Self-Help Bookfest

In a span of three days, I’ve been consumed in closing out pages from my old self-help books. Some of them I have not finished reading particularly those I’ve started almost a month ago. I just left few chapters of it, as I get caught up with some professional stuff I need to put a start with, say, interviews and Six Sigma review.

I’m really a fan of self-help books. This type of books actually serves as a mentoring device for yours truly. Experiences and insights of the authors truly make them effective as a personal mentor. Stories about failures, successes and breakthroughs are really inspiring and empowering which makes you want to start living them. In other words, it triggers hope and faith that you can achieve whatever you want to be.

For some, self-help books are rather but useless in the real life. I admit that I have the same propensity in the outset. But series of events lead me to seeking wisdom from well-known authors. If pragmatism is of the issue here, I think it really depends on the receiver. Bottomline is we should think that we are cherry-pickers. Meaning, we could choose to learn from the different generous tenets of it and apply it on our personal lives, or we could choose to dampen them with doubt and pessimism – or simply walk away.

Thank You Power

-Deborah Norville

We all know Deborah from the show Inside Edition. The author narrates different stories (her own and other people) and proved that practicing this very positive gesture of appreciation and gratitude can really help. Only last month, I started a gratitude entries in this blog which made me appreciate my current life beyond rejections and failure. It was a very painful chapter in my life and believe me; my mind was really clouded with despair until I bumped into this book. You see, the problem with yours truly is that I’m a person who seldom asks help from others, I realized that. This book didn’t help me in that aspect but it did help me in one aspect of life – expressing gratitude. Yes, it’s indeed true that when you see things in different light and putting it in a pedestal where you can see the bigger picture, your life starts to make sense. It gives you purpose and makes you want to go on.

Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do!

-Robert H. Schuller

This book took me eight months to finish. By stroke of some sloth or laziness, I never get to finish at least two chapters in one sitting. The problem back then is that I was so tied up with work and things were going smoothly. Until some unfortunate events happened. I think destiny really would want me to experience failure until I get to appreciate Mr. Schuller here.

The book was really a straightforward guide to coping up with stressful events. Like any other self-help book authors, Mr. Schuller did an amazing job narrating anecdotes and breakthrough stories of ordinary and extraordinary human. I was really compelled to reading this book after the disastrous event in my career life. However, I believe Mr. Schuller will not agree to naming it disastrous but just some pivotal ingredient in my life. Whatever we go through right now is just a phase preparing us for better things ahead. I was given a very workable approach in handling problems and road-blocks in life.  Then I’m really geared up, refreshed and ready to take on the next challenges of my life after reading this.

How to Conquer Your Goliaths

-Bo Sanchez

Humor is part and parcel to Bo Sanchez’ writing. Early 2010, I’ve attended one of his seminars, “How to be Truly Rich” and that was during the time I bought this book. He really can inject humor, and oh boy, how I enjoy and learn from it. I can’t help but smile and occasionally laugh on how he presented ideas and concepts in this book. My take away from this book is discernment and having the courage to fulfill dreams in God’s guidance. Hence, it is easy to surmise that through that concept we go back to where we should start from the beginning of all things, and that is love.

The Gift of Leadership

-John C. Maxwell

I’ve always been a Maxwell fan and have read three books he authored including this. This book talks about different steps for self-improvement and handling changes in organization. If you want to reinvigorate your career life and motivate yourself whether you’re in leadership position or not, I suggest you read this.

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I still have some books to finish, but I intend to finish them before the year ends. Majority of it were gifts and some I bought years ago.

The Heart of a Leader

-Ken Blanchard

The Way of the Sheperd

-Dr. Kevin Leman and William Pentak

How to Delegate, A Guide to Getting Things Done

-Herbert M. Engel

Good Advice for a Bad Economy

-John Ventura and Mary Reed

The Complete Job-Search Handbook

-Howard Figler

This penchant for reading this type of books is rooted from my previous post in the BPO industry. Being in the position to lead and groom employees, I get to learn most from my mentors, my books and the people I work with. 

I recommend reading books such as these because it gives you a perspective from the outside. When you are all engrossed in to your department’s intricacies, you tend to accustom yourself with the processes and the culture. From time to time, you still need to hear and reaffirm values. Values are really important because it cultivates your habit, and to be successful, you have to align and develop the habit of winning. And what is winning?  For me winning is adding value to other person’s life which in the end gives significance to your purpose.

To end, the best way you can put useful sense to reading this type of books is filtering out and using concepts that are best for you. No author can impose what you need to do in your life; it’s only you who can do that. In the end of the day, you design and implement your plans to fulfill your dreams, but a little help and guidance can give you a little push, which most of the time, makes a massive difference.