We all suffer with bouts of self-doubt and occasional negative thinking. There is always two sides in our brain duking it out fighting over “yes I can’ or “no I can’t” and I unfortunately was often times on the losing end of this internal war whether in my athletic or professional career. This book by Chamine helped me identify that we all have mental saboteurs in our brain and if we can identify that this internal judge is a liar, a fraud, and a fake, we can stay focused on positive thoughts and keep our minds honed in on the task at hand and concentrate on our strengths.
This book single handedly give me the confidence and the tools to nail my interview with a fortune 500 medical device company, and jumpstarted a 2 year period of enlightenment and self-discovery. Upon joining this company I was assigned a trainer and mentor named Frankie Pretzel (is that not the coolest name you ever heard?). Frankie was a seasoned veteran who had won multiple awards and was very successful. Sometimes I feel God puts people in our lives at the exact right place and time. Frankie was an optimist. He knew the power of positive thinking and the affect it has on our lives. He explained to me a concept I had never been exposed to: the Law of Attraction. Basically, the Law of Attraction is a concept that is summed up as simple as this:thoughts become things. Meaning what we think about the most and visualize for ourself is usually manifested somehow someway whether negative or positive. Frankie gave me a long list of books to read and over the course of one year I couldn’t get enough. I craved these ideas, and the change was revitalizing.
This fresh start and exposure to new ideas, thoughts, and concepts that all dealt with faith, generosity, gratitude, self-belief, and visualization helped me create momentum on what I was searching for while I was on that memorable morning run in Los Angeles with my dad when I was lost at 24. For one year, I read and listened to more books than I probably have in my entire life. With each book, my confidence, self-acceptance, and vision of what I needed to do to feel happy and have success was more clear. During this time of discovery I had finally found my professional lane and was flourishing at work and loving every minute of it. I’m pumped to share with you what I’ve learned along the way – I know it will change your life like it has mine.
Below are some of the favorite books that I read. I encourage you to be a lifelong learner and seek knowledge and wisdom from books. There is a whole new world full of enlightenment and discovery. What are you doing to better yourself? I challenge you to read a book or download an audiobook to your phone (listen to it in your car or while working out). Investing in your development and knowledge is the best investment you can make!
- Positive Intelligence, by Shirzad Chamine
- Love Does, by Bob Goff
- David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants, by Malcolm Gladwell
- The Go-Giver, by Bob Burg and John David Mann
- The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne
- Jesus Is___, by Judah Smith
Are you stuck in a rut? Sometimes a change of scenery can do you wonders. Have the courage to step outside your comfort zone and create a fresh start for yourself. Whether you are where you need to be, but want to improve. Or you feel like you are running in sand and just churning your wheels, I hope that these books may inspire you to make the change in yourself you’ve always wanted.
