The Gift [Hardcover]

As a speaker and trainer for over 20 years, I have often quoted Dr. Helmstetter's earlier books in my presentations on self-esteem and successfull goal setting. This book is the best yet because of how concisely he isolates 12 major-but-simple techniques anyone can use to improve their lives. In fact, a reader can pick and choose what chapter to read to fit a particular circumstances.

I bought extra copies of this book to give to people I care about. Recently I was visiting a friend in her real-estate office. She pulled out her now well-worn, bookmarked copy of the book I had given her several weeks ago to help her through a business slump. She told me how priceless she thought the book was and how much she was benefiting from it. However, she was equally excited because she been able to share parts of it with her teenage daughter, who then asked to borrow the book to share with another friend who needed to work on her self-esteem. (My friend got another copy for the girls because she will not give up her own!)

I have read all of Dr. Helmstetter's books and know that he has already changed many lives, but I truly believe this is his best book yet. There is something in this book for everyone, and the real gift you give yourself when you have this book is the joy of sharing it with someone else.

Normally, I read a book because I feel it "calling me."

But this book was given to me by a sales rep for Arbonne International who was trying to convince me to not only become a sales rep, but to also give her a list of prospects in an area that she had been trying to tap into for some time.

While she learned from me that neither of these approaches worked for me, because I know what I am meant to be doing, and I not only am doing, but I also value my resources too much to even consider parting with them, I did choose to read this book.

The "Gift" is that we are all born with the ability and right to not only dream, but to also fulfill our dreams.

And, to fulfill our dreams we all need twelve tools. They are:

1. Surrounding yourself with success;
This comes down to envisioning yourself amongst people who
bridge what you lack, who encourage you to be your
authentic self.

This also requires you to take time everyday to check in
with your spirit, and reaffirm your partnership with your
spirit.

2. Choice;
With a healthy sense of what is right and wrong, you create
choice for yourself.

3. Helping other people to grow;
This requires excellent listening skills, where you are
fully in the moment, compassionate and whole.

A by-product of helping others to grow is that you too will
grow.

4. Believing in yourself;
One of the most important things that I do that affirms my
belief in myself is to introspectively write everyday,
about my experiences with others. I write from the worst
to the best, then, respond in the same introspection from
the other person's perspective with these 6 sentence stems
(Thank you ..., for ... I understand ... I am sorry ... You
deserve ... I want ... I love/admire ...)

The results are always wonderfully amazing.

5. Changing your self-talk;
Because we are all influenced by attitudes of those who we
interact with, our self-talk may be limiting what we are
capable of. We need to compassionately respond to our
inner selves, as though we are talking to little children.

This is how we evolve.

6. Exceptional attitude;
To me, this doesn't necessarily mean always being positive,
because to always be positive means to not allow yourself
to experience what is not right, for you.

You've got to find balance, where you are free to own,
admit, experience and express your truth; direct yourself to
matter you desire.

7. Finding your focus;
Deep, relaxed breathing does the trick.

8. Setting great goals;
Great goals take you further along your life's mission.

9. Taking control of your time and your life;
When you know what your life mission is, and you choose to
live everyday doing what is within your life mission, you
take control of your time and your life.

10. Putting yourself into action;
If you have trouble executing your goal, maybe that goal
isn't yours. To achieve, and actually surpass that goal,
you must have intention. And you must enjoy seeing yourself
doing what it takes to achieve that goal.

Sometimes this takes getting indignant with yourself - then
choosing to rise like the phoenix.

11. Never giving up;
This is where being around successful people is
important. They will freely encourage you to stay
focused upon remembering your dreams.

12. Doing something you love.
This is giving yourself permission to be yourself. And it
is something that if you don't do it, for some time, your
life is not balanced.

The 12 concepts are great...but getting to them isn't. The book reads like an infomercial for a company which shall be nameless (in this review at least.) You will get a lot more out of Helmstetter's book "What to Say When You Talk to Yourself." There's really nothing new here. Good information hidden among the sales pitch for <the company which shall be nameless>.