You Gotta Keep Dancin' Review

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(More customer reviews)I had struggled with depression throughout my adolescence, and into my adult life. Even after the life changing event of becoming a Christian, I still struggled with severe depression. I was in the midst of trying to find answers on how to deal with and get rid of the depression when I came across this book, "You gotta keep dancing". I didn't think much of it, because I had read other books with similar titles, but then I read the first few pages and I couldn't stop reading it.
With this book and the Bible, I found someone [Tim Hansel] who showed me a new perspective on life that no one else had shown me and it turned my world around forever. Now I spend my time trying to help other people deal with their pains in life and I have given away at least 2 dozen of these books to friends and family.

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YOU CAN CHOOSE JOYLife can be tough. Stress, disappointment, heartache, hurt–all are part of the human condition. But while pain is unavoidable, misery is optional! The freeing message of You Gotta Keep Dancin' is that, no matter what your circumstances, you can choose to be joyful.Tim Hansel speaks as one who knows. For the past ten years he has lived with continual physical pain, the result of a climbing mishap in the Sierras. But You Gotta Keep Dancin' is not just another story of a Christian who had an accident. It is a powerful account of God's working in one man's physical and emotional suffering, helping him discover the real meaning of joy.Tim doesn't treat lightly the difficulties of anyone's life. In his words, "this book is in no way meant to diminish the awfulness of pain, tragedy, and affliction. I don't want to ‘celebrate pain,' but more deeply understand the dignity of what can happen in it, through it, and because of it.”Tim Hansel is the founder of Summit Expedition, a wilderness survival school for individuals seeking deeper experiences with themselves, others, and God. In great demand as a speaker and seminar leader, Tim is also the author of the best-selling When I Relax I Feel Guilty and What Kids Need Most in a Dad. He makes his home in San Dimas, California, with his wife.You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance. Psalm 30:11

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Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self Review

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(More customer reviews)I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in lucid dreams. I've read nearly every book about lucid dreaming and I can say without hesitation this book is one of the best.
There are plenty of how-to books geared toward readers who seek to experience lucid dreams for the first time. While this book contains some techniques for that purpose, it offers so much more than that. Robert Waggoner takes lucid dreaming to a whole new level. Through his investigation of the profound inner awareness ever-present in our dreams, he demonstrates the vast potential for exploration and personal growth available to us lucid dreaming. This aspect of the book resonated deeply with me because it echoes my current approach to dreaming.
It is rare to find a book that approaches lucid dreaming from this angle, especially one that so thoroughly details the ways in which the dreamer can explore the hidden -- and often meaningful -- aspects of the dream. I wish this book had been around years ago when I first began my lucid dreaming practice.
Waggoner's enthusiasm for dreaming is evident on every page. Whether you are an experienced lucid dreamer or new to lucid dreaming, I recommend adding this to your personal library.

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Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self is the account of an extraordinarily talented lucid dreamer who goes beyond the boundaries of both psychology and religion. In the process, he stumbles upon the Inner Self. While lucid (consciously aware) in the dream state and able to act and interact with dream figures, objects, and settings, dream expert Robert Waggoner experienced something transformative and unexpected. He was able to interact consciously with the dream observer-the apparent Inner Self-within the dream. At first this seemed shocking, even impossible, since psychology normally alludes to such theoretical inner aspects as the Subliminal Self, the Center, the Internal Self-Helper in vague and theoretical ways. Waggoner came to realize, however, that aware interaction with the Inner Self was not only possible, but actual and highly inspiring. He concluded that while aware in the dream state, one has both a psychological tool and a platform from which to understand dreaming and the larger picture of man's psyche as well. Waggoner proposes 5 stages of lucid dreaming and guides readers through them, offering advice for those who have never experienced the lucid dream state and suggestions for how experienced lucid dreamers can advance to a new level. Lucid Dreaming offers exciting insights and vivid illustrations that will intrigue not only avid dreamworkers but anyone who is interested in consciousness, identity, and the definition of reality.

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Chasing Daylight: Seize the Power of Every Moment Review

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(More customer reviews)Erwin Raphael McManus, author of UPRISING and THE BARBARIAN WAY, fills readers with hope and motivation in CHASING DAYLIGHT: Seize the Power of Every Moment. Previously published as SEIZING YOUR DIVINE MOMENT, the book challenges readers to look at their dreams through God's lenses and reflect on their true calling.
In nine fast-paced chapters, McManus walks people through the process of coming to terms with a major change in their life and helps readers recognize the relationship between initiative, passion and God. Throughout the book he tackles tough questions, including how to know if a dream or passion is really from God, how to step forward in confidence and courage, and how to know if we're in God's will.
McManus points to two practical dimensions of faith that he calls "first-dimension" and "second-dimension" faith. The first dimension includes stepping out into an area that is within reach or within the realm of possibilities. For example, God asks us to do something he has asked us to do before, or something that is outside our personal comfort zone but that he's done in the lives of countless others. The second dimension is more challenging. It requires us to step into the realm of impossibilities and of things we've never seen done before, except that we feel God's leading to move forward. This book is an invitation to grasp both first-dimension and second-dimension living.
Writes McManus, "This relationship between faith and uncertainty is inescapable. What required faith for you yesterday may become commonplace for you tomorrow. Although they are still expressions of your faith, they are no longer the challenges that launch you to a new-faith experience. While at first simply trusting God to take you outside your experience is a huge leap of faith, eventually God will expect more of you. Remember, faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
Throughout the book, the author draws from his own experiences as well as those of friends, family and members of his congregation. The result is both a personal and vulnerable account of the author's own spiritual journey. In addition, the book is packed with biblical stories; you'll read about everyone from Moses to Jonathan to Jesus.
The writing itself is tight, packed with countless observations, insights and details. McManus is a writer whose words and pace are fast. He writes as if he can't get the words on the page quickly enough. Thoughts are racing. Ideas must be captured. If they aren't captured on paper soon, then they'll evaporate. So it's with a passionate intensity that McManus records his ideas. The approach is surprisingly easy to follow and memorable.
Overall, this is a great book. Designed for thinkers but accessible to all, it is a must-have for those who feel stuck in their spiritual journey or hunger for more. CHASING DAYLIGHT is a passionate answer to anyone who has ever longed to see more of God in their life.
--- Reviewed by Margaret Feinberg

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In this inspiring book (formerly Seizing Your Divine Moment), Erwin McManus uses the biblical account of Israel's war with the Philistines (1 Samuel 13 and 14) and the characters of Saul and Jonathan to demonstrate the difference between living a life of purpose and adventure, and living one of apathy and missed opportunity. In the midst of a less-than-hopeful battle, Saul rested beneath a tree as Jonathan seized the divine moment that would impact the future of Israel. Through this story McManus artfully illustrates the eight characteristics of an adventurer's heart, what he calls "the Jonathan factor."

Using powerful examples from his own life and ministry, along with fresh biblical teaching, McManus asserts that God crafts divine moments specific to each of us-priceless opportunities for us to actively engage in God's plan. By developing the characteristics McManus outlines, Christians can move from mundane to miraculous living.

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Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out Review

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(More customer reviews)When I first saw the title, "Happy for No Reason," I'll have to admit that my initial reaction was that this would be just one more new age, touch-feely, full-of-fluff feel-good book. So I was very pleasantly surprised to see how thoroughly-researched, well-written, and down-to-earth practical this book is. "Happy for No Reason" is a groundbreaking philosophy that belongs in the same category as the work of David Burns (cognitive mood therapy), Martin Seligman (learned optimism), Daniel Goleman (emotional intelligence) and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (flow). It is a brilliant blend of scientific research summarized in language that anyone can understand plus stories from people Marci calls the Happy 100, people who are role models of happiness for the sake of happiness, not because of love or money or other exogenous factors.
I was so impressed with this book that I gave copies to each of my children as Christmas gifts this year. I'm hoping they will read it with a pen or highlighter in hand, which is what I found myself doing - and would recommend to you as well. It's easy to be unhappy, which might be why so many people are. Watch TV for an hour and you'll have a hundred reasons to not be happy; it's nice to know that you can choose to be happy for no reason at all.

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Aspire: Discovering Your Purpose Through the Power of Words Review

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(More customer reviews)*****
I really enjoyed this author's book on personal development which he organized around the meaning of eleven words: Genshai (not treating anyone, including yourself, small), Pathfinder (leader), Namaste (respecting each person's authenticity and uniqueness), Passion (suffering for what you value), Sapere Vedere (visioning), Humility (being teachable), Inspire (breathing life into), Empathy (walking the path of another), Coach (mentoring another), and Integrity (being congruent). He emphasizes that there is much value to be found in drilling down and exploring words, and his book demonstrates this.
Aspire is a quick read chock full of valuable inspirational and motivational information that is not unique, perhaps, but organized in such a way to have more impact than other self-help books. It is also fun to read, filled with stories and excerpts from the author's journal that summarize the chapters for later reviewing. This is a book that is valuable to be purchased in hardback because it is one that you'll read again and again.
Highly recommended.
*****

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An expert recognized for his uncovering the hidden, and often secret meaning of words, Kevin Hall now shares his wisdom with us all. In Aspire! he teaches readers to understand what words mean in their purest sense and unlock their importance as they develop a thoughtful new vocabulary. As Stephen R. Covey so beautifully elucidates in his foreword, "this masterfully written book will help you understand that words have an inherent power, a force capable of lighting one′s paths and horizons. Used correctly and positively, words are the first building blocks for success and inner peace. Used incorrectly and negatively, they are capable of undermining even the best of intentions. This is true in business, in personal relationships, and every other walk of life." By focusing on eleven words-one per chapter--Aspire! shows how to use these words as building blocks for success and inner peace. The words, from the very familiar to the very unusual, will become touchstones in personal development and in business.

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A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook Review

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(More customer reviews)If I had to identify one quality that separates this book from the rest of the mindfulness resources in the self-help aisle, it's that these pages are so practical and can't help but provide the reader with plenty of "Aha!" moments. Reading through the chapters and exercises, I appreciate all the research that Goldstein and Stahl studied, material that illuminates how mindfulness exercises can alter and help shape your brain to be more optimistic and resilient. But what won my trust is that they have both been stress cases themselves at certain points in their lives, and can therefore communicate with empathetic language. They both know, on a very personal level, how stress can disable a person. Much like Kay Redfield Jamison, the famous psychologist who suffers from bipolar disorder, they speak both as expert and patient.
I understand mindfulness as forcing a bit of time and space between a situation and your reaction, or recognizing the snowball of thoughts that's forming in your mind before it becomes too overwhelming to sort through yourself. Goldstein and Stahl quote Vicktor Frankl, psychiatrist and holocaust survivor: "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."
Although mindfulness techniques aren't able to rescue me out of an acute, severe depression, if I diligently adhered to all the wisdom contained in Stahl and Goldstein's book, and designated a time of the day to do all the exercises, I could save myself some considerable heartache and headache.
Why?
Their mindfulness exercises allow the reader to take some of the files off of her cluttered and disorganized desk because the files relate to the past or to the future, and the present tense is the only one she should worry about now. According to the authors, mindfulness is about sticking to the here and now and banishing all judgment. It's also about breaking the job, day, or situation down ... into small parts, in order to better manage it.
Goldstein and Stahl's workbook uses a strong motivator for readers to learn the beneficial habit of mindfulness, and that is accountability. When you write things down and record your progress, you become accountable. Maybe that's why my kids hate homework so much, come to think of it. So what they have done for us is set up a system by which we can challenge ourselves to better integrate our body, mind, and soul. Or at least that's the plan.
I recommend this workbook to anyone who is stressed out ... um ... everyone I know.

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Stress and pain are nearly unavoidable in our daily lives; they are part of the human condition. This stress can often leave us feeling irritable, tense, overwhelmed, and burned-out. The key to maintaining balance is responding to stress not with frustration and self-criticism, but with mindful, nonjudgmental awareness of our bodies and minds. Impossible? Actually, it's easier than it seems.

In just weeks, you can learn mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a clinically proven program for alleviating stress, anxiety, panic, depression, chronic pain, and a wide range of medical conditions. Taught in classes and clinics worldwide, this powerful approach shows you how to focus on the present moment in order to permanently change the way you handle stress. As you work through A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook, you'll learn how to replace stress-promoting habits with mindful ones-a skill that will last a lifetime.

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The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself Review

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(More customer reviews)I simply cannot say enough great things about this profound book! The Untethered Soul gets right down to business answering some of the deepest, soul searching questions I'd had for years but didn't know whom to ask. It's almost as if the author has seen into the inner-workings of my mind!
With very straight forward examples, the book emphasizes the pitfalls of relying on the mind to come up with ideas for making ourselves happy. The book points out that relying on the outside world for inner happiness just simply doesn't work. Happiness comes to us when we change and let go of ourselves at the deepest, innermost-level rather than changing the world outside.
The Untethered Soul helps to explain the crazy world around us where the unhampered ego creates conflict. This book is a step-by-step guide to the letting go of the ego - a process that may seem counter-intuitive initially, but ultimately leads to freedom from the nagging mind and heavy heart and directs you to the beauty of the self within.
The chapter on Contemplating Death has made me truly appreciate each living moment. I no longer want to waste time on energy depleting thoughts and feelings.
I am grateful that Michael Singer has written a book so deep that it could actually make a difference in people's lives and help to make the world a better place to live.
Consider yourself warned! Once you read this book, there is no turning back from The Untethered Soul within.

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Who are you? When you start to explore this question, you find out how elusive it really is. Are you a physical body? A collection of experiences and memories? A partner to relationships? Each time you consider these aspects of yourself, you realize that there is much more to you than any of these can define. The Untethered Soul, spiritual teacher Michael Singer explores the question of who we are and arrives at the conclusion that our identity is to be found in our consciousness, the fact of our ability to observe ourselves, and the world around us. By tapping into traditions of meditation and mindfulness, Singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self-realization.

This book, copublished with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), offers a frank and friendly discussion of consciousness and how we can develop it. In part one, he examines the notion of self and the inner dialogue we all live with. Part two examines the experience of energy as it flows through us and works to show readers how to open their hearts to the energy of experience that permeates their lives. Ways to overcome tendencies to close down to the rest of the world are the subject of part three. Enlightenment, the embrace of universal consciousness, is the subject of part four. And finally, in part five, Singer returns to daily life and the pursuit of unconditional happiness. Throughout, the book maintains a light and engaging tone, free from heavy dogma and prescriptive religious references. The easy exercises that figure in each chapter help readers experience the ideas that Singer presents.

Visit www.untetheredsoul.com for more information.

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The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die Review

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(More customer reviews)Looking to our elders for guidance is a time honored and wise practice that unfortunately is not played out often enough. John Izzo encourages us to go back to that tradition in his book "The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die." Seeking the secrets to happiness, it makes sense to look to those who have lived it.
John interviewed over 200 people, all over the age of 60 and some up into their hundreds, who had been identified by their own friends and family as "the one person they knew who had found happiness and meaning." These people were asked such questions as: "What has brought you the greatest sense of meaning and purpose in life?" and "What is the greatest fear at the end of life?" They were asked to finish the sentence: "I wish I had..." These elders came from all walks of life and acted many roles; some were authors, professors, or business owners, others were a nurse, psychologist, biologist, and a barber. Amazingly, or expectedly, their answers were quite similar. Therein are the five secrets.
The first, and only one I will divulge, is "Be True to Your Self." Of course this can mean different things to each person who reads the words, but author John Izzo guides readers to the purpose behind them. His guidance leads one to ask in this chapter, "Am I following my heart?" "Is my life focused on the things that really matter to me?" and "Am I being the person I want to be in this world?" Answering these questions will lead a person to be true to themselves. Izzo demonstrates the secret by sharing stories from his interviewees. They share by example, much as elders have done since the dawn of humanity. This brings the secret to life for us, and then Izzo gives us homework. He gives us questions to ask ourselves each day or week, that bring the secret home and to the front of the mind. Practice, practice, practice. And so on, with each of the five secrets.
This book is a gem. It is an obvious quest to go to our wise members of society and seek answers to life's questions, but many of us no longer do it. "The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die" does it for us, and hopefully will prompt us to do it ourselves with our own elders. The stories here are all about living wisely, living in the moment; some are funny, while others are poignant. All should be thought-provoking. The consistency of the lessons makes for an easy to understand and digest plan. Taking one secret at a time to work on may be best for some people, pausing in the consumption of the book to work on that particular goal. Other may devour the entire book in one sitting and go back to reflect more carefully as they consider each message. The end result is surely one that will be self fulfilling and inspired. While the title may cause one to stop for a second, for good reason and cause, the content and purpose is wisdom.

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