I have read these titles and recommend them for self-care.
For more, visit my publications page to view the books I have authored.
FEATURED TITLE
Making Sense of Life’s Transitions: Strategies for coping
with the difficult, painful, and confusing times in your life
by William Bridges
If you’ve never read this old but tried and true book, please add it to your reading list. William Bridges’ insights on the changes we experience in life and how they affect us are both wise and practical. He breaks the process into three parts, Endings, The Neutral Zone and The New Beginning, and highlights our emotional responses in each of these stages. As we all know, the only constant in life is change. Life IS an ongoing series of endings and beginnings, and Bridges’ understanding of that crazy-making middle place, “the neutral zone,” helps calm the angst we so often experience. My sister Elaine and I use Bridges’ transition model very effectively to help our retreat guests understand the changes they are in or want to make. As I repeatedly say, awareness is the key! When we are aware of our emotional highs and lows – amidst forced or desired change – we can learn to navigate our way to that new beginning with greater grace and ease.
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer
I received this book as a gift from a dear friend, who found it deeply inspiring, and thought I would too. She was right. Not only was I inspired but educated as well. Michael Singer melds psychology and spirituality in a unique way to bring us into awareness of how our thoughts and fears can stop us from living a life of freedom and ease. And then, with humor, profound knowledge and in very readable language, he deftly guides the reader on how to break free of this internal bondage. I’ve read many books on this subject over the years but this one somehow brought it all together for me in such a rich, delightful way. So much so, that as soon as I finished the last page, I went back to the first page and started the book all over again, not because I didn’t understand it, but because I wanted to continue to steep in its insights.
My Review: About 10 years ago a friend read an excerpt from this book to take us into a time of meditation. The words enveloped my heart. It was the first time I had been exposed to the Celtic teachings of John O’Donohue. For me, Anam Cara is his seminal work, sharing a deep understanding of our human condition, our purpose on this Earth and the nature of our soul’s longing and desire for belonging. I can pick up this book, open to any page and drink deeply from the well of wisdom.
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
My Review: I picked up this classic at a second-hand bookstore several years ago and it will never leave my library. The Tao of Pooh is one of those books that has informed and inspired me in different ways at different times when I’ve needed insight and comfort. It’s soft yet deep wisdom couched in the delightful humor of Winnie the Pooh characters deliver such beautiful messages to me every time I read it.
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Live and Business
by Charles Duhigg
In The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. With penetrating intelligence and an ability to distill vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives, Duhigg brings to life a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential for transformation.
The Tao of Psychology ~ Synchronicity and the Self
by Jean Shinoda Bolen, MD
By relating the concepts of Tao and synchronicity, Dr. Bolen reveals important links between psychology and mysticism, right brain and left, the individual and the external world. The Tao of Psychology provides the key for each individual to interpret the synchronistic events in his or her life and gives fresh insight into the relationships, dreams, and flashes of perception that transform our existence.
The Art of Confident Living: 10 Practices for Taking Charge of Your Life
by Brian Robinson, Ph.D.
Bestselling author and psychotherapist Bryan Robinson, Ph.D., has revised his breakthrough book Heal Your Self-Esteem to reveal how to find the Confident Self that exists naturally in all of us. He shows you how to uncover this inner resource so that you can redirect the way you handle painful past experiences, insecurities, social interactions, and personal relationships.
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
by Steven Pressfield
The War of Art is a 2002 non-fiction book written by the American author Steven Pressfield. The book highlights the forms of resistance faced by artists, entrepreneurs, athletes, and others who are trying to break through creative barriers.
Destination Happiness: Everything You Need to Know to Stay on Course!
by Alice Inoue
Destination Happiness weaves together multiple modalities that address happiness in the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual realms. You will gain insight into universal laws and astrological cycles, see failure and loss in a new light, and learn how to let go of regret, guilt, and self-judgments using easy-to-follow methods.
Plynn Gutman 