The Healing Project

In addition to the main text for The Healing Project, “You Can Heal Your Life,” I’ve mentioned a number of other books in my posts. I thought it might be helpful to compile a reading list to help guide my readers through their own personal healing projects.

The books on this list are all part of my personal library and I feel comfortable recommending them to others. For each book, I have included a brief summary (mostly from Amazon.com descriptions) and a link to access more information or purchase the book.

I have done my best to categorize the books by their primary subject matter (each section is alphabetized by the author’s last name).  Some of the books might logically belong in more than one category, of course, but I only placed each book into one section for the sake of clarity.  If you are interested in books related to the topic of body image and eating disorders, I suggest that you check out the reading list on my “sister blog,” Body Image Rehab.

I welcome suggestions from readers for other books to add to the Reading List. If you would like to send me your recommendations, please complete the comment form at the bottom of this page or below any of my blog posts.

BOOK TOPICS:

• Louise Hay Books
• Law of Attraction Books
• Other Spiritually-Focused Books
• Time Management / Simplicity Books
• General Personal Growth Books

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LOUISE HAY BOOKS

“You Can Heal Your Life”

Louise Hay explains how limiting beliefs and ideas are often the cause of illness, and how you can change your thinking…and improve the quality of your life. The key message in Louise’s work is: “If we are willing to do the mental work, almost anything can be healed.”

“You Can Heal Your Life Companion Book”

Louise L. Hay, the internationally renowned author and lecturer, brings you the companion book to her landmark bestseller, You Can Heal Your Life. Here, Louise applies techniques of self-love and positive thinking to a wide range of topics that affect us all on a daily basis, including health, fearful emotions, addictions, money and prosperity, sexuality, aging, love and intimacy, and more. As Louise says, “These exercises will give you new information about yourself that will enable you to make new choices. If you’re willing, then you can definitely create the kind of life you want.”

“Heart Thoughts”

This book is a collection of meditations, spiritual treatments, and excerpts from Louise Hay’s lectures. It focuses on aspects of our day-to-day experiences and is meant to guide and assist you in particular areas where you may be having difficulty.

“Love Your Body”

Louise L. Hay brings you 54 affirmation treatments designed to help you create a beautiful, healthy, happy body. If you are challenged by a particular part of your body, use the appropriate affirmations daily until you achieve positive results.

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LAW OF ATTRACTION BOOKS

“The Secret” - Rhonda Byrne

This book reveals The Great Secret of the universe that has been passed throughout the ages, traveling through centuries… to reach you. This is The Secret to everything – the secret to unlimited joy, health, money, relationships, love, youth: everything you have ever wanted. In this astonishing book are ALL the resources you will ever need to understand and live The Secret. For the first time in history, the world’s leading scientists, authors, and philosophers will reveal The Secret that utterly transformed the lives of every person who ever knew it… Plato, Newton, Carnegie, Beethoven, Shakespeare, Einstein. Now YOU will know The Secret. And it can change your life forever.

“The Power of Intention” - Wayne Dyer

After years of spiritual study and reflection, inspirational speaker and bestselling author Wayne Dyer has emerged a highly esteemed teacher. His current message about tapping into the power of intention may sound like good old positive thinking: just stay focused on what you want, rather than focusing on the lack of having what you want. But the teaching here goes deeper than just controlling thoughts (although he does acknowledge that thought control is a surprisingly challenging and significant endeavor). This book might help readers land a better job, but it’s more relevant for those who are ready to detach from an ego-driven life filled with quick fixes of happiness and step into a more authentic, joyful, and spiritually fulfilling life.

“Ask and It is Given” - Esther and Jerry Hicks

For almost 20 years, Jerry and Esther Hicks have been presenting workshops, producing tapes and writing books to help people create the life they desire. And desire is no small word in this agenda. According to the teachings of “Abraham”–a collective name for the spiritual entities that are channeled through Esther–desire is a good and natural force within us. In fact, we are all here to fulfill our desires, according to Abraham. Yet the reason so much of us feel frustrated, is that we have difficulty knowing how to ask and receive whatever we want to be, do or have.

Although Jerry and Esther are listed as the authors, Ask and It Is Given is actually a collection of channeled messages from Abraham. It includes much advice on working with energy and emotions as well as specific chapters on increasing prosperity, reclaiming health, working with meditation, and clearing clutter for clarity.

“It Works” - RHJ

IT WORKS presents a concise, definite plan for bettering your conditions in life. It shows you how to use the Mighty Power within that is anxious and willing to serve you if you know how to use it.

IT WORKS shows you how. All scientific, psychological and theological explanations are eliminated. Three hundred pages are boiled down to ten minutes of interesting facts, a definite plan and three short rules of accomplishment. Don t let your worldly, objective mind keep you from more prosperity and happiness any longer.

Test the power of this simple book that defies tradition and experience. Millions have tried the plan it presents and know in truth that IT DOES WORK.

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OTHER SPIRITUALLY-FOCUSED BOOKS

“As You Think” - James Allen and Marc Allen

In 1904, a little-known Englishman named James Allen wrote a small book called As a Man Thinketh. A hundred years later, this book has become a self-empowerment classic. New World Library author and publisher Marc Allen updated this timeless gem, recasting obsolete language and polishing the author’s message to highlight the universal principles of the original. James Allen’s message has now reached a whole new generation of readers with As You Think.

Great truths are simple and easy to express, and James Allen’s insights into self-empowerment are just that: Personal power lies within the mind. Once awakened, there are no limits to what one can imagine and then achieve with the power of thought. The author shares deep insights into the essential relationship of a person’s thoughts to personal character, life circumstances, physical health, life purpose, achievement, and personal serenity. As You Think is a simple yet powerful reminder that “all we achieve and all that we fail to achieve is the direct result of our own thoughts.” We are the masters of our destinies.

“God on a Harley” - Joan Brady

This novel tells the story of Christine, a burned out nurse who is lonely and downright angry with the way her life has turned out. She bases her life on whether she has a relationship or not and is increasingly miserable and angry at the start of this fable.

Then God arrives. He comes in the form of a handsome stranger on a Harley. Slowly, through this fable, he teaches her what she’s been doing wrong and helps her find the meaning of life.

This short book packs a very heavy message … one that will make you reexamine your own thought processes and the direction of your life. It’s a story that will linger in your thoughts for a long time … it will hopefully make you think … make you change … grow. (from an Amazon.com reviewer)

“The Prophet” - Kahlil Gibran

In a distant, timeless place, a mysterious prophet walks the sands. At the moment of his departure, he wishes to offer the people gifts but possesses nothing. The people gather round, each asks a question of the heart, and the man’s wisdom is his gift. It is Gibran’s gift to us, as well, for Gibran’s prophet is rivaled in his wisdom only by the founders of the world’s great religions. On the most basic topics–marriage, children, friendship, work, pleasure–his words have a power and lucidity that in another era would surely have provoked the description “divinely inspired.” Free of dogma, free of power structures and metaphysics, consider these poetic, moving aphorisms a 20th-century supplement to all sacred traditions–as millions of other readers already have.

“Love is Letting Go of Fear” - Gerald Jampolsky

An inspirational classic since 1979, LOVE IS LETTING GO OF FEAR remains one of the seminal works in the transpersonal movement. Psychiatrist Dr. Gerald Jampolsky’s timeless message may be timelier today than ever: the only thing that stands between us and the awesome energy of love is fear. To live without fear, we must stop analyzing it, stop agonizing over it, stop fighting with it, and simply . . . let it go. How? By releasing our paralyzing preoccupation with the past and our chronic apprehension over the future—which is, needless to say, easier said than done.

To help us in this difficult journey from fear to love, Dr. Jampolsky presents tools in the form of 12 daily, progressive lessons for personal transformation. These crucial lessons work through the concepts of giving, forgiveness, cause and effect, perspective, reactive behavior, victimhood, judgement, living in the present, releasing the past, visualization, freedom to choose, and taking responsibility. In the 25 years since it was first published, LOVE IS LETTING GO OF FEAR continues to change lives with its frank, thought-provoking, and powerful response to overcoming life’s greatest challenges.

“The Four Agreements” – Don Miguel Ruiz

Sit at the foot of a native elder and listen as great wisdom of days long past is passed down. In The Four Agreements shamanic teacher and healer Don Miguel Ruiz exposes self-limiting beliefs and presents a simple yet effective code of personal conduct learned from his Toltec ancestors. Full of grace and simple truth, this handsomely designed book makes a lovely gift for anyone making an elementary change in life, and it reads in a voice that you would expect from an indigenous shaman. The four agreements are these: Be impeccable with your word. Don’t take anything personally. Don’t make assumptions. Always do your best. It’s the how and why one should do these things that make The Four Agreements worth reading and remembering.

“The Mastery of Love” - Don Miguel Ruiz

In The Mastery of Love, don Miguel illuminates the fear-based beliefs and assumptions that undermine love and lead to suffering and drama in our relationships. Using insightful stories to bring his message to life, he shows us how to heal our emotional wounds, recover the freedom and joy that are our birthright, and restore the spirit of playfulness that is vital to loving relationships. Using teachings from the three Toltec Masteries (Awareness, Transformation, and Love) as a foundation, don Miguel brings to light the fallacies and misplaced expectations about love that permeate most relationships. He gracefully shares his wisdom through delightful and engaging stories that clarify each point and bring his message to life.

“A New Earth” - Eckhart Tolle

According to Tolle, humans are on the verge of creating a new world by a personal transformation that shifts our attention away from our ever-expanding egos. This idea is well realized through Tolle’s remarkably well-paced writing. Naturally, the author understands his material so thoroughly that he is able to convey it in an enjoyable manner, but Tolle’s gentle tone and dialect begs his audience’s attention simply through its straightforward approach. Something about this reading just seems profoundly important, whether one agrees with the material or not, and readers’ attention is sure to be captured by Tolle’s take on the universe in which we live.

“The Power of Now” - Eckhart Tolle

Ekhart Tolle’s message is simple: living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment. And while this message may not seem stunningly original or fresh, Tolle’s clear writing, supportive voice, and enthusiasm make this an excellent manual for anyone who’s ever wondered what exactly “living in the now” means. Foremost, Tolle is a world-class teacher, able to explain complicated concepts in concrete language. More importantly, within a chapter of reading this book, readers are already holding the world in a different container–more conscious of how thoughts and emotions get in the way of their ability to live in genuine peace and happiness.

Tolle packs a lot of information and inspirational ideas into The Power of Now. (Topics include the source of Chi, enlightened relationships, creative use of the mind, impermanence, and the cycle of life.) Thankfully, he’s added markers that symbolize “break time.” This is when readers should close the book and mull over what they just read. As a result, The Power of Now reads like the highly acclaimed A Course in Miracles–a spiritual guidebook that has the potential to inspire just as many study groups and change just as many lives for the better.

“Conversations With God” - Neale Donald Walsch

Blasphemy! Heresy! Who does this man think he is, claiming to speak directly to God?! Jesus did it, Muhammad did it, the Jewish prophets did it, but none of their Gods had the sardonic wit or raw verve of Prophet Walsch’s God. Neale Donald Walsch isn’t claiming to be the Messiah of a new religion, just a frustrated man who sat down one day with pen in his hand and some tough questions in his heart. As he wrote his questions to God, he realized that God was answering them… directly… through Walsch’s pen. The result, far from the apocalyptic predictions or cultic eccentricities you might expect, turns out to be matter-fact, in-your-face wisdom on how to get by in life while remaining true to yourself and your spirituality.

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TIME MANAGEMENT / SIMPLICITY BOOKS

“The Power of Less” - Leo Babauta

With the countless distractions that come from every corner of a modern life, it’s amazing that we’re ever able to accomplish anything. The Power of Less demonstrates how to streamline your life by identifying the essential and eliminating the unnecessary – freeing you from everyday clutter and allowing you to focus on accomplishing the goals that can change your life for the better.

The Power of Less will show you how to:

• Break any goal down into manageable tasks

• Focus on only a few tasks at a time

• Create new and productive habits

• Hone your focus

• Increase your efficiency

By setting limits for yourself and making the most of the resources you already have, you’ll finally be able work less, work smarter, and focus on living the life that you deserve.

“Zen to Done” - Leo Babauta

Zen To Done (ZTD) is a system that is at once simple, and powerful, and will help you develop the habits that keep all of your tasks and projects organized, that keep your workday simple and structured, that keep your desk and email inbox clean and clear, and that keep you doing what you need to do, without distractions. This book was written for those who want to get their lives organized and actually execute the things on their to-do list by changing existing habits. And let me say that changing your habits is possible.

Using the habit-changing techniques I describe in this book, I have made many habit changes: I quit smoking, started running, started eating healthier, completed a marathon, doubled my income and got my finances in order, have almost eliminated my debt now, completed a triathlon, lost more than 20 pounds, and started a successful blog, and more. Read this book. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish with this productivity system. (author’s description)

“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” - Stephen R. Covey

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change was a groundbreaker when it was first published in 1990, and it continues to be a business bestseller with more than 10 million copies sold. Stephen Covey, an internationally respected leadership authority, realizes that true success encompasses a balance of personal and professional effectiveness, so this book is a manual for performing better in both arenas. His anecdotes are as frequently from family situations as from business challenges.

Before you can adopt the seven habits, you’ll need to accomplish what Covey calls a “paradigm shift”–a change in perception and interpretation of how the world works. Covey takes you through this change, which affects how you perceive and act regarding productivity, time management, positive thinking, developing your “proactive muscles” (acting with initiative rather than reacting), and much more. This isn’t a quick-tips-start-tomorrow kind of book. The concepts are sometimes intricate, and you’ll want to study this book, not skim it. When you finish, you’ll probably have Post-it notes or hand-written annotations in every chapter, and you’ll feel like you’ve taken a powerful seminar by Covey.

“First Things First” - Covey/Merrill/Merrill

What are the most important things in your life? Do they get as much care, emphasis, and time as you’d like to give them? Far from the traditional “be-more-efficient” time-management book with shortcut techniques, First Things First shows you how to look at your use of time totally differently. Using this book will help you create balance between your personal and professional responsibilities by putting first things first and acting on them. Covey teaches an organizing process that helps you categorize tasks so you focus on what is important, not merely what is urgent. First you divide tasks into these quadrants:

1. Important and Urgent (crises, deadline-driven projects)
2. Important, Not Urgent (preparation, prevention, planning, relationships)
3. Urgent, Not Important (interruptions, many pressing matters)
4. Not Urgent, Not Important (trivia, time wasters)

Most people spend most of their time in quadrants 1 and 3, while quadrant 2 is where quality happens. “Doing more things faster is no substitute for doing the right things,” says Covey. He points you toward the real human needs–”to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy”–and how to balance your time to achieve a meaningful life, not just get things done.

“Eat That Frog!” - Brian Tracy

The legendary Eat That Frog! (more than 450,000 copies sold and translated into 23 languages) provides the 21 most effective methods for conquering procrastination and accomplishing more. This new edition is revised and updated throughout, and includes brand new information on how to keep technology from dominating our time.

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GENERAL PERSONAL GROWTH BOOKS

“Fearless Living” - Rhonda Britten

In her groundbreaking first book, Rhonda Britten shows you to how to master the emotional fears that keep you stuck in old cycles. Learn to let go of indecision, gain clarity of purpose, act on intuition, and take life-changing risks. With exercises and tangible guidelines, this book teaches you the principles that will allow you to embrace freedom and build a new life without fear.

“If Life is a Game, These Are the Rules” - Cherie Carter-Scott

“How wonderful it would be if we were all given Chérie Carter-Scott’s ten rules the day we were born. Chérie has been teaching these rules for over twenty years. In her seminars, these rules have resonated with thousands of people. If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules are universal truths that all of us can learn to live happier lives that are full of self-acceptance, understanding, love, success, and the inner knowing that we’re all in this game together, on the same team. The door to a satisfying life lies within each of us, and Chérie’s eternal inspiring message provides the key.” (endorsement from Jack Canfield)

“The Right Questions” - Debbie Ford

New York Times number-one bestselling author Debbie Ford presents revolutionary questions that, when answered with complete honesty, change the way we see ourselves and make decisions – ultimately moving us toward the life we desire.

The realities of the life we live today are a result of the choices we made yesterday, three months ago and three years ago. But we don′t wind up $50,000 dollars in debt because of one extravagant purchase. Nor do we put on 30 unwanted pounds as a result of a couple of decadent meals. And our relationships certainly don′t fall apart overnight because of one decision. We are where we are because of repeated unconscious choices made day after day. If we want to understand why and how we created our present day reality, all we need to do is look at the choices we made in the past. Ford cuts right through our denial with the 10 questions that immediately reveal the true motivations behind our thoughts and actions. But more than that, by rigorously and honestly asking and answering these 10 vital questions, we regain control and have the power necessary to create the life we always wanted.

“The Big Leap” - Gay Hendricks

In The Big Leap, New York Times bestselling author Gay Hendricks reveals a simple yet comprehensive program for overcoming our one barrier to happiness and fulfillment, providing a clear path for achieving our true potential and attaining not only financial success but also success in love and life.

“The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die” - John Izzo

Based on a highly acclaimed public television series, this book takes the reader on a heartwarming and profound journey to find lasting happiness. John Izzo interviewed over 200 people, ages 60-106, each whom was identified by friends and acquaintences as “the one person they knew who had found happiness and meaning.” From town barbers to chiefs to CEO’s, these people had over 18,000 years of life experience between them. He asked them questions like, What brought you the greatest joy? What do you wish you had learned sooner? What ultimately mattered and what didn’t? Here Izzo shares their stories – funny, moving and thought-provoking — and the Five Secrets he learned from listening to them.

“Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway” - Susan Jeffers

Jeffers discusses the crippling effects of fear in her personal life and explains how she formulated a course of action for conquering it. Her answers are simple, her course of action difficult only because it requires courage. She explains how fear is based on the uncertainty of change and the lack of positive self image. She avoids psychological lingo, and includes many case studies about careers and changes in personal life both of which are beginning to cause anxiety in many teens. Her message is reassuring: choices are not opportunities to make mistakes, but valid paths to growth, whichever path we take. She addresses the fundamental cause of fear the belief that “I can’t handle it!” Feel the Fear is an important book, for while some young people are more crippled by insecurity that others, many do believe that the path to adulthood is fraught with dangers. Fear is doubtlessly a handicap with which they must learn to cope.

“Perfectly Yourself” - Matthew Kelly

We all have an insatiable need to grow and improve: Every year millions of us buy books and attend workshops in the hope that we will lose weight, improve our relationships, conquer debt, accomplish more in our careers, achieve financial independence, reach spiritual enlightenment, become better parents or lovers–the list goes on. We yearn for progress. And yet, many of us fail to achieve the transformations we desire.

“People don’t fail because they want to fail,” Kelly explains. “People don’t go on a diet because they want to get fat. People don’t get married to get divorced. Whether we are dealing with health and wellness, relationships, finances, spirituality, or career, people want to advance.” Kelly teaches us how to find the balance between accepting ourselves for who we are and challenging ourselves to become all we are capable of being. He encourages us to unify the many aspects of our lives, and reveals how to move beyond other people’s expectations of who and what we should be.

“Life Strategies” – Phillip C. McGraw

“Life Strategies” is one of those rare finds, a self-help book that does not wallow in big words or esoteric concepts. Mr. McGraw outlines his steps for success in life in simple, direct, yet engagingly written chapters. The organization of the book is excellent throughout and reflects an author who has had extensive experience in dealing with people from all walks of life. He deals with concepts such as self-reliance, individual responsibility and similar notions often downplayed (or ignored outright) by other authors seeking to play into the culture of victimization. You will find none of that in Mr. McGraw’s book; his main theme is that we are responsible for our own lives and we do not have to allow ourselves to be knocked about like a punching bag on a windy day. (from an Amazon.com reviewer)

“Self Matters” – Phillip C. McGraw

In this groundbreaking work, Dr. Phil challenges you to find your “authentic self”-that person you once were before life took its toll. It is you at your greatest, most fulfilled, most real moment. It is the person you have always wanted to be, but were too distracted, busy, or scared to become. Instead, you have created a “fictional self”-taking on the identity of who you believe you are supposed be, the person people tell you you are. The incongruence between these two selves is what leads you to feel that your life is incomplete, unbalanced, and altogether more difficult than it really should be.

The good news is it no longer needs to be that way. By using the plan set forth in Self Matters, Dr. Phil helps you to demystify your self-concept and learn how to reclaim your authentic self. In evaluating your life by only the facts, you can learn to think beyond the excuses and fears that have masked the person you have always wanted to be.

“The Last Lecture” - Randy Pausch

A lot of professors give talks titled “The Last Lecture.” Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can’t help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn’t have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave–”Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”–wasn’t about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because “time is all you have…and you may find one day that you have less than you think”). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

“Happiness is a Serious Problem” - Dennis Prager

In this unique blend of self-help and moral philosophy, talk-radio host Dennis Prager asserts that we’re actually obligated to be happy, because it makes us better people. Achieving that happiness won’t be easy, though: to Prager, it requires a continuing process of counting your blessings and giving up any expectations that life is supposed to be wonderful. “Can we decide to be satisfied with what we have?” he asks. “A poor man who can make himself satisfied with his portion will be happier than a wealthy man who does not allow himself to be satisfied.” Prager echoes many conservative political commentators in complaining that too many people today see themselves as victims; he submits that the only way to achieve your desires is to take responsibility for your life rather than blaming others. Whether or not you agree with that view, if you’re willing to put some thought into achieving a happier outlook, you will find plenty to mull over in Happiness Is a Serious Problem.

“Who Are You? What Do You Want?” - Ukleja/Lorber

This book offers a direct link to understanding one’s own motivations and goals, and guides readers through a self-exploratory process that begins with four simple questions:

• Who are you and what do you want?
• Where are you and why are you here?
• What will you do and how will you do it?
• Who are your allies and how can they help?

Based on the authors’ decades of work as executive coaches and leadership trainers, the insights, reallife anecdotes, and exercises in Who Are You and What Do You Want? allow readers to shape their own unique life plan, tailored to their own needs and to gain clarity about their purpose, passions, and values.