Book Review: Personal Development for Smart People

I first became aware of Steve Pavlina a few years ago when I came across his personal development site www.StevePavlina.com. Since then I have enjoyed and greatly benefited from his abundant supply of free articles and resources.

The reason why I am a frequent visitor to his site and highly recommend his new book “Personal Development for Smart People,” is that I truly respect him for his ability to think outside-the-box, to offer a new perspective, and to challenge others to embrace the truth of who they are as powerful and self-directed individuals. If you are ready to take full responsibility for your life Pavlina’s message can be a powerful foundation and starting point. If you desire more financial abundance, a  more intimate relationship, a fulfilling career, or better health then it is up to you to do what is necessary in order to create a life that works for you.

Steve provides a number of ways to help you get clear on what you want and then provides practical ways to help you achieve your goals.  In his words Life is constantly asking: What do you want? You have the freedom to answer that question however you wish. Aligning yourself with truth and love will help you evaluate the possibilities, but there are no compulsory right or wrong answers. There’s only your freedom to choose. Will you answer with silence, or will you exercise your power of conscious choice?

The book is divided into  two parts, part one explores the seven fundamental principles of personal develpoment, beginning with three primary principles of Truth, Love and Power. Part two emphasizes the importance of applying the seven principles to your life and offers practical suggestions. He makes it simple to incorporate the principles into your lifestyle without searching for answers in an array of different books. Steve states “I wanted to answer a really tough question: what does it mean for us to grow as conscious human beings, and how do we intelligently guide that process?” He teaches that when you align with Truth, Love and Power the long term results bring about a sense of peace and spiritual wisdom. Truth, Love and Power are universal principles and resonate with each and every living thing.  These 3 principles reach the heart of humanity and they are not limited by space and time. These are the threads of humanity where we can connect with the Oneness of life. If each one of us can implement these principles into our daily lives, we can help shift the world’s consciousness, one person at a time. Again it is our responsibility as individuals to take action. The three key principles in the book, Truth, Love and Power, can then be used to derive the four secondary principles which are Oneness, Authority, Courage and Intelligence.

Pavlina descibes the secondary principles as such: Oneness: which is Truth plus Love Authority: is Truth plus Power Courage: is Love plus Power Intelligence: comes about when Truth, Love and Power are harmoniously alighned. Steve Pavlina writes “If you forget everything else from this book and rememeber only one piece of advice, it is simply this: The most intelligent thing you can possibly do with your life is to grow.” There is tons of advice offered here on how to use the principles in your life. Pavlina stresses the importance of creating new positive habits and one suggestion is that you commit to a 30 day trial period.   The book states that it’s important to find out what works best for you and a trial period is an excellent way to find out what changes you need to make in order to start living your dream.

As a Reiki Master and Intuitive I found this book valuable in that it reinforces the importance of taking responsibility for the life each person creates. I believe that true healing can only come about once you are ready to look at your life honestly and own your shadow side and this requires a truthful look at your thoughts and actions. These need to be aligned with love for a positive shift to happen, as no one can thrive and grow without love. Power helps you to be the creator of your life as opposed to being at the effect of your environment. I have noticed that when my clients use principles such as truth, love and power in their lives they can effect more positive change.  I like to remind my clients to take a good and honest look at their lives and then take action knowing that they have the power within them to turn their life into a masterpiece!

One last piece of wise advice offered by Pavlina is to always follow a path with a heart. He suggests that following a path with a heart will lead you in the right direction and will help you to stay aligned with Truth, Love and Power. Although I give this book five stars, I offer one word of warning to those of you who are right brain oriented. The book is very logical and structured. It’s packed with useful content but at times can feel a bit mechanical. Thank you Steve for  your important book………it is a wonderful gift of wisdom and love.

‘If it takes years to reach your goal, then so be it. The time is going to pass anyway, so you might as well put it to good use. Years from now you’ll either be where you want to be . . . or you won’t. You can either invest your time in growth or do the time in a cage.’ “You’ll learn a lot about yourself when you discover the kind of goals that really drive you. Focus your attention on goals that inspire and motivate you right now, since the present moment is the only place you have any real power. If your goals don’t inspire you at least as much as going on vacation, they’re lousy goals.” “Begin to see reality through the lenses of truth, love, and power, starting with your own life. Notice how these principles govern your career, your health, your relationships, and more. Observe how a lack of truth creates problems for you, how a lack of love causes you to feel disconnected and alone, and how a lack of power makes you feel helpless and victimized. Discover how much easier your life becomes and how much happier you feel when you align yourself with truth, love, and power. Use the principles and make your life a thing of beauty.”                                           ~ Quotes from the book

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