prosperity. These very real results were achieved through learning the management techniques that spell profitability for the organization and its employees.
The One Minute Manager is a concise, easily read story that reveals three very practical secrets: One Minute Goals, One Minute Praisings, and One Minute Reprimands.

2. Trust Your Vibes - Sonia Choquette

In this fascinating and informative book, spiritual teacher and psychic Sonia Choquette reveals the secrets you need to awaken your intuitive voice and . . . trust your vibes. If you’re ready to step into a Divine, more energetically uplifting experience and live an easier, more satisfying way of life, you’ll learn how to do so within these pages.

In this work, Sonia presents real-life stories of those who learned to tap into their intuition to drastically change and improve their lives; see what they do, how they think, the choices they make, and the attitudes and perspectives they own.

3. Loving What Is - Byron Katie

Loving What Is will show you step-by-step, through clear and vivid examples, exactly how to use this revolutionary process for yourself. You’ll see people do The Work with Katie on a broad range of human problems, from a wife ready to leave her husband because he wants more sex, to a Manhattan worker paralyzed by fear of terrorism, to a woman suffering over a death in her family. Many people have discovered The Work’s power to solve problems; in addition, they say that through The Work they experience a sense of lasting peace and find the clarity and energy to act, even in situations that had previously seemed impossible.

4. Dance with Life - J.M. Hurley

Do you know what it means to be alive? Have you ever asked yourself if there's more to life than this? But you're busy...You have a career, a family, a social life and all that inner peace stuff looks so time consuming. And surely it means trekking to off-beat locations? Well it doesn't! Inner peace is a lot more simple than you think.
In Dance with Life a very modern Mira explores the realm of the heart under the practiced eye of a life-changing teacher. The journey is within, she doesn't even have to leave her front room!

5. A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle

With his bestselling spiritual guide The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle inspired millions of readers to discover the freedom and joy of a life lived "in the now." In A New Earth, Tolle expands on these powerful ideas to show how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is not only essential to personal happiness, but also the key to ending conflict and suffering throughout the world. Tolle describes how our attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction that leads to anger, jealousy, and unhappiness, and shows readers how to awaken to a new state of consciousness and follow the path to a truly fulfilling existence.

6. The Artist's Way - Julia Cameron

With the basic principle that creative expression is the natural direction of life, Julia Cameron and Mark Bryan lead you through a comprehensive twelve-week program to recover your creativity from a variety of blocks, including limiting beliefs, fear, self-sabotage, jealousy, guilt, addictions, and other inhibiting forces, replacing them with artistic confidence and productivity.

7. My Stroke of Insight - Jill Bolte Taylor

On December 10, 1996, Jill Bolte Taylor, a thirty-seven- year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist experienced a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. As she observed her mind deteriorate to the point that she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life-all within four hours-Taylor alternated between the euphoria of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace, and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized she was having a stroke and enabled her to seek help before she was completely lost. It would take her eight years to fully recover.

8. How to Get What You Want and Want What You Have - John Gray

John Gray, the author of the Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus relationship classic, now presents a brilliantly innovative program for achieving personal success. The wisdom and techniques in these pages will enable you to feel greater joy, love, confidence, and peace.

9. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living - Dale Carnegie

Learn how to break the worry habit -- Now and forever!

With Dale Carnegie's timeless advice in hand, more than six million people have learned how to eliminate debilitating fear and worry from their lives and to embrace a worry-free future. In this classic work, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, Carnegie offers a set of practical formulas that you can put to work today. It is a book packed with lessons that will last a lifetime and make that lifetime happier!

10. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind - T. Harv Eker

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind reveals the missing link between wanting success and achieving it!
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get rich easily, while others are destined for a life of financial struggle? Is the difference found in their education, intelligence, skills, timing, work habits, contacts, luck, or their choice of jobs, businesses, or investments?
The shocking answer is: None of the above!

11. The Feelings Book - Dr. Lynda Madison

This companion to The Care and Keeping of You helps girls understand their emotions and learn to deal with them.

12. No More Mr. Nice Guy! - Robert A. Glover

Originally published as an e-book that became a controversial media phenomenon, No More Mr. Nice Guy! landed its author, a certified marriage and family therapist, on The O'Reilly Factor and the Rush Limbaugh radio show. Dr. Robert Glover has dubbed the "Nice Guy Syndrome" trying too hard to please others while neglecting one's own needs, thus causing unhappiness and resentfulness. It's no wonder that unfulfilled Nice Guys lash out in frustration at their loved ones, claims Dr. Glover. He explains how they can stop seeking approval and start getting what they want in life, by presenting the information and tools to help them ensure their needs are met, to express their emotions, to have a satisfying sex life, to embrace their masculinity and form meaningful relationships with other men, and to live up to their creative potential.

13. Beyond Codependency - Melody Beattie

You're learning to let go, to live your life free of the grip of someone else's problems. And yet you find you've just started on the long journey of recovery. Let Melody Beattie, author of the classic Codependent No More, help you along your way. A guided tour past the pitfalls of recovery, Beyond Codependency is dedicated to those struggling to master the art of self-care. It is a book about what to do once the pain has stopped and you've begun to suspect that you have a life to live. It is about what happens next.

14. The 25 Best Time Management Tools & Techniques - Pamela Dodd

A no-fluff, easy-to-read compilation of the best advice from the top 20 time management books. Recommendations cover five areas: Focus, Plan, Organize, Take Action, and Learn. Short chapters cover the A to Z of time management from finding out what time means to you to prioritizing, overcoming procrastination, and managing stress and well being. You can read the book from start to finish or zero in on specific areas for improvement. The book includes a useful annotated bibliography and bonus sections on recommended books on being successful and how to buy books for much less.

15. Developing Passive People - James Smith

Personal development includes activities that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and facilitates employability, enhance quality of life and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations. The concept is not limited to self-help but includes formal and informal activities for developing others, in roles such as teacher, guide, counselor, manager, coach, or mentor. Finally, as personal development takes place in the context of institutions, it refers to the methods, programs, tools, techniques, and assessment systems that support human development at the individual level in organizations.

16. 7 Strategies for Wealth & Happiness - Jim Rohn

You don’t have to choose between wealth and happiness—they spring from the same fountain of abundance. With this book, you’ll discover the seven essential strategies you need for success:
·Unleash the Power of Goals
·Seek Knowledge
·Learn the Miracle of Personal Development
·Control Your Finances
·Master Time
·Surround Yourself with Winners
·Learn the Art of Living Well
Author Jim Rohn’s philosophy has helped millions change their lives for the better. Find out what it can do for you!

17. The Dip - Seth Godin

Every new project (or job, or hobby, or company) starts out exciting and fun. Then it gets harder and less fun, until it hits a low point—really hard, and not much fun at all.
And then you find yourself asking if the goal is even worth the hassle. Maybe you’re in a Dip—a temporary setback that will get better if you keep pushing. But maybe it’s really a Cul-de-Sac, which will never get better, no matter how hard you try.
According to bestselling author Seth Godin, what really sets superstars apart from everyone else is the ability to escape dead ends quickly, while staying focused and motivated when it really counts.

18. Mastery - George Leonard

Drawing on Zen philosophy and his expertise in the martial art of aikido, bestselling author Gorge Leonard shows how the process of mastery can help us attain a higher level of excellence and a deeper sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in our daily lives. Whether you're seeking to improve your career or your intimate relationships, increase self-esteem or create harmony within yourself, this inspiring prescriptive guide will help you master anything you choose and achive success in all areas of your life.

19. You, Inc. - : Harry Beckwith

In YOU, INC. Beckwith provides practical tips, anecdotes and insights based on his 30 years of marketing and selling his advertising services. Beckwith learned early on in his career that no matter what product you're selling, the most important component of the product is you.In YOU, INC.: A Field Guide to Selling Yourself, Beckwith relates tantalizing tidbits and real stories of how to harness your enthusiasm with an ability to impress your key accounts.Written in his traditional homespun style, Beckwith offers doses of humour and pithy knowledge to anyone who wants to seal the deal and thrive in business

20. How to Have Confidence and Power in Dealing with People - Leslie T. Giblin

Taking a brass tacks approach to communication, How to Have Confidence and Power in Dealing With People explains how to interact with others as they really are, not as you would like them to be. The goal is to get what you want from them successfully – be it cooperation, goodwill, love or security. Les Giblin, a recognized expert in the field of human relations, has devised a method for dealing with people that can be used when relating with anyone – parents, teachers, bosses, employees, friends, acquaintances, even strangers.

A Further 20 of the best personal development books

2012-11-14T15:15:00.000+11:00

Below is the third installment in the list of the best 100 personal development books, I hope you enjoy!! If you like the sound of any of the books you can click on the heading to take you to where you can purchase your own copy. If you have read any of these books feel free to leave a comment about what you thought of the book and in particular if it has helped you in any way.

1. The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz

Rooted in traditional Toltec wisdom beliefs, four agreements in life are essential steps on the path to personal freedom. As beliefs are transformed through maintaining these agreements, shamanic teacher and healer don Miguel Ruiz asserts lives will "become filled with grace, peace, and unconditional love."

2. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull - Richard Bach

This is a story for people who follow their hearts and make their own rules...people who get special pleasure out of doing something well, even if only for themselves...people who know there's more to this living than meets the eye: they’ll be right there with Jonathan, flying higher and faster than ever they dreamed.

3. The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave--"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"--wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

4. The Aladdin Factor - Jack Canfield

The Aladdin Factor helps us by pinpointing the major stumbling blocks to asking--and teaching simple techniques to overcome them. With inspirational stories about people who have succeeded by asking for what they want, this book shows us how to turn our lives around--no matter what kind of obstacles we face. And with this knowledge, we can reap the riches of a truly well-lived life--a treasure that comes not from an enchanted lamp, but from the heart.

5. Who Moved My Cheese? - Spencer Johnson

Who Moved My Cheese? takes the fear and anxiety out of managing the future and shows people a simple way to successfully deal with the changing times, providing them with a method for moving ahead with their work and lives safely and effectively.

6. The Art of Happiness - Dalai Lama

The Art of Happiness is the book that started the genre of happiness books, and it remains the cornerstone of the field of positive psychology.Through conversations, stories, and meditations, the Dalai Lama shows us how to defeat day-to-day anxiety, insecurity, anger, and discouragement. Together with Dr. Howard Cutler, he explores many facets of everyday life, including relationships, loss, and the pursuit of wealth, to illustrate how to ride through life's obstacles on a deep and abiding source of inner peace. Based on 2,500 years of Buddhist meditations mixed with a healthy dose of common sense, The Art of Happiness is a book that crosses the boundaries of traditions to help readers with difficulties common to all human beings. After being in print for ten years, this book has touched countless lives and uplifted spirits around the world.

7. The Power of Less - Leo Babauta

With the countless distractions that come from every corner of a modern life, it's amazing that were ever able to accomplish anything. The Power of Less demonstrates how to streamline your life by identifying the essential and eliminating the unnecessary freeing you from everyday clutter and allowing you to focus on accomplishing the goals that can change your life for the better.

8. The Secret of Success - William Walker Atkinson

William Walker Atkinson was one of the first authors to write about the law of success otherwise known as the law of attraction. In other words that "like attracts like". Decades before Esther and Jerry Hick's "Money and the Law of Attraction" or Rhonda Byrnes "The Secret", he taught taught readers how to use the power of thought to attract wealth, health, happiness and success. "Many of us are like young elephants that allow themselves to be mastered by weak men, and put through their paces, little dreaming of the mighty strength and power concealed within their organisms. We wonder at the achievements of the great men in all walks of life, and we are apt to excuse ourselves by the sad remark that these people seem to “have it in them,” while we have not. Nonsense, we all have it in us to do things a hundred times greater than we are doing!" - William Walker Atkinson

9. The Science of Getting Rich - Wallace D. Wattles

Originally published in 1910, this book takes the mystery out of the accumulation of wealth and breaks it down into a scientific formula.

10. Drive - Daniel H. Pink

From Daniel H. Pink, the author of the groundbreaking bestseller A Whole New Mind, comes his next big idea book: a paradigm- changing examination of what truly motivates us and how to harness that knowledge to find greater satisfaction in our lives and our work.

11. A Child Called "It" - Dave Pelzer

This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it."

12. Brain Rules - John Medina

In Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina, a molecular biologist, shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. In each chapter, he describes a brain rule - what scientists know for sure about how our brains work - and then offers transformative ideas for our daily lives.

13. The Happiness Project - Gretchen Rubin

Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. "The days are long, but the years are short," she realized. "Time is passing, and I'm not focusing enough on the things that really matter." In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.
In this lively and compelling account of that year, Rubin carves out her place alongside the authors of bestselling memoirs such as Julie and Julia, The Year of Living Biblically, and Eat, Pray, Love. With humor and insight, she chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier.

14. Willpower - Roy F. Baumeister

Pioneering research psychologist Roy F. Baumeister collaborates with New York Times science writer John Tierney to revolutionize our understanding of the most coveted human virtue: self-control. Drawing on cutting-edge research and the wisdom of real-life experts, Willpower shares lessons on how to focus our strength, resist temptation, and redirect our lives. It shows readers how to be realistic when setting goals, monitor their progress, and how to keep faith when they falter. By blending practical wisdom with the best of recent research science, Willpower makes it clear that whatever we seek—from happiness to good health to financial security—we won’t reach our goals without first learning to harness self-control.

15. You Can Heal Your Life - Louise Hay

Louise Hay is an internationally known leader in the self-help field. Her key message is: "If we are willing to do the mental work, almost anything can be healed." The author has a great deal of experience and firsthand information to share about healing, including how she cured herself after being diagnosed with cancer.

16. Ask and It Is Given - Jerry Hicks

Ask and It Is Given, by Esther and Jerry Hicks, which presents the teachings of the nonphysical entity Abraham, will help you learn how to manifest your desires so that you’re living the joyous and fulfilling life you deserve.As you read, you’ll come to understand how your relationships, health issues, finances, career concerns, and more are influenced by the Universal laws that govern your time/space reality—and you’ll discover powerful processes that will help you go with the positive flow of life. It’s your birthright to live a life filled with everything that is good—and this book will show you how to make it so in every way!

17. Adventures in Manifesting - Sarah Prout

What are you Manifesting? This compelling work created by Sarah Prout and Sean Patrick Simpson, shares 30 inspirational stories that actively demonstrate the art of manifesting success and spirituality.

18. The Champion in All of Us - Steve Backley

This symbolic tale of four athletes and their passion to succeed at the Olympic Games has much more to do with you as a person. The insights that symbolise a deeper moral and spiritual meaning reveal what it takes to bring out your full potential and what you are capable of so you really can be who you are and then live it. Whether you know who you are or have a reluctance to stand out from the crowd, this challenges you to determine what your personal internal commitment to success is. Anyone with a dream and the will to commit can apply these rules to anything at all. This book, a metaphor for success, is a maze of ideas that will help you turn your dreams into reality in whatever you want to achieve, whether in sport, business or in everyday life improvement.

19. Be Your Best - Jeff Thibodeau

Everyone wants to be their best at all times. You do. I do. We all do. But most of us don't always know how. If only there was a roadmap to help point the way. Well now there is one! Be Your Best-A Roadmap to Living a Healthy, Balanced and Fulfilling Life provides discussion, inspiration and practical guidance to help you become the best that you can be in every daily life experience, with particular attention given to the major issues that most people grapple with. It is the first book of its kind to offer 12 books within a book- chapters that can stand on their own but together comprise a truly comprehensive and comprehensible, practical and spiritual guide to being your best in life's most universally challenging situations.

20. The Success Principles - Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield, cocreator of the phenomenal bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul^® series, turns to the principles he's studied, taught, and lived for more than 30 years in this practical and inspiring guide that will help any aspiring person get from where they are to where they want to be.The Success Principles^™ will teach you how to increase your confidence, tackle daily challenges, live with passion and purpose, and realize all your ambitions. Not merely a collection of good ideas, this book spells out the 64 timeless principles used by successful men and women throughout history. Taken together and practiced every day, these principles will transform your life beyond your wildest dreams!

If reading just isn't enough to assist you in making the changes you wish to make in your life and you would like to find out more about having a coach help you than you can contact Jo at http://www.destinybychoice.com.au/contact-us

New Adventures and Challenges ahead!!

2012-11-02T08:33:00.000+11:00

I have recently decided, after 14 years working at the same place and 13 years of working night duty, to resign from my job. For the past two to three years I have juggled working as a Midwife with attempting to establish my own life/personal success coaching business and have finally decided that it is time to put all of my focus onto the business and associated business activities which currently includes developing a self-esteem program specifically for single parents.

The prospect of doing this is both exciting and very scary at the same time as I don't have any specific plans about what I am going to do other than what I have already mentioned or where I am going to go. My son has almost completed his first year at university and should be able to get student accommodation somewhere closer than where we are now so I'm being open to whatever opportunities show up for me. I have some ideas on what might come next however as yet nothing is set in stone. The fabulous thing about having a coaching business is that as long as you have an internet connection and phone you can work from anywhere.

My first new adventure is to do some house sitting and although I'm not really going far, this first one is in the next suburb, I'm looking forward to the new experience. I met the owner and the pets I will be sitting yesterday and I'm really looking forward to this new experience. I imagine to begin with it will just feel like I'm on holidays.

Only two weeks today until my last shift and although I will miss the people I work with I certainly won't miss being awake all night and feeling sleep deprived most of the time.

If you would like to find out more about the coaching, you can read more at www.destinybychoice.com.au and if you would like to have a chat about how coaching may be able to help you book a virtual coffee chat with me on the contact page. Alternatively join me on facebook Destiny by Choice Facebook page - http://on.fb.me/gtbEl5
Successful Single Parenting Australia Facebook page - http://on.fb.me/WvQFzH

Another 20 of the Best 100 Personal Development Books Ever!

2012-10-28T17:09:00.001+11:00

Following on from the previous blog of 20 of the Best Personal Development Books Ever here is the second installment of books you might like to have a read of if you haven't already. To buy your own copy of the book just click on the heading. If you have read any of the books leave a comment about which one is your favourite.

1. Getting Things Done - David Allen

In today's world, yesterday's methods just don't work. In Getting Things Done, veteran coach and management consultant David Allen shares the breakthrough methods for stress-free performance that he has introduced to tens of thousands of people across the country. Allen's premise is simple: our productivity is directly proportional to our ability to relax. Only when our minds are clear and our thoughts are organized can we achieve effective productivity and unleash our creative potential.

2. Developing the Leader within You - John C. Maxwell

Developing the Leader Within You is Dr. Maxwell’s first and most enduring leadership book, having sold more than one million copies. In this Christian Leaders Series edition of this Maxwell classic, you will discover the biblical foundation for leadership that John Maxwell has used as a pastor and business leader for more than forty years. These same principles and practices are available for everyday leaders in every walk of life.

3. Better than Good - Zig Ziglar

The Ultimate Challenge: To Be Better Than Good. He has spent his life helping other people to realize their dreams and experience maximum success. Now comes Zig Ziglar's high-impact work that calls you to the passion, purpose, and practical tools that can ignite the peak performance you long for.

4. The Purpose-Driven Life - Rick Warren

This devotional book has been on the New York Times Best Seller list for advice books for one of the longest periods in history. The book is intended to be read as a daily inspiration, with each of the 40 short chapters read on consecutive days. Each chapter contains a personal application section at the end with a "point to ponder," a verse to remember, and a question to consider over the course of that day.

5. How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie

You can go after the job you want...and get it! You can take the job you have...and improve it! You can take any situation you're in...and make it work for you!

6. Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus - John Gray

The legendary relationships guide that mothers recommend to their daughters, friends give as gifts and brothers steal from their sisters, MEN ARE FROM MARS AND WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS is inarguably the definitive book on having a happy relationship.

7. The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle

It's no wonder that The Power of Now has sold over 2 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 30 foreign languages. Much more than simple principles and platitudes, the book takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light.

8. The Secret - Rhonda Byrne

In this book, you'll learn how to use The Secret in every aspect of your life -- money, health, relationships, happiness, and in every interaction you have in the world. You'll begin to understand the hidden, untapped power that's within you, and this revelation can bring joy to every aspect of your life.

9. Intimacy and Solitude - Stephanie Dowrick

Intimacy and Solitude is the international bestseller that helps you enjoy closeness with others, while maintaining a firm sense of independence. Using stories from her psychotherapy practice and her own life, Stephanie Dowrick shows how intimacy begins in discovering and trusting your own self, and then bringing that personal strength into one’s relationships with friends, family, and lovers.

10. Rhinoceros Success - Scott Alexander

Success Is Difficult But ... tomorrow morning, you could wake up as a full grown rhinoceros and - * charge your way to success * use audacity to reach your goals * be happier than you've ever been before * make your life an exciting adventure * have the persistence and tenacity necessary for success * never worry again * succeed at the world's most profitable hobby * achieve more and have a better balance in the six major areas of your life: FINANCIAL, WORK, PHYSICAL, FAMILY, SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL Scott Alexander has discovered the REAL secret of success: becoming a rhinoceros. Read it and go rhino! That's all there is between you and everything you've ever wanted to do or become in your life. CHARGE!!

11. Winning through Intimidation - Robert J. Ringer

If you've ever found yourself coming out on the short end of the stick, you'll appreciate the rewards that can be yours whenyou take the initiative in every area of your life. Written by the bestselling author of MILLION DOLLAR HABITS, this business gem, explains in candid terms what intimidation is, why you become intimidated and how you can avoid the mental lapses that can cause you to fall victim to intimidation.

12. The 4-Hour Workweek - Timothy Ferriss

Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan–there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, The 4-Hour Workweek is the blueprint.

13. The Greatest Salesman in the World - : Og Mandino

What you are today is not important... for in this runaway bestseller you will learn how to change your life by applying the secrets you are about to discover in the ancient scrolls.

14. Taking Flight - Anthony De Mello

This book contains over 250 stories, grouped under the themes of Prayer, Awareness, Religion, Grace, "Saints," Self, Love, and Truth. Although derived from a variety of countries and cultures, these tales share the spiritual heritage and popular humor of the entire human race.

15. Emotional Intelligence 2.0 - Travis Bradberry

By now, emotional intelligence (EQ) needs little introduction — it’s no secret that EQ is critical to your success. But knowing what emotional intelligence is and knowing how to use it to improve your life are two very different things. Emotional Intelligence 2.0 delivers a step-by-step program for increasing your emotional intelligence using the four core EQ skills — self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management — to exceed your goals and achieve your fullest potential.

16. The Seven Spiritual laws of Success - : Deepak Chopra

The creation of wealth has always been regarded as a process that requires hard work and luck--often at the expense of others. In this remarkable book, the author of Quantum Healing and other bestsellers reveals how to align with the subtle yet powerful, unseen forces that affect the flow of money in our lives.

17. Way of the Peaceful Warrior - Dan Millman

Way of the Peaceful Warrior is based on the story of Dan Millman, a world champion athlete, who journeys into realms of romance and magic, light and darkness, body, mind, and spirit. Guided by a powerful old warrior named Socrates and tempted by an elusive, playful woman named Joy, Dan is led toward a final confrontation that will deliver or destroy him. Readers join Dan as he learns to live as a peaceful warrior. This international bestseller conveys piercing truths and humorous wisdom, speaking directly to the universal quest for happiness.

18. The Magic of Thinking Big - David J. Schwartz

Millions of people throughout the world have improved their lives using The Magic of Thinking Big. Dr. David J. Schwartz, long regarded as one of the foremost experts on motivation, will help you sell better, manage better, earn more money, and -- most important of all -- find greater happiness and peace of mind.

19. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with the alchemist.

20. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience - : Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

The bestselling introduction to "flow"--a groundbreaking psychological theory that shows readers how to improve the quality of life.

If reading just isn't enough to assist you in making the changes you wish to make in your life and you would like to find out more about having a coach help you than you can contact Jo at http://www.destinybychoice.com.au/contact-us

20 of the Top Personal Development Books Ever!

2012-10-23T20:56:00.002+11:00

I love reading books and have an ever increasing list of books I would still like to read and currently not much time to spend actually reading. I came across a list of the 100 best Personal Development/Self Improvement books and thought I would share it here for others to read and select from. I've included a link in each heading in order for you to be able to go buy any of the books you would like to get your hands on straight away. Also included is a little about each book which would make a very long blog if I included all 100 so to start with have included 20 books and will do further blogs with more books over then next couple of weeks. I've read 9 out of this lot of 20 books, how many have you ready?
If you would prefer to listen rather than read any of the books click on the audible link to get the books audiobook format.

1. The Total Money Makeover – Dave Ramsey

Ramsey debunks the many myths of money (exposing the dangers of cash advance, rent-to-own, debt consolidation) and attacks the illusions and downright deceptions of the American dream, which encourages nothing but overspending and massive amounts of debt. "Don't even consider keeping up with the Joneses," Ramsey declares in his typically candid style. "They're broke!"

2. The Sixty-Second Motivator – Jim Johnson

Based entirely on research from peer-reviewed journals and randomized controlled trials, The Sixty-Second Motivator is an easily read story that reveals practical motivational techniques. In less than 100 pages, readers will have the necessary tools to enable them to motivate themselves or others. A handy worksheet is also included which guides the reader through the motivational process.

3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen Covey

In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, service, and human dignity--principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.

4. Learn Optimism – Martin E.P Seligman

Known as the father of the new science of positive psychology, Martin E.P. Seligman draws on more than twenty years of clinical research to demonstrate how optimism enhances the quality of life, and how anyone can learn to practice it. Offering many simple techniques, Dr. Seligman explains how to break an “I—give-up” habit, develop a more constructive explanatory style for interpreting your behavior, and experience the benefits of a more positive interior dialogue. These skills can help break up depression, boost your immune system, better develop your potential, and make you happier.. With generous additional advice on how to encourage optimistic behavior at school, at work and in children, Learned Optimism is both profound and practical–and valuable for every phase of life.

5. Emotional Intelligence – Daniel Goleman

Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue, but until Emotional Intelligence, we could only guess why. Daniel Goleman's brilliant report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience offers startling new insight into our "two minds"—the rational and the emotional—and how they together shape our destiny.

Through vivid examples, Goleman delineates the five crucial skills of emotional intelligence, and shows how they determine our success in relationships, work, and even our physical well-being. What emerges is an entirely new way to talk about beingsmart.

6. The Power of Positive Thinking - Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

Dr. Peale shows You: 10 simple, workable rules for developing confidence - 3 proven.secrets for keeping up your vigor - 13 actual examples of how prayer power helped people in need - 4 words that lead to success - 5 techniques used by successful men to overcome defeat - an 8-point spiritual healing formula - a 10-point guide to popularity . . . and much, much more. This book proves that an attitude of the mind can change lives, win success in all things, and overcome all obstacles. If you have a problem, there is a solution. If you are in despair, there is the hope of happiness and renewed confidence in life. Here is your guide.

7. As a Man Thinketh - James Allen

James Allens classic AS A MAN THINKETH. The Bestselling Classic That Inspired "The Secret". AS A MAN THINKETH, Allen's most famous book, today is considered a classic self-help book. Its underlying premise is that noble thoughts make a noble person, while lowly thoughts make a miserable person. In "As a Man Thinketh," James Allen reveals how our thoughts determine reality. Whether or not we are conscious of it, our underlying beliefs shape our character, our health and appearance, our circumstances, and our destinies.

8. The Road Less Traveled - M. Scott Peck

Written in a voice that is timeless in its message of understanding, The Road Less Traveled continues to help us explore the very nature of loving relationships and leads us toward a new serenity and fullness of life. It helps us learn how to distinguish dependency from love; how to become a more sensitive parent; and ultimately how to become one's own true self.

Recognizing that, as in the famous opening line of his book, "Life is difficult" and that the journey to spiritual growth is a long one, Dr. Peck never bullies his readers, but rather guides them gently through the hard and often painful process of change toward a higher level of self-understanding.

9. 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot - Richard Wiseman

Richard Wiseman has been troubled by the realization that the self-help industry often promotes exercises that destroy motivation, damage relationships, and reduce creativity: the opposite of everything it promises. Now, in 59 Seconds, he fights back, bringing together the diverse scientific advice that can help you change your life in under a minute, and guides you toward becoming more decisive, more imaginative, more engaged, and altogether more happy.
From mood to memory, persuasion to procrastination, resilience to relationships, Wiseman outlines the research supporting the new science of “rapid change” and, with clarity and infectious enthusiasm, describes how these quirky, sometimes counterintuitive techniques can be effortlessly incorporated into your everyday life. Or, as he likes to say: “Think a little, change a lot.”

10. Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill, America's most beloved motivational author, devoted 25 years to finding out how the wealthy became that way. After interviewing over 500 of the most affluent men and women of his time, he uncovered the secret to great wealth based on the notion that if we can learn to think like the rich, we can start to behave like them. By understanding and applying the thirteen simple steps that constitute Hill's formula, you can achieve your goals, change your life and join the ranks of the rich and successful.

11. Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway - Susan Jeffers

Are you afraid of making decisions . . . asking your boss for a raise . . . leaving an unfulfilling relationship . . . facing the future? Whatever your fear, here is your chance to push through it once and for all. In this enduring guide to self-empowerment, Dr. Susan Jeffers inspires us with dynamic techniques and profound concepts that have helped countless people grab hold of their fears and move forward with their lives.

12. You Were Born Rich - Bob Proctor

In this volume, You Were Born Rich, Bob Proctor has done it again, this time taking you step by step to the surprising discovery that success is not always reaching out for something that you don’t have but rather only reaching over and rearranging the pieces
already there. I read with fascination as Bob carefully built his case and then found myself instantly applying his conclusions to ongoing projects and relationships.
Therein lies the great value of this book. You can instantly apply the conclusions to your own life. It will begin to impact you long before you reach the last chapter.

13. NLP (Collins Need to Know) - Carolyn Boyes

This one-stop practical guide will show you how to use neuro linguistic programming to improve your communication skills and quality of life. To make your progress easier, it comes in a handy two-colour format with expert tips and advice throughout. This book gives a complete overview of the fascinating power of the mind, helping the individual to better not only their own life, but consequently the lives of others around them.

14. The Millionaire Maker's Guide to Creating a Cash Machine for Life - Loral Langemeier

Loral Langemeier first introduced her exclusive Wealth Cycle system in the national bestseller The Millionaire Maker. Now, in The Millionaire Maker's Guide to Creating a Cash Machine for Life, she reveals how you can learn to earn more money by building a viable business. The Cash Machine is simple to start and sustain. You'll use skills you already possess and build a reliable team to help. Whether you want to partner with others or create your own team to start, fix, or buy a business, Langemeier shows you how to turn it into a Cash Machine that makes money from Day One.

15. Awaken the Giant Within - Anthony Robbins

Anthony Robbins, the leader in the science of peak performance, shows you his most effective strategies and techniques for mastering your emotions, your body, your relationships, your finances, and your life. The acknowledged expert in the psychology of change, Anthony Robbins provides a step-by-step program teaching the fundamental lessons of self-mastery that will enable you to discover your true purpose, take control of your life and harness the forces that shape your destiny.

16. Life Was Never Meant To Be a Struggle - Stuart Wilde

Stuart Wilde in his inimitable style helps you identify the cause of struggle in your life and shows you how to eliminate it quickly through a concerted action plan. Your heritage is to be free. To achieve that freedom, you have to move gradually from struggle into free Flow.

17. The Millionaire Mindset - : Gerry Robert

Why is it that when some poor soul wins the lottery, he is often right back in the poor house within 10 years? It's because he never changed his thinking. He never acquired a Millionaire Mindset. The Millionaire Mindset reveals how you can finally break the cycle of poverty consciousness and take control of your life. You will see the power that your conditioning has on your current results, and you'll gain a powerful system for reversing that early programming.

18. Rich Dad Poor Dad - Robert T. Kiyosaki

Personal finance author and lecturer Robert T. Kiyosaki developed his unique economic perspective from two very different influences - his two fathers. This text lays out Kiyosaki's philosophy and his relationship with money.

19. The Master Key System - Charles F. Haanel

The Master Key System is a personal development book that was originally published as a correspondence course in 1912. Along with "The Science of Getting Rich", by Wallace D. Wattles, the Master Key System is the source of Rhonda Byrne's inspiration for the book and the film "The Secret".

20. Your Best Life Now - Joel Osteen

In this remarkable New York Times bestseller, Joel Osteen offers unique insights and encouragement that will help readers overcome every obstacle in their lives.

Music, memories and choices made.

2012-08-22T14:21:00.001+10:00

Whilst I was doing some housework this morning I had the top 100 ultimate 90's hits playing in the background. It's amazing how listening to music or specific songs can take you back to another time and place. It got me to thinking about what was happening in my life when the songs that were playing were released and popular. Although at times I think that given the chance I would go back and change some of the choices I made, there is no guarantee that having done things differently it would have ensured a greater level of happiness with my life. Right now, in my life, there are certainly things that I'd be happy to change and am in the process of changing however for the most part I'm pretty happy at where I'm at. I'm also quite fond of the person I have turned into and the things I have achieved that 20 years ago I never would have imagined myself doing. Often we look back on choices we made and believe that if we had picked a different choice that life would have been better although as can be seen in the movie 'the butterfly effect' sometimes making a perceived bad choice could actually be saving us from something we would have seen as worse rather than better.

Asking for and receiving help from others.

2012-08-20T17:08:00.002+10:00

In the past couple of weeks I've come across some conversations and situations related to asking and receiving help from others. When I was looking through a pile of articles today looking for some ideas to help me with writing my own article I came across this story that I thought was worth sharing.
Many living things need each other to survive. If you have ever seen an Aspen tree, you may have noticed that it does not grow alone. Aspens are found in clusters or groves.
The reason for this is that the aspen tree sends up new shoots from the roots. In a small grove, all of the trees may actually be connected by their roots.
Giant redwood trees may tower in the sky and it would seem that they would require extremely deep roots to anchor them against strong winds however it is believed that their roots are actually quite shallow in order to capture as much surface water as possible and they spread in all directions, intertwining with other redwoods. Locked together in this way, all the trees support each other in wind and storms. Like the aspen, they never stand alone and they need one another to survive.
People are also connected by a system of roots. We are born to a family and learn early to make friends. We are not meant to survive long without others. And just like the redwood tree we need to hold one another up. When we are pounded by the sometimes vicious storms of life, we need others to support and sustain us.
Have you been going it alone? Maybe it's time to let someone else help hold you up for a while or perhaps someone needs to hang on to you for a while for support.
If you are in a place in your life where you could use the support of a coach, you can contact Jo at
http://www.destinybychoice.com.au/contact-us/

A wishes fufilled coincidence

2012-08-17T20:51:00.001+10:00

Towards the end of a coaching call I had with a client last night we were talking about the book 'Wishes Fulfilled' written by Dr Wayne Dyer. It was a book I had recommended to the client and she was saying how much she had enjoyed it and some occurrences that had happened since she had read the book. After I read this book I signed up to receive information from Dr Dyer's website however was still rather intrigued by the fact that whist we had been talking about him and the book I received an email from his company about some programs and products that he currently has on offer.
I'm not sure what exactly the meaning of this is, if anything at all, however one thing I do believe is that 'when the student is ready the teacher appears' and although I may have heard the same message a number of times in various different ways sometimes I just don't get it because I am not ready to hear what is being said. I'm sure Maui would be a really nice place to be in January for the Divine Love workshop however the products that caught my eye were the Secrets of Manifesting CD's and the I AM wishes fulfilled meditation.

Challenged

2012-08-16T07:14:00.001+10:00

Okay, when I set myself this writing task I failed to take into consideration that I would be spending 5 days in Canberra at an Emotionally intense workshop where, after attending them regularly for almost three years, I know I have very little time to spend on such things as writing a blog. I did manage to get one post written and although I started on a second I was having difficulty putting my thoughts together into something that made sense. Now that I have returned home I have given myself a couple of days off and am ready to get back into it.
One of the things I learnt over the weekend was that when things become uncomfortable for me and I push past the resistance that shows up I am capable of doing things I never felt that I was able to in the past. The hardest part for me was pushing through the resistance and once that was done and it became easy I wondered why I had put up so much resistance in the first place. This is a realization that will not only have served me well over the past weekend but also as I continue facing whatever challenges life has for me. What are you doing or not doing in your own life that is holding you back from achieving the things you most want?

Mindset matters.

2012-08-09T19:19:00.001+10:00

Mindset can make a big difference to how we see things. Take for example the reaction of some of our silver medal winning athletes. For some, particularly some of the swimming team, despite coming second by less than a second see it as a failure. Whereas others like the men's long jump silver medalist was thrilled at his accomplishment. On having the tv commentator say to him 'you must be disappointed' his response was 'I'm happy, my coach is happy, the only one that doesn't seem to be happy is you.' or something to that effect anyway. I thought that was an excellent response as these elite athletes are competing against the best in the world and in a race of eight or how ever many are competing generally only one person can win. I personally think just being chosen for an Olympic team is an amazing accomplishment and admire all the athletes that dedicate their lives to being amongst the best in the world at what they do.

'Stripper' Pole?

2012-08-07T23:31:00.000+10:00

I had another topic in mind for today however after hearing the comments on Sunrise this morning about Stephanie Rice having a 'Stripper' Pole at home I thought I would write about my current exercise program. I'm guessing the Sunrise team didn't do much research on what they were discussing and that what they were actually referring to was a pole dancing or pole fitness pole. Sure strippers in clubs have poles (going by the ones I've seen on tv anyway) however they seem to only dance around them not do the physically challenging moves that those who do pole classes or compete in pole dancing competitions would be capable of doing.
I currently participate in both a pole dancing class and a strength and conditioning class which incorporates the pole and they would have to be some of the most physically challenging yet fun exercises I have ever done. To excel at pole dancing you have to develop amazing upper body strength and a strong core. I never would have imagined even a couple of years ago that I would be able to climb a pole let alone hang upside down without holding on with my hands at this point in time however I am capable of both. As the sign at the pole studio says 'Strong is the new Skinny!'
As for the Sunrise teams questions about where you would put a pole in your home, I imagine somewhere there is plenty of room and if I had such a space and didn't think I'd be in danger of the roof collapsing if I installed one I would have one myself. I had better keep looking for somewhere else to live, perhaps somewhere with a rumpus room or a garage with a sturdy roof.........
If you would like to check out the skill and strength needed for pole fitness the following link is a clip from the Australian Pole Fitness Championships
http://youtu.be/5cLEAbbyVvE

Are Computers programmed to self-destruct?

2012-08-06T09:39:00.000+10:00

Okay I had better quickly get this written before the computer decides to completely expire!! On discovering yesterday that I ordered my computer on the 4th August 2011 and therefore only have 5 days currently left on the warranty I started to wonder whether computers actually are programmed to self-destruct once their warranty has run out and mine has generously gotten in ahead of time.
Good news, I stopped writing briefly to ring and find out about having the hard drive replaced as that is what the diagnostic testing has informed me needs to be done and they will have a new one out to me by Wednesday. Although the phone line wasn't particularly good and I had trouble hearing the guy on the other end he was very helpful and it is wonderful to only have to make one relatively brief phone call in order to have the problem rectified. I was even more impressed that they will just send the hard drive out to me and I don't have to take or send the computer anywhere to have it fixed.
The customer service man assures me that the hard drives in these computers are easy to change so I shouldn't have any trouble replacing it myself.
I have in this process learnt that I should back up my computer more frequently than I currently do. After the first issue I had last Tuesday I still hadn't gotten around to backing up my information when it happened again yesterday. Fortunately it hadn't completely died and I was able to back up my information onto my external hard drive before attempting to diagnose what was wrong with the poor thing.
Although blue is my favourite colour I'm not at all fond of having the computer blue screen and now wondering as to the reason the 'danger' screen colour on a computer is blue rather than red.

What I learnt from being forgotten!

2012-08-05T07:46:00.001+10:00

I believe in the idea that there is something to learn from every situation. Having said that my computer has already given me opportunity for further learning this morning,which I will keep for another day, and has left me tapping away here at the screen on the iPhone.
Okay back to the original learning from an experience I had at the Chiropractor a couple of days ago. I'm going to start with the things that I learnt, now I'm sure if I thought about it a bit longer I could come up with more however this is what I have so far.
1) If you have any type of clinic where you have multiple clients going at one time it might be a good idea to have a receptionist.
2) Pain clouds your judgement when it comes to good or poor business practices.
3) When you give clients/patients a bell to get your attention it might be a good idea to actually respond when they ring it.
4) If you go to put a second patient into a room and it reminds you there is someone there perhaps you should at least acknowledge you know they are still there before starting treatment on the next patient and subsequently forgetting them again.
5) I don't like being cold!!

So how did I come to seemingly be forgotten by the Chiropractor and left in a room with an air-conditioner on cold following a 20 minute heat treatment? Well considering I was left with a bell which I rang a number of times an explanation for this escapes me & I didn't wait around long enough to get one off the Chiropractor. After waiting in the cold for what seemed like an eternity and having called out as well as rung the bell when I heard him checking on the guy in the next room (because he thought he had rung his bell) I decided enough was enough and slid out from under the once heated pads got dressed as I wasn't venturing anywhere in the gown I had on & headed to the reception area to inform the Chiropractor that he had forgotten about me. When I got there no sign of another person so I left.
I guess in this instance it is to my advantage that he has poor business practices as on my first visit I was never asked for contact details or medical history so unless he wants to go to the trouble of finding my details by using the credit card or health fund card I'm guessing I won't hear from him. On the first visit I thought this was a bit unusual however as I was in a considerable amount of pain at the time I didn't pay it too much attention and I liked the fact that he used massage & heat (other than when the heat stops & the air-con is still going) in addition to the manipulation.
I can only guess that once the initial 20 minute heat treatment was complete I waited approximately 20-30 minutes before being forgotten and the cold got me angry enough to get up and leave. One of the things I have learnt in setting up a business is that having a technical skill e.g. Chiropractor does not guarantee proficiency in business or customer service skills and if this is the case perhaps the best course of action is have someone who is skilled in these areas do them for you.

A personal blogging challenge

2012-08-04T20:31:00.001+10:00

One of the things I set out to do at the beginning of the year was to blog regularly and having realized that it has now been over three months since the last time I wrote a blog I thought perhaps it was time I got back on track.
In order to do this I have set myself a challenge of blogging every day for the rest of this month and to make myself accountable by putting it out there to the world (via this blog) that this is my intension. It is all fine and good to write down goals and intention however unless you tell someone else about them you have no one other than yourself to be accountable to and I don't know about anyone else but I often am not that good at being accountable to myself and let myself off easy.
They say it takes about 21 days to develop a habit so I am hopeful that by blogging every day for more than 21 days it will become a habit and become easier and easier to do with each blog written.
As you can see this first one is only short however since deciding to do this self imposed challenge I have already thought of a number of potential subjects to write about and the olypmics are certainly somewhat of a help when it comes to ideas related to personal development and personal achievement.

Wishes Fulfilled

2012-04-30T09:46:00.000+10:00

I recently read the book (actually it was an audiobook so I listened to it) "Wishes Fulfilled" by Dr Wayne Dyer. One of the things that was a bit of an 'aha' moment for me was his suggestion that one of the reasons we don't have more of our wishes fulfilled is because we often spend the time right before going to sleep thinking about all the things we don't have or what has been going 'wrong' in our lives. He suggests this leaves our subconscious minds working on these mostly 'negative' ideas as we sleep and is it any wonder we might attract more of what we don't want if our subconscious is focusing on them during this time.
So what can be done to overcome this so that our minds are focused on what we do want whilst we sleep? Three methods I incorporate into my own life which appear to make going to sleep quicker as well are; saying positive 'I am' statements to yourself, whether they are currently true or the way you wish for them to be, list off all the things I am grateful for no matter how big or small and the third method is to listen to a positive recording either affirmations, meditation or hypnosis.
Even though you may not be about to go to sleep right now why not get started, what are 5 'I am' statements you have? e.g. I am loving, I am generous, I am kind, I am a great teacher/presenter/coach, I am abundant etc What are 5 things you are grateful for?