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Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

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Author: Steve Pavlina
Publisher: Hay House
Category: Book

List Price: ~~$24.95~~
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Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.9

ISBN: 1401922759
Dewey Decimal Number: 158
EAN: 9781401922757
ASIN: 1401922759

Publication Date: October 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
DIVp class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in"Despite promises of ldquo;fast and easyrdquo; results from slick marketers, real personal growth is neither fast inor /ieasy. The truth is that hard work, courage, and self-discipline are required to achieve meaningful results?results that are not attained by those who cling to the fantasy of achievement without effort./p p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in"i /iiPersonal Development for Smart People/i reveals the unvarnished truth about what it takes to consciously grow as a human being. As you read, yoursquo;ll learn the seven universal principles behind all successful growth efforts (itruth, love, power, oneness, authority, courage,/i and iintelligence/i); as well as practical, insightful methods for improving your health, relationships, career, finances, and more. /p p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in"Yoursquo;ll see how to become the bconscious creator/b of your life instead of feeling hopelessly adrift, enjoy a bfulfilling career/b that honors your unique self-expression, attract bempowering relationships/b with loving, compatible partners, wake up early feeling bmotivated, energized, /band benthusiastic/b, achieve binspiring goals/b with disciplined daily habits and much more!/p p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in" With its refreshingly honest yet highly motivating style, this fascinating book will help you courageously explore, creatively express, and consciously embrace your extraordinary human journey./p/DIV

Customer Reviews: Read 47 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Great Tool for Personal Growth November 22, 2008
I first heard of Steve Pavlina when a friend referred me to his blog during his polyphasic sleep experiment. For over 150 days, Steve abandoned sleeping nights, and instead took six, twenty minute naps a day. I was immediately intrigued. And the more of his writing I read, the more I liked the message.br /br /There are hundreds of articles on his website, all about how to grow as a person. His approach is an intriguing mix of hippie, mainstream American, and strait-up crazy person, and from my perspective, the best of each. His thinking and writing is decidedly left-brained, and he doesn't shy away from financial or career growth issues. At the same time he eats a 100% raw-vegan diet and talks with dead people.br /br /From no other author have I found such accessible, intelligent, practicable personal development advice, and rarely such a warm and inviting tone. So when Steve announced he was publishing a book and would offer free advance copies to bloggers who would review it, I immediatly wanted to participate. That was the original impetus to start and grow this blog, and this review is the result.br /br /The aims of the book - Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth - are ambitious on at least two counts:br /br /br /To be sufficiently different from and superior to the hundreds of articles on his website to satisfy his massive readership (he claims two million visitors a month).br /br /To lay out the fundamental principles of personal development.br /br /The book is highly structured, and will probably work better for "thinkers" than for "feelers" on the MTBI T/F spectrum, which may be what Steve alludes to with his tag line "Personal Development for Smart People."br /br /The book is divided in two parts. The first is the seven fundamental principles of personal growth. Truth, love and power are the three primary principles. From those are derived oneness (truth + love), courage (love + power), and authority (power + truth). And the seventh is intelligence, which is defined as alignment with truth, love and power, and is the "highest form of human expression."br /br /I'm not convinced that these principles represent any sort of underlying order to personal growth, mostly because I'm unconvinced there is any such order. The three primary principles seem right to me, but the secondary ones feel forced. I'm not sure, for example, that courage is a combination of love and power. In the section on how to build courage, one of the suggestions is to educate yourself, which I agree is a great way to overcome timidity, but seems to come from the primary principle of truth, not love or power. I can also think of no compelling reason why personal growth should rest on such a neat foundation.br /br /As a tool though, a way of thinking about and planning growth and handling life's problems, I think this scaffolding will be valuable. Perhaps it is the neatest possible representation of an inherantly complex, chaotic pursuit.br /br /Each of the seven principles is broken down into its key components. Truth, for example, breaks down to perception, prediction, accuracy, acceptance, and self-awareness. Each component is explained and described, and sometimes a how-to improve this component is given. On prediction, for example, he says, we grow from exposure to new patterns: when our expectations are met it reinforces our beliefs; when they are not, it forces us to build new ideas about how the world works. Thus we should seek stability and routine only as a launching pad for exploring new areas. In order to side-step denial we can bring the process into the conscious part of the mind by making conscious predictions and comparing our expectations to how reality turns out to operate. He also says that emotions are predictions: when we have negative expectations we feel bad and when we have positive expectations, we feel good. That's just one component of one of the seven fundamental principles. I wanted to detail it to illustrate the depths the book reaches.br /br /For each principle, he also lays out some common blocks to alignment with the principle. For truth, for example: media conditioning, social conditioning, false beliefs, emotional interference, addictions, immaturity, and secondary gain. And each block is described and explained with similar detail. As I read these, many of the obstacles to growth that I face, some of which I've been struggling for years to elucidate, become immediately clear.br /br /Finally, for each principle, he provides several techniques for coming into better alignment. For truth, he suggests a quantitative self-evaluation in various aspects of life (the process is described in detail), journaling on a regular basis, and forgoing all media, at least for a trial period of time.br /br /In the intelligence chapter, there are extensive quizzes and evaluative material to determine where and how you can best serve your personal growth.br /br /The second part of the book details six primary areas of life: habits, career, money, health, relationships, and spirituality. Suggestions are offered for how to improve congruency in each area with each of the seven principles. If that sounds overwhelming, it reads as detailed and useful.br /br /For example, in the section on habits and oneness, there is a discussion of how our habits influence others and how we might be role models to the world with them, and also how we can use habits to develop congruency with the principle of oneness, like going for long walks in nature, smiling at strangers on the street, or offering hugs instead of handshakes.br /br /I thought there was more value in the first part of the book, and it was more fun to read than the second. When I return to the book to do the exercises suggested -- which I will begin this weekend -- I plan to spend more time in the first section. On the other hand, if I ever feel in need of help in a certain area of life, the organization of the second section would be of great value.br /br /In sum, this is an excellent book and one that I will use for years to come. I fully recommend it to everyone, and especially those who prefer a rational/logical approach to complex issues (which can be hard to find in the "self help" section of a bookstore). I'm not sure that it succeeds in its most ambitious task, but it is still immensely valuable, even to someone who has read almost all of Steve Pavlina's website.

5 out of 5 stars

One of the most original person development books November 21, 2008
Steve is one of the most known personal development bloggers today. I've known his site for several years now and have found him to be one of the most original and prolific bloggers on the subject. He had many unique ideas and views on many topics and his writing style is very much to my taste.br /br /Steve has published several hundred articles on his site on various topics and it was interesting to see what he could innovate in his book. Steve promised that the book won't be a rehash of site's content and I'm glad to say that he delivered.br /br /The book is just about 150 pages but it is so packed with original ideas and concepts that other writers would have smeared it at least on a handful of books. Luckily for the readers, Steve's ability to present his ideas succinctly, without much repetition packed the book dense with information.br /br /So what is this book about? The book presents a way of how to look at conscious personal development. The book is built from the ground, in a bottoms up approach, which gives it a somewhat philosophical kind of depth. Indeed, Steve has tried, for the purpose of writing the book, to analyze, in his mind, many of the existing successful growth practices. He analyzed them by trying to identify the most basic principles that unite all of them.br /br /His goal was to find a set of basic principles that would be universal, meaning that they should be for everyone and for all areas of personal development and life. They should be timeless - work in the future and should have been working thousands of years ago as well. They should be collectively complete, meaning that all laws of personal growth should be based on them. And the primary principles should be irreducible. Of course, they also shouldn't conflict with each other.br /br /Steve then introduces the seven principles. Three core principles: Truth, Love and Power. And four secondary principles, oneness, authority, courage and intelligence. These secondary principles are based on the first 3 in different combinations.br /br /So, part I of the book explores these principles. There's a chapter for each of them. This is the more "dry", philosophical part of the book, where the reader builds the foundation.br /br /The second part of the book shows how to apply each of these principles in various areas of one's growth process. There are chapters for habits, career, money, health, relationship and spirituality. Every area is explorer through the lens of the principles.br /br /Some of these chapter include practical advice as to how one should analyze his situation in the given area. Usually this is done by truthfully answering some very difficult questions. Sometimes feelings and emotion are the guide. But everywhere Steve tries to be only the guide, asking the questions and showing the way one should take to analyze his situation and find the correct answer for himself, which might be different for everyone.br /br /Whoever follows Steve's blog knows that he changed his diet, from regular to vegetarian, then to vegan. In the last year he switched to eating only raw food. One of the positive effects that Steve mentioned from these changes and that his mental clarity improved with each of this changes. His thinking abilities improved since concentration was easier and mental fog dissipated. This book clearly shows that Steve's mind capable of going into real depths of thought, giving the process of personal development an almost scientific approach.br /br /The book is titled "Personal Development for Smart People". And it delivers.br /br /Jacob (Mind-Energy.net)

5 out of 5 stars

A Fresh Perspective on Things that Matter November 21, 2008
Occasionally an original thinker comes along, and everyone benefits. Steve Pavlina is such a person and his new book is destined to become a classic. It's called "Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth."br /br /What I appreciate most about Steve's style is that he has a fresh perspective. He's obviously very intelligent (he earned a Bachelor's degree in 3 semesters), but beyond his keen intellect is a well-balanced student of expanding consciousness. Yes he has a big brain, but his heart is equally well developed. Most personal growth experts are either brainiacs or love gurus. Steve has pioneered a refreshing blend of head and heart based on common sense and direct experience. This is a rare quality.br /br / "My greatest breakthroughs usually come from personal experimentation..." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /His refreshing approach is obvious at the beginning of the book where he outlines how the book was born and how it is organized. (And yes, it is very organized!)br /br / "It took me almost two and a half years, but I eventually found the solution I was looking for. It consists of just three core principles: truth, love and power. Four secondary principles are directly derived from the first three: oneness, authority, courage and intelligence. Oneness is truth plus love. Authority is truth plus power. Courage is love plus power. And intelligence is the total combination of truth, love and power . . . these principles are universal; they cannot be successfully compartmentalized without sacrificing something far more important - our true nature as conscious beings." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /The book is organized around these fundamental principles. Personal anecdotes from Steve's life illustrate his points and keep the material easy to grasp. The principles are sometimes obvious and sometimes deep. I found myself occasionally thinking, "Why didn't I think of that?" (Many times, I did think of that, but had never articulated it so succinctly.) I appreciate his honest communication style and his gift of making deep concepts easy to catch.br /br / "Genuine personal growth is honest growth. You can't take short-cuts through the land of make-believe." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Truthbr /br /I resonated deeply with Steve's recommendation for the importance of discovering your own truth and then learning how to live it on a moment-to-moment basis. We have all grown up in an era where we are brainwashed by the media. I know that's a harsh assessment, but my own personal experience convinces me that it's true. It's a matter of degrees - some of us are mildly brainwashed and know it, while others are thoroughly brainwashed and clueless. (I explored this idea in depth in previous articles, "The Trouble with TV" and "Trade TV Time for Habits of Personal Development and Success.")br /br / "The cumulative effect of mass-media exposure is to condition you to adopt a false view of reality - one that upholds pro-advertiser values. The more you expose yourself to mainstream media such as television, the more skewed your mental model of reality becomes . . . this is a path of long-term laziness, apathy, and decay, not intelligent self-actualization." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Lovebr /br /Here's another topic that I have also explored in depth - connecting with other people. Steve explains how his wife, Erin helped him to open up to the fact that deep inside, we are really all one. Once that is experienced, relationships are forever changed. Close relationships become deeper, and new relationships begin to take on new dimensions. (I enjoyed exploring these important ideas in a previous article, "Meaningful Spiritual Relationships - Namaste Matters." )br /br / "There are few greater joys in life than the experience of conscious communication with another person. No ego games, false fronts, or manipulative tactics are employed. Both individuals simply want to connect with each other for the purpose of learning and growing. Once you've experienced such open, loving communication with another human being, it's hard to settle for anything less." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Steve explains how Erin is a master of quick connections. She does this easily because she believes, rather she knows in her heart that we are all deeply connected, like individual cells forming one body. It's not necessary for her to labor over creating new connections with people. Instead she just taps into the underlying connection she knows is already there. I've known a few people who can do this - my wife, Janey, for one, and it is a wonder to behold. It feels great, but I must admit, I'm still learning. I believe it, I love the idea of it . . . it's just that I am still breaking through years of social conditioning and erroneous preconceived notions about our separateness.br /br / "Instead of having to break the ice with someone, assume that there is no ice." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Powerbr /br /The idea of exercising your own personal power and deliberately creating your best life is a theme that has run through many of my articles. I have known the value of this for a long time and continually explore new ways to do it better and better. It feels right to take the reins of life firmly in hand and deliberately steer it toward your deepest desires. What could be more important or more satisfying than to manifest the best version of yourself and the best life possible? (See "Your Passion as Your Compass," and "Integrity Through Self-Reliance" and "Goal Setting or Let Go and Let God.")br /br / "When you set a goal that improves your present reality, what does it matter how long it takes to achieve the final outcome? Whether it takes one week or five years is irrelevant. The whole path is fun and enjoyable. More important, you feel happy and fulfilled this very moment. This drives you to take action from a state of joy, so you're productive too. Instead of going after goals you think will make you happy in the distant future, focus on goals that make you happy right now." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Self-Disciplinebr /br /Successful people usually have it. Unsuccessful people usually don't. That's a good clue about the importance of self-discipline in a successful and fulfilling life. To me, the idea of self-discipline is simply a promise I make to myself based on my current understanding on what's best. It has to be best for me, as well as the good of the whole, for me to be able to get behind it and push when necessary.br /br / "It's your fail-safe, your motivational backup system . . . motivation starts the race, but self-discipline ultimately crosses the finish line." - Steve Pavlina br /br /Besides the satisfaction of completing self-appointed tasks as a result of well-functioning personal self-discipline, it feels good while the task is in progress too. It helps you feel good about yourself when you know you are capable of making an important promise to yourself . . . and then keeping it. (See previous article, "Self-Discipline in 3 Easy Steps.")br /br /Authoritybr /br /Socrates said, "Know thyself." That's a good first step to being authentic. You can't be yourself until you know yourself. Social conditioning has a way of turning us into homogenous drones . . . cogs in the wheel of industry and consumerism. There's more to life that that. Much more. It all begins with our personal authority. Unless you assumne your own authority, don't expect anyone else to simply grant it to you by default. (See previous article, "Know Thyself - Ignore Comparisons and Be Yourself.")br /br / "When you live without authority, your default behavior is to squander your time. You may acquire some knowledge, but you won't apply it well. You may take some action, but your movements will be chaotic and unfocused. You have the potential to live a powerful, self-directed life of your choosing, but until you step into your true authority, this potential remains a fantasy." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Each of us have the responsibility and the profound privilege to take the raw materials of our life and turn it into the life of our dreams. It's satisfying beyond measure - easily worth whatever it takes to learn how to do it well. This habit of mental discipline is not done in broad strokes but in the small details of life. It's the little things over a period of time that add up to making a big difference. What are you doing today that has the potential of making a lasting difference in the quality of your life and your personal satisfaction?br /br / "People of authority focus on what really matters to them. They don't waste time on trivialities . . . What's important to you in life? What's a relative waste of your time? . . . If you can't honestly predict a positive long-term impact from your actions, admit that you're wasting your time, and set some goals that really matter to you. There's no substitute for investing your life in something that has the potential to make a real difference." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Persistencebr /br /It's easy to give up. Anyone can do that. And most people do. Succesful people, in all areas of life, are simply people who have tried and failed enough times to have gained a good education. They fall down, get up and keep going. They recognize it as part of the journey. The failures are opportunities to learn, so they don't shrink from them. Instead they embrace the new lesson learned and press on. Persistent people are inspired people, and they are inspiring. (See previous article, "Persistence and Perseverance for Winners - Losers Just Quit")br /br / "I don't get inspired by people who have all the external trappings of success like money and fame. I'm moved by those who I can see are destined for greatness, but no one else knows it yet. The telltale sign is always the same - persistence." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Couragebr /br /One of my favorite authors in Carlos Castaneda and the way he described his tutelage by the Yaqui Indian shaman, Don Juan. I've read all his books, some of them several times, so I wasn't surprised when Steve Pavlina quoted Don Juan . . .br /br / "Before you embark on [any path] ask the question: Does this path have a heart? If the answer is no, you will know it, and then you must choose another path . . . When a man finally realizes that he has taken a path without a heart, the path is ready to kill him." - Carlos Castanedabr /br /Does this idea hold any special meaning to you? The idea of a path with heart is a very personal idea, and only you can recognize the truth of your answer. It reminds me of the lyrics to one of my songs:br /br / "And no one but you can find the answer to your questbr / Your answer's for you and not all the restbr / (You know your answer's the best, it's not a contest)br / The question is easy enough, and any honest answer is good enoughbr / You really gotta know . . . . . what do you love?"br / - From the song, "Do What You Love" by Tupelo Kenyonbr /br /When you are in alignment with what you love, your path has heart. You find it easy, even joyful, to take action. You're commited, and you like it that way. It's not a chore but a thrill to do things when you are on your path with heart. (To honestly explore your personal path with heart, see this previous article, "10 Steps to Discovering Your Life's Purpose.")br /br / "It's a great idea to consciously intent what you want, and I highly recommend you do that, but if you don't want something badly enough to take direct action, then what does that say about your intention? Doesn't that suggest you aren't really commited to it? When you're really hungry, will you wait patiently for food to arrive, or will you get up and make something to eat? When your intentions are important to you, direct action becomes part of the manifestation process. The best instruments of the Law of Attraction are your own hands and feet." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Intelligencebr /br /There's something deeply satisfying about reading what an intelligent person has to say about intelligence. That's one of the reasons why I have enjoyed reading Einstein's words, who said, "Imagination is more powerful than knowledge."br /br /Steve is a very imaginative person, plus he has learned how to apply the knowledge he has gained. It takes intelligence to do that. His book allows him to take the next step which is to share what he has learned. He has worked hard on his communication skills because he recognizes the importance of sharing the wealth of his intelligence with others. I love being inspired by articulate, intelligent, big-hearted people . . .br /br / "Intelligence is the highest form of human expression. Our intelligence is what defines us as human beings. It is our greatest strength, our staunchest ally, and our most noble pursuit. Without it, we are nothingness; we are form without substance and existence without purpose. It is only through the deliberate exercise of intelligence that we give our lives meaning, a meaning that is consciously chosen . . . the most intelligent thing you can possibly do with your life is to grow." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Habitsbr /br /Personally chosen, deliberately cultivated habits help keep us on track. They are tools that allow us to translate our resolve into our daily lives. They simplify the day-to-day activities that help us get from where we are to where we want to be. Good habits are our friends, and I really appreciated the following jewels of insight Steve offered on the subject of habits . . .br /br /"How do you know if a habit is positive or negative? Use your mind's predictive powers to imagine what long-term, cumulative effect each one will have if you maintain it for the rest of your life . . .br /br /"Since habits wield power over your results, you must wield power over your habits . . .br /br /"Take a moment to consider the social consequences of your actions. Do your habits help others align themselves with truth, love and power, or does your behavior lead people astray? . . . Which habits put you on a path with a heart? . . . When your habits are aligned with truth, love and power, the guy in the glass is your friend." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Careerbr /br /It's inspiring to learn from someone who has figured out a way to harness his greatest gifts to experience abundance while helping others at the same time. This paradigm is still rarely manifested in our current society, but examples like Steve can inspire us to our own greatest potential of contribution.br /br / ". . . the best way to optimize your income is to find a career medium that allows you to share your most important message. By sharing your message with others, you provide exactly the kind of value that can generate abundant income." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /I appreciate Steve's take on contribution vs. mooching. Many of us are taught to get as much as we can for as little as possible. That is, maximize the return while minimizing the input. The natural extension of this mindset is a nation (or a world) of people expecting a handout. It's entitlement mentality run a muck.br /br /Instead, Steve does a fine job of extolling the virtues (personally and globally) of a mindset based on contribution. When you provide value, it is inevitable that you receive value in return. It's a wonderful idea and a tad sad that such a common sense approach has fallen out of favor in modern society. Imagine what it would be like if everyone dealt with one another with this dedication to contribution, rather than focusing on, "What can I get?"br /br / "To build an authentic career, you need to find the path that keeps you aligned with truth, love and power. This requires paying attention to the following four questions:br /br / 1. Body (needs): What must I do?br / 2. Mind (abilities): What can I do?br / 3. Heart (desire): What do I want to do?br / 4. Spirit (contribution): What should I do?br /br / "An authentic career is found in the place where all four of these questions produce the same answer . . . When you have all four areas working synergistically together, the combined effect is truly amazing. Instead of meeting your needs, you experience true abundance. Instead of applying your knowledge to your tasks, you unlock your true genius. Instead of tolerating your daily routine, you work in a state of joy. And instead of just putting in your time, you fill your days with a sense of purpose." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Moneybr /br /It's best to learn from those who know. I once had a college instructor who never once demonstrated what he taught. He taught a swimming class, and he never got wet. It was difficult to believe the teacher was much of an authority on the subject when he shouted his instructions from the sidelines. It would have been easier to learn from him if he would have joined us in the game.br /br /StevePavlina.com is one of the world's most popular personal development blogs (if not the most popular). With over two million visitors per month, he knows what he is talking about, whether he is speaking about personal development or financial development.br /br / ". . . money is a human invention to facilitate the exchange of value. To shun money as something evil or unnecessary is a huge mistake. When properly aligned with truth, love and power, it becomes a valuable tool of conscious living - one that's too important to ignore. If you want to live consciously, you must learn to use money intelligently . . . work within the area of overlap between your personal values and social values. This will enable you to do what you love while creating something that others treasure as well. Don't force yourself to focus between your integrity and your income - demand that both be satisfied." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /The section on money in Steve's book is thorough and thought-provoking. It will challenge you to rethink your assumptions about money and how to get more of it. I feel confident almost everyone will benefit from this enlightened look at money.br /br / "Do your best to create and share your value with others, and you'll help create a richer and more abundant world for all of us." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Healthbr /br /True to his commitment to personal experimentation, many of Steve's major health improvements have been a result of his 30-day trial technique. This is how he proved to himself that his body responded best to vegetarianism. More energy, clearer focus, less sleep required, and other benefits convinced him to adopt it as a lifestyle choice after the 30-day trial period was over.br /br /I am also interested in diet, nutrition and health and have devoured many books on the subject. I wrote a thorough review on one of my favorites. (See previous article, "Finally the Truth About Diet - The China Study Review.")br /br /The ideas in Steve's section on health and in "The China Study" are not mainstream. In fact, they are controversial, not because they are so outrageous but because we have drifted so far away from common sense in our dietary choices. Yes, we are the product of insidious social conditioning and are trained to eat, not what is good for us, but what is most profitable for the advertisers to sell. Recognizing this fact is the first step to assuming responsibility for our own health and deliberately choosing what we put in our mouth.br /br / "In order to be healthy today, you must exercise your self-discipline to overcome the drag of social conditioning. Summon the maturity to make intelligent choices for yourself, regardless of what throngs of sick people encourage you to do . . . the truth is that if the average person wouldn't consider your current health practices extreme, you probably aren't very healthy." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Diet and nutrition is a science in its infancy. It's easy to find conflicting advice from different experts. (That's one reason why I appreciated "The China Study" so much. It's not based on any fad diet or conjecture or marketing hype. In fact, it's based in emperical scientific evidence gathered during the largest nutritional study ever done on planet earth!)br /br /Ultimately, each one of us makes the decision of what we eat. That one seemingly simple decision has a major impact on the level of health and vitality we experience throughout our lifetimes.br /br / "You can delegate control, but never responsibility . . . If I give you any particular advice in this area that doesn't resonate with you, you should reject it and trust your own judgement instead." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Relationshipsbr /br /We are all in this together and we are all in this alone. It's an interesting paradox. Our lives are defined and given shape by the other people in our lives. The people we choose to spend time with influence us in many seen and unseen ways. Especially for those of us interested in personal development, we need to pick our companions carefully and deliberately in order to support our chosen direction of personal growth. (These ideas were explored in previous articles, "Choose the Companionship of Positive People Who Inspire You" and "Life Drama as Blockage to Personal Development.")br /br / "I've learned to place a great deal of trust in my feelings when it comes to relationships. When something feels wrong to me, I know the best thing I can do is to go to the other person and explain that something doesn't seem right so that we can work together to sort it out. When you bring truth to your relationships, you build closeness and trust." - Steve Pavlina br /br /Some of our most important life lessons and aha moments come as a result of our relationships, so it makes sense to do our best to communicate well and be considerate of others. A little kindness goes a long way . . .br /br / "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting battles too,br / Cruel wars within themselves, just like it is with you.br / Be kind, because you'll never know just how much good you'll do,br / A heartfelt word or two can soothe a hidden wound.br /br / "Sometimes the ripples from our deed's a gentle touch, doesn't seem to matter much,br / It's like dropping flowers in the Grand Canyon.br / And though we'll never know just what becomes of them, it's all the same to them,br / So drop them anyway, because you can."br / - from the song, "Be Kind" by Tupelo Kenyonbr /br /One of the things I appreciate most about Steve's book is the way he threads the themes of truth, love and power through all the aspects of personal development, including his very insightful look at relationships.br /br / "Exchanges that are lacking in truth, love, or power eventually grow stale, but when all three elements are present, the blocks to deeper levels of connection and closeness are removed . . . What mix of truth, love, and power do you use to connect with others? Realize that your weakest channel will be the source of many of your communication problems . . . When you know your dominant connection strategy, you can use it deliberately to regain your closeness whenever you start feeling a little distant from one another." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Building close relationships involves an element of risk, but a little courage can make a big difference in the quality of your life. You can't always expect other people to initiate the contact. Sometimes it's up to you to extend your hand (and your heart) and invite people in. Imagine what you could miss out on, if you don't.br /br / "The biggest risks are missing out on laughs you never shared, people you never helped, and the potential partner you sentenced to solitude . . .br /br / "Since all human relationships are impermanent, live with the awareness that every one of your current connections will eventually end. Take the time to appreciate them while they last, and don't take them for granted. Even when a relationship ends in death, it can still continue in your thoughts. The memories of loving relationships can become your most sacred treasures." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /One of our most popular songs explores this idea. Like love itself, it's a timeless idea. Those we love go right on living in our hearts, long after they've left this world.br /br / "And even though you're hurting now, the hurting will not last,br / The strength you gain from such a pain remains when it's all past.br / And even this will pass away, like this life itself someday,br / And all that we take with us is the love we gave away."br / - from the song, "All That We Take with Us" by Tupelo Kenyonbr /br /Spiritualitybr /br /In this section of the book, Steve challenges us to look at our idea of spirituality through the lenses of truth, love and power, rather than the conditioned habits of custom, peer pressure, and heredity. It's an enlightened approach to spirituality, stripped clean of outdated dogma and exclusive ideas designed to keep us loyal to one particular brand. What passes for spirituality has a history of tearing us apart rather than bringing us together.br /br /I love the way Steve encourages us to consider all things spiritual and take the best of what each has to offer. It assumes the ancient words of Shakespeare were actually true and that we actually care enough to keep an open mind rather than blindly clinging to any one viewpoint . . ."There are more things in heaven and earth than ever dreamed of by your philosophies."br /br / "Just as your physical senses act as a lens through which you perceive different subsets of reality, your spiritual senses also act as cognitive filtering mechanisms. These filters allow you to focus on bits and pieces of preprocessed information which may or may not be useful to you. The more spiritual sensory data you can access and comprehend, the richer your spiritual life will be, and the more accurately it will model truth . . .br /br / "When we confront the key spiritual question of our lives, such as Who am I? And What is my purpose in life? . . . we can limit our input to a small subset of these channels. In general, when we limit our input too severely, we end up making things harder than necessary, much like trying to prepare a meal while wearing a blindfold and earplugs. This is what happens when we say, `I'm only going to consider this single spiritual point of view because it's the one and only truth' . . .br /br / "Even though each channel of input has limited expressiveness, if you can access a diverse enough set of channels, each one compressed and filtered in different ways, you can develop a more accurate and complete picture of reality. Each belief system you consider provides another way of viewing the same underlying data, thus helping you develop a better understanding of the whole . . .br /br / "By examining your problems from different philosophical viewpoints, you empower yourself. Holistic solutions finally start to emerge. You gain the ability to solve problems you were previously unable to solve . . . most of us are socially conditioned to overlook the simplicity of across-the-board, high-level solutions because we cling to fixed belief systems that prevent us from seeing the big picture." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /These ideas are close to my heart as I look around the planet and see the result of so many people stubornly clinging to some particular brand of spirituality and refusing to see any merit in any other viewpoint. That's got to be the manifestation of ultimate insecurity to not even be able to consider the validity of a different idea. (I explored this idea in previous articles, "Beyond the Brands of Truth" and "Beyond Science, Philosophy and Religion.")br /br /Clear thinking and honest exploration of truth is a refreshing approach to spirituality, and that's why I appreciate Steve's style of saying what he thinks and feels, even though it's not the mainstream viewpoint. Far from it. But, I recognize that the tide is turning as more and more people worldwide are beginning to take responsibility for their own spirituality and making their own choices, rather than settling for being spoon fed by tradition.br /br / "A multispectral philosophy of life - that is, one that combines input from multiple perspectives - aligns closely with what's considered common sense . . .br /br / "The point of spiritual exploration is to help you make conscious, empowering choices . . .br /br / "Many serious conflicts in the world result from the decision to pass on beliefs that label other human beings as unworthy, damaged, or evil . . .br /br / "Your beliefs are not merely observations of reality; they also shape and define your experience of reality. Many of the thoughts you hold most sacred may reveal hidden falsehoods once you take the opportunity to consider the alternatives." -Steve Pavlinabr /br /Celebrating an Expansive Viewpointbr /br /This empowering book, like all great books, performs magic. It allows us to take a peek inside one of the great minds of our time. As a result, it makes the inside of my head (and heart) feel bigger. What more could you ask for in a book?br /br /These last Steve Pavlina quotes do a fine job of tying it all together . . .br /br / "The ultimate goal of any sound spiritual path is to be infinitely truthful, infinitely loving, and infinitely powerful. By extension, this also requires infinite oneness, infinite authority, and infinite courage . . .br /br / "If it were somehow possible for everyone on earth to come together and agree on a single spiritual philosophy, it would be one that incorporates the universal principles of truth, love, and power. These are the ideals that guide us not only as human beings, but also as spiritual beings . . .br /br / "Invest in creative self-expression, service and contribution, and you will suffer no scarcity. Your greatest gift to the world is to share who you really are . . . No one is served by your refusal to shine." - Steve Pavlinabr /br /Personal Appreciationbr /br /Although I don't personally know Steve and his wife, Erin, they both feel like old friends that Janey and I haven't yet met. Steve's writings have been a source of inspiration and encouragement to me for a couple of years. I first went to his website as a result of a link in an email from Derek Sivers, founder of [...]. Derek was impressed that anyone could graduate from college after only three (very busy) semesters, and recommended an article Steve wrote on how he accomplished that.br /br /I began exploring his other articles and it soon became clear I had found a kindred spirit. His example inspired me to begin writing again, and [...] was born shortly thereafter. The blog spawned the "Inspired on Purpose" newsletter which provides satisfaction and inspiration for myself as well as others. I have Steve Pavlina to thank for all this.br /br /Thanks Steve, for all you do . . . and all you are.br /br /Sincerely,br /Tupelo Kenyonbr /br /P.S. Get this book, while it's in first edition. It's a classic, and I could only hint at it's empowering breadth and depth in this (rather long) gushing review.

5 out of 5 stars

Discover The Core Principles of Personal Development November 9, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina is a book that I have read and thoroughly enjoyed. I recommend it to all. After reading Steve's book you will see the big picture with a deeper and broader understanding of the systems and principles underlying personal development. Steve is a phenomenally successful writer and blogger who has been blogging on personal development for over four years at: StevePavlina.com. Along with working on his blog and amassing a huge amount of valuable content, he has read more than 1,000 books on personal development. br /br /Steve Pavlina is a very smart guy. He completed a dual degree in computer science and mathematics in record time, started and ran a successful computer software business, then in 2004, started his blog on personal development. Steve said that after thousands of interactions with his readers he began to detect recurring patterns and themes and began to suspect that there was a "hidden order" beneath "our seemingly chaotic growth experiences." So he set about ferreting out the core principles of personal development that are behind all conscious human development. He decided that these principles would have to be universally acceptable and identified several criteria that would have to be applicable: br /br / 1. universalitybr / 2. completenessbr / 3. irreducibilitybr / 4. congruencybr / 5. practicality br /br /His logic is impeccable. However, as you might expect from a book that is so packed with wisdom, reading it isn't like reading a popular novel. You need to read a little, then stop and think about it. I suggest reading through the entire book this way, then go back and go through the book again for deeper understanding. br /br /This book is reminiscent of Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Steve Pavlina, though, has gone deeper to examine the hidden order beneath the ebb and flow of personal growth and effectiveness. Most of us are very busy people. With the distractions of modern day life many of us seldom take time for deep thinking about personal growth. Steve has done much of that for us as he worked for three years on his new book: Personal Development for Smart People - The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth. br /br /Not yet another "how-to" guide, this book is much more than that. Steve has applied his considerable experience and intellect to identifying the basic core principles that govern our actions and our relationships. Presented in two parts - The first part covers the theory of Steve's 7 fundamental Core Principles of Personal Development; The second part covers application - he shows how the 7 core principles apply to habits, career, money, health, relationships and spirituality. br /br /Just as in physics which has basic principles that apply across the board and are unchangeable, Steve shows us that there are also universal core principles of human behavior. br /br /The three basic universal core principles that he identified are Truth, Power and Love. Combinations of these three principles give us three more principles: Courage, Authority and Oneness. All six of these principles together give us: Intelligence. Taken altogether, these are the seven universal principles underlying our lives and personal growth. These principles apply across the board in our relationships, activities, health, habits, etc: br /br / * Oneness = Truth + Lovebr / * Authority = Truth + Powerbr / * Courage = Love + Powerbr / * Intelligence = Truth + Love + Power br /br /Although this book is very effective as a stand alone book (it has very little content from his website), it is actually a capstone to his personal development blog and discussion forums at stevepavlina.com and is written in Steve's style: thorough, logical, strong and bold. br /br /The deep thinking that comes from reading this book is preparation for effective personal development and improvement. Once you learn about the seven core principles, study them and observe them you will be well on your way to conscious personal development. br /br /We all are looking to maximize the return on our investment of time and effort. Reading this book will be one of the best investments you have made with regard to your personal development and your own future. You will think about this book a lot and reference it often. It should have a permanent spot on your bookshelf so that when you reach for it you find it quickly. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! br /br /by Kent Beatty (http://kentbeatty.com)br /

5 out of 5 stars

Nice book to start with November 5, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I've been a long time follower [...] and I just couldn't stop myself from buying this - even as some kind of tribute. I'm loving it so far - great book for beginning on Personal Development...

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