I know a lot of us run our own business, so I have posted my top ten books for personal empowerment and business motivation. I have read many books on motivation, and these stand out because they offer timeless principles for engergy, power and success. The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz A timeless classic that deserves to be read and re-read throughout an entire lifetime. I draw heavily on this book throughout my life. This book teaches us one thing: To dream big and the attitude we need to accomplish our largest dreams. +++ Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill Here are money-making secrets that can change your life. Inspired by Andrew Carnegie's magic formula for success, this book will teach you the secrets that will bring you a fortune. It will show you not only what to do but how to do it. Once you learn and apply the simple, basic techniques revealed here, you will have mastered the secret of true and lasting success. And you may have whatever you want in life. +++ Body for Life by Bill Phillips This fitness book is not just another fad diet. Rather, the author engages the reader in a philosophical discussion about how one must think mentally before loosing weight. I really enjoyed the chorus of people telling the truth: I was lazy, making excuses until stopped feeling sorry for myself and started to act. Rarely do we hear this in society: personal accountability and responsibility. Even if it is only 1% our fault, we should step up and take responsibility for our choices. +++ How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Caregie Financial success, Carnegie believed, is due 15 percent to professional knowledge and 85 percent to "the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people." He teaches these skills through underlying principles of dealing with people so that they feel important and appreciated. He also emphasizes fundamental techniques for handling people without making them feel manipulated. Carnegie says you can make someone want to do what you want them to by seeing the situation from the other person's point of view and "arousing in the other person an eager want." You learn how to make people like you, win people over to your way of thinking, and change people without causing offense or arousing resentment. For instance, "let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers," and "talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person." +++ As a Man Thinketh by James Allen "All that we achieve and all that we fail to achieve is the direct result of our own thoughts." "As a Man Thinketh" is a classic in the truest sense: few books have been so widely read, have stood the test of time so well, have had such an impact on generations of readers, and have carried such a simple, profound message: You are what you think. Og Mandino counted "As a Man Thinketh" among the top ten success books of all time--read it today and put its wisdom to work for you! You can easily find copies of this book online. +++ The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale This is a CD of the Gold Record Recording of the 1956 essay, The Strangest Secret. This recording, by Earl Nightingale was the seedling from which the personal development industry grew, and is offered now for the first time on CD. Read it for it's historical influence in the power of positive thinking book genre. +++ The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr, Tony Schwartz We live in digital time. Our pace is rushed, rapid-fire, and relentless. Facing crushing workloads, we try to cram as much as possible into every day. We're wired up, but we're melting down. Time management is no longer a viable solution. As bestselling authors Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz demonstrate in this groundbreaking book, managing energy, not time, is the key to enduring high performance as well as to health, happiness, and life balance. The number of hours in a day is fixed, but the quantity and quality of energy available to us is not. This fundamental insight has the power to revolutionize the way you live your life. The Power of Full Engagement is a highly practical, scientifically based approach to managing your energy more skillfully both on and off the job. +++ Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey Powerful Lessons in Personal Change was a groundbreaker when it was first published in 1990, and it continues to be a business bestseller with more than 10 million copies sold. Stephen Covey, an internationally respected leadership authority, realizes that true success encompasses a balance of personal and professional effectiveness, so this book is a manual for performing better in both arenas. His anecdotes are as frequently from family situations as from business challenges. Before you can adopt the seven habits, you'll need to accomplish what Covey calls a "paradigm shift"--a change in perception and interpretation of how the world works. Covey takes you through this change, which affects how you perceive and act regarding productivity, time management, positive thinking, developing your "proactive muscles" (acting with initiative rather than reacting), and much more. This isn't a quick-tips-start-tomorrow kind of book. The concepts are sometimes intricate, and you'll want to study this book, not skim it. When you finish, you'll probably have Post-it notes or hand-written annotations in every chapter, and you'll feel like you've taken a powerful seminar by Covey. +++ Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson, Heather Kopp Bestselling author Bruce Wilkinson shows how to identify and overcome the obstacles that keep millions from living the life they were created for. He begins with a compelling modern-day parable about Ordinary, who dares to leave the Land of Familiar to pursue his Big Dream. With the help of the Dream Giver, Ordinary begins the hardest and most rewarding journey of his life. Wilkinson gives readers practical, biblical keys to fulfilling their own dream, revealing that there's no limit to what God can accomplish when we choose to pursue the dreams He gives us for His honor. +++ The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason The inspiring multi-million-copy bestselling classic. The simple secrets for achieving personal wealth. Read by millions, this timeless book holds the key to success-in the secrets of the ancients. Based on the famous "Babylonian principles," it's been hailed as the greatest of all inspirational works on the subject of thrift and financial planning. The simple solution for a strong financial future. This celebrated bestseller offers an understanding of-and a solution to-personal money problems. This is the original classic that reveals the secrets to acquiring money, keeping money, and making money earn more money. Simply put: the original money-management favorite is still the best! Honorable Mentions: The Power of Positive Thinking The Magic of Thinking Success The Parable of the Pipeline Rich Dad Poor Dad
carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People is on eof the best books I've read. The words are simple but clear and can cause an impact.