A Personal Aristocracy is a manual for living a virtuous and elegant life based on classical Renaissance and New Consciousness principles. According to the author, True Blue Indigo, the greatest challenges we face in our lives lie not outside ourselves, but inside. Our doubts, insecurities, desire for acceptance, lack of imagination, and the powerful social pressure to conform remain barriers between who we are and what we may attain. To pursue a personal aristocracy is a conscious decision to break out of self-imposed strictures and give full expression to the voice of our spirit.

The book contains short chapters on virtues such as dignity, honor, reverence, truth, and forbearance and show you how to integrate them into daily life. For example, the chapter on Dignity bluntly explains,

“Dignity is the price we set for our lives in the marketplace of humanity. In this place of exchange we are either price-setters or price-takers. We either get our asking price or cheapen ourselves by selling below our own value. Only we can determine our price; only we can decide if we are valuable, rare, and costly things, or if we are cheap, common, and of little worth to ourselves…If all we ever do is assess our value on the most obvious level of life, of how much we can earn in dollars…or of how much others can utilize our skills or knowledge in the creation of material wealth, then the greater part of us is left unexamined, and if this is all there is to us, then we deserve whatever price is paid to rent our lives cheaply. But, if there is more to us, if there are treasures inside that cannot be bought, or if the price we ask is stunning to others in the dignity we exhibit, then our true worth begins to be more accurately measured.”

A Personal Aristocracy is unique because it asks us to consider just how important it is for us to honor and live by the values and virtues that we hold so close to our heart without being preachy or condescending. For more information on the book, please click here.

New York Times bestselling author, don Miguel Ruiz has collaborated with his son, don Jose Ruiz to write The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery. This book expands upon The Four Agreements and empowers us to recover faith and authenticity with a powerful new agreement: Be skeptical, but learn to listen.

The Fifth Agreement uses doubt as a tool to discern the truth. Doubt takes us behind the words we hear to the underlying real message or intent. By being skeptical, we don’t believe every message we hear, and when we don’t put our faith in lies, we quickly move beyond emotional drama and the feeling of victimization.

The Fifth Agreement works on an internal level and takes a high degree of integrity to put into practice. The Ruizes are asking us to take an honest look at our beliefs and what we tell ourselves about what’s possible in life. Some of what we tell ourselves and what other people have told us about life are lies or made up stories. It is not always easy to distinguish truth from falsehoods, but the result is personal freedom. According to the Ruizes,

“You’ll know that you are totally free when you no longer have to be that you that you pretend to be. This freedom is profound. It’s the freedom to be the real you, and it’s the greatest gift that you can give yourself.”

The Fifth Agreement is available at amazon.com by Clicking Here

Most New Year’s Resolutions focus on gaining external results such as making more money, getting into a relationship, losing weight or finding a new job…However, have you ever considered an internal New Year’s Resolution?

In her new book, The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse: A Breakthrough Program for Connecting with Your Soul’s Deepest Purpose (Harper One), NY Times best-selling author Debbie Ford offers a practical three week program to detoxify your heart, mind and soul.

According to Ford, “Most New Year’s Resolutions don’t work because if we don’t cleanse out the toxic emotions and experiences from our past and get honest about the present we will be stuck with the same old thoughts, patterns and regrets and end up with the same results.” She goes into more detail by adding, “This program will enable you to take back your power from the outer world, turn inward, and embark on the journey of reconnecting with the spirit that moves you.”

Ford’s book walks you through a profound 3 part process which includes simple daily exercises, cleansing rituals and prayers — ranging from simple tasks to deeply, spiritual inquiries. For example, on Day 16 which is titled, The Light of God’s Will, Ford writes:

“God’s will can become your internal reference point from this day forward; it is your choice –God’s will or your ego’s will…Are you going to take a chance on a power that can open up new opportunities where there have been none…or will you stay stuck where you are? You have to decide…This is a turning point like no other.”

The 21 Day Consciousness Cleanse uncovers the inner source that lifts us out of resignation and mediocrity into hope, excitement and future filled with surprises, possibility and deep purpose.

The 21 Day Consciousness Cleanse by Debbie Ford is available on Amazon at The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse: A Breakthrough Program for Connecting with Your Soul’s Deepest Purpose. She is also offering an exclusive online course for her 21 Day Consciousness Cleanse on Oprah.com

Mary Margaret Hathaway has been told by shamans the world over that she is The One. If only they had been willing to tell her what The One is supposed to do. Following synchronicities like bread crumbs, she comes to her true beginning in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona. With the desert to test her, she meets teachers in the form of a 5-year-old boy, a 108-year-old man, and a host of others in between. A story of arduous journey to becoming who we really are, A Hundred Ways To Sunday offers hope for everyone who believes there is something more to this world than our five senses reveal.

Robin Rice is the author of A Hundred Ways to Sunday. Robin’s passion is for telling stories that reveal the nobility of the true heart, the pain of the human condition, and the miraculous power of the Divine to heal us all.

Robin is also the author of Venus For a Day, a spiritual chick flick. The storyline of Venus For A Day from the website is:

“Leap and the net will appear. That’s what Sydney Wellington’s best friend advised just before she died. Now, a year and a half post-leap, Sydney’s run out of both money and hope. Going to bed with a prayer to “any god or goddess listening” to somehow make this next day different than all the days gone by, Sydney’s prayers are answered by a great host of deities from a wide range of traditions, with the witty and often vicious Venus leading the pack. What begins as a fun little bargain to nab the hot guy living five boats down the dock becomes a race to the death between a has-been Goddess and a real woman in the making.”

For more information on Robin Rice and her books, A Hundred Ways to Sunday and Venus For a Day, you can visit http://www.robinrice.com/

Jeff Brown is the author of Soulshaping: A Journey of Self-Creation, the inspiring memoir of an archetypal “male warrior” – a trial lawyer- who struggled to find his heart and a more authentic, soulful path. Rivetingly personal and profoundly universal, this book is for anyone who has heard a whisper of something truer calling out to them amid the distractions of modern life.

In our interview, Jeff shares how he was able to follow his calling to write in spite of facing intense economic, spiritual and personal obstacles. He also gives advice on how you can follow your calling even if you have practical concerns such as not being able to make enough money. Throughout our conversation, Jeff reveals some of the lessons he learned along the way and goes into great detail about the inner work he did throughout his journey.

For more information on Soulshaping and Jeff Brown, you can visit http://www.soulshaping.com/ or press the play button below to listen to our interview. You can purchase Soulshaping on Amazon by Clicking Here

Paul and Patty Richards, authors of Wild Attraction, a Ruthlessly Practical Guide to Extraordinary Relationship offer a revolutionary approach to the age-old questions of love, sex and attracting a mate.

I recently had the privilege of interviewing them. In our candid conversation, Paul and Patty go into detail about what they mean when they use the word ‘energy’ and give advice for how we can use energy to find and keep life-long love. They also share some personal examples from their own life about how they have created a healthy and strong relationship. You can listen to our interview by clicking the play button below.

For more information about Paul and Patty Richards and their book, Wild Attraction, you can purchase their book on Amazon by Clicking Here. Paul and Patty will also be conducting a free Wild Attraction Tele-Seminar November 12 at 5:00 PM PST. You can sign up for that at www.wildattraction.net

     Soulshaping: A Journey of Self-Creationis the inspiring memoir of an archetypal “male warrior” — a trial lawyer who struggled to find his heart and a more authentic, soulful path.  Rivetingly personal and profoundly universal, this book is for anyone who has heard a whisper of something truer calling out to them amid the distractions of modern life.

      Jeff Brown’s dramatic and often funny story takes readers through remarkably human experiences –emotional, physical, and economic – as he vividly recounts his troubled childhood, his success in apprenticing with Canada’s top criminal lawyer, and his ultimate decision to leave the law and begin an inner journey to discover his soul’s purpose.

     Soulshaping is for anyone who is looking for the courage to follow their calling – even though resistance might be tempting you away.  Those who are committed to living their purpose in life have not chosen an easy path.  Society’s false promises of job security, a stable career and a practical way of life have provided enough temptation to lead many people away from their true path in life.  Or as Brown puts it,

       “Everywhere I look I see people who are walking a false path.  Their obsession with “security” at the expense of their callings compels them to do jobs they hate.  Grin and bear it, until I turn sixty-five, and then my real life will begin.  What if our soul-scriptures only give us fifty years to actualize them.”

         His advice for how to overcome this mentality is to, ”Push on through with your call even when the resistance tempts you away.”

          Brown practices what he preaches because he walked away from a stable and successful career as a trial lawyer to pursue his calling to write.  This was not an easy choice for him as he was faced with emotional, spiritual, and financial obstacles as soon as he committed to his call to write — including running out of money after three months of writing his book and going into debt.  Brown also went through many relationship and spiritual emergencies that tested him.  However, although it was not easy or painless for him, he kept on pushing through and remained committed to his calling.  

       Soulshaping is not a self-help book.  It is a gut check and a call to action for those who are committed to living their soul’s purpose.   

       You can purchase Soulshaping on Amazon by Clicking Here

Paulo Coelho is celebrating a major milestone for The Alchemist. This fall, the beloved fable remained on the New York Times bestseller list for two years. Celebrities ranging from Russell Crowe to Jon Jonas cite The Alchemist as their favorite book. It has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.

The Alchemist is a classic tale about the importance of following your dreams. One of my favorite quotes from Coelho that summarizes his message is:

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and eternity.”

This hits the nail on the head about why it is so important that we follow our dreams: because of the meaning, joy and sense of purpose that the journey brings us. Reaching our dreams is a lot of fun. But, the real reward of following our dreams is the satisfaction and peace of mind in knowing that we had the courage to believe in our dreams and stay true to ourself.

Dr. Judith Orloth (www.DrJudithOrloff.com) interviewed Quincy Jones about intuition for her new book, Positive Energy. He bluntly answered by saying,

“I’ve counted on my intuition for 50 years. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t trust it. To me, intuition is paying close attention to God’s whispers. It’s the most natural part of us. Listening gives us energy and inner power. What you feel, not what you think. That’s what it’s all about. I live by goosebumps. I get them every time something really touches me…music, movies, poetry and emotion…Nothing to talk about unless I get the goosebumps. I believe all the answers to our questions are out there if we just slow down enough to hear….Jazz people really trust intuition. They have to. They live off of it. They exist because of it.”

It kind of makes you wonder:

What would have happened if Quincy Jones had ignored his intuition? Would he still have earned a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, won 27 Grammys or had the creative juice to produce Michael Jackson’s album Thriller? What would have happened to his lifework if he did not trust his intuition.

God: A Relationship Guide is a down-to-earth book about building an authentic lifelong relationship with one’s Higher Power. Spiritual Director and clinical psychologist, Judith E. Turian, Ph.D. uses personal anecdotes, professional training and deep faith to show us how to take a risk and let God in even though we may have inevitable second thoughts about sustaining the relationship. Each stage is illustrated by personal, heartfelt and often humorous stories from the author’s life and spiritual training–including some fascinating examples from when her faith was tested during her early career in the U.S. Navy.

The book is useful because it spells out in thoughtful detail how to know God’s will for us. One prayer that she mentions that is particularly helpful in discerning God’s will is:

“Take all of me. Take my liberty, my memory, and my understanding. All that I am and that I have has been given to me by You, God. I give it all back to You knowing that Your love and Your grace are enough for me.”

She follows that prayer with a bit of humor asking: “How’s that for courage? Or was it total stupidity?”

She reveals details of her own spiritual journey, tests of faith and how she learned to know God’s will. For example, she writes:

” ‘Let your will, not mine, be done.’ I believed with all my heart that I meant it. But when it turned out that God’s will was not the same as mine, I was angry and devastated.”

Throughout the book, she uses examples from her real life to show how she eventually learns how to distinguish God’s will from her own. These stories are illuminating, insightful and provide hope that we too can know God’s will for us and find the strength and ultimately peace in living It.

You can purchase God: A Relationship Guide on Amazon by Clicking Here