My Favorite Book this Year

YOU are a BADASS by Jen Sincero

I have this book in an audio book format...I may buy the book format soon just so I can "mark it up" and get to sections easier than I am able to on my Ipod.  I have listened to this book 3 or 4 times and will most likely listen to it again and again.   Each time I listen to it I learn more - not any of it is rocket science, in fact, most of it is just common freakin sense.  The older I get, the more I read and the more I actually listen to myself, to more I realize some things I have known all along but failed to "honor" what I know to be true.

Anyway, I can not recommend this book highly enough.   She does her own audio on the audio book (she reads it herself, not someone else),  she received an award for best narration of a personal development book.  She does an EXCELLENT job - that can make or break an audio book.



    

                              

Audio book review

The Gratitude Effect - by Dr John Demartini  (cool name, huh?)

This book seemed long- was over 6 hours - but I did enjoy it.  I learned a few things from it and do not regret the time I spent listening to it.  It seems so simple but I must admit I could do a much better job at being grateful, for everything, good and bad, than I am.

I have probably NEVER thought to be grateful for bad things.  In the book he explains that really there are no good or bad events, it is our perception of events that we label as good or bad.  Either way, the event has something to teach us and there is always something to be grateful for.  He gives steps (questions)  to try to find those nuggets and he gives many examples.

He shows how the Universe is balanced and self correcting.  I had never thought of that before but it does make sense to me.

He also highly recommends keeping a gratitude journal.  How many times have I heard this?  I think I even started one with an app on my phone one time...I need to write it in a journal not on my phone. He suggest doing it for 1 month and seeing how your life changes.

I love my life already so this can only enhance it.  I believe I will start keeping a gratitude journal today.

Pretty Good Audio Book

This is a little outside the "normal", "inside the lines", "don't get all crazy" way I have thought most of my life.  And that is OK.  I learned it was OK a little late in life.  I learned that when it's all said and done, I create my own lines and my own normal.  I can seek information and learn new things and if it offends or shocks friends and relatives, then it offense and shocks friends and relatives.  And what if it doesn't?

Anyway, the book is called Journey of Souls by Michael Newton, PH.D.  I will admit, most of the info in the book I haven't spent much time thinking about.  I found it very, very interesting though. He used hypnosis to uncovered past life information on people.  I know, I know - that sounds like some crazy ass shit BUT quite a bit of it made perfect sense to me.  The descriptions of what goes on BETWEEN this human condition was particularly interesting to me.  Spirit guides and Soul groups were new to me in a way, I didn't have terms for them before but their existence rings true to me.

Again, I listened to the book and it is presented in an almost academic way, to me.  It is a lot of back and forth discussion between Dr. Newton and those under hypnosis.  I am not sure how it would be to actually read it.

Some "take aways" from the book:  our lives are decided before we get here, we agree or decide really to come here and live a given life with the goal of learning the lessons we need to learn.  All the lessons point back to Love.  Love is really all there is and all that matters.  It is important, so very important to show patience, love and compassion to ourselves and others, ALL, THE, TIME.  There are Soul Groups that we are each a part of.  You know how sometimes you meet someone and you just know that you already know them?  I think this is part of that feeling.  They may be a part of your small circle Soul Group or part of a larger Soul Group.  Those is your Soul Group are here to help each other learn their lessons.

Some may think this line of thinking is directly opposed to God.  Lord knows I have never heard a sermon in church on a topic anywhere near this.  I have read the Bible cover to cover, more than once. I love Jesus.  I buy into the whole Father, Son and the Holy Ghost.  I also buy into Soul Groups.  I think we all come from the same Source.  Source with a capital S. I believe we are all equal.  I do not believe one religion is 100% right and one is 100% wrong.  I don't think anyone here has all the answers.  I believe we are all striving for the same thing - we want to love and be loved and know that we are good enough.  And we are all good enough to God, He made us.  He doesn't make shit.  We can take what He made and turn it into shit, but He doesn't make shit.

I believe that Love wins.  I believe it is OK to refer to God as God, Jesus, The Universe, Source, The Light, The Big Kahuna, J-man, The Man Upstairs, etc.

I do recommend the book, Journey of Souls, it is a pretty good Audio Book.