Shine: Rediscovering Your Energy, Happiness and Purpose


Andy Cope - 2018
    In which case, we applaud you. If, on the other hand, you need the cheat codes, then this book will give you a nudge. Redefining the genre of ‘self-help comedy,’ Shine is a book about the brevity of life. It contains adult themes of mortality, change, exhaustion and unrelenting pressure. Thankfully, the bleakness is done with humour and the solutions are entertaining, do-able and uplifting. Shine is the literary equivalent of ‘ctrl/alt/delete.’ All you have to do is read the book, keep an open mind, and apply the learning. You will experience a personal re-boot with new mental software installed, upgrading you to ‘best possible self.’ It’s a very simple process that also happens to be ‘not very easy.’ Because, of course, if being your best self was easy, everybody would be doing it. The average lifespan is 4000 weeks. Look around and you’ll see too many people having a ‘near life experience.’ They’re alive, but not living. Truth time: life’s a short and precious gift that’s hurtling by in a blur. If you want to make a dent in the universe, it’s time to wake up. We figure that if you’re going to rise, you may as well shine. Laugh and learn while you: Rediscover your ability to ping out of bed every single day with fire in your belly and a smile on your face. Identify what really matters in your life and how to stop stressing about the stuff that doesn't. Remember how to focus on all that makes you happy and cut the nonsense that worries you for no reason. Give up your low-level grumbling and experience the joy that comes when you focus on achieving all that you've ever wanted. Find out just how easy it is boost your energy and increase your motivation. Discover how to break free from 'ordinary' and embrace a life of 'extraordinary.’ Figure out how to channel your inner Mary Poppins.

Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: An Introvert's Year of Living Dangerously


Jessica Pan - 2019
    She wrote a list: improv, a solo holiday and... talking to strangers on the tube. She regretted it instantly.Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come follows Jess's hilarious and painful year of misadventures in extroverting, reporting back from the frontlines for all the introverts out there.But is life actually better or easier for the extroverts? Or is it the nightmare Jess always thought it would be?

Simply Spaced: Clear the Clutter and Style Your Life


Monica Leed - 2019
    Broken into projects by room, across a “year of clear,” the 3-step method inside will dispel the myth that you can’t learn to be organized. Simply Spaced will teach you to think like a professional organizer. Learn to Simplify like a pro by implementing the failsafe method to declutter any space, keeping only what you love, need and use. Streamline your home and take back control by optimizing space with strategic storage. And finally, Style your home to inspire creativity and connection. Monica Leed, CEO, and owner of Simply Spaced will reshape how you think about your home and belongings. Her practical tips make getting organized desirable, achievable and sustainable. She’s made this all possible through a belief that simplicity and order create the mental and physical space we all need to thrive. Complete with checklists and tear-out worksheets, Monica shares her best advice on how to create a home that “rises up to meet you.” Each chapter includes 5 clutter culprits, plus 5 pro tips to combat clutter, 15 things to let go of now, and style tips for every room. From kitchens and closets to kids’ spaces and storage, Monica will inspire you to conquer one room at a time, overcoming overwhelm and organizing it all.The Simply Spaced method, born from the LA-based professional organizing service and lifestyle company Simply Spaced, has helped countless clients tap into their creativity for profound change. Get ready to be inspired as you clear the physical and mental clutter that’s been holding you back from living your best life. It all starts at home.

In Bloom: Trading Restless Insecurity for Abiding Confidence


Kayla Aimee - 2018
    Whether fueled by a culture of makeover shows, by the lingering memories of mean girls, or by events much more wounding to the soul, we can become so conditioned by self-doubt that it becomes our inner monologue. What we want is to be free of shame and comparison, to turn our uncertainty into a bold confidence. But to flourish in our own skin, we first have to rewrite the narrative. In this fearless, funny, and refreshingly relatable chronicle of her own metamorphosis from the insecurity that once held her captive, author Kayla Aimee unfolds the blueprint for women to:   • Identify the deep-seated sources of our assumed inadequacy and replace them with steadfast truths of scriptural affirmation • Replace our need for approval with the enduring promise of acceptance • Uncover our purpose, unlock our potential, and celebrate the God-given gifts in our unique personality   To every woman who longs for belonging, this journey through Kayla’s inviting prose, biblical promises, and journaling prompts will help guide her from restless insecurity to a beautiful becoming.

29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life


Cami Walker - 2009
    Seeking a remedy for her depression after being hospitalized, she received an uncommon prescription from an African medicine woman: Give to others for 29 days.29 Gifts is the insightful story of the author's life change as she embraces and reflects on the naturally reciprocal process of giving and receiving. Many of Walker's gifts were simple —a phone call, spare change, a Kleenex. Yet the acts were transformative. By Day 29, not only had Walker's health and happiness improved, but she had created a worldwide giving movement.The book also includes personal essays from others whose lives changed for the better by giving, plus pages for the reader to record their own journey. More than a memoir, 29 Gifts offers inspiring lessons on how a simple daily practice of altruism can dramatically alter your outlook on the world.

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself


Michael A. Singer - 2007
    You’ll discover what you can do to put an end to the habitual thoughts and emotions that limit your consciousness. By tapping into traditions of meditation and mindfulness, author and spiritual teacher Michael A. Singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self-realization.Copublished with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) The Untethered Soul begins by walking you through your relationship with your thoughts and emotions, helping you uncover the source and fluctuations of your inner energy. It then delves into what you can do to free yourself from the habitual thoughts, emotions, and energy patterns that limit your consciousness. Finally, with perfect clarity, this book opens the door to a life lived in the freedom of your innermost being.

The Little Book of Big Change: The No-Willpower Approach to Breaking Any Habit


Amy Johnson - 2016
    Drawing on a powerful combination of neuroscience and spirituality, this book will show you that you are not your habits. Rather, your habits and addictions are the result of simple brain wiring that is easily reversed. By learning to stop bad habits at the source, you will take charge of your habits and addictions for good.Anything done repeatedly has the potential to form neural circuitry in the brain. In this light, habits and addictions are impersonal brain wiring problems that result from taking your habitual thinking as truth, and acting on that thinking in the form of doing your habit—over and over. This book offers a number of small changes you can make in your everyday life that will help you stop your bad habit in its tracks.If you want to understand the science behind your habit, make the decision to end it, and commit to real, lasting change, this book will help you to finally take charge of your life—once and for all.

The Power of Ritual: How to Create Meaning and Connection in Everything You Do


Casper ter Kuile - 2020
    He argues that, while formal religious affiliation may be waning, spiritual practices remain relevant because they can cultivate bonds to the self, others, the natural world, and the transcendent. Ter Kuile explains the significance of a variety of religious practices, including pilgrimage, prayer, and meditation, and proposes ways to capture their significance through everyday activities ("anything can become a spiritual practice--gardening, painting, singing, snuggling, sitting") by focusing on intention, attention, and repetition. This approach leads to inventive explorations of social trends; for instance, the famously cultish appeal of the Crossfit fitness program is explained in terms of vulnerability and community. In ter Kuile's understanding, religious traditions are "inherently creative" and therefore good starting points for considering personalized, meaningful spiritual practices.

Buddhist Boot Camp


Timber Hawkeye - 2012
    Buddhism is all about training the mind, and boot camp is an ideal training method for this generation's short attention span. The chapters in this small book can be read in any order, and are simple and easy to understand. Each story, inspirational quote, and teaching offers mindfulness-enhancing techniques that anyone can relate to. You don't need to be a Buddhist to find the Buddha's teachings motivational. As the Dalai Lama says, "Don't try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist; use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are."So whether it's Mother Teresa's acts of charity, Gandhi's perseverance, or your aunt Betty's calm demeanor, as long as you're motivated to be better today than you were yesterday, it doesn't matter who inspires you. Regardless of religion, geographical region, race, ethnicity, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, flexibility, or vulnerability, if you do good you feel good, and if you do bad you feel bad.Buddhism isn't just about meditating. It's about rolling up your sleeves to relieve some of the suffering in the world. If you are ready to be a soldier of peace in the army of love, welcome to Buddhist Boot Camp!

Solitude: A Return to the Self


Anthony Storr - 1988
    Solitude was seminal in challenging the established belief that "interpersonal relationships of an intimate kind are the chief, if not the only, source of human happiness." Indeed, most self-help literature still places relationships at the center of human existence. Lucid and lyrical, Storr's book cites numerous examples of brilliant scholars and artists -- from Beethoven and Kant to Anne Sexton and Beatrix Potter -- to demonstrate that solitude ranks alongside relationships in its impact on an individual's well-being and productivity, as well as on society's progress and health. But solitary activity is essential not only for geniuses, says Storr; the average person, too, is enriched by spending time alone. For fifteen years, readers have found inspiration and renewal in Storr's erudite, compassionate vision of human experience.

Breakup Bootcamp: The Science of Rewiring Your Heart


Amy Chan - 2020
    Although she was angry and broken-hearted, Chan soon came to realize that the breakup was the shakeup she needed to redirect her life. Instead of descending into darkness, she used the pain of the breakup as a bridge to self-actualization. She devoted herself to learning various healing modalities from the ancient to the scientific, and dived into the psychology of love. It worked. Fast forward years later, Amy completely transformed her life, her relationships and founded a breakup bootcamp helping countless women heal their hearts.In Breakup Bootcamp, Amy Chan directs her experience as a relationship columnist and as the creator of Renew Breakup Bootcamp into a practical, thoughtful guide to turning broken hearts into an opportunity to break out of complacency and destructive habits. Dubbed "the Chief Heart Hacker," Amy Chan grounds her practical advice and tried and tested methods rooted in cutting-edge psychology and research, helping first her bootcamp attendees and now her readers most effectively heal and reclaim their self-love.Breakup Bootcamp comes at the perfect time, when many are feeling the intensity of being in or out of a relationship, lonely or suffocated, and flirting with old toxic relationships they’ve outgrown. Relatable, life-changing, and backed by sound scientific research, Breakup Bootcamp can help anyone turn their greatest heartbreak into a powerful tool for growth.

Be More Cat: Life Lessons from Our Feline Friends


Alison Davies - 2017
    From living in the moment, to trusting our sixth-sense instincts, to taking cat naps, and even going feral, there are real benefits to being more cat! In Be More Cat, Alison Davies explores nine key traits we can take on board to be more cat-like and live a happier, healthier, and all around 'feline fabulous' existence. With practical tips and exercises, interspersed with folklore and fun facts about our kitty gurus, there's something for everyone in this cute, fully illustrated guide!

Ego Is the Enemy


Ryan Holiday - 2016
    In fact, the most common enemy lies within: our ego. Early in our careers, it impedes learning and the cultivation of talent. With success, it can blind us to our faults and sow future problems. In failure, it magnifies each blow and makes recovery more difficult. At every stage, ego holds us back.The Ego is the Enemy draws on a vast array of stories and examples, from literature to philosophy to history. We meet fascinating figures like Howard Hughes, Katharine Graham, Bill Belichick, and Eleanor Roosevelt, all of whom reached the highest levels of power and success by conquering their own egos. Their strategies and tactics can be ours as well.But why should we bother fighting ego in an era that glorifies social media, reality TV, and other forms of shameless self-promotion?  Armed with the lessons in this book, as Holiday writes, “you will be less invested in the story you tell about your own specialness, and as a result, you will be liberated to accomplish the world-changing work you’ve set out to achieve.”

The Bigamist: The True Story of a Husband's Ultimate Betrayal


Mary Turner-Thomson - 2007
    The woman on the other end of the line told her that Will Jordan, Mary's husband and the father of her two younger children, had been married to her for fourteen years and they had five children together. The Bigamist is the shocking true story of how one man manipulated an intelligent, independent woman, conning her out of £200,000 and leaving her to bring up the children he claimed he could never have. It's a story we all think could never happen to us, but this shameless con man has been doing the same thing to various other women for at least 27 years, spinning a tangled web of lies and deceit to cover his tracks. How far would you go to help the man you love? How far would he go to deceive you? And what would you do when you found out it was all a lie?

Self-Discipline in 10 Days: How to Go from Thinking to Doing


Theodore Bryant - 1991
    You will go from dreaming, thinking, and planning to doing: Fast! You will quickly start to turn your ideas into actions and achievements. You will learn to apply simple techniques that will benefit you for a lifetime. Take your first step toward self-discipline today by ordering now! Youll learn: How To Overcome The 5 Common Psychological Roadblocks To Self-Discipline! How To Identify & Rid Yourself Of The Sub-Conscious Beliefs That Sabotage Self-Discipline! How To Use Simple Time Management Techniques! How To Program Your Psychological Functions For Maximum Self-Discipline!