Welcome to the
Joy Activation Book Club!
Figure out what your drives are, and how to use them to your advantage- to get happy and get the life you want!
Be Green: look around at your favorite used book sources
Number one greenest book reading option?
If they don’t have it, ask if you can order it at…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mix and Match!
These philosophies may have bits of contrary advice, but overall they have major themes that run congruent and strengthen each other.
Experiment to see what works best for you! I suggest following each authors’ homework, exercises, and advice while you read the book. See how it goes, and keep up the new thoughts, habits, and patterns that make the biggest difference for you!
For maximum impact
Keep a journal for best impact. You won’t remember it all, I promise! I still find enlightening notes I took from exercises I have done in the past. One thing is positive: you will have to work on yourself, along with the suggestions, for true, lasting change.
These are in the approximate “optimal” order for introduction and learning. But just pick one and enjoy!
The Charge: Activating the 10 Human Drives that Make You Feel Alive– Brendon Burchard, 2012
Argues that people, though leading okay lives, do not often feel the levels of excitement, satisfaction, and joy that they are entitled to. He believes that in order to reclaim our lives and fully feel alive, we can learn how to fulfill our 10 drives as humans. A few of these drives are contribution, creative expression, and consciousness. He offers a challenging an effective set of activators. Activators are regular actions you can take often to make yourself feel the most alive and awesome!
Brendon *might still* give you his book for free if you pay a regular shipping fee. Do an internet search for the book’s free offer to see if it’s still available!
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck– Mark Manson, 2016
Raw and honest, F-bombs and all. Mark Manson is a wickedly popular, no-holds-barred New York Blogger. Every person has different severity and varieties of limitations. Putting is nicely, some people’s “limitations” are much, much “more intense” than others. We must accept our individual limitations, embrace the truth, learn to handle it, and stop sugarcoating it so much. Stop coddling what’s not good, and stop pretending that what sucks is ok- or worse- worthy of reward, like being awarded just for showing up. From acceptance of our own and others’ limitations, we can start moving into the things that are important to us!
E-book | Visit Author Website
You Can Heal Your Life– Louise Hay, 1984
Starts with the premise that nearly every issue we face in our lives can be traced back to a lack of self love. Louise puts forth that we must completely love ourselves, precisely as we are, to move forward as individuals and society. We have to stop beating ourselves up for things that someone told us we “should” be doing or have done in the past. She focuses on how personal beliefs and agreements you’ve made with yourself cause illness, life suffering, and pain, whatever your physical complaint is.
While explaining that you likely have deeper emotional work to do, she follows up with affirmations, mantras, and mindsets to adopt, that can drastically help heal least 100 different physical complaints. While Louise loves the mantras and affirmations, she includes addressing the root cause/emotions at hand. This is not just a “think positive/affirmations” book- more like a “take responsibility and move it through” book- with lots of love.
E-book | Visit Author Website
The Motivation Manifesto: 9 Declarations to Reclaim your Personal Power– Brendon Burchard, 2014
A “ferocious call” for all to reclaim their personal power. Focuses on the idea that social oppression, personal fear, and self-doubt systems are holding us back from our ultimate desire: freedom. The book is a poetic read. Follows through with amazing coaching on what to do!
Breakthrough with Tony Robbins– Tony Robbins
That moment in life when you get fed up and decide that life can be better, and you decide to make it so. This is often due to an event in your life or a person you meet, but not always. On the fence about changing your life and routine for the better, and need a loving, supportive nudge forward? Check this one out! This is actually a 6 episode TV series- watch and learn as Tony helps better the lives of 6 families.
A New Earth– Eckhart Tolle
Asks us all to take a very honest look at the state of affairs in the world, and to realize it and accept this ugly truth. He puts forth that now, more than ever before, humanity has a bigger opportunity to create a better, more loving, accepting, peaceful world. This will require humans to take enormous leaps into a new state of consciousness. Many are ready, many are not. After explaining how our current state operates, he guides us into this shift of consciousness!
Stress Free in 30 Seconds– Melanie Smithson
As Melanie says, “More Fun is Available Right Now”. Her friendly, fun to read, and understandable stress busting techniques- specifically what she calls 30 second play breaks- will make you smile, and can truly help you alleviate your stress- that fast. Also covers dealing with limiting beliefs that are preventing you from living your most joyful life. Very specifically, she includes the bodily sensation process, which is huge. Highly readable.
The Four Agreements– Don Miguel Ruiz, Janet Mills
Explores ancient Toltec beliefs, including the idea that we are living in a dream like illusion, and introduces four new agreements you can make with yourself to transform your life. These agreements are: “Be impeccable with your word. Don’t take anything personally. Don’t make assumptions, Always do your best.” The in-depth exploration of these agreements is fascinating and majorly perspective-changing.
E-book | Visit Author Website
The Four Agreements Companion Book– Don Miguel Ruiz, Janet Mills
A great follow up with a new agreement and many amazing in-depth exercises to move you toward all of the new agreements. These exercises offer you the keys to break your own domestication, recover your will and faith, and start living in a natural state of happiness.
Energy For Life– Tony Robbins
Teaches you what an amazing effect your emotions have on your body- for better or for worse- and how to best fuel energy with your diet as well. Includes interviews with Norman Cousins and Deepak Chopra.
Personal Power II– Tony Robbins
How do you turn your dreams…into goals… into reality- to actually create the happy, fulfilling life you want? This audio series is a “1 per day for 30 days” easy yet enlightening listen, with homework. You can do several in one day if you choose. Shows you the psychology of your own mind, how to use psychology and physical states to start making adjustments to move your life toward your goals. This is the foundation of everything Tony teaches still today, over 30 years later. If you follow his directions, you will be shocked in a good way. Very in-depth stuff, made enjoyable because of Tony’s compassionate, fun, and serious personality. Watch out- this one is potent!
The Road Less Traveled- M. Scott Peck
A 1978 classic that is still relevant and popular. Think of this one as an old-school bonus.
Explains traits that make for a happy fulfilled human. 1)Discipline- accepting responsibility for your actions, and being able to delay gratitude. 2) Love- dispels common misconceptions about love- that it is related to dependency or romantic love. Talks about “true love” as being a person including someone in their experience in order to get a bigger view of the world and extend ego boundaries in a good way.
3) Next, he talks about religion’s common misconceptions, and “grace”, which he describes as that bigger power beyond ourselves that nurtures our spiritual growth. 4) While Louise Hay (below) believes that we can heal most problems with complete acceptance of ourselves, Peck says that discipline is the answer. Don’t worry- his definition is involved and committed, but much gentler than it sounds.
Creating Lasting Change– Tony Robbins
A 10-day audio course for people interested in impacting others, and helping them have their own amazing breakthroughs. This is designed to be learned after you have had your own breakthrough, focused on yourself, and built your own personal power. This is a leadership-based series, and the nuance is leadership in business. But it can definitely be applied to family and friends who are ready for big change, but have not had that breakthrough yet.