How many of us wish we could undo something we did or change something we said? How many of us wish we could have made more productive choices earlier in life? How many of us wish we could enhance our lives, or change the course of our future . . . but do not know how? Throughout the years, there have been many great works that presented theories and concepts to help us understand what motivates behavior and how thoughts are processed to produce those behaviors. The Journey to Be Your Own Best Friend draws on the works of several of the worlds most recognized experts in human behavior and, for the first time, adds the ingredient of transformational thinking to help us discover our power within and thus the path to a more fulfilling and joyous life. On The Journey to Be Your Own Best Friend, you will find strategies and tools that will guide you through this journey. Through the Rational Thinking Process you will find alternative ways to think through situations and make more productive choices. Through the Art of Mushin you will learn ways to modify your behavior and manifest a more desirable outcome. The Art, Science and Practice of Positive Thinking, and the System of Deliberate Thought will provide additional tools to help you focus your thoughts. This journey will help you to discover how to use your power within, and your emotional guidance system to create the relationships and the happiness you desire. The Journey to Be Your Own Best Friend will enable you to start a new history with each passing day and become the person you choose to be . . . your own best friend. Invest in yourself. You are worth it!
4 of 5 stars
rhettaa says...
The Journey to Be Your Own Best Friend is a slim little book, and my first reaction was to assume it was going to be pure pop psychology.
And, indeed, there is nothing very original in this book. Ms. Parish,a career counselor and motivational speaker, quotes or refers to Dr. Stephen Covey and Dr. Phil quite often, and she does not claim to be presenting new ideas.
What she does do is to present real, sound advice and techniques for anyone who is troubled by self-doubt, guilt, or lack of confidence. She not only says that changing the way you think will change your life, she provides scenarios to help the reader identify thinking that needs to be changed and positive ways to go about changing it.
The key concepts in this book are that we teach others how to treat us by the way we treat ourselves, and that positive thinking results in positive change.
While the book is written in a very easy to read and understandable style, Ms. Parish gives clear and concise explanations of concepts from Zen (Mushin, the art of not-thinking,) B.F. Skinner (behavior reinforcement), Maslov (the heirarchy of needs), and Victor Vroom (expectancy theory.)
I particularly like the way this book is organized. Ms. Parish constantly reinforces her points using text blocks for Thoughts to Ponder, Reinforcement Moments, and Awareness Moments. The evaluation sections with spaces to write in your own responses entice the reader to stop and think before moving on. At the end of each chapter, she provides a summary which restates the main points of the chapter, making use of bulletted lists for key points.
While many years of experience have brought me to a point where I am happy with who I am, I would not hesitate to recommend this book to any person I know who is struggling with negativity or still trying to find the way to be their own best friend.
order from amazon