Self-Improvement & Mastery

Here are the best of the best from my library of growing strengths, self-improvement, self-help, and self-mastery books.

21 Ways to Defuse Anger and Calm People Down by Michael Staver Very useful tips and methods for not only handling high emotional situations with others, but (first and foremost) how to keep yourself in check. Very practical and you would be hard-pressed to not take at least one good piece of advice from this work. If practiced, then you will handle tense situations more proficiently after reading/listening to this book. I recommend it – we can always benefit from greater communications skills
Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality by Henry Cloud I enjoyed this high-level, soft-skills, self-help piece of work. Dr. Cloud brings up some salient points, rolls around them with some anecdotal goodness, and then poses some questions to get the reader to marinate on the topic for a while. Nice touches. Integrity is something everyone could use a little more of – I appreciate the method of teaching in this book as it glances by some deeper mental-study topics, makes them more palatable for the common person, and leaves enough crumbs for a really detailed person to go off and find that house.
Linchpin by Seth Godin You know, it is probably partly due to the timing of when I ran across this little gem, but I want to give this book some extra love just because it came across my path when every bit rang a little bell inside of me. Talk about hitting the nail on the head and keeping the light on the path. Mostly inspiring, highly motivational, and wonderfully thought-provoking. I enjoyed the ride and am thankful for the trip. Good stuff for sure!
Talent Is Never Enough: Discover the Choices That Will Take You Beyond Your Talent by John C. Maxwell I enjoyed this somewhat longer offering by Mr. Maxwell. I enjoy his simple and effective writing style. It’s good to have a bit more of his teachings thrown into one piece at a time here. This is a good, relatively high-level look at a very important part of living life. Enhance your tools, there’s so much more that lingers inside. Bring it alive! If you’ve not read Maxwell before, this is a good start.
The 4 Hour Workweek, Expanded And Updated: Expanded And Updated by Timothy Ferriss Tim is a pathfinder in this new world of globally supported lone-wolf-ness. If you’re tired of working for other people, trading the time of your life for dollars, then this is a must read. He’s got a fun attitude and has some great tips to give. The first half of the book is spot on in just about every aspect, while the latter half was more evidence for an already convinced reader. Definitely worth checking out.
The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Ken Robinson I enjoy Ken’s insights into what makes us do what we do (or want to do) and how to get there. Just enough science, de-labelization of silliness the rest of this field has instilled in us, and some broad insights into this life-making and changing process. A fun trip down another “how to do what you were done to do” type books and some good timing for my purposes. Recommended.
The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary by Mark Sanborn A nice, quick, inspiring book about those folks in life that just seem to care a bit more. One would get a bit more out of this book if it were given a bit more time to marinate in the mind and practice the ideas one at a time. I, however, jump ram-rodded through it like nothing… but it was still quite enjoyable and uplifting. We should all seek to really go about life not because we have to, but rather because we want to make today the best day yet. Seek to change the world every single day. Plan to do it. Do it.
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch There’s just something about the end of life that makes us do incredible things. I was diagnosed with cancer in 2000. The view of the world changes so abruptly. Little things don’t stand in the way. Focus really begins to sink in as important. I mean, I realize that since I was born, I was destined to die. But, nothing is so stark a reminder as sitting in a cancer ward with 70 year old folks giving a 20 year old very empathetic looks. Life changes real fast. Randy’s story touched my heart, inspired me to do more, and makes me want to leave the same kind of legacy for my wife and kids. There’s great wisdom and perspective in this book, folks. It’s worth it.
The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play by Neil A. Fiore Absolutely beautiful take-aways in this one. I have 8 pages of (small type) notes on things I either didn’t know of didn’t have a decent grasp on. His language is probably a bit too PhD for people’s likings, but this is a gem on getting time, confidence, fears, and procrastination in order. If you take just one or two gems away from this book, your life will improve. It’s tough, but it’s worth the work.
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill I took some MAJOR take-aways from this one… some parts of it were a little wonky, but man-oh-man is there a new mindset in place now. Keep on build…moreI took some MAJOR take-aways from this one… some parts of it were a little wonky, but man-oh-man is there a new mindset in place now. Keep on building! *WARNING* Carefully tread around the “universal intelligence” stuff (particularly toward the end of the book)… there is some really good information in this book, mixed with some very potentially pitfall-esque stuff.
Three Feet from Gold: Turn Your Obstacles Into Opportunities by Sharon L. Lechter I think the Think and Grow Rich principles work quite well in anecdotal fashion. I enjoyed the story, the advice was sound (for the most part), and the really left the whole “universal intelligence” part out that was a thorn in my side from Hill’s T&GR. Good package, well presented, and a fun listen. And you know, everyone remembers stories – here’s a good one to remember. If you’ve ever read a “One Minute Manager” type book and liked the presentation / style, then you’ll enjoy this one, too.