Book Reviews

“Eventually, there comes a point in every life where you can no longer ignore the enormous and expanding gap between the life you could be living and the life you’ve settled for…. Every day of your life that you’re not actively engaged in staying fit, eating well, and strengthening your body the gap grows.” - Stregnth for Life, by Shawn Phillips, page 10

To read my review of the next book you should read (Strength for Life, by Shawn Phillips), see Why You Should Read Strength for Life by Shawn Phillips This Week.

This isn’t a book you’ll read, shelf, and then forget - it’s a proven system that’ll help you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

One of the best “Self Help” books you’ll ever hold in your hands is the one you write yourself.  It’ll help you more than all of the others put together and multiplied by a dozen.  After all, what good is a book with other people as the lead characters?  This one is all about you! 

Words in Action - A Journal to Inspire Change is for the person who has had it “up to here” with something in his or her life.  It might be a problem with weight, money, work, or relationships.  It might be a habit that they want to shake or a personality trait that they’re tired of lying down with every night and waking up to every morning.

Whatever “it” is, the individual has reached the point where they’re ready to make a life-altering change.  They’ve seen the past, they see the present, and they want even more from the future.  Heck, they demand more!  They realize that the answers aren’t going to come magically floating down from Heaven.  After all, if we keep doing what we’ve been doing, we’ll always have what we have.

This journal is absolutely perfect for anyone who is on a self-improvement journey.  Each page has a different ”Action Word” (such as Intelligence, Denial, Accomplishment, Karma, Breakthrough….) as well as two great quotes to help drive the Action Word home.  There’s also a short and right to the point description of the Action Word.

There are also random short articles (sort of like blog posts) for some of the words.  I believe there are between 10 and 12 of these.  I’d check, but my Words in Action - A Journal to Inspire Change isn’t beside me. It’s lying on my favorite chair in the living room. I write in it everyday. But I do more than just write, I also read. When you go back through a journal and read what you’d previously written, you sort of catch up with what you were thinking “back there.” This gives you a lot of insight into where and how you ran like the wind in particular areas of your journey. Of course, it also gives you insight into where you slipped and fell on your face. A journal shows you the exact slippery spot, helping you to recognize it before you have to eat earth again.

Something else I love about this journal is that it contains no dates.  THere are 365 Action Words and pages for writing on - but it’s up to us which 365 days we use them on.  I’ve always hated journals that try to hold you to a particular schedulce.  What if I have nothing to say on Friday July 25th?!  What if I’ve spent too much time in the sun and can now be found amongst oooohs and ahhhhs as my husband slathers Noxema on my back and extols the virtues of sunscreen?  Am I supposed to feel guilty or overwhelmed on Saturday July 26th?!  Pffft.

This journal takes a much more laid back approach and realizes that we all march to a different beat.  Hey, as long as we march, right?!

Anyway, this beautiful, hardback journal is beyond perfect.  You will love the journey and the wisdom and insight you pick up along the way.  It just occurred to me, but this would be an ideal…and I mean IDEAL gift for a blogger.  Each Action Word could be very inspirational in launching your inner writer - it’d send your thoughts in a wonderful direction.  You could then use the blank space to write these thoughts down.  The thoughts would then, of course, find their way into a blog post. 

“All of life is a journey; which paths we take, what we look back on, and what we look forward to is up to us.  We determine our destination, what kind of road we will take to get there, and how happy we are when we get there.” - Author Unknown (Too busy enjoying his or her journey to write their name, perhaps?)

This morning, over cup of coffee Number One, I began and finished a wonderful little book I recieved yesterday.  The first thing I did when I closed the back cover was think, “I want each of my three daughters to read this book.“  Then I thought, “I want everyone to read this book!“ 

The book is Just Who Will You Be?: Big Question. Little Book. Answer Within. by Maria Shriver and would be an ideal gift for a graduate (either from High School or College).  You’ll want to be certain to do one thing, however, and that’s read it before you pass it along!  It’s of the utmost value for everyone, irregardless of their age.  Why?  I’ll let Maria Shriver’s own words explain:

I’ve learned that asking ourselves not just what we want to be, but who we want to be is important at every stage of our lives, not just when we’re starting out in the world.  That’s because, in a way, we’re starting out fresh in the world every single day.   -  Maria Shriver, Just Who Will You Be?

The book includes a really inspiring and beautiful speech Maria Shriver gave to her nephew’s senior class. After the speech, students and parents, alike, came up to her thanking her for her words and telling her what they meant to them. Soon thereafter, the idea for the book came about - giving a much wider audience to the speech and it’s inspirational message.

If I were shopping for a graduation present for someone special, I’d go out and buy a great card, a bright gift bag, and some cool tissue paper.  Then I’d get a copy of Just Who Will You Be?: Big Question. Little Book. Answer Within. and nestle it into the toilet paper.  Since the gift would probably be for a really young person, I’d also buy and add a great necklace, candy, a gift card, or money to the bag as well.   On the card I’d point out how the message inside the book will do them a lot more good than anything else in the bag.  Even if it’s something chocolate!

The really beautiful thing about this book is that it will touch the graduate not only on the day you give it to him/her but everyday for the rest of their life.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

**** Be sure you read the book first!  It’s beautifully written and the message is huge.

UPDATE:

I just discovered that this amazing little book is also available as a CD (pictured below). It’s read by Maria Shriver - how cool’s that? The  Just Who Will You Be CD would also make a remarkable gift.  It’d make it a little trickier to enjoy, yourself, before giving the gift, of course - unless you’re masterful at rewrapping plastic!  I’ll tell you what, buy a copy for yourself as well.  Then, the graduate will recieve a potentially life-changing message while you’re sitting on one of your own.

Before reviewing Dr. Kent M. Keith’s “Do It Anyway,” I wanted to remind you of his infamous Paradoxical Commandments. Written in the 1960’s, they are every bit as necessary and vital today as then. (Let’s hope that can be said for all of us from the Sixties!)

The Paradoxical Commandments by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001

I love that last line, Give the world the best you have anyway. Great stuff! If these Paradoxical Commandments affect you as strongly as they do most people, you’ll want to visit Paradoxical Commandments.com. In addition to a blog, you’ll find mugs, posters, books, clothing, a newsletter, and “sightings” of these world famous commandments.

Onto the book review!

I just finished reading Kent M. Keith’s book,  Do It Anyway: Finding Personal Meaning and Deep Happiness by Living the Paradoxical Commandments.  This wonderfully beautiful and beautifully wonderful little book serves as a “companion” guide to The Paradoxical Commandments.  It features tools, exercises, and suggestions that the reader can use for personal introspection or group discussion.

The book acknowledges that yes, indeed, the world can be pretty crazy.  But that can’t stop us from doing and giving our best.  We’re the ones with the power - we can either allow circumstances to bring us to a complete stop or we can, in the author’s words, “Do it Anyway.”  This wonderful guide gives specific examples of how we can speed past the life’s tempting STOP signs - without ever looking back!

As the author stresses in Part One, we can’t control the “external world.”  The economy?  Gas Prices?  Political scandals?  Out of our control.  But we CAN control how we react to them.  We CAN make certain that we give our best in every situation and carve out as much happiness and peace for ourselves as possible.  The book challenges us with a series of questions about how we’re coping with the world around us.  It’s like therapy at the end of our arms!

If you are trapped in excuses, or a difficult past, or a difficult present, now is the time to break out.  The Paradoxical Commandments point the way.  Personal meaning and deep happiness are waiting for you. - Do It Anyway: Finding Personal Meaning and Deep Happiness by Living the Paradoxical Commandments, Page 37

Part One also lists typical excuses and stumbling blocks that get in our way, then tells how to forge ahead and “Do It Anyway.”  I lost track of the times while reading that I thought, “Great advice!”

Part Two is a beautiful section because it introduces you to some beautiful people, people who are living the Paradoxical life.  Their stories are told, in their own words, about ways they used the Paradoxical Commandments to overcome ugliness, unfairness, and unpleasantness.  Each of the Paradoxical Commandments are dealt with, not simply in words, but in real life stories and emotions.

Along the way the reader is challenged with questions.  These questions bring us face to face with how we would handle, or how we do handle, similar situations.  We’re forced to see if we are living the Paradoxical Commandments and we’re shown where we may be failing if we aren’t.  One of my favorite stories was from the author, himself, as he talked about his grandparents.  He referred to his grandmother as someone who was easy to love but told how his grandfather was one of those people who was difficult to love.  Apparently the grandfather didn’t talk much and smiled and laughed even less.  The author, however, loved him anyway and was a better person for having done so.

If you live the Paradoxical Commandments, you will change the world.  You will love people, and do good, and succeed, and be honest and frank, and think big, and fight for the underdogs, and build, and help people, and give the world your best. - Do It Anyway: Finding Personal Meaning and Deep Happiness by Living the Paradoxical Commandments, Page 139

You’re going to love what Part Three has on its mind:  Saving the World.  Yeah! That’s what I’m talking about! We’re encouraged to try and make a difference, for the better, in the world around us. The author emphasizes the importance of starting at home and work - then working your way out.

I love the checklist given on page 158.  The reader is presented with 5 powerful and challenging questions. Two of these are;

Am I satisfied with things as they are?  Why?  Why not?

AmI willing to be known and judged by the stand that I take?

The other 3?  Oh, you know the drill - buy the book and find out!

Part Four is a fascinating interview with the author.  This is a section that I desperately wish all books included.  I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve read a book and thought, “I wish I could ask the author this or I wish I could ask the author that.”  Ironically, as I was reading the book, I didn’t realize the interview was waiting at the end.  Several times, while reading, I wondered what the author’s favorite commandment was and if he ever thought of adding to the ten.  I also wondered if he came up with the number 10 as a tribute to the 10 Commandments God presented to Moses.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that these answers (as well as others) were all in the back of the book waiting for me, as though they read my mind.  I was also very happy with the answers, themselves.

In summary, this is a book I’d very highly recommend.  I particularly love the way we’re challenged to make a difference in the world around us.  Of course, the only way to really be effective about such an endeavor is to, first, make a difference in ourselves - particularly in our thinking.   

Living with the Paradoxical Commandments will lead you to more peace and happiness than living without the Paradoxical Commandments.  This guide will….well, guide you.  Every beautiful step of the way.

As I often say, one of the perkiest perks of being a web publisher is the luxury of having wonderful books sent to you.  For a book maniac like me, it’s nearly as good as cash (although I have to confess, the ones who’ve sent a Starbucks gift card along with the book have earned a friend for life).

A book I finished reading last night was Unlocking the Healing Code: Discover the 7 Keys to Unlimited Healing Power by Dr. Bruce Forciea.  Beyond fascinating!

The headline on the back cover gives the best, although briefest, synopsis possible:  A Revolutionary New Approach to Healing.  The author, Dr. Bruce Forciea, holds a doctorate in Chiropractic and is a college professor or anatomy and physiology. He also has an appropriately titled web site, Informational Healing.  He’s sitting on a wealth of information!

One of my favorite subjects of Unlocking the Healing Code: Discover the 7 Keys to Unlimited Healing Power involves the FASCINATING technique known as imagery.  Imagery is one of the most amazing relaxation techniques I’ve ever known.  It allows your body and mind to work together to overcome any tension that’s trying to get the upper hand.  IMAGINE that!

Imagery, as well as other relaxation techniques found throughout the book could go a very long way in reducing stress.  I love the thought of what the author refers to as taking periodical body scans throughout the day.  When you find where tension is holding court, the book’s techniques can help your body say, “Court dismissed!”

Given the fact that stress can, and does, lead to endless diseases and ailments, reducing it in our lives could do more than jus make us feel better.

It could very well add years to our life and life to our years.

Yeah, I went there.

Another wonderful section of the book is the information the author shareds about a health scare he had with his heart.  He details his different healing methods and it’s fascinating every step of the way.  If the thought of discovering 7 keys to unlimited healing power sounds like something you would be interested in, click one of the links within this post (or the image at the top). 

Also, be sure to visit the author’s website:  Informational Healing.com

I’ve never met animal I didn’t love to death and want to take home with me.  I guess that’s why I’m infamous for gleefully feeding anything and everything - from our own 4 cats (of course) to possums, raccoons, rabbits, birds, and skunks.  I even saw a coyote not long ago that I normally would have offered a little somethin’ somethin’ to, but I didn’t think the aforementioned group would appreciate this dinner companion.

So, there, my secret’s out.  When I’m not hanging with my family, cooking, working online, shopping, or Starbucks-ing, I can be found somewhere near an animal - feeding, watching, and simply enjoying their company.  Granted, I don’t get too near the skunks that come by for visits - we visit through the back door window, kind of like they’re little prisoners that I’ve come to visit.  Oh…wait…I’m the one inside, aren’t I?  Forget that analogy.

As much as I love all animals, from polar bears to possums, my precious cats, of course, mean the most to me. 

If I see a book that has animals on its mind, I grab it and devour each and every word. My most recent literary lunch was a great book, Ask Your Animal, by Marta Williams (Author of Learning Their Language.) 

This female Dr. Doolittle and amazing author fascinates me.  She’s kind of a Dr. Phil for animals!  How’s that working for you?

I’ll be honest, I haven’t read her other books, yet.  However, after loving every single sentence of Ask Your Animal, I plan on reading everything she’s ever written or ever will write.

While reading, I lost count of the number of times I thought to myself, “She really understands animals!” The writing is superb - extremely informative, yet written in a personable and friendly manner.  You feel as though you’re spending time with an expert who happens to be your best friend.

From CHAPTER 2 “To Hear and Be Heard”

People often call to ask me to tell their animal something using my intuitive communication skills.  They are surprised when I say that they don’t have to hire me to talk to their animal.  It is something they can do themselves quite easily, because animals are masters at intuitive communication, and they will receive every message sent to them.  If you talk out loud to your animal, your message is received.  If you think thoughts to or about your animal, your animal perceives those thoughts.  Unfortunately, this also means that it’s impossible to keep anything secret from your animal.  Think about how many times your cat has disappeared just as you decided to get the cat carrier!  Even a pictured formed in your mind can be perceived by your animal, such as when your dog reacts with glee just as you think about going for a walk.

I think the truth in the words above explain why I get along so well with animals.  They know I wouldn’t harm them for anything in the world, and I’m certain they pick up on that.  They know I just want to give them food, fresh water, and a place to sleep and stay dry. 

This type of instinct keeps animals safe and has kept them around for us to enjoy for countless years…yes even possums.

The book not only gives insight into why animals do some of the things they do, it also gives great advice on how to handle a lot of the things we wish they didn’t do.  Things such as inappropriate cat urinating, animals that don’t like to be touched, agression, animals that balk at getting in the car, dogs who jump up on people, etc., etc.

Just as new parents have always turned to Dr. Spock, animal parents really need this book, and it doesn’t matter how old your pet is or how long you’ve had him.  You can still learn to communicate better with him! 

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a book so appropriately named in my life.  I’m sure I’ve never seen one embrace its subject with so much passion and conviction.  The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude: How to Find, Build and Keep a YES! Attitude for a Lifetime of SUCCESS (Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Books) is a colorul, positive, infectious, uplifting, enjoyable, motivating, delightful little book.

Did I like it?  I loved it.  I loved everything about it.

I had finished reading the stack of books on my desk - some were for reviewing on blogs, others were novels by favorite fiction authors (Dean Koontz, Agatha Christie).  Since I always, always, always have to be in the middle of at least one book to feel content, I headed to my husband’s bookshelf, knowing he had gotten a few books lately.  Even though his books are mostly about golfing, business, and sales (not the kind of sales I’m interested in), every now and then he’ll have one that matters to me.  This gold little book caught my eye right off the bat, as did the tile on the side, “Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude.”   It was love at first sight. Colorful?  Check.  Bold?  Check. Stand out in the crowd?  Check. Motivationally positive?  Check. Check.

I plucked the book out from amongst books that were either in business suits or golf shoes and headed to the couch with my notebook and pen (taken from the husband’s desk…just call me Sticky Fingers).  The little gold book and I got along famously and the pen got a real workout.

The book is full of adorable cartoon illustrations that’ll slap a smile on your face, and varying sizes and colors of text that make the entire reading process nothing short of delightful. 

Jeffrey Gitomer makes it clear early in the book that we are responsible for our own attitudes.  The kind of attitude we have is a choice we make, so if we want a YES! attitude, we have to make the choice to go out there and get it!  He then spends the rest of the book telling the reader exactly how to do just that.

It’s your thoughts behind the words you speak that create your attitude. - Jeffrey Gitomer

There’s a fascinating “Attitude Self Test” that I wish everyone in the world could take.  Without even looking at the results, the reader could have about 10, “A ha!” moments where they gain a little insight about themselves and their attitude.  After the test, you can find out where, on the scale, your attitude rates - you’ll either be in the positive attitude group with the rest of us Jiminey Crickets, in the group that’ll have to work extra hard, or somewhere in between.  Wherever you find yourself, you’ll be able to use the rest of the book to move higher and stay higher.

On page 47, the author pointed out something really interesting, “It takes twice as much energy to be negative than to be positive.  That’s why, at the end of the argument, you may be tired.”  He then went on to say, “Understand that negative energy and negative thoughts BLOCK positive thoughts and creative thoughts from occurring.”

Priceless!  How priceless?  Worth saying again priceless:

“Understand that negative energy and negative thoughts BLOCK positive thoughts and creative thoughts from occurring.”

Another especially effective part of the book (you know, in addition to the part between the first page and the last page) is a section where he lists the “Real World Attitude Busters.”  From The flu (which I happened to be enjoying when I read the book) to losing something, the list hits home for everyone.  He points out that Attitude Busters have two elements:  Things and People.  These elements will, as the book points out, either “…bust you or build you based on the way you react to them.”

Page 76 is one of the most powerful pages of the entire book, as it gives a list of “Positive things and YES! things that BUST attitude busters.”  At first I was aghast that Starbucks and shopping weren’t listed, until I saw, “Something that you do with passion” and ”Anything inspirational” - yeah, that’s them.  It’s a great list of things that can turn your attitude, mood, day and life around - which, if you ask me, makes it a list worth making copies of and placing randomly throughout your house.  One on the refrigerator, one on your desk (definitely one on your desk!), etc.

The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude: How to Find, Build and Keep a YES! Attitude for a Lifetime of SUCCESS (Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Books) will also show you why it’s important to:

• Put things into writing
• Drain your brain at the end of each day
• Use your environment to your benefit
• Be careful how you view the local news
• Be on guard how you let others affect your attitude
• Be aware of the senses that can affect your attitude
• Use your attitude to improve your business
• Use your attitude to improve your relationships and life
• Realize that a positive attitude is attractive
• Realize that a positive attitude is contagious
• Buy the book!
• Read the book!
• Re-read the book!

“The main reason people rain on my parade is because they have no parade of their own.” - Jeffrey Gitomer

The title of this site is Self Help Daily, right?  The goal of this blogger is to help others help themselves.  I literally devote each day looking for information, tips, advice, quotes, etc that I can add to the web site that will help others build the life that will bring them the most happiness.  My husband says I’m out to save the world.  My response?  Damn right!  One person, one animal, and one tree at a time.  I’m a proud hugger of each.  Having said all of that, at this moment the number one thing I wish I could do for every human being (Polar Bears and Oaks simply don’t read well enough) is to lock them in a room with this book, one of my husband’s cool pens and a notebook.  When I unlocked the door a few hours later, each would emerge a changed person.  For the better.

The door wouldn’t be the only thing unlocked.  The book would brilliantly, and forever, unlock their….

• Potential
• Self Restraint
• Inner Power
• Chains of negativity
• YES! Attitude

Head over to buy Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude: How to Find, Build and Keep a YES! Attitude for a Lifetime of SUCCESS (Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Books) at Amazon.  It’s where you’ll find the best deal on this amazing book.  Besides, Amazon always has these incredible deals where you can buy two books and save mucho dinero.  I believe the book they’re offering as a “package deal” with this little gold powerhouse is “Never Eat Alone:  And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time.”  Sounds like a winner - but if you’re already hooked up with great relationships, you can always just go for the Gold!

Other books by Jeffrey Gitomer:

Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness 

Little Black Book of Connections: 6.5 Assets for Networking Your Way to Rich Relationships 

Little Green Book of Getting Your Way: How to Speak, Write, Present, Persuade, Influence, and Sell Your Point of View to Others (Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Books) 

Little Red Book of Sales Answers: 99.5 Real World Answers That Make Sense, Make Sales, and Make Money (Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Books) 

Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching: 32.5 Strategies to Ring Your Own (Cash) Register in Business and Personal Success (Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Books) 

You may also be interested in:

Gitomer.com (If you’re into sales, I’m willing to bet his free e-zine is something to BANK on)

You know full well how much I love books and magazines.  It verges on an obsession, but since it’s a healthy obsession, I just ride it on out - from subscription to subscription and from one bookstore trip to the next.

It’s been a really long time since I came across a new magazine to get excited about.  How long?  Well, I honestly can’t remember the last one.

Too long.

Fortunately, that dry spell just ended with a huge splash in an ocean of excitement and information.

The magazine you see to the left is the Premiere Issue of SUCCESS Magazine. It’ll be on newstands March 2008, and, believe me, you’ll want to watch for it. It’s going to be exciting to watch this magazine grow issue after issue as we, hopefully, grow right along with it.

When I got my copy in the mail, my coffee and I sat right down to see what it had to say for itself.  I literally couldn’t put it down!

It would be easy to say that SUCCESS Magazine “has something for everyone,” but I think it’s more appropriate to say that it has something for every piece of fabric that goes into making y-o-u.  SUCCESS Magazine covers money issues, of course, and does so in a way that’s actually understandable.  Typically, magazines with business on the brain are too stuffy. They read like financial textbooks and I come away having gotten nothing at all out of the experience. 

The financial articles and advice in SUCCESS actually make perfect sense to me.  I kept thinking, “Now was that so hard?  Give me the information, put it in English, and allow me to actually enjoy what I’m reading.“ 

Best of all, SUCCESS Magazine AND the wonderful web site, SUCCESS.com, are beautifully well rounded.  They don’t just have business on their mind.  How boring would that be?  Fortunately, the people behind the magazine and site know that true SUCCESS isn’t all about money.  Sure, money’s a part of a successful life - but that’s all, a part.  There are other factors that make up a successful life:  Relationships, well being, making a difference, etc.  Each of these is covered by SUCCESS by writers who are amongst the best in the business.

I hope you’ll head right over to SUCCESS.com when you leave this blog.  Take a really good look around - I promise you’ll be impressed.  Also, you might want to do what I did - subscribe to Seeds of SUCCESS, a weekly e-mail newsletter.  I can’t wait for my first issue.  The people behind SUCCESS are people I look forward to spending a lot more time with.

Click HERE for an example of one of the articles you can find on SUCCESS.com.  More can be found under the SUCCESS Channels.  Just click on the heading that interests you and bam, instant information, inspiration, and motivation.

Congratulations, SUCCESS!  You’ll have plenty of it.

Before I ever opened the book, I sat staring at the cover for probably a good 2 minutes. The only image is that of a lit match but, somehow, it’s more than enough.  The effect stops you in your mental tracks and you find yourself gathering your thoughts around the fire.  Nice, warm, inviting.

So we went inside. I never go anywhere without my thoughts, but they’ve been known to leave me behind more than once.  An hour.

Spot of Grace: Remarkable Stories of How You DO Make a Difference by Dawna Markova, PHD is a dangerously inspirational book. One never knows where that much inspiration might take them!  It’s filled with stories from men and women as they describe a special person who made them feel that they mattered.  That they had made a difference in the world.

That’s a very important feeling to have, after all!  We all have times in our lives when we wonder if we’ve ever really touched anyone deeply enough to have an impact, let alone make a difference.  The stories, as well as the beautiful words by the author, stir something inside of the reader until she/he realizes that they have indeed touched others.

The best part?  You’re left with only one thing on your mind and in your heart:   To get out there and touch as many more as you possibly can!

When I sat down with the book, we had an understanding.  I had laundry to put away, dishes in the sink to wash, three posts to write, and a bath to fall into.  I would devote 30 minutes to reading, then I’d be on my way.  That would, at the very least, give me a chance to read quite a few of stories.

Ah, the best laid plans.

I couldn’t put the book down, so I couldn’t pick the laundry or dishes up. They were okay with that, as they were perfectly comfortable where they were.

Spot of Grace: Remarkable Stories of How You DO Make a Difference inspires your heart as it uplifts your soul.  It’s a journey you’ll enjoy very much. 

A week ago, I had the supreme pleasure of reading an e-book, When Money Talks, Listen! by Rich Ezzo. It took only about an hour to read, and that included one trip to the coffee maker and about 10 distractions from Alexa (our cat) who knows she’s the center of the universe.  Just try telling her differently.

I’m not a person who sits still well, so I actually began reading with every intention of bookmarking the pdf and finishing later in the day.  However, I didn’t realize just how pulled into the delightful fiction I would become.  I finished it in one sitting and loved every minute

When I first received a copy, I thought it was a Get Rich Quick-type of publication.  Nothing wrong with Getting Rich Quick or any other way, mind you - but my mind just doesn’t chase after dreams of wealth.  It has grand plans, mind you, which include saving the world, but I’m not a wealth chaser.  I figure that if God ever wants me to be rich, He knows where to find my purse. 

Needless to say, when I began reading When Money Talks, Listen!, I was overjoyed to find that Rich Ezzo isn’t money hungry either.  He, too, is hungry for things far more important than money.

I absolutely love this e-book.  Why wait a week to write the review?  Simple.  I wanted to see if the impact it had on me was a keeper.  After reading the last word of the e-book, I totally agreed with the subtitle which promised to forever change the way we thought about money.  I had so many thoughts running around my mind that I had to install a stop light to stop some while others made their way into the picture - then you yield them as a few new ones arrived in town.  I had a mental traffic jam, which only goes to show how slow the traffic usually is.

It has been a week and the impact is the same.  I truly do look at money differently and have even done a few things differently this week.  This is an e-book you’ll want to read, I guarantee it.  I often recommend books to my daughters, and this is one that I didn’t just “suggest” - I left it open at the bottom of the computer and told each one, “Read it, you’ll love it.”  Like a lot of the meals I fix for them, I didn’t tell them how good it would be for them, just how good it was!

I honestly don’t want to give anything, whatsoever, away about this story, simply because I want you to have the same experience I did.  The e-book is less than $10 and will take only about an hour to read.  As I’ve said many times on this blog as well as other blogs I publish, I would never recommend anything I didn’t wholeheartedly stand behind.  Whether it’s a movie (Sweeney Todd), an author (Dean Koontz), a drink (Panera Bread’s Iced Green Tea), a cause (World Vision), or a way of life (Starbucks) - I would never point someone in a direction I wouldn’t go myself.  More telling than that, I’d never recommend something to my readers that I wouldn’t recommend to my daughters. 

I urge you to visit the author’s web site, Myster Money, and to download the e-book.  You won’t regret it.  When you finish the story, keep scrolling (or, better yet, print it out), there are several cool things you’ll want to check out, including lessons that pertain to the story.

We all need more unexpected, life-challenging surprises in our life - they keep us on our toes and keep life interesting.  This is one of those special little treats that’ll honestly help you start your year off right.  You may even get a head buzzing traffic jam in the process. 

One last word, get the e-book.