Women & Self Esteem – Understanding and improving the way we think and feel about ourselves

Linda Tschirhart Sanford & Mary Ellen Donovan

This compassionate, ground-breaking book examines how women’s harmful attitudes about themselves are shaped. It offers concrete help – sometimes in the form of step- by- step exercises- to resolve the dilemma women face by building higher self esteem.

The book breaks down into four parts. Part One explains why self- esteem is important, and identify the most common self- esteem problems among women.

Part Two looks at how women’s self- attitudes are shaped by interpersonal relationships with family members, friends, lovers, spouses and children.

Part Three looks at how women’s self- attitudes are further shaped as they leave the intimate sphere and venture into the larger world – influence of religions, schools, the work experiences and government and so on.

Part Four examines the common ways how low esteem is manifested in women’s individual psychology – problems such as emotional suppression and depression, self – fulfilling prophecies, negative body image and hatred of others.

For every woman who has ever wanted to like herself more, Women and Self – Esteem is atruly invaluable and effective guide.

Linda Tschirhart Sanford is a psychotherapist who has worked with victims of sexual violence and has been conducting self- enhancement groups for women since 1978.
Mary Ellen Donovan is a journalist – writer with special interest in women’s issues and experience in political activism.

Finding Joy – Charlotte Davis Kasl

Blending the down- to-earth with the spiritual, Charlotte Davis Kasl, offers 101 practical ideas to enhance the playfulness, creativity, honesty, and self – acceptance essential to bringing new joy to our lives and relationships. She suggests this can be achieved by being natural and honest, connecting with feelings and spirit, remembering joy and finding hope, making peace with your life, finding creative ways to coexist and keeping your eyes on the present, listening to your heart and embracing the dance of change.

Charlotte Davis Kasl, Ph.D., is a psychologist, healer, feminist, Quaker, and social justice activist who is at the forefront of the new empowerment movement within the recovery field. She is the author of Women, Sex and Addiction and Many Roads, One Journey: Moving Beyond the 12 Steps. She lectures and leads workshops in the United States and abroad, and lives in an octagonal house on a mountain near Missoula, Montana.

THE SLIGHT EDGE - Secret to a Successful Life

Jeff Olson in his book 'The Slight Edge',explains how we can achieve our goals in life whether they be financial, professional, personal, marital or spiritual,by forming powerful relationships with positive people, disassociating with negative people who threaten to drag you down, accelerating knowledge by finding mentors and modeling their behaviour, using a combination of book smarts and street smarts and by recognizing the everyday choices that will make the difference between failure and success.
He talks about the secret ingredient, ‘one’s philosophy’ or the way one should think, throughout the book.
According to him, a positive philosophy turns into a positive attitude, which turns into positive actions, which turns into positive results and positive lifestyle. So to be successful in life, one should have positive philosophy.
Read this book to be sure not to miss the ‘slight edge’....CREATE YOUR MASTERMIND and be successful.

[Jeff Olson has built multimillion-dollar sales and marketing organizations, hosted seminars in every major city in the United States and produced over 900 television programs with such personal development legends as Les Brown, Jim Rohn and Brian Tracy.]

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI - Paramahamsa Yogananda

In the year 2003, my guru, Adv. P.K. Vishnu Nampoothiry, gave me a copy of this book to read. The book is an introduction to the ancient science of Yoga and its time - honoured tradition of meditation.
It gives detailed accounts of the author’s childhood experiences, eternal quest for enlightenment and encounters with many saints and celebrated spiritual personalities of East and West. He gives astonishing first- hand descriptions of miracles he witnessed and explains the importance of 'Kriya Yoga',the path to self realization. This book answers most of our spiritual and existential questions and inspires one to be less materialistic and more focused on union with God.
If you are on the spiritual path, this book is a must read.

[It has been translated into 20 languages and selected as ‘One of the 100 best Spiritual books of the Twentieth Century’]

IN THE MEANTIME - Finding yourself and the love you want

Iyanla Vanzant in her book ‘In the Meantime –Finding yourself and the love you want’ prepares us for the meantime. When we know where we want to be, but no clue how to get there, what we want in life but what we want is nowhere in sight, when our purposes are still undefined, when our relationships are failing,when we have heartbreaking experiences and when we realise that our vision is unclear we are in the middle of meantime. All human beings pass through this stage at one time or the other in their life time.Some of us manage to come out of this, some do not.

The author stresses the need to experience the light of love….true self-love and unconditional love for everyone all the time….which will make things look, feel and be a lot better.She teaches us how we can do this through mental housekeeping....how to clean the 'basement' and live in the 'upstairs'. According to her, if we do a good job of it, the light will come through. Once that happens, our spirits will shine, bringing in the light of true love and happiness.That is what, she says, we need to do in the meantime.
I loved this book from the first to the last page.
A must read for all those who are struggling to find themselves and what they want in life!

[Iyanla Vanzant is the award-winning and bestselling author of Acts of Faith, The Value in the valley, Faith in the valley, and One Day My Soul Just Opened Up. As an empowerment specialist, Spiritual Life Counselor, and ordained minister, she lectures and facilitates workshops nationally with a mission to assist in the empowerment of women and men everywhere]