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Shift Your Thinking – My Top 10 Books 2014

Healing from burnout

         

Would you like to know a little about some of the awesome books I’ve read this year?
Would you like to SHIFT YOUR THINKING?
It’s no secret that I love books and I know many of you do too!

Books can be an extremely helpful guidance tool and open you up to a different way of looking at your life.
And many of these books are going to help you greatly in your healing from burnout process or in helping you to release stress and look more deeply at your life.

These days, I am very selective about what books I read, and I often go on the recommendations of others whose work I respect.  When I hear a book being recommended over and over again, I know it’s time to check it out.

HERE ARE MY TOP 10 PICKS FOR YOU FROM 2014
(please note, these are not in any particular order).

1.  The Hormone Cure: Reclaim Balance, Sleep and Sex Drive; Lose Weight; Feel Focused, Vital, and Energized Naturally with the Gottfried Protocol
Dr Sara Gottfried


I love, love, love the work of Dr Sara Gottfried.  I have recently come across her work but when I did I heard her name from so many different sources including Dr Christiane Northrup who is one of the pioneeers on womens health.

Dr Gottfried really understands the effects of stress on the body and how it affects us.  If there was a doctor I would want to see to help me recover from burnout, she would be on the top of my list!

Dr Gottfried understands the intricate workings of the hormonal system and knows the high stress signs that often come from high cortisol.  In her book she addresses what are the top 7 hormonal issues for women, the main issues being with cortisol, the thyroid and oestrogen.

Dr Gottfried is also a yoga teacher so she fully understands that this not just a physical job, there is very much the holistic picture as well.  In Dr Gottfried’s words, “Spiritual practice and gratitude is the secret sauce for hormone balance.”  Highly, highly recommend for every woman to check this book out.

2.  Choose Yourself
James Altucher

James has life changing messages in his book (only if you do them of course) but let me warn you that his writing is not for the faint hearted.  He tells it how it is (in his opinion).  But there are so many great ideas to obtain from this book, with the essence of it being to take care of YOU (and I am the biggest fan of that)!

Building up a life that is authentically you and that takes care of your needs on a daily basis – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually is the essence of a quality life. James refers to this as “The Daily Practice”.

I Have previously written an entire blog post on this book which you can check out here.

I read this book in a couple of days.  James’ writing is so engaging that you won’t want to put it down.  Whether you like him or not, he will very likely spark something inside of you that you may least expect that prompts you to change your life for the better, NOW!

3.  Sleep Smarter: 21 Proven Tips to Sleep Your Way to a Better Body, Better Health and Bigger Success
Shawn Stevenson
 Shawn Stevenson is one of the most knowledgeable people I have encountered on the topic of health and wellbeing.  I first came across him through a recommendation to listen to his podcast, which is filled with so many useful and life changing health tips.

His book certainly lived up to my expectations as well.  Shawn delves deeply into aspects that greatly help the quality of your sleep such as the right time to get sunlight, room temperature, the use of magnesium, using exercise smartly, technology inerruption and also topics such as what to wear, creating rituals, your sleeping position and many many more great tips.

I have found in this book (and also in Shawn’s Podcast show) that delves very deeply into each topic and researches it soundly.

If sleep is an issue for you, or you simply want to be the healthiest you can be (and who doesn’t want that right?), then please do yourself a huge, huge favour and get this book.

4.  Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
Greg McKeown

This is such a needed book on the planet at this time!

This is all about the pursuit of not only doing less, but “doing less better” as Greg states.

We are as a society, doing too much, saying yes to too much.  Greg McKeown gives you great advice on how to say no and do less.  It’s a life changer.

In a world of too much (which in my mind leads to burnout), we simply have to refine what it is that we truly want to focus on.  We need to come back to our own life and what we desire.  Greg teaches you how to do this.

If you are overdoing and don’t know how to say no, you’ve got to read this, NOW.

5.  The Values Factor: The Secret to Creating an Inspired and Fulfilling Life
Dr. John F. Demartini

Ok, I’ll warn you upfront.  This is not a book that you’re going to knock off in a day or two.  It’s a book that poses a lot of questions and asks that you look very, very deeply at every aspect of your life.

If you desire to make long lasting and deep and fulfilling changes, then you are ready for this book.  I have been working with it for many months now and each chapter is so worthwhile and will challenge you to look at your life in great detail.

One of the things Dr John Demartini often says is “The quality of your life is determined by the quality of the questions that you ask”.  If you are ready to ask high quality questions, you are ready for this book.  If you are not asking quality questions, this book will likely help to shift your thinking and greatly improve the type of questions that you ask.

I love the work of Dr John Demartini.  If there is one book to get in his array of work, this is it!

6.  Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
Susan Cain
As the title suggests, this will likely be more appealing to the introverts of the world (of which I am one) however, in the book, Susan Cain also talks a lot about extroverts to look at the different ways that each personality type is in different situations.

Susan looks at a lot of different experiments, some recent some not so recent and how the personality traits of introverts and extroverts play out in our daily lives.

This book leaves you with the sense and knowing that it is fully ok to just be YOU.  To be the personality that you naturally are.  I also truly know that as we allow ourselves to be who we are, without always looking first to take care of the needs of those around us, we heal some of the root causes of burnout!!   As an introvert, I loved this book!!!

It has led me to wonder if the introverts and more sensitive personality types (which can also be extrovert) are more prone to burnout, and I am exploring this further.

7.  Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way we Live, Love, Parent and Lead
Brene Brown
I just picked this book up a few days ago after it came up in conversation with a friend.  I have been familiar with Brene Brown’s work over the past few years through watching her TED talks and I have been fascinated by her work for some time.

Even though I have not completed reading this book as yet, I felt so compelled to include this in the list because what I have read so far is such important information for each one of us.  Brene sums up the essence of her book beautifully with this statement,
“What we know matters, but who we are matters more.  Being rather than knowing requires showing up and letting ourselves be seen.”
I know you’re probably cringing in vulnerability already just reading that statement, but the essence of this book is a deep conversation on vulnerability and to say I am fascinated is an understatement.  I believe one of the most important things for each one of us is to live our lives authentically.  This book helps to increase your tool box of ways in which to do that.

8.  The Leader Who Had No Title: A Modern Fable on Real Success in Business and in Life
Robin Sharma
This is an easy to read book and you could knock it off in a day or two.  But don’t underestimate the power of what you read here.

Robin Sharma does such a great job (as he does with all of his books and speaking) to help you to shift your thinking on what is possible for you in your life.  We all have the ability to lead our own lives, to lead our own job or business – there really are no limits.

Robin will help you see how this is possible through the telling of a beautiful and inspiring story and how four different people have created leadership roles in their every day positions, in jobs that you may at first consider roles that have nothing to do with leadership.

I got a huge amount out of this book and it is very likely one that I will read over and over again, to keep capturing the many nuggets of wisdom that are all throughout the book.  If you would like help in looking at the current situation of your life (whatever that may be) in a completely different way, read this book!!

9.  Assertiveness for Earth Angels: How to Be Loving Instead of “Too Nice”
Doreen Virtue
Whether you believe in angels or not, Doreen Virtue (and the angels) have some incredibly useful suggestions here, especially if you are one of those very sensitive types in the world.

I have brought this book in, because learning to be assertive about our needs in all areas of our life, is a big factor in healing from burnout and living a high quality life. When we speak up in a loving way, others clearly know how we feel.  This doesn’t always mean that others like what we say but when we speak from a place of authenticity, truth and love that is what counts.

If you have trouble speaking up for what you need in your life, Doreen will gently but assertively guide you with many tools on how to do this.  This is an easy read with many stories woven in, and if you pick up just one idea from this book that changes your life for the better, it is worth it!!!

10. The Secret Pleasures of Menopause
Christiane Northrup M.D.
Even though I likely have a handful of years to go before going through menopause, this book is also really useful for those who may be in the peri-menopausal stage.

From a burnout and stress perspective, please know that too much stress which upsets your hormonal imbalance will affect the ease with which your menopause process happens.   One of the best things you can do is get a handle on the stress in your life, and get to the root cause of why it is happening. 

Dr Northrup debunks a lot of the misinformation about menopause and what you really need to focus on for a smooth transition during this time of your life.  Such useful information, and really fun information too!!!

If you are anywhere in the region of menopause (and even if you’re not), check it out.  I loved it, such a liberating book!!!

If you would like to check out last year’s list, an equally inspiring list of books, you can check them out here. 

Happy reading friends, may your lives be forever changed as mine has from engaging with these books!

LISA

P.S. The above links are links to my affiliate account with amazon and if you decide to purchase one of these books, I would receive a commission. Please note that I wholeheartedly only recommend products that I fully believe in.