Self-Help Books

The staff at Pink magazine mirrors our readers in many ways.  We span decades, with people in their 20s through 60s. We come from the North and South.  We have different habits, interests, passions and opinions. We are married, single and newly engaged. Yet, we are all interested in improving our world and ourselves—individually and as we carry out our magazine’s mission: empower, inform, encourage and invoke thought. This month, each staff member selected a book she found valuable and worth recommending to others. The selections are as diverse as our staff and readers. We feel sure there is something here for you:   

Goddesses Never Age: The Secret Prescription for Radiance, Vitality, and Well-being
By Christiane Northrup, M.D.
Chosen by Diane McMahon, Editorial Director

As I approach my 65th year and all that signifies in America’s youth-obsessed culture, I was anxious to find an antidote to my own neurotic thinking by an “older” woman, who I admire and think is fabulous and attractive in every way. In her newest book, Christiane Northrup, M.D,—renowned advocate and leader for women’s health—states that the experience of aging is dictated far more by our beliefs than by our biology. Many women have been programmed by our culture to dread an inevitable decline: in our health, our looks, our sexual relationships, even the pleasure we take in daily living. But in chapters that blend personal stories, medical research and expertise, and practical tools and inspiration, Dr. Northrup shifts our expectations and shows us we’re all entitled to a vibrant, healthy, sexy experience as we age, and an empowered, joyful new way of being at any stage of life. In the last section of her book she presents the 14-Day Ageless Goddess Program, which helps to answer the question, “What do you most need to do to start living agelessly instead of in fear of aging?” It is designed to help counter negative thought patterns and emotions so that the brain can actually “rewire itself for optimism and forgiveness.” With her passion and effervescence, Dr. Northrup encourages all women to connect with their life force, including sexuality and sensuality. One of my favorite affirmations: I am Aphrodite—I am a goddess of divine pleasure, beauty and passion. And I am irresistible. This is a book that made me laugh, shake my head and feel glad for the years ahead.

How To Win Friends and Influence People
By Dale Carnegie
Chosen by Terri Bilotta, Sales Manager

My favorite secular read is How To Win Friends and Influence People. I first read this book in 1984 when a very kind and insightful friend handed it to me without a smile and walked off.  After I swallowed my pride and read the book, I learned that I would never move up in the world if it only revolved around me. Could this possibly be true? I would no longer get to talk about me? Or grace the room with my overflowing charisma? The book told me I should want to learn about others. Yeah right, I thought it was a crock, but I decided to give  it a shot anyway. What did I have to lose? Soon I was reaping big rewards just from making others happy by listening to them. Considering the other person first became my motto.  All this was to get my way. Yep, you heard it right. My motives were still very self-centered.  So I was still a very rotten person just working the system to get ahead.   As time passed, I experienced the usual bumps in the road, until one day, one particularly large bump prompted me to pick the book up again. As I read, I realized that I had gotten it all wrong. The book was written not for me to learn to manipulate other people in order to get ahead, but to help me to be a better person—a nicer and more caring individual. Not to gain anything from anybody else but to give nothing more than a humble self.  I still have a very long way to go, but along the way I have met some extraordinary people whom I call friends and I look forward to every day, which I see as an opportunity to visit old friends and make new ones.  This book, when read with the right frame of mind, is all about doing unto others as you would have done to you. How beautiful is that?  

You Are A Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life
By Jen Sincero
Chosen by Heather Moon, Client Concierge

The bold title and bright yellow cover of this book are honestly what caught my attention. I’m glad I grabbed it, because it truly is the perfect amount of (my) much needed tough love. If you enjoy a sugarcoated approach, this isn’t for you. If you do not have a sense of humor, don’t even bother.  But if you enjoy a little sass, witticism, and truth, I encourage you to read it. This book encourages and reinforces changes (mentally, physically and spiritually) with a slightly feminist approach and is sure to help you start living the life you are currently jealous of. 

 

 

 

 

Fix Your Mood with Food
by Heather Lounsbury
Chosen by Carly Jensen, Graphic Designer

Do you suffer from anxiety, lack of energy, digestive problems or chronic headaches? In her book, Fix Your Mood with Food, Heather Lounsbury combines clinical studies with her knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine to do just as the title says and more. Not only does Lounsbury’s natural approach inspire readers with proven results, it empowers them with the knowledge to find organic, long-term corrections to their own conditions. Be sure to read Fix Your Mood with Food to begin your journey to a happier, healthier you! 

 

 

 

 

The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy
by Jon Gordon
Chosen by Lindsay Gifford, Art Director

Do you often feel like your life is spiraling out of control? Dare you say, “What else could go wrong?” just as the bathroom begins to flood and your stock tanks. It so often happens that we become overwhelmed with seemingly insurmountable daily tasks. If you suffer from these feelings, The Energy Bus is the book for you. Author Jon Gordon’s main character George, who suffers from chronic life problems, is forced to take the bus after a flat tire and in turn meets a unique kind of bus driver and set of characters. Together they reveal the 10 secrets for approaching life and work with a positive, forward thinking that leads to success and accomplishment. This book radiates positivity and offers the reader tips and suggestions that can easily be incorporated into your life whether you are facing constant challenges or the mundane. So stop by the book store today and take a step in the right direction, jump on the bus and enjoy the ride!  

 

 

Daring Greatly
by Brené Brown
Chosen by Elizabeth S. Millen, Publisher

Daring Greatly has been on my bookshelf for over a year. I put reading it off on purpose because I knew it was about embracing vulnerability. I’m not comfortable being vulnerable and I didn’t want to embrace it. However, the book kept creeping into conversations, a friend asked me if I had seen Brené Brown’s TEDx Talk, I saw a Facebook post and I finally gave in.  

Sometimes you put off what you most need. This book had me from sentence one, where a passage from one of Teddy Roosevelt’s moving speeches defined what it meant to dare greatly. That alone stirred me. By page 25, I was fully engaged and felt the author was speaking directly to me. This book redefined vulnerability for me, as I have always “armoured up and isolated” myself in times of trouble. I learned vulnerability, as uncomfortable as it may be, is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, empathy, innovation and creativity. All places I want to be! She dispels the myth that vulnerability is weakness and argues that it is actually a metric of courage. This book is about opening up to your life—both the good and the bad. It has inspired me to approach things very differently and truly dare greatly.