What I know for Sure: Oprah Winfrey

It’s a hug when you need a hug, a kick up the bum when you need one and a shoulder to cry on when all else fails.

It’s a lovely little hard backed book of quotes and one to two page anecdotes from Oprah’s life. I initially read it cover to cover and now have it by my bedside to pick up when I need a shot of Oprah.

It is organised in sections called Joy, Resilience, Connection, Gratitude, Possibility, Awe, Clarity, and Power. Each section is full of Oprah’s honesty and passion for life.

Her voice and messages, that are so clear and heart-warming in person, are certainly not lost on the written page. I found the book interesting, inspiring and comforting.

A lovely book, which makes a nice gift if you know someone who wants or needs a little guidance. 

Finding Your Own North Star: Martha Beck

This book was one of the books I first read when I was coming out of my depression and wanted to start moving forward.

After much soul searching, I realised the career I had had for over 20 years was not fulfilling me. It was a massive wrench as I was currently running my own business and this, in effect, meant at some point closing it down and leaving a hard-earned career behind.

The thing is I didn’t know what to do instead. So, I turned to Finding Your Own North Star. It’s a pretty thick book with small text and is very detailed. There are reams of activities, worksheets and challenges that should eventually lead you to finding what you should do with your life.

For me, it worked. I started thinking about what I wanted to do in more practical terms. I struggled at the time to get the more spiritual content as it was right at the start of my journey, but ultimately it got me on the path to Project Awesome Life so I am forever thankful for the kick start it gave me.

I would recommend it if you are lost and seriously want to be found. If you are really ready for change and are ready to take on the challenges and activities. It takes commitment but well worth it. It pretty much changed the direction of my life at a time when I really needed help deciding on that direction.

10% Happier – Dan Harris

Dan Harris is a correspondent for ABC News and the co-anchor for the weekend edition of Good Morning America. This book is part memoir, part biography, part guide to Mindfulness.

It’s a really interesting take on Mindfulness. Dan is a career focused man working in high pressured journalism, travelling to war torn countries and reporting in some of the most dangerous and devastated countries in the world. The stresses and strains of his lifestyle finally take its toll and Dan somewhat reluctantly ends up trying out Mindfulness.

This book details his journey to and following Mindfulness and is a very honest, open, informative and funny look at the people he meets, the challenges he faces and the benefits he obtains.

If you are career driven and a little cynical about the whole ‘spiritual’ side of Mindfulness then you will enjoy this book.

Headspace – Andy Puddicombe

Andy is a renowned author and the creator of the Headspace app.

Although Andy has spent years on silent retreats and Buddhist monasteries he is incredibly relatable. I really buy into Andy’s view that 10 minutes Mindfulness a day is enough and there is no need to push and push to increase your practice unless you want to.

Down to earth, easy to read and well planned out this will give you a great introduction to Mindfulness.

The Idea in you: How to find it, build it, and change your life – Martin Amor & Alex Pellew

A great book and easy to read, it covers all the bases, from getting into the right mind-set, to the stepping stones to building your idea into a business. Uses entry level Mindfulness, NLP and manifestation badged up in a straight talking advisory tone that really gets you fired up.

This is fairly light on detail, so where it motivates and inspires it does lack deep substance in actually launching or releasing an idea to the world.

This is a great book if you rarely read but want to explore your mind-set and business idea. It would be great for a younger audience like school/college leavers who would like to run their own business but don’t have a clue as to what the business is or where to start or need help putting down on paper what is in their heads.

The Million Dollar Blog – Natasha Courenay-Smith

If you have ever considered starting a blog or you are already writing one then I highly recommend you read this book. It is a fantastic guide to building a blog that makes money, or has an impact on the world, or both.

The book flows easily, well written chapters that focus on each part of the blogging world. Each chapter also contains interviews and insights from some of the world's leading bloggers, vloggers and content strategists, including Seth Godin, Grace Bonney, Grant Cardone and Chris Brogan to name a few. They all give you a real feel for the effort involved and the expected outcomes should you be willing to put the work in.

Loved this book!

Mindfulness for Parents – Amber Hatch

A pocket guide to Mindfulness.

It’s a cute hard backed book and although its small, it does cover most of the elements of Mindfulness from the science through to meditations.

It is a very short book so each section is covered over 2 pages and contains about 40-100 words on each subject or meditation.

Don’t expect to be getting down into much detail, however the pictures are beautiful and the content, albeit brief is well written.

A nice basic introduction to Mindfulness and a cute stocking filler type gift.

Light is the New Black – Rebecca Campbell

A beautiful and light filled, ‘nice’ book. A lean towards the ‘spiritual’ with references to the universe and God, however it isn’t completely overpowering and the messages still resonate whether you are spiritual or not.

The book doesn’t have a great amount of structure. It mainly follows the author’s journey and her musings along the way. Because of this the chapters are short and are filled with her experiences so if you like this sort of thing you will love this book.

I can't say it's a particularly well written book but I enjoyed the messages and the questions it asked me to ponder. I have read it several times as it reminds me to keep going even when I have doubts and to focus on what I enjoy regardless of what anyone else thinks.

An uplifting book that encourages you to tap into what lights you up (what you enjoy doing) and to not give a damn what anyone else thinks about it.

Mindfulness for Parents – Amber Hatch

I loved the first few chapters of the book. I felt it really talked about Mindfulness in an easy to follow way and how to be more mindful with your children.

The books focus is primarily baby age children and I had hoped for a broader age range. Much of the book seems to be about parenting techniques, all good of course, but I had wanted Mindfulness to be the focus. Not parenting techniques that can be found elsewhere in more specialist books.

Secondly, the author is quite deep into Buddhism so much of her teaching and references are steeped in the Buddhist way to live and parent, with the final chapters focused on retreats. All of this is interesting but I am not sure it appeals to the wider audience.

I feel the cover and title suggest a light-hearted introduction to Mindfulness. I would buy this book if you are particularly interested in Buddhism or already have a well-established Mindfulness practice and you want to now integrate your practice into family life.

If you are new to Mindfulness and parenting this might be one to buy at a later date.

Sane New World – Ruby Wax

A brilliant read if you are interested in Neuroscience and the workings of the mind.

Ruby has a distinctive voice and sense of humour that comes through clearly in every word she writes but don’t be deceived by her wit! She is incredibly intelligent and we hear how she studied extensively with some of the best minds in the world in her search to tame her own mind. And to then write and publish her findings in this book.

A personal sufferer of mental health Ruby doesn’t hold back with her own battles and her tales and observations are very relatable and often very funny. I loved it!

Frazzled: Ruby Wax

Ruby Wax having walked the walk of depression and come out the other side, her style is as you would expect; frank, open, honest and full of her trade mark sense of humour. It is full of scientific facts, research and studies – Ruby has a Masters degree in Mindfulness.

The main difference between this book and her other is that this one actually has a 6 week programme of Mindfulness that you can follow as well as lots of Mindfulness advice for relationships, parents, teenagers and children.

10 Mindful Minutes: Goldie Hawn

I wouldn’t normally be drawn to a book written by Goldie Hawn, known more for her acting and famous husband than Mindfulness, however the reviews were good and as there was a focus on children, I thought I would give it a go.

It is a lovely book, written in a gentle style with lots of practical activities you can do with your children to help them become more mindful and to help you parent with a more mindful style

Mindfulness - A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world: Mark Williams

This is probably one of the best books I have read on Mindfulness, an absolute definitive guide with an 8 week programme included as well is a CD that guides you through the programme and includes the meditations you need.

It is written in an easy to digest style that doesn’t patronise and gently leads you through all you need to know about Mindfulness.

Buy it. Read it. Love it. Live it.

Kick the drink easily: Jason Vale

I have always enjoyed a drink; a glass or 3 with dinner, cocktails on a night out with friends, a drink to celebrate a good day, a drink after a bad day…..hangovers were not a mega problem, I could still function and do everything I had planned but I was doing it with a headache a sour face….

To be honest when I reached for this book I had gotten to a point where my drinking was starting to annoy me more that anything, I no longer felt in ‘control’ of what and when I drank, more often than not I was excusing a couple of drinks as being fine and it started to creep from being a weekend activity to week days too.

I wanted to have a clearer head and a clearer body and felt that drink was taking away my awesomeness so I dived into the book.

It is easy to read and doesn’t overly ‘preach’ although it does tell it how it is. No more excuses. Bare facts.

For the first time in as long as I can remember I have been completely drink free and it hasn’t involved will power or strength of character. As it stands I am choosing not to drink. I don’t want to drink. I haven’t committed to never drinking again but it certainly has changed my relationship with drink.

If you have any desire to explore your drinking habit then this is the book for you. Don’t hesitate. Just read it.

You are a Badass: Jen Sincero

I loved this book and return to it every now and again if I need a kick up the backside. It’s full of positivity and humour and if the title appeals to you then you will love it.

It pushes you to get out of your comfort zone and to believe in yourself more.

Great for a younger (not too young as there is swearing in it!) audience or for anyone looking to get out of the ‘Big Snooze’ and to seek something more exhilarating from this one life we have.

The Magic of NLP Demystified: Byron Lewis

A useful book if you want to get deeper into the mechanics of NLP but works best alongside an actual practical course.

An incredible amount of detail and perfect if you like to know the in's and out's of a subject.

I found it incredibly useful as part of my NLP studies but as a standalone book I feel it could be better.

Wild; a journey from lost to found: Cheryl Strayed

Oh my! How I loved this book. This is an account of Cheryl Strayed epic journey across the Pacific Crest Trail. This is now ‘little’ hike. She suffers, struggles and fights her way on this solo journey both physically and mentally.

The books isn’t just about a tremendous physical achievement, which in itself would have made for a great read, it gives you an intimate look into relationships, life, loss, grief, addiction, human behaviour and dealing with emotional pain.

I felt like I went on the journey with her and exorcised my own demons whilst reading it.

It really has inspired me to think and plan some adventures of my own. Watch this space.