16 : 'I Can See Clearly Now' - Something Borrowed!

Inspirational New Book

 

I am enjoying yet another inspirational book, a memoir by Dr Wayne Dyer, I Can See Clearly Now.  This is actually the first book by this author I have read, I was inspired by Dr Dyer last year after listening to him speak at a writing workshop by Hay House (http://ajmaaa.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/4-something-borrowed-dr-wayne-dyer.html). 

 

After reading Dr Dyer's latest book I am now inspired to read some of his earlier work, I'm going about it all a little backwards, however, I have found I will only decide to pick up a new book if I have a particular need for it at the time.  The memoir is written in an interesting literary style, beginning each chapter with a life altering memorable event in Dr Dyer's life; the second part of each chapter depicts Dr Dyer's current perspective of those significant events from a clearer view.  It is an extremely interesting way to read a book allowing the reader and author to be able to see 'clearly' why he needed to experience all the influential events of his life. 

Personally I have always been a big believer in the fact that all things happen for a reason, however, it can certainly take quite some time before we may realise why a particular event has occurred in our life, especially if it is a particularly harsh lesson.  Sometimes things happen to us not just to teach us a lesson in the act itself, but to see how we will actually react to that event.  After all we can only control our own reaction not that of others, a quote from Dr Dyer I like is 'How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours'.

How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/waynedyer382838.html#m8h83fEsw4eHDRtc.99

How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/waynedyer382838.html#m8h83fEsw4eHDRtc.99

 

Up next on my reading list will be Dr Dyer's first published book Your Erroneous Zones, I am really looking forward to reading this book now that I can understand all the events that took place in Dr Dyer's life that led him to write it.  I would also really like to read more about some of the people that influenced his way of thinking, such as Abraham Maslow; an American Psychologist that stressed the importance of focusing on the positive qualities in people, as opposed to treating them simply as symptoms.  Maslow studied what he considered healthy self-actualizing people rather than the traditional methods of studying the mentally ill.  His studies found that self-actualizing people are those that focus on problems outside of themselves; they know what is true and false and have a better insight of reality; they deeply accept themselves, others and the world; they are spontaneous and creative and not bound by social conventions.  Maslow considered important historical figures such as Albert Einstein and the American author, poet and philosopher Henry David Thoreau as two examples of self-actualized individuals.   

 

Another strong influence in the teachings of Dr Dyer is that of the American Psychologist Albert Ellis, who famously developed a new psychotherapy and behavior change system he named Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy.  The idea of this approach to psychotherapy was to focus on changing the client's self-defeating beliefs and behaviours; once the client was helped to understand these beliefs through rational analysis and cognitive reconstruction they went on to develop a more rational belief system.

 

If only there were more hours in the day to be able to read all the interesting books out there ...