Personal Growth and Inspiration

My very best sources of positive inspiration for personal and business success

I wrote an aromatherapy tip about personal growth and inspiration that said...

Words of Inspiration from the Experts

	The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield This book is WONDERFUL!!! It breaks down all the concepts (like affirmations and visualization and a LOT more) into simple, managable steps, and it really inspires you to take 100% responsibility for your thoughts, feelings and actions. Love it! Check out amazon.com to see reviews and a sneak peek. Great for both business and personal growth and inspiration, and it's accessible, practical and friendly without being mushy. A really excellent resource for personal growth and inspiration - I go back to it over and over because there's always something new to learn. Essential oils for motivation and a sense of purpose: Cajeput (purposefulness); Black Pepper (empowerment); Coriander (motivation); Frankincense & Sandalwood (perseverance)
	What Happy People Know: How the New Science of Happiness Can Change Your Life for the Better by Dan Baker This book is SO encouraging! For those of us who had crappy childhoods (and who subsequently had a ton of therapy and never seemed to really get better) this book is quite a revelation. Turns out digging into the old junk isn't as helpful as you might think. And Dr. Baker explains why from a neuroscientific (brain science) standpoint. He tells a lot of personal growth and inspiration stories about people who change the way they look at the things going on in their lives from a negative viewpoint to a positive one. He gives us tools like Active Appreciation (really works!) and Optimism to help us be happier every day. I re-read this book a lot! Essential oils for a positive attitude: Bergamot & Lavender (optimism); Grapefruit (gratitude); Bergamot & Orange (negative thinking); Jasmine & Rose (joyfulness)
	The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book) by Don Miguel Ruiz Normally I would stay away from this kind of book because it's spiritual in nature, but something in my gut told me to pick it up. And there was some life-changing stuff in there. Miguel's whole discussion of how we agree to believe the limiting messages we learn as children was a major deal for me. Thanks to this book, I no longer agree to be held back by those "you're not good enough" messages. Thank goodness - I'm SO much happier! I had to reframe a bunch of his language to suit my personal style, and I'm not religious so some of his references didn't work for me but still, it was completely worth the read. Really helped me get my head on straight. Essential oils for self-acceptance and personal strength: Jasmine (self-confidence); Ylang Ylang (self-forgiveness & self- respect); Rose (letting go)
	The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron I'm a recovering artist (fiber art and novel writing) and this book has a lot of helpful exercises for reconnecting with my authentic, artistic self. Writing Morning Pages every day is INCREDIBLY powerful for keeping my mental health on track, not to mention helping me to stay organized and values-driven instead of pushed around by everyone else's agenda. I really like the section on crazy-makers. By the way, she also has a great book for personal growth and inspiration for weight loss called The Writing Diet: Write Yourself Right-Size. I lent it to a friend and never saw it again :) Essential oils for creativity: Lemongrass (creativity); Frankincense (courage); Geranium (letting go); Orange (opnenness); Lavender & Sandalwood (fear of failure)
	Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn I read a chapter (they're very short) of this book every night before I go to sleep to help me ground myself. It helps me remember that there's more to life than all the things I didn't get done that day or that I have to do the next day. It also helps me detach from all my emotional upsets and take each moment as it comes. Deeply calming. I first read his book Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness some years ago, and I find this book to be more helpful in terms of personal growth and inspiration . Full Catastrophe is more like a manual on HOW to meditate for people who have never done it or don't know much about it. Essential oils for meditation: Chamomile (serenity); Geranimum (detachment); Rose (self-awareness); Grapefruit (gratitude); Rosemary (focus, clarity)

My Inspiration for Financial Success

And I've learned from experience that building financial success is directly related to personal growth and inspiration because it makes you believe in yourself.

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert Kiyosaki If you're not familiar with the concept of passive income, take a look at Robert Kiyosaki's books. Not being dependent on an employer for your bread and butter is tremendously comforting! This book got me on the path to financial security. My husband recently lost his job, and I was way less freaked out than I would have been if we still needed his salary. But because I've spent so much time and energy building this website into a stream of passive income, we can survive on what I make. So he gets to retire early - yay! (It's great- he finally has time for all those projects around the house!) Also check out Rich Dad's Increase Your Financial IQ: Get Smarter with Your Money and others if you want to learn how to earn financial freedom.

What next? How about some more sources of personal growth and inspiration - you!

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