The Soup of Possibilities Bookshelf!
This is a great collection of books that fit the high-vibration, abundance mindset, inspirational theme of Soup of Possibilities. Many of them have been recommended by friends and associates. Coming soon: search by category. Or just browse through the list – you’re sure to find your best next read! You can also use the below search tool.
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This book was recommended to me by a psychologist in the late 80’s, and was very helpful.
This is a book I consider to be “required reading” in the classroom of life.
The title comes from a poem by Robert Frost – see later in the post.
Also see “The Road Less Traveled And Beyond.”
Frankly, it’s been so long since I read it that I don’t remember much of the details. Here are some of the notes I wrote in my copy:
Four Tools of Discipline
- Dedication to the truth (out of denial)
- Accepting Responsibility for whole of life, for my anxiety, depression, what is happening in my life. I may be responsible to someone else, but not for someone, with the exception of a small child I may be caring for.
- Delaying gratification. Pain is a professor, you must be willing to learn from your pain.
- Balancing – Wisdom – Be straight with others. Tell them when they need to be told. If it hurts them instead of helping, don’t tell them.
Underlined:
- All self-discipline might be defined as teaching ourselves to do the unnatural
- I define love thus: the will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth.
- Love is an act of will – namely, both an intention and an action. Will also implies choice. We do not have to love. We choose to love.
- If an act is not one of work or courage, it is not an act of love. There are no exceptions.
And many other underlinings.
Get this book. Study it. But beware, it may lead you down the road less traveled, the one of profound spiritual growth similar to what I’ve been on.
The Road Less Traveled
— Robert Frost
This book applies to all close relationships, but it would be especially helpful for newlyweds or especially couples considering a life together. You see, each of us feels loved by different things, grouped into 5 categories: Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch. What’s important about this book is learning to understand those “Love Languages,” how to understand what your partner’s love language is, and learning to “speak” that love language.
My definition of love is “the willingness to do that which serves the highest good for another.” Feeling loved is maybe one of the most important qualities in a person’s life, and learning to help them feel loved through learning how they experience it is certainly a powerful way to express love – in the other person’s terms, not your own. The challenge is that your love language is not necessarily the same as your partner’s. So if you only express love in your own love language, and that language is different than your partner’s, they are not going to “understand” the love you are expressing. They aren’t going to “hear” it. They will feel unloved… by you at least.
One comment I would make that is not covered in the book – maybe Dr. Chapman disagrees with this however it is what I have observed myself: The love language you “speak” is not necessarily the same as the love language you “hear.” So I believe it’s important to differentiate between the two, and recognize what your partner needs to “hear” and how to speak that language.
This book is required reading, unless you plan on being a hermit. Even then maybe you should read it so that you can learn to speak your own love language to yourself.
Recommended by Ron Clifford of RonClifford Photography
Ron says: Donald Millers’ content is the best. The Book “Building A Story Brand, and his daily quick tips are GOLD when it comes to messaging. The book is foundational to creating messaging that is clear and that connects you to your audience.
From Amazon’s description:
New York Times best-selling author Donald Miller uses the seven universal elements of powerful stories to teach listeners how to dramatically improve how they connect with customers and grow their businesses.
Donald Miller’s StoryBrand process is a proven solution to the struggle business leaders face when talking about their businesses. This revolutionary method for connecting with customers provides listeners with the ultimate competitive advantage, revealing the secret for helping their customers understand the compelling benefits of using their products, ideas, or services. Building a StoryBrand does this by teaching listeners the seven universal story points all humans respond to, the real reason customers make purchases, how to simplify a brand message so people understand it, and how to create the most effective messaging for websites, brochures, and social media.
Whether you are the marketing director of a multibillion-dollar company, the owner of a small business, a politician running for office, or the lead singer of a rock band, Building a StoryBrand will forever transform the way you talk about who you are, what you do, and the unique value you bring to your customers.
Recommended by the Courtney Doyle of Arcuri Associates Wealth Management.
From the Amazon description:
Since it was first published almost fifteen years ago, David Allen’s Getting Things Done has become one of the most influential business books of its era, and the ultimate book on personal organization. “GTD” is now shorthand for an entire way of approaching professional and personal tasks, and has spawned an entire culture of websites, organizational tools, seminars, and offshoots.
Immunity To Change: How To Overcome It And Unlock The Potential In Yourself…
Amazon Links:
- Amazon link: Paperback">Paperback
Recommended by Catherine Mulvihill of My Happy Insides
Catherine mentioned this book in several conversations.
From Amazon’s description:
A recent study showed that when doctors tell heart patients they will die if they don’t change their habits, only one in seven will be able to follow through successfully. Desire and motivation aren’t enough: even when it’s literally a matter of life or death, the ability to change remains maddeningly elusive.
Given that the status quo is so potent, how can we change ourselves and our organizations?
In Immunity to Change, authors Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey show how our individual beliefs–along with the collective mind-sets in our organizations–combine to create a natural but powerful immunity to change. By revealing how this mechanism holds us back, Kegan and Lahey give us the keys to unlock our potential and finally move forward. And by pinpointing and uprooting our own immunities to change, we can bring our organizations forward with us.
This persuasive and practical book, filled with hands-on diagnostics and compelling case studies, delivers the tools you need to overcome the forces of inertia and transform your life and your work.
Recommended by Bob Proctor
From the Amazon description:
“(This book) presents the great spiritual and psychological truths in a simple manner, making them practical for daily use. You will read inspiring historical stories of those who dared all for Truth — and found wisdom and peace at last. “The Mystic Path to Cosmic Power” is Vernon Howard’s most popular book. This beautiful new 2005 edition belongs in the library of every serious spiritual student.”