A Few Books that Changed My Life

While helping a friend sort through some personal demons that have held her back from achieving all the things she wants out of life, I recommended she read a book that I had read years ago.  Then it got me thinking about which books I have read that truly made an impact on who I am today.  I thought I would share that list with you (in no particular order)

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
This is the book that I recommended to my friend. The book was recommended to me by my therapist. The book provides you with four very simple agreements that everyone should make with him or herself.  Once you can live by those agreements, you lose a lot of the hangups that would hold you back from having a happy and fulfilled life.

Body for Life by Bill Phillips
This book got me started on a lifetime of fitness and wellness.  After being interested in becoming more fit for a few years, and having the New Year's Resolutions that fizzled out somewhere around February 1 each year, I picked up this book and it optional Success Journal and I followed Bill's plan to the letter.  It is a solid plan and can be used by anyone of any fitness level. 

This Year I Will... by M. J. Ryan
I began reading this book earlier this year in an effort to be better armed to help my clients set and achieve goals. Immediately, I was struck by how useful and "right-on" this book was with the behaviors I see and hear about on a daily basis.  I was so impacted by this book that I contacted Ms. Ryan to chat with her about her book and how I can utilize her knowledge further.  She is a quick and helpful resource, by the way.

fitbook by fitlosophy
Okay, this isn't a typical book that you read.  It is a food and exercise logbook.  A few years ago, I was in the process of designing my own food and exercise log because I simply wasn't satisfied with the ones I found on the market.  While at an IDEA World Fitness Convention, I came across the fitbook(R). I was at once thrilled and disappointed! Thrilled because I finally found THE perfect logbook, and disappointed because I wasn't going to be the one benefitting financially from it. I chatted with the creator, Angela Manzanares and found her to be so friendly and passionate about her creation that the disappointment disappeared.  (Get your fitbook(R) here: http://www.getfitbook.com/?Click=3160)

Exercise Physiology by William McArdle, Frank Katch and Victor Katch
Yes, this book is a textbook. I may have read the entire book and found new and interesting things on nearly every page...certainly every chapter.  If you are interested in Exercise Physiology and you have some background in chemistry and anatomy & physiology, then this is a good text to have. I did not sell mine back, and I continue to reference it now and then.


Style Statement: Live by Your Own Design by Danielle LaPorte and Carrie McCarthy
I read about the authors, two designers, in an issue of Lucky Magazine. I was fascinated how they help their clients designate a unique, two-word phrase that identifies their own style, whether it be in clothes, furniture, or general way of life. This book walks you through the process of discovering your own "style statement." Mine is Naturally Sacred and I invoke it when I get stuck on a design decision.  I simply remind myself of my statement and ask how the item in question fits into it, if at all.  A couple of major life decisions have also been made with my style statement in mind, and I have never been happier with my life!