Most influential personal growth/self-help books

[Holland73]

Over the past couple of years, I have spent a lot of time exploring my own personal growth process. There have been are two pivotal books that have really opened my mind and set me on a path I wouldn't have expected until I read those books.

Here are those two most pivotal books:

Buddhism for Mothers
Creating True Peace

Currently, I am in the process of working through Debbie Ford's "The Dark Side of the Light Chasers" and Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way."

Anyway, I am curious to know which books have been most influential in your own personal growth process.

Thanks for sharing!

[wahm]

Oh my, I have so many books, so I will just list some of my fave authors: Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle, Gary Reinhard, and Gary Zukav, and Neil Donald Walsh. I know I am forgetting some.

The most influential books (for me) are "The Power of Now", "A New Earth", "Disappearance of the Universe", "Take Me to the Truth", and "A Course in Miracles". All of Mr. Walsh's books were influential for me.

[TinaM]

The most influential books for me are written by Wayne Dyer and Eckhardt Tolle. "A New Earth" delivered the "message" to me in a way that really hit home and changed my life. I think about what I have learned from him everytime a new challenge comes into my life.

[Sativarain1]

Wayne Dyer is on PBS sometimes and I really like listening to him speak, he's actually a great story teller. I haven't read much of his books though. A few favorites of mine are The four agreements, Thich Nhat Hanh...... The soul survival kit by Melody Beattie.

[Holland73]

Originally Posted by Sativarain1

The soul survival kit by Melody Beattie.

I love Melody Beattie! I have never seen "The Soul Survival Kit."

Did you do the exercises? Did you find it beneficial to your own growth?

I love anything by Thich Nhat Hahn and I am just starting to delve into Pema Chodron.

[journeymom]

I'm so boring.

It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Cant Find Your Keys

Feeling Good

Those are the only two personal growth self help type books I've ever reread, and bothered to do the exercises.

[oceanbaby]

Most everything by Pema Chodron.

[princesstutu]

The two books I started with are still influential for me in some ways. They are Loving What Is by byron katie and The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.

Right now, anything by Thich Nhat Hahn is influencing me. He "gets" me. Also, Louise Hay's affirmations help me sooooo much.

[Sativarain1]

Holland, if you like Melody Beattie, you will love that soul survival guide book, it's by far her best. I read it and felt like I could reread it again already. I didn't do every excercise but just knowing that we all have different life lessons to learn and be able to be open to them even as hard as they are is mainly what the book is about. Do you know her son died when he was 12 due to a skiiing accident, that must of been really hard for her....
Anyway yes Pema Chodren is amazing to, I'm reading my first book from her now.

[Holland73]

Ok, so I picked up the Melody Beattie's book, but I also, on a whim, picked up Martha Beck's "Finding your own North Star."

I think I am going to start with Beck's book, because I really like the exercises. They are very direct and thought-provoking... 2 things I desperately need right now.

[Terrence]

Reading books is indeed a very good feature for personal growth. If you read, your knowledge improves, you get more information, updates, you can pass time without wasting it on unnecessary things. So, reading books is a good idea for all . The best books that inspired me was 3 point someone & 3 mistakes of my life by Chetan Bhagath. These books really helped me out in my personal growth.

[FlyingGoddess]

Yes! Debbie Ford's "The Dark Side of the Light Chasers" is a book I read around the time it came out. And it helped me so much. I love embracing ALL of me. This has been very hard for me to learn, but I'm so much happier now because of this path.

I love Wayne Dyer (I wonder if he'd adopt me?), Byron Katie, Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, Don Miguel Ruiz.

I got from the library one of Louise Hay's books on CD.

If you don't have much time to read, I enjoy watching youtube clips of my favorite authors speaking (Abraham-Hicks is cool, too). Sometimes, I'll discover new people that touch me via youtube. From Netflix, I watched Deepak's DVDs.

[A&A]

The Feminine Face Of God

[runes]

Many of the above mentioned books, as well as:

When Everything Changes, Change Everything (Neale Donald Walsch)
Simply an Inspired Life (Huie and Radmacher)

[Salihah]

I loved, Anger, Thich Nhat Hanh. I am not an angry person, I'm very laid-back type-B personality, but this book meant a lot to me and opening sore spots I didn't know I had, while being a balm on them at the same time. Great book. It's one I re-read every couple years.

[enfpintj]

Alice Miller, SARK, Louise Hay, I can't even think of others right now. There are so many I read and then forget about.

[grisandole]

Byron Katie, Wayne Dyer, Neal Walsch, Esther and Jerry Hicks

[leahmn12]

Carolyn Myss- Anatomy of the Spirit. This book was transformational for me. I've recently started reading Judith Orloff's work, which has also resonated well with me. I recommend both authors highly.

[*bejeweled*]

[mommy amber]

I loved Buddhism for Mothers...I read it a few years ago when my daughter was a baby and I was struggling to adjust to motherhood.
Fast forward 3 years and I'm struggling to adjust to being a mom to 2, living in a new area, recent surgery and dh's grad school/work routine (whew!) and I am reading and listening to Pema Chodron.
she. is. amazing.
I really cannot say this enough or with adequate emphasis!

These are the two I have right now:
http://www.amazon.com/When-Things-Fa...6714259&sr=8-4
and
http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Bite-Hook...6714290&sr=8-2

she is so accessible and witty!
if you liked Buddhism for Mothers, I think you would enjoy her!