5 comments about The Spirituality of Imperfection: Storytelling and the Search for Meaning.

1. I found this book at a retreat (Manresa) a few years ago and have purchased at least a couple dozen of these books for friends since then, with consistently enthusiastic feedback.
   
   I really don't have the proper words to capture the meaning or importance of this book. It's a slow, intense, delicious read ... kind of like eating a very rich Belgian chocolate.
   
   If you like this book, then you may like this one, too:
   The Song of the Bird



2. When Ernest Kurtz was preparing his well proportioned Jewish Rabbi stories for what became this "spirituality" book, I traveled to Reno to hear his talk. It was polished, entertaining, and challenging. But when this book emerged, I found he had turned the rabbinical stories into a formula for "spirituality" that promoted his "not-god-ness" thesis of A.A. and recovery approaches.God and Alcoholism: Our Growing Opportunity in the 21st Century. There is the usual "spiritual but not religious" talk. But there is little if any recognition that it was God to whom the early Christian AAs looked for "spirituality," for their relationship with God, and for the growth in fellowship with Him and Jesus Christ. And these were enhanced through Bible study, prayer, seeking guidance, and reading Christian literature.By the Power of God: A Guide To Early A.A. Groups and Forming Similar Groups Today (Why It Worked; A.A. History). Admittedly these two authors are talking the talk of secularism and universalism, but their dogmatic assertions as to the efficacy of a philosophy of "imperfection" run counter to my understanding of how early AAs were cured by the power of God and to what history proves.Cured! Proven Help for Alcoholics and Addicts And still can be, if they choose.A New Way Out: New Path - Familiar Road Signs - Our Creator's Guidance



3. This book is an excellent guide to wholeness through story telling, but in addition to that it guides you through the steps necessary to make a personal relationship with your higher power closer.
   Don Busick



4. The Spirituality of Imperfection: Storytelling and the Search for Meaning
   
   This clearly establishes the important differences between "religion" and spirituality. An expansive read and reference source to store with your most prized literature.



5. I immediately began rereading this book upon completion. It has given me a new outlook on my sobriety and spirituality as well as the wisdom of the ages. I look forward to reading it again and again as I trudge the happy road of destiny.

5 comments about You're Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Stop Getting By and Start Getting Ahead.

1. I recieve it in about seven days and the book was in excellent condition. I read the book cover to cover in one weekend, that how good it was.



2. Larry "The Cable Guy" Wingnut is what's wrong with America: an ignorant prole spreading uberklass idiotology. The favorable reviews here are as illiterate as Right-Winget is mindless. Susan Jacoby's "The Age of American Unreason" is a book about such socio-pathic narcissists' favorite subject: themselves. Too bad they can't read. They'd find out what the rest of the world knows: pinheads like Winget and his ilk are prime examples of why Amerrycaca is, as Merle Haggard puts it, "rolling downhill like a snowball headed for hell." The nation of Jefferson, Madison, Washington, Adams, and Franklin has become the nation of George Bush, Ronald Raygun, Al Sharpton, Jane Fonda, and Larry Winget. As such, it's a nation that can no longer govern itself. Its only hope is to continue being governed more and more by multi-national corporations, which are increasingly run by other nations, none of whom are as incompetent as America, which is losing two wars at once because it can't even beat a gang of camel jockeys.



3. This book is great for those who don't want any fluff and sympathy. My debt was caused mainly because of 9/11 and the affect it had on my business, as I lost most of my small business customers almost overnight. Its been difficult to not only rebuild my business, but still keep my head above water to pay my creditors. Larry gives you easy homework, I've read the book completely, and knowing what my homework will be in order to get back on track, I've given myself the time and direction to gather the information needed to complete the homework tasks and move in a much more forward positive direction. Thank you Larry for putting out such an easy to read and practical book for those of us who just need simple, uncluttered help in trying to get out of the jam we are in and looking forward to less stress and more savings.



4. Larry Winget is truly a guy I can relate with. His personal style of straight talk instead of the BS is what makes me trust him. Not only that, Larry doesn't fill the book up with hype and get people's hopes up for nothing. No, this book is about common sense, practicality, and truly American in the sense that it reminds us that our financial destiny is in our hands. We live in the greatest country on the planet and we have no excuse when it comes to getting rich and achieving financial prosperity. I really liked how Larry tells you to find that one great idea that will change your life and start doing it. This book is so important to me (along with Larry's other book It's Called Work for A Reason) that I plan on sharing it with my close friends, family, and definitely my kids as they get older. Buy this book, read it, highlight it, take notes and prepare to do what's necessary to get ahead.



5. I was in Orlando at a convention, and I saw Larry Winget speaking. He was AWESOME! He spoke in a break out session on this book. I then bought and read the book. It did not take me long. It is thoughtful, entertaining, and eye opening. WOW! He is a straight shooter and does not say things all nice and sweet. But he makes his point to get you to turn things around in your life. Larry Winget is an amazing speaker and author! This book should be read by every single American. Especially in the state of our economy. Buy it! Read it! Apply it in your life. You will be glad you did!

5 comments about Soul Wisdom: Practical Soul Treasures to Transform Your Life (Soul Power).

1. I believe the author offers his own beliefs with genuine sincerity. The challenge is in the delivery in which only he "sees" the Divine. The cd which came with the book is charming but a tad overbearing.
   I could not bear reading quite a bit of the book. That is my issue when the author tells me I must do things their way or suffer no enlightenment. (My interpretation).



2. Are you interested in Eastern medicine? Do you believe in the soul and energy (chi, or lifeforce) within beings? Do you have the patience for a meditative/repetitive writing style? If you answered yes to these three questions, then you're going to find Soul Wisdom: Practical Soul Treasures to Transform Your Life very interesting and potentially life-changing.
   
   I'm going to be straight with you... if you said no to any of the questions above (especially the second and third), then click away from this page as quickly as possible!
   
   If you're still reading, then let's get down to business.
   
   This book is interesting because it is a hybrid selfhelp-type book but also educational in that you can learn about Eastern beliefs in souls and the power of chi (energy). You are taken on a journey that shows you how to harness your own soul, tap into the Soul World, and heal yourself and others and receive blessings. According to the author, Dr. Zhi Gang Sha, we entered the Soul Light Era on Aug. 8, 2003, which is a time for us to focus on the power of the Soul World and collectively heal the world as the soul has now taken priority.
   
   Dr. Sha offers "downloads," exercises you can do anywhere, 24/7, to access your soul power. I tried some of them as I read through the book, and since they are daily exercises/practices you must repeat, I have yet to notice results. I also suppose I have my own style of meditating which is very different, because I found the mantra to be distracting. I understand the point of it, but did not experience a surge or relaxation as I would have thought.
   
   The writing style of the book is what I found most distracting. I'm not sure if it is a cultural difference or an intentional style of writing to teach the exercises and drive home the basics, but there is extreme repetition throughout. As you know, the straightest distance between two points is a straight line. The writing style in this book coils around that straight line so just when you think you're moving forward, it loops around back again, so in 3 pages, you get as far as you could with less than one page if not so repetitive.
   
   Overall, if you're interested in tapping into your chi and harnessing your soul power, you'll find this an interesting read whether or not you follow the exercises. It may change your way of thinking and way of living to a more peaceful and centered existence. You just have to be patient with it. Very patient.
   
   As for the CD that came with the book, it's relaxing but you may find it ridiculous. Hmm, now that I think of it, that pretty much sums up the whole book... you're gonna find it relaxing and helpful or totally "out there" and absurdly ridiculous.



3. Soul Wisdom is a beautifully written book on how to connect with your own soul and move it along on its journey of enlightenment. The words just flow off the page and connects with your soul. It gives both the practical and spiritual tools in a very easy read format.
   
   Each chapter is a complete story on one aspect of soul wisdom and each chapters leads you to the next. There are simple and yet very profound ways to expand your inner spirit as it interfaces with opening your whole life to more joy and happiness.
   
   A must read for those walking their path. It will springboard you ahead.



4. This book appears to be very disorganized and I found the writing to be un-inspiring. Worst of all, the CD didn't even work !!! I have tried it in three different CD players.



5. I recently read (or I should say tried to read) Soul Wisdom by Dr. Z. Shah and found it extremely frustrating to understand the key themes. I knew from the beginning that this book would require some "right" brain thinking, given its emphasis on spirituality. I have read many spiritual books, especially those with a Buddhist focus, and many of them had a worthwhile message, which tend to emphasize either "letting go of attachments since everything changes" and "being in the present moment." I am a believer of Zen style meditation and its ability to help create focus in an increasingly distracted world. However Soul Wisdom tries to introduce the concept of Soul Language and Soul Song without really defining the concepts in a way I could understand. There is an instance of reciting verses of the "secret code mantra" "San San Jiu Liu Ba Yao Wu" without really defining the terms. In addition, it is mentioned that this secret mantra comes from Heaven, without either supporting evidence or logical thought. There are more examples of what I call "garbled language" with an extreme emphasis on the author's emotion, and a short shrift on logic, which makes this book extremely frustrating to the reader trying to understand and use the messages. After about 10 chapters (book contains 24 chapters and a Soul Wisdom CD), I just gave up. This is a book I would not recommend.

5 comments about How to Break Your Addiction to a Person.

1. I have been searching all over the internet for Dr. Halpern's contacts to send him a mail and thank him for this phenomenal book. "How to Break your Addiction to a Person" has completely changed my thinking about relationships and about the concept of "self." It made me realize that it is essentially a problem in ME (and not the guy I was dating) that perpetuated the problem. It's no use blaming a partner for being a bad person or a relationship for being a bad one, but that we have to understand the real reason why we can allow ourselves to remain in THAT relationship with THAT person. You can not change circumstance but you can change your own self and take some responsibility for your own life. The silly phosphoric cover illustration of the book really doesn't do it any justice and undermines the pivotal psychological concepts explained inside. I truly and honestly felt extremely empowered as I read though it. I was able to muster the strength to stay away from a man who was bringing much negativity into my life, but to whom I'd been attached for countless years. I keep reading and re-reading the book every time I feel drawn back to that person.
   
   The book opened my eyes on several central ideas:
   
   1)The concept of "attachment hunger" (how unsatisfied needs for attachment in our childhood linger with us as adults and resurface in our romantic partnerships). The mere awareness of this "hunger" allowed me to understand my scenario better and be more forgiving towards myself and more clear about how I will overcome my unhealthy addiction.
   
   2) Addiction has nothing to do with a substance (drugs, alcohol or otherwise) but rather that the addicting element is a personality quality (it is within the person who is addicted). And yes, it has a lot to do with self-esteem and self-sufficiency. Both of which you can work on successfully.
   
   3) Our concept of time changes when "attachment hunger" takes over. When we say things like "I will be alone forever" or I will be in "eternal pain," this stems from our infant perception of time. Consider ths example: "I told myself I would call her after an hour, but after three minutes, three very long minutes, I dialed again. I let the phone ring twenty times. I called every two minutes for the next hour, and each time I felt like an eternity had gone by. I looked at the stupid clock like it was mocking me, like it was stubbornly slowing down." Now compare this excerpt to the following infant experience: "He wants to be fed. He cries out. The response is not immediate. In adult time maybe it's three minutes before mum gets the bottle warmed up. But what is that in Infant Time? A century? An eon? A boundless amount of frustration spread over an incomprehensible dimension?" When you read through the chapter in the book that discusses Infant Vs. Adult Time, you will realize that often your infant perception of time is what makes you afraid you could be alone "forever" or experience "eternal" pain. It makes you realize that often your lose your sense of Adult Time and start to express your fears in Infant Time. No, says Dr. Halpern, be assured that there is a tomorrow. There is usually nothing in our appearance/character/life that is so unappealing as to make it likely that we will ALWAYS be rejected or will be alone FOREVER. Those words (always and forever) distort our perceptions completely and make us hold on to a bad relationship because we are so afraid to be alone.
   
   4) Being jealous over someone does not mean you love them. It is possible to feel jealousy towards someone you even dislike, based on two false beliefs: a) if someone else wants him, he must be better than I think and b) if he wants someone else, the other person must be better than me, and I am being dismissed because I am undesirable. Dr. Halpern explains why those two beliefs have no basis of truth and why they are founded on our attachment hunger needs.
   
   5) We tend to fall into traps of rationalization, idealization and self-delusion and that a good rule of thumb is to take the other person'a frustrations at FACE VALUE rather than to do fancy mental gymnastics to explain it away.
   
   6) Often we do not realize that the person in front of us is subtly controlling us through various tactics including power, weakness, servitude, guilt and jealousy. Dr. Halpern explains how you can recognize those tactics. Whilst reading the book, it dawned on me that my partner was ACTIVELY and CONSCIOUSLY using jealousy to keep me bound to him while I was too oblivious and taken away into the relationship to recognize his control tactics.
   
   7) We become addicted to other people because we have a weak sense of SELF. We incorrectly believe that we will be insecure or lonely or unhappy without our attachment/association to that person we are addicted to. Dr. Halpern explains the importance of recognizing yourself as a mature, self-sufficient entity who can survive on its own and who needs to bond with a partner out of healthy love rather than complusion or false belief that we can not live without this person.
   
   There is so so much more in the book. My explanation doesn't even begin to rival the clear, eloquent, beautiful way Dr. Halpern explains the concept of being addicted to a person. He is a terrific psychiatrist and a terrific writer. I enjoyed the book more than any other self-help title I have ever read. It shook me, moved me, and made me learn a lot about human relationships, attachment, love, jealousy, and self-esteem. The most important thing I came out with from this book is that the problem is not only that I dated a jerk....the bigger problem is this: what is it in myself that has allowed this problem to happen? I realized that it was time to work on ME and not just blame the partner I was with. Honestly, this is a fantastic book that will blow your mind and teach you a lot about your own self that you didn't even know....will definitely quell your addiction!



2. This book by far was the key to me being able to break the pattern of unhealthy relationships. Love addiction, codenpendency is very real and very deep seeded. This book is the manual for learning how to identify why and how bad relationships keep happening..and how to break the addiction.



3. This book told me a lot of things I already knew about Attachment Hunger, but made me feel a lot less stupid about returning to the same person over and over. It makes me understand that I am overvaluing one person's opinion and gave solid tips for moving forward. Highly recommend it to anyone who has difficulty letting go of a particular person.



4. Very poor service, either from the sender or from Amazon. As a long time Amazon client, I'm disappointed that I never received this item.



5. This title is amazing in its well rounded approach to dealing with addiction to another person. Using both stories and psychological analysis it is able to not only help you understand where the feelings of addiction come from, but it also helps you realize that you can overcome these crippling emotional ties. I found myself interested in the progress and stories of the individuals in the book which made the book a very easy read. While many self-help books can be weighty and difficult to finish, I found myself wanting to pick this book up again and again.

5 comments about The Search For Significance: Seeing Your True Worth Through God's Eyes.

1. This book was mandatory reading for one of my classes in college about 15 years ago and it revolutionized my concept of self-worth and value. I have given hundreds of copies to friends and families over the ensuing decade and a half and have seen it change their hearts and lives as well. I doubt any self help workshops or seminars could begin to impart the knowledge and freedom that this book does.



2. I don't know how I managed to pick up this book, because I was searching for truth, not personal significance. But what a happy discovery! It was here I first learned principles both foundational and pertinent to my quest - for instance, that the focus of the Christian life is Christ, not rules and regulations, and that trying to make up for bad deeds with good ones does nothing more than send us into a useless "guilt-and-penance spiral."



3. I am overall pleased with the book. Though I was not expecting all the highlighting inside. Inadequate description.
   But the book is amazing.



4. I purchased this book as the basis for a short small group study. It has actually been one of the best Bible studies in which I have participated. For anyone who has ever questioned his/her own value or worth, this study provides many direct Biblical references confirming the truths that each of us is completely loved, completely forgiven, fully pleasing, totally accepted, and absolutely complete in Christ!



5. I ordered 16 books for a women's gathering study. If you are looking for a book that tells the truth about how God values and loves you, this is the one. The focus is finding our significance/self value from God and not through our performances or the opinions of others. It is a book that leads to freedom.

5 comments about Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure.

1. Six words. I can't do it, so I'm not only touched, amused, saddened and laughing out loud by turns, I am also impressed that the submitters could condense their lives into just six words. I always need at least seven as I try to come up with mine. "Not Quite What I Was Planning" is a pretty good one though, I may just plagiarize and say "me too" with that one.
   
   This is a quick read, a collection of quotes that make you think and wonder "what happened?" to the writers as you read their six word stories. This book would make a great gift.



2. I had heard about this book on the radio and was excited to get it but found myself pretty bored with it. I guess all the good lines were given on the radio. It isn't worth the money.



3. Really enjoyable read that's hard to put down! Interesting insights from a variety of people; personally, I didn't much care whether the sentiments were from famous people or not - the words were equally compelling.



4. This is a fabulously addictive collection! Funny, sad , and somewhere inbetween- I've given copies to all my friends.



5. I heard this author give an interview on a radio program and was intriuged. A few weeks later I was attending a b-day party for a friend and thought this would be a wonderful gift/party game. There was something for everyone...lots of humor, seriousness, and depth. Everyone had their own favorites. All the partygoers had a blast and the b-day girl loved the gift. It made everyone feel included in her special day and we all learned a little something about the others!

5 comments about Intimate Issues: 21 Questions Christian Women Ask About Sex.

1. I was excited to read the book because it was recommended by a good friend of mine. With the title of Intimate Issues - I was expecting more depth. This was a lot of superficial information that really didn't help much. I did give it to my soon-to-be-sister-in-law.



2. This is a life-changing book; one you don't want to miss. It has impacted my life and marriage as a Christian woman so much that I now give it to other women. I wish someone had given it to me as a new bride! It is straight forward and scripture based. What more could you want in a book on this topic?



3. This book has completly changed my sex life! It changed my mindset from being so negative about sex to wanting to please my husband with my body. I love the book, and anyone looking to see what the bible says about sex should get it.



4. this is an amazing book. read it. it changed my views on sex. i never realized how culture effects our views on thing like this. There is a lot of internal searching and discovering. this book is great at pointing out the wrong ideas we have about sex, as women, and then shows you how to address them. Thats the hard part. I would re-read.
   
   I'm glad its finally ok for the christian culture to talk about these important subjects in the right light.



5. This book is a must-read for Christian women who are looking to improve their marriage relationship...and that should be all of us!
   I believe my marriage will benefit from having read this book.
   Learn how to increase your desire for intimacy, learn what God intended when he designed sex, there are so many great aspects to this book. So, so glad that I ordered it (and my husband is too!)

5 comments about The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success.

1. If you're not experiencing turbulence and dynamic change, you must not be paying attention. The tectonic plates of human endeavor are shifting. As Nick Lore notes in his seminal work, The Pathfinder, we're witnessing an unprecedented explosion of career options and the old ways - serendipity, tradition, dumb luck - of choosing or re-choosing which career might fit are no longer sufficient.
   
   Eight years ago, I used The Pathfinder when it was clear to me that, after 10 wonderful years, I'd outgrown my career as a diplomat. The Pathfinder's engaging inquiries and exercises and Lore's delightfully engaging style, led me to identify the outlines of the private sector role that would challenge, enrich and fulfill me for most of the last decade.
   
   But I'm a serial adventurer, and its out on the edges of dynamic change that I'm most at home. There are big waves building in the world of work and I'm ready for a new challenge. My second time through The Pathfinder - I'm three weeks in - I'm discovering even deeper insights and am designing a new list of commitments to suit who I've now become. With a steady guide like Nick Lore I'm ready to tow-in to the really big waves - the ones most fun to ride!
   
   If you're ready for work you LOVE and you're prepared to confront yourself - strengths, proclivities and foibles - squarely and honestly; if you're willing to engage in a rigorous and engaging exploration, then there is no better route to professional fulfillment than The Pathfinder.



2. The Pathfinder changed my career and my life. The activities in the book helped me navigate through my unconscious assumptions about my life, and connect my vision of my future with my career goals. Completed the exercises in the book -- particularly the life timeline -- led me to an epiphany about how I wanted to spend my life at work. Nick Lore is a master career coach, even in book form. The Pathfinder is a must read for anyone who wants to have it all at work and in life, but may be stuck in their current career.



3. Once you get past the first few chapters about whether or not you're serious about changing your life, The Pathfinder takes you on an interpersonal journey that few books offer. I would recommend this book not only to anyone that is questioning or moving in the direction of a career change, but also to anyone that is looking to improve their personal goals.



4. The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success.
   
   
   The Pathfinder is the book I had been looking for and feared didn't exist; a quantum leap forward when it comes to navigating the angst-filled process of career change. Whether you are thinking of making a change because you are looking for something more fulfilling, or you are on the pointy end of the downsizing stick, this brilliant book is a resource you should not be without.
   
   As a career and life coach myself, I should say that I don't think any book can quite substitute for having a real live coach in your corner to take you step by step through the process and help you to keep your commitments to yourself. Having said that, I think that the author Nick Lore, founder of the Rockport Institute ([...]) and one of the pioneers of career coaching, comes amazingly close here. Mr. Lore's writing style is in turn insightful, demanding and hilarious - and anyone who has looked for a job recently knows you need a sense of humor. The book makes you feel as if he's sitting across from you at your kitchen table, asking pointed questions and offering expert advice.
   
   Intended to be a low-cost alternative to Rockport's amazingly successful Career Choice program where senior Rockport coaches guide and support clients all the way through to their goal of choosing a fulfilling and practical new career, the book works hard at instilling the reader with a sense of confidence that they can do this, and then shows them how. Many people have heard the adage, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time," but they forget that wisdom when they contemplate a major life change. People regularly condemn themselves to jobs they find just tolerable, and even to jobs they hate, because the process of finding something new feels too overwhelming. This book helps you break that huge decision "What should I do with my life?" into bite-sized pieces and shows you how to do it step-by-step.
   
   At the heart of the Rockport approach is the core principle that what makes a career fit is that it fits you fully. Since author Lore coined the term "career coaching" in the 1980s, Rockport has used methods they created that are much more powerful and practical than most career counseling; methods that help people choose careers that provide both satisfaction and maximum success. They say that in order to have a job that has you singing in the shower in the morning, your work needs to fit you like a custom-made suit, making full use of your natural talents and abilities, fitting your personality, in work that is meaningful to you in an environment that supports you. This method is the heart of The Pathfinder.
   
   Talents, work environment, job functions, and your own inner sense of purpose and many other areas all play a role in designing the perfect career, and the book tackles each in turn to help you decide what matters most to you. (If you are the sort who "wants to make a difference in the world", the chapter on Meaning, Mission and Purpose is worth the price of the book all by itself!)
   
   Having read some of the negative reviews for this book - honestly, because I couldn't imagine why people didn't like it - I find that a lot of the complaints people had were that the book asks people to make "too many" lists or is somehow too introspective. The book does ask the reader to do a fair amount of work, in fact, on page one, the author writes, "I hope you will choose to be a participant and not just a reader." A lifetime of personal and work experience has taught me that if you are looking to other people to give you the answers as to what will make you happy, you are bound to be disappointed. If, however, you are looking for someone who has been down the road himself to give you a compass and a map, tell you what to watch out for and what shouldn't be missed, then The Pathfinder can definitely help you find your way.
   
   For students and young adults under 30 I recommend Lore's new book, "Now What? The Young Person's Guide to Choosing the Perfect Career."



5. Nicholas Lore's Pathfinder and Jay Levinson and David Perry's Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters are hands down the best books on the market for job seekers looking for a new job or changing careers. The two books have no parallel in both in-depth, up-to-date excellent knowledge and helpful strategies about every single step of the job-seeking experience. I recommend: Buy Pathfinder and Guerrilla Marketing, and don't buy What Color is My Parachute? which is overly general and vague in its terminology and outdated in its information by as least 20 years.

5 comments about Codependents' Guide to the Twelve Steps.

1. It was hard for me to keep interested. Lots of info, and I am sure it can help some people. But I lost interest in finishing it.



2. If you have read "Codependent No More" and though "Oh my gosh, that's me!" This is the book to get you on track to rid yourself of the pain and frustration in your life. Be ready to be honest with yourself, and answer some difficult questions...



3. If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired - this is the book for you. I have struggled with people-pleasing, victimization, saying yes when I want to say no, etc. This book has taught me how to take care of myself, and life a happier life!



4. I was skeptical at first about reading a book on the steps. I wasn't sure if it could help me. I had attended a few meetings and thought I knew some of the concepts, but this book opened my eyes. I think that Melody Beattie is very personal and caring in the mind of a codependent. She made me feel like I wasn't a bad person and I could recover from the out of control way my life has been. I'm only on step three, but I feel like I understand more than I have my whole life about who I am and my own needs. I'd recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with codependency or with the addiction of a loved one. I never even knew I was a codependent, but the book has taught me that I am and its ok, I just need to start making changes.



5. After spending years in 12 step programs, I find this a unique, effective way to deal with and improve my emotional and spiritual standard of living. This book by Melody Beattie is eye-opening and right on the mark.
   This book helped change my life!Codependents' Guide to the Twelve Steps

5 comments about I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It.

1. This book will likely help you if you really have never accomplished anything in life yet are reasonably capable but tied in knots by psychological, childhood related fears. Otherwise, I think you'd be wise to look for career guidance elsewhere.



2. I Could do Anything if I Only Knew what it Was provides practical common sense guide for determining what career you should decide on. In other words it helps you discover what makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning.
   
   The book is informative, refreshing and extremely useful. There are many rich topics for anyone who isn't sure what he/she wants to be when he/she grows up! Some of the topics are: What are you suppose to be doing?, Fear of Success: Leaving the Ones You Love Behind, I Want too Many Things, I'm all over the Map, Help! I'm not Ready to be Born Yet, How to Live an Extraordinary Life and much more.
   
   Besides excellent topics there are fun exercises and explanations to learn what makes you tick.
   
   For example, I wasn't sure if the book could categorize me very well, but it did. I have many varied types of interests and the book validated who I am and what I enjoy doing.
   
   Barbara Sher called us Scanners. These are individual who want to taste everything. She goes on to say "To scanners, the universe is a treasure house full of a million works of art, and life is hardly long enough to see them all." Sher notes that career aptitude tests tend to miss scanners. This book provides some great recommendations to be successful by not changing.
   
   The thread throughout the book is to be true to whom you are and mold a career around yourself! This is an excellent book for anyone who is ready to make a decision on finding their dream career!
   
   The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking



3. This book is helpful to an extent and has some interesting ways of looking at the problem. Like many such books however, it is lacking when it gets down to brass tacks. She has you fantasize about your Dream Job (and she does mean fantasize: your dream job might be rockstar on weekdays, fighter pilot on weekends)and next thing you know she has you trying to make it happen. What's missing is that crucial jump from fantasizing to identifying real, practical jobs that suit you.
   
   Also, most of the chapters deal with various types of resistance you may have to finding your perfect job. These can be useful, but again she omits a certain amount of reality and practicality. What if your 'resistance' is not the result of a personality trait, but of practical concerns about earning a living? What if they are not hiring rockstars this week?
   
   You can get some insight and inspiration here, but it's not necessarily going to actually deliever what it promises.



4. If the title of this book caught your eye, then it will probably be perfect for you. It is very well written and has many great chapters about what may be holding you back from realizing your full potential. The woman who wrote this really knew exactly what she was doing. Take her advice, which is specific and goal oriented. Her exercises are difficult but they help solve dilemmas in finding direction in life. Inspiring, funny, and a quick read.



5. I really enjoyed this book, even though I have changed careers many times. I am what Barbara calls a "scanner" and want to do everything in the world - this helped me see that this is fine, but I have to have my adventures sequentially. It also reminded me that life is long and I have time to achieve it all. I particularly liked the exercise on planning your life until you are 95 - yes, I have time!
   I like Barbara's non-nonsense approach - I can almost hear her counselling me at times! The book profiles different situations you might be in, and how to change them. I absolutely agree with taking action at anything to make a change - even if you don't get it right the first time, it is easier to change direction when you are moving.
   
   Great book - love it! I even blogged on it! Thanks Barbara.