10 books like Creative Visualization

By Shakti Gawain,

Here are 10 books that authors have personally recommended if you like Creative Visualization. Shepherd is a community of 8,000+ authors sharing their favorite books with the world.

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The Art of Possibility

By Rosamund Stone Zander, Benjamin Zander,

Book cover of The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life

Kimberly Wiefling Author Of Scrappy Project Management: The 12 Predictable and Avoidable Pitfalls Every Project Faces

From the list on achieve what seems impossible.

Who am I?

In 1995 I was challenged to declare my purpose in life. In the absence of any evidence that it was possible, and without knowing HOW to do it, I declared the possibility that I would transform Planet Earth by creating community everywhere. As ridiculous as it sounded at the time, the amazing breakthroughs that I’ve encountered on my journey since then have been even more incredible. After decades of experience helping myself and others achieve what initially seemed “impossible” possible, I’m delighted to be able to help myself and support others in making progress on pretty much any “impossible” project aside from changing the gravitational constant of the Universe. (I’m a physicist, so I’m going to leave that to greater minds than mine!) Looking forward to hearing what seems impossible for you, but if it WERE possible, would transform your life for the better!

Kimberly's book list on achieve what seems impossible

Discover why each book is one of Kimberly's favorite books.

Why did Kimberly love this book?

Perception is not reality. Neuroscience has clearly shown that our human brains are subject to plenty of self-sabotaging patterns. The practices in this book form a powerful framework that enables the reader to imagine and create possibilities that initially seem highly unlikely or even impossible. The wisdom in this book encourages people to reject being “realistic”, ignite hope, and pursue dreams and goals that inspire and spark our passion. As our courage to dream big grows, so does our capacity to achieve those dreams together.

The Art of Possibility

By Rosamund Stone Zander, Benjamin Zander,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Art of Possibility as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Presenting twelve breakthrough practices for bringing creativity into all human endeavors, The Art of Possibility is the dynamic product of an extraordinary partnership. The Art of Possibility combines Benjamin Zander's experience as conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and his talent as a teacher and communicator with psychotherapist Rosamund Stone Zander's genius for designing innovative paradigms for personal and professional fulfillment.
The authors' harmoniously interwoven perspectives provide a deep sense of the powerful role that the notion of possibility can play in every aspect of life. Through uplifting stories, parables, and personal anecdotes, the Zanders invite us to become passionate communicators,…


The User Illusion

By Tor Norretranders,

Book cover of The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size

Kimberly Wiefling Author Of Scrappy Project Management: The 12 Predictable and Avoidable Pitfalls Every Project Faces

From the list on achieve what seems impossible.

Who am I?

In 1995 I was challenged to declare my purpose in life. In the absence of any evidence that it was possible, and without knowing HOW to do it, I declared the possibility that I would transform Planet Earth by creating community everywhere. As ridiculous as it sounded at the time, the amazing breakthroughs that I’ve encountered on my journey since then have been even more incredible. After decades of experience helping myself and others achieve what initially seemed “impossible” possible, I’m delighted to be able to help myself and support others in making progress on pretty much any “impossible” project aside from changing the gravitational constant of the Universe. (I’m a physicist, so I’m going to leave that to greater minds than mine!) Looking forward to hearing what seems impossible for you, but if it WERE possible, would transform your life for the better!

Kimberly's book list on achieve what seems impossible

Discover why each book is one of Kimberly's favorite books.

Why did Kimberly love this book?

Our brains take in around 10 million bits a second, but only about 30 of those are raised to conscious awareness. Which 30? How does our brain choose? And how do we make decisions? After a lifetime of thinking I was a conscious being making logical, rational choices, I realize that I’m like a rider on a horse. My conscious mind thinks that I’m controlling the horse, but – after reading this book – now I realize that most of the time the horse is in charge! Knowing that has helped me replace self-limiting practices with more effective ways to working with my instincts and senses.

The User Illusion

By Tor Norretranders,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The User Illusion as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

As John Casti wrote, "Finally, a book that really does explain consciousness." This groundbreaking work by Denmark's leading science writer draws on psychology, evolutionary biology, information theory, and other disciplines to argue its revolutionary point: that consciousness represents only an infinitesimal fraction of our ability to process information. Although we are unaware of it, our brains sift through and discard billions of pieces of data in order to allow us to understand the world around us. In fact, most of what we call thought is actually the unconscious discarding of information. What our consciousness rejects constitutes the most valuable part…


Book cover of The Last Word on Power

Kimberly Wiefling Author Of Scrappy Project Management: The 12 Predictable and Avoidable Pitfalls Every Project Faces

From the list on achieve what seems impossible.

Who am I?

In 1995 I was challenged to declare my purpose in life. In the absence of any evidence that it was possible, and without knowing HOW to do it, I declared the possibility that I would transform Planet Earth by creating community everywhere. As ridiculous as it sounded at the time, the amazing breakthroughs that I’ve encountered on my journey since then have been even more incredible. After decades of experience helping myself and others achieve what initially seemed “impossible” possible, I’m delighted to be able to help myself and support others in making progress on pretty much any “impossible” project aside from changing the gravitational constant of the Universe. (I’m a physicist, so I’m going to leave that to greater minds than mine!) Looking forward to hearing what seems impossible for you, but if it WERE possible, would transform your life for the better!

Kimberly's book list on achieve what seems impossible

Discover why each book is one of Kimberly's favorite books.

Why did Kimberly love this book?

All my life I felt like someone was holding me back. Being introduced to the concepts in this book helped me understand that that person was . . . ME! I made this realization years before reading this book when I attended a workshop that was based solidly on the principles that Tracy Goss wrote about. The Last Word on Power boils down the paradigms and strategies that keep us human beings stuck, and reveals a path to a more powerful way of being where we recognize the difference between our interpretation and reality, as well as our own contributions to the interpretations that keep us stuck in old ways of thinking and being. The core of this is using language to create, rather than merely describe, reality, declaring and committing to possibilities that we currently have no idea HOW to achieve, and playing a bigger game in life that…

The Last Word on Power

By Tracy Goss,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Last Word on Power as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Goss suggests that the main key to re-inventing an organization is to re-invent its leaders. Through a series of seven transformations in the area of leadership, Goss shows how re-invention relies upon freeing oneself from the past.


Wishcraft

By Barbara Sher, Annie Gottlieb,

Book cover of Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want

Kimberly Wiefling Author Of Scrappy Project Management: The 12 Predictable and Avoidable Pitfalls Every Project Faces

From the list on achieve what seems impossible.

Who am I?

In 1995 I was challenged to declare my purpose in life. In the absence of any evidence that it was possible, and without knowing HOW to do it, I declared the possibility that I would transform Planet Earth by creating community everywhere. As ridiculous as it sounded at the time, the amazing breakthroughs that I’ve encountered on my journey since then have been even more incredible. After decades of experience helping myself and others achieve what initially seemed “impossible” possible, I’m delighted to be able to help myself and support others in making progress on pretty much any “impossible” project aside from changing the gravitational constant of the Universe. (I’m a physicist, so I’m going to leave that to greater minds than mine!) Looking forward to hearing what seems impossible for you, but if it WERE possible, would transform your life for the better!

Kimberly's book list on achieve what seems impossible

Discover why each book is one of Kimberly's favorite books.

Why did Kimberly love this book?

A dream is just a dream until you write it down – then it becomes a plan. This book provides practical approaches to turning dreams into goals and plans. With strategies as simple as charting your progress and setting accountability checkpoints with a buddy, the “impossible” gradually becomes possible, and eventually becomes inevitable. Sure, you may lurch fitfully in the direction of your dreams and goals, but the advice in this book will ensure that any setbacks are temporary, and progress is tangible and a source of hope, inspiration, and motivation.

Wishcraft

By Barbara Sher, Annie Gottlieb,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wishcraft as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Cindy Fox was a waitress. Now she’s a pilot. Peter Johnson was a truck driver. Now he’s a dairy farmer. Tina Forbes was a struggling artist. Now she’s a successful one. Alan Rizzo was an editor. Now he’s a bookstore owner.

What they have in common—and what you can share—are Barbara Sher’s effective strategies for making real changes in your life. This human, practical program puts your vague yearnings and dreams to work for you—with concrete results. You’ll learn how to

• Discover your strengths and skills
• Turn your fears and negative feelings into positive tools
• Diagram the…


High Magick

By Damien Echols,

Book cover of High Magick: A Guide to the Spiritual Practices That Saved My Life on Death Row

Jamie Della Author Of The Book of Spells: The Magick of Witchcraft

From the list on magick and witchcraft as self-care and wellness.

Who am I?

When my Mexican maternal grandmother died the month before I was born, she left the door between the worlds ajar. Conversations with my nana’s spirit instilled faith that I could converse with all spirits, from the consciousness of land to trees, herbs, and even ideas. Being raised a Christian Scientist taught me the power of mind over matter and instilled the authority and responsibility for my own wellness through my Divine essence. This upbringing prepared me for my Witchcraft path that considers self-care as tending of my Divine spirit, illuminates the Divine light in all of Life, and teaches how to manifest Magick through our relationships, self-love, and personal healing.

Jamie's book list on magick and witchcraft as self-care and wellness

Discover why each book is one of Jamie's favorite books.

Why did Jamie love this book?

Reading High Magick, opened my eyes. Before my formal magickal training, I innately knew that Magick and Witchcraft open a path to access the divinity within. My Wiccan Elder High Priestess recognized this inner sight and chose me for private Magickal lessons with tailored parables in the oral, storytelling Goddess tradition. I didn’t realize I had been learning High Magick. Although structured in a linear, Divine Male perspective, this book offers the same endpoint: Magick is a direct connection to the Divine Source. I have always applied magick to transform trauma into wellbeing and Damien Echols, sentenced to death and later acquitted, did the same. By incorporating magickal practices, he preserved his humanity and safeguarded himself against negativity, thus elevating his awareness to envision his release from prison.

High Magick

By Damien Echols,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked High Magick as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Magick is not a path for followers; it is a path for questioners, seekers, and anyone who has trouble settling for dogma and pre-formulated answers. Magick is for those who feel the desire to peel away the surface of reality and see what lies beneath. Like various persecuted forms of mysticism, magick promotes direct contact with the source of creation."
-Damien Echols

Discover a Powerful Practice for Transforming Yourself and Your Reality

At age 18, Damien Echols was sentenced to death for a crime he didn't commit. "I spent my years in prison training to be a true magician," he…


Shakti Woman

By Vicki Noble,

Book cover of Shakti Woman: Feeling Our Fire, Healing Our World

Jamie Della Author Of The Book of Spells: The Magick of Witchcraft

From the list on magick and witchcraft as self-care and wellness.

Who am I?

When my Mexican maternal grandmother died the month before I was born, she left the door between the worlds ajar. Conversations with my nana’s spirit instilled faith that I could converse with all spirits, from the consciousness of land to trees, herbs, and even ideas. Being raised a Christian Scientist taught me the power of mind over matter and instilled the authority and responsibility for my own wellness through my Divine essence. This upbringing prepared me for my Witchcraft path that considers self-care as tending of my Divine spirit, illuminates the Divine light in all of Life, and teaches how to manifest Magick through our relationships, self-love, and personal healing.

Jamie's book list on magick and witchcraft as self-care and wellness

Discover why each book is one of Jamie's favorite books.

Why did Jamie love this book?

I admire and deeply respect Vicki Noble, a wild, witchy woman whose legacy and ongoing activity paved the path for reviving the Goddess. Her book, Shakti Woman, was bequeathed to me from my best friend’s magickal collection after she crossed to the Other Side. This book is a fierce reclamation of the Divine Feminine within each of us and a rallying cry for equalizing the imbalance of energy that has caused so much mental, physical and spiritual instability, and pain. When the female is left out of the divine, we all suffer, and our Magick and Witchcraft are covered up. Shakti Woman brings us to wholeness because when we see ourselves as equally God and Goddess then we come to know that self-care is how we tend the Divine within. 

Shakti Woman

By Vicki Noble,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Shakti Woman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is a guide to awakening women's shamanic powers for self healing and the healing of the planet.


Healing Magic

By Robin Rose Bennett,

Book cover of Healing Magic: A Green Witch Guidebook to Conscious Living

Jamie Della Author Of The Book of Spells: The Magick of Witchcraft

From the list on magick and witchcraft as self-care and wellness.

Who am I?

When my Mexican maternal grandmother died the month before I was born, she left the door between the worlds ajar. Conversations with my nana’s spirit instilled faith that I could converse with all spirits, from the consciousness of land to trees, herbs, and even ideas. Being raised a Christian Scientist taught me the power of mind over matter and instilled the authority and responsibility for my own wellness through my Divine essence. This upbringing prepared me for my Witchcraft path that considers self-care as tending of my Divine spirit, illuminates the Divine light in all of Life, and teaches how to manifest Magick through our relationships, self-love, and personal healing.

Jamie's book list on magick and witchcraft as self-care and wellness

Discover why each book is one of Jamie's favorite books.

Why did Jamie love this book?

I felt a kindred spirit in Robin Rose Bennett, author of Healing Magic, when I interviewed her for an article in SageWoman Magazine. She has her own school, WiseWoman Healing Ways-Herbal Medicine and EarthSpirit Teachings. We passionately agree that respectfully connecting with the unique conscious spirits of the plant world as the foundation of Green Witchcraft. Healing Magic emphasizes that the rote memorization of plant’s attributes is not nearly as imperative as humbly communicating with herbal allies, especially when asking for their healing powers of self-care and wellness. This book teaches a path to connect with the emotional intelligence of the natural world that will in effect bolster the healing powers of connection and personal Magick.

Healing Magic

By Robin Rose Bennett,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Healing Magic as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The green witch’s “down to earth, and inspiring” guide to the art of magical healing through herbal remedies, spells and enchantments, health-enchancing foods, and much more (Rosemary Gladstar)
 
Filled with stories, songs, rituals, recipes, meditations, and trance journeys that outline more than 100 ways to practice the art of magical healing, this guidebook to conscious living by renowned herbalist Robin Rose Bennett makes it easy to follow the path to physical and spiritual health. In the tradition of natural witchcraft, Healing Magic, 10th Anniversary Edition presents step-by-step instructions for conducting earth-centered rituals, preparing herbal remedies, and casting spells to enchant…


Soul Retrieval

By Sandra Ingerman,

Book cover of Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self

Jamie Della Author Of The Book of Spells: The Magick of Witchcraft

From the list on magick and witchcraft as self-care and wellness.

Who am I?

When my Mexican maternal grandmother died the month before I was born, she left the door between the worlds ajar. Conversations with my nana’s spirit instilled faith that I could converse with all spirits, from the consciousness of land to trees, herbs, and even ideas. Being raised a Christian Scientist taught me the power of mind over matter and instilled the authority and responsibility for my own wellness through my Divine essence. This upbringing prepared me for my Witchcraft path that considers self-care as tending of my Divine spirit, illuminates the Divine light in all of Life, and teaches how to manifest Magick through our relationships, self-love, and personal healing.

Jamie's book list on magick and witchcraft as self-care and wellness

Discover why each book is one of Jamie's favorite books.

Why did Jamie love this book?

Witchcraft offers a path for incorporating Magickal ritual into a healing practice. When we experience trauma, we fragment our spirit and these disconnected parts become our shadow selves that block the manifestation of our deepest desires. This is what happened to me and why I weave together Magick and retrieving lost parts of our souls. Only when we come to wholeness with the deep healing practices found in Soul Retrieval can we reclaim these splintered aspects of self and focus all, not merely part, of our energy onto creating the life of our dreams. Soul Retrieval helped me address my mental wellness and release suffering, which has in turn given me a magick touch for manifestation.

Soul Retrieval

By Sandra Ingerman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Soul Retrieval as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

With warmth and compassion, Sandra Ingerman describes the dramatic results of combining soul retrieval with contemporary psychological concepts in this visionary work that revives the ancient shamanic tradition of soul retrieval for healing emotional and physical illness. This revised and updated edition includes a new afterword by the author.


Living The 80/20 Way

By Richard Koch,

Book cover of Living The 80/20 Way: Work Less, Worry Less, Succeed More, Enjoy More

Carl Phillips Author Of Simplify - from Inside Out

From the list on help you live a simpler life.

Who am I?

The origin story on my blog reflects some of my story best. After a period of reflection several years ago, I realised I was accumulating more in my life. More things that didn’t matter. More commitments I wasn’t truly passionate about keeping. More friction! So, I started to take some action. That action has meant: I have made good on long-term threats to write and for the last 10 years I have been writing at my blog and authored an expanding list of short books full of big ideas (all under the umbrella of simplifying life). I have accumulated less material possessions but enjoyed more (travel and holidays, events, life experiences).

Carl's book list on help you live a simpler life

Discover why each book is one of Carl's favorite books.

Why did Carl love this book?

We come more up-to-date with my third book recommendation. However, this book was no less transformative for me. Richard Koch’s books around the 80/20 principle were a paradigm-shifting fork in the road for me personally. They came at a time in my life when I was feeling somewhat overwhelmed and really needed them. I credit them with being one of the main reasons I became invested in my own simplicity journey.  

This book (and others by the same author on 80/20) had such a profound effect on me that they influenced the name of my own company when I set it up 10 years ago. 80/20 is a concept I return to often in my own writing and I believe it is a close relative to simplicity. A powerful tool we can all learn to leverage. 

Living The 80/20 Way

By Richard Koch,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Living The 80/20 Way as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

If you knew that you could always get more of the great things that life has to offer, with less effort and cost, would you be interested? If you could find a simple solution to your problems by following a way that always works, would you be interested? If you could work a two-day week, and yet get much better results and pay than you do for a full week now, would you be interested? If that way applied not just to making a living, to money, or success, but also to the even more important areas of life -…


Mastery

By Robert Greene,

Book cover of Mastery

Matt Jardine Author Of How to be a Buddhist Millionaire: 9 practical steps to being happy in a materialist world

From the list on making an abundant living doing work you love.

Who am I?

I have been fascinated by human potential for as long as I can remember. As a youth, my passion manifested in physical skills, pursuing a career in professional tennis, then in martial arts, for example. In my twenties, my interest included the mental and ‘spiritual’ side of life, too. Later, a young family needing to be fed forced me to consider yet another area of life to ‘master’: work and business. With so much of our lives spent in the workplace (a third), it seemed the perfect environment to test all that I had learnt about pushing the boundaries of human potential; mind, body, emotions, and spirit.

Matt's book list on making an abundant living doing work you love

Discover why each book is one of Matt's favorite books.

Why did Matt love this book?

Although I write within the genre of ‘Self-help’ and ‘Personal Growth’, as a reader, I am put off by titles that are too wishy-washy, saccharine, or worse, untested. 

Remember the saying, ‘Don’t walk in the footsteps of the masters, seek what they sought’? This is an important reminder for us to find and test our own truths rather than blindly follow others.  

For this reason, I recommend any work by Robert Greene, but particularly Mastery

Greene is a master at cutting through the hyperbole and getting to the core of what drives human behaviour and improved productivity without the weird bells and whistles.

His well thought-out ideas are based on evidence, road tested, backed-up by interesting case studies and applicable to our lives. 

Mastery

By Robert Greene,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mastery as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the bestselling author of The 48 Laws of Power and The Laws of Human Nature, a vital work revealing that the secret to mastery is already within you.

Each one of us has within us the potential to be a Master. Learn the secrets of the field you have chosen, submit to a rigorous apprenticeship, absorb the hidden knowledge possessed by those with years of experience, surge past competitors to surpass them in brilliance, and explode established patterns from within. Study the behaviors of Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Leonardo da Vinci and the nine contemporary Masters interviewed for this…


5 book lists we think you will like!

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