In his book, ‘Nine Insights for a Happy and Successful Life,’ Mitchell Gibson provides a self-help guide that consists of  nine insights on how a person can change a life of sadness, emotional suffering and unhappiness, to a life that is filled with happiness, contentment, and fulfillment. He notes that the nine insights for a happy and successful life were inspired by his personal experiences and insights he acquired treating patients and stored in a journal. Gibson states in his book that he “hopes to provide a little light in a world in which millions feel isolated, empty, and without hope.” and “the nine insights come from the Creator and he believes they are His way of reminding each of us that we are unique and special to Him in ways that we cannot imagine.”

 

In ‘Nine Insights for a Happy and Successful Life,’ Gibson addresses such issues as our belief that money is the key to happiness, how events outside of our control will cause chaos in our lives if we allow it,  how we have a tendency to not recognize the possibilities, and how our thoughts affect our outlook on life. He shows readers the path to a happy and fulfilled life through an analysis of techniques that focus on channeling positive energy internally and how to keep positive energy in our environment. This includes adjusting our attitude, how to assess, develop, and exploit the necessary skills to improve our lives, how our dreams can  be a source of inspiration, and understanding that failure is about applying what we learned to make better decisions in the future. He shows readers the power of the open mind and how rejecting negative thoughts and accepting positive thoughts are essential to achieving happiness. A fundamental message of the book is learning to understand how our energies, whether positive or negative, influence our state of emotional well being.

 

For those who have been living in a cycle of negativity that has resulted in sadness, despair, and depression, ‘Nine Insights for a Happy and Successful Life is a must-read.’ It is presented in a thoughtful, reflective, and organized way so that readers will be able to gain an understanding about how thoughts affect our well being and that we have the power to gain control of our thoughts to break free of the unconscious conditioning of always focusing on the negative. The book is very insightful and readers will learn how develop important skills on how to get in touch with their true inner selves to make important changes both internally and externally so that they can live a happier and more fulfilled life.

 

Tracy Roberts, Write Field Services

 

In his book, Internal Vision: A Ten-Day Journey to True Happiness, author Roger Revak, shares a deeply personal story of a devastating time in his life about a ten-day journey that could have cost him his life. Within the story, the author presents a self-help guide inspired by his emotional and physical struggle following his brain tumor diagnosis.

 

In his first forty years, Roger Revak was a man who struggled through life with no clear purpose. Haunted by the verbal and emotional abuse by his father, Revak’s adulthood involved struggling with his own internal conflicts, which affected his outlook on life and his loved ones. He had dug himself into an emotional hole and lived in a cycle of negativity. It was not until his diagnosis of a brain tumor that he began the journey of emotional and physical healing. It is a personal journey of spiritual growth and enlightenment.

 

The book is divided into 15 chapters with each chapter telling the story of his plight with a brain tumor as well as a series of ‘lessons unlearned’ and self-help exercises at the end of each chapter. These lessons include: #1.) What does living in the present mean? #2.) What is fear? (Rational and Irrational Fear) #3.) How do you live in the present? #4.)  What’s in it for me (Advantages of living in the present) #5.) What is the downside to living in the present? #6.) Love your inner child as if he or she were your own. #7.) Forgiving yourself. #8.) Creating Happiness (Directions to a peaceful life) #9.) Peace #10.) Happiness 101 #11.) Don’t forget to laugh #12.) How can you learn to be present without having a traumatic experience? 13.) It’s your secret. #14.) Finding your purpose. #15.) Be true to yourself.

 

The story reveals how Revak found enlightenment by wading through the past that included his childhood, work, and family, (especially his unconditional love for his daughter) to gain a positive, spiritual, and rational perspective while unlearning the negativity and tunnel vision he had acquired. The use of humor and learning to laugh are key elements Revak highlights as important tools to spiritual healing

 

As Revak points out, “the ‘lessons unlearned’ do not require going through a traumatic experience.” They are principles that can be used by anyone in effort to look at things in a more open way by implementing techniques to acquire self-love, self-respect, and to achieve happiness and maintain it. The author shows us that we can make it through any difficult situation that life throws our way.

 

‘Internal Vision: A Ten-Day Journey to True Happiness’ is an easy to read and profoundly personal story with a message of love, strength, and hope, that will help guide readers to achieve spiritual happiness and contentment.

 

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In his book, ‘A Complete Guide to Public Speaking,’ author, Joseph A. Grippo, presents a step-by step guide on preparing a public presentation in an a effective and professional manner using audio and visual aids. When one plans an event with the purpose of delivering important information intended to inspire creative thought and motivate the audience, a speaker becomes a critical tool to the event’s success. The speaker will stimulate people to look at situations in a new way and bring innovative ideas into the organization. The purpose of Grippo’s book, as he states, is to teach people that “public speaking is an art that can be learned.”

 

Grippo presents 12 sections that include: I) The Purpose of Information, II) Factors to consider beforehand, (Why one speaks and what you should know about the speaking occasion) III) Research on message retention, (How to hold the audience’s attention) IV) Selecting the topic and organizing the presentation, V) Developing the body of the speech, VI) Developing the introduction and using closing techniques, VII) Rehearsing the presentation, IX) Taking the terror out of making a presentation (Overcoming fear of giving a presentation.) X) The pros and cons of visual presentations.  XI General speaking tips for effective presentation and XII) Final Remarks (Positive Reinforcement.)

 

Within the guide, Grippo manages to filter out any unnecessary information and focus on the “nuts and bolts” of becoming a successful public speaker.  It is a comprehensive and easy to follow and understand booklet that touches on all aspects of public speaking. Common mistakes and concerns are highlighted with effective advice on overcoming any hindrances to a successful public speaking event. He provides an account of what makes a good public speaker and how one can achieve that status.

 

Part of overcoming the fear of public speaking is implementing Grippo’s guide and following through. I think the section on Overcoming Fear may be better suited at the beginning of the book, near the introduction, to demonstrate that the following sections will not only teach the mechanics and craft of public speaking, but also overcoming one’s fears by boosting self-confidence.

 

‘A Complete Guide To Public Speaking’ is highly recommended to those embarking on a career as a Public Speaker and those who want to maintain and improve their current public speaking skills. It would be particularly useful for those wishing to make business and technical presentations.

 

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In his novel, ReBecoming, The Way of Opportunity, author J.R. Maxon delivers a spiritual and philosophical self-help guide in the form of a fictional story.

 

Diana Archer is a young woman living in Tampa, Florida who discovers that she is at a defining moment in life. She begins to question events in her life, both past and present, to understand why she is feeling a loss of identity. She attends a Gym and meets Fitness Instructor, Jon, who becomes not only a personal fitness instructor, but a spiritual and philosophical guide. For Diana, life becomes a series of difficult challenges as she faces a number of threats. Jon provides her with unique insight into analyzing and understanding her thought processes as it relates to her physical well being, how she perceives the world and her own circumstances, as well as understanding her own sense of self. Within the chapters that focus on the body, mind, and spirit, Diana learns what it means to achieve a sense of wholeness. Peppered throughout the book are many spiritual, philosophical, and inspirational quotes to help one grow spiritually and emotionally:

 

“The key to freedom is to shift your awareness away from the Mundane Mind and into the Open Sky Mind and to see your thoughts only as clouds passing through it.”

 

With a goal of learning what it means to be happy, a number of themes are presented that include: an understanding of compassion, kindness, love, self-confidence, negative thoughts, physical appearance, relationships, finding courage, love, and self-love. One main theme throughout the story is the concept of physical fitness being tied to psychological and spiritual fitness.

 

For the most part, the author successfully creates a Protagonist that women can relate to. Because the novel is integrated with a self-help guide, readers may want to keep a pen and paper handy in order to note the many self-help techniques presented within the story. At the end of the book, the author provides a summary of self-help passages. It may have been helpful to deliver them in the form of a mini self-help program.

 

Diana’s journey of breaking free of a cycle of negativity is one that readers will enjoy. ReBecoming: The Way of Opportunity is highly recommended to readers who enjoy books about overcoming one’s internal demons to gain an understanding of what it really means to be happy.

 

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