“Gratitude helps us to return to our natural state of joyfulness,” Ryan writes, “where we notice what’s right instead of what’s wrong. It makes us feel complete, that we have everything we need, at least in this moment.”

Included in the book are many stories of noted, as well as ordinary people, many who had gone through sometimes unimaginably difficult hardships. A Buddhist monk who lived through several wars in Vietnam expressed that, “Suffering is not enough. Life is both dreadful and wonderful […] How can I smile when I am filled with so much sorrow? It is natural — you need to smile to your sorrow because you are more than your sorrow.”

In this important, now classic bestseller, Ryan shows us that it is a measure of our humanity to have the freedom to choose one’s own attitude, in any circumstance that life may throw at us.

And that makes all the difference.

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“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

Often mistakenly attributed to Nelson Mandela, it is really the brainchild of Marianne Williamson, a spiritual activist, author, and lecturer, who has become something of an American Guru.  Perhaps the biggest selling self-help book of all time, A Return to Love was one of the first books ever endorsed by Oprah Winfrey and spent more than 39 weeks on the New York Times best sellers list.

And rightly so.

Her first of nine books, A Return to Love is based on her experiences as a teacher and lecturer on the self-study guide A Course in Miracles. Williamson shares her insights into how the practical application of love every day can provide an answer to the problems that confront us, whether these are in our relationships, our careers or our health.

The book is honest and inspiring, and it has changed many lives. Some have even described it as unearthing a treasure. We often forget that the concept of joy is also a part of the human condition. William explains that we must cultivate happiness.

I highly recommend A Return To Love, and hope that if you’ve not yet read it, you’ll enjoy it, too.  Here is the complete famed quotation to inspire you:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

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First up is A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose.  The author of the incredible The Power of Now, Tolle’s A New Earth is a #1 New York Times Bestseller and was chosen by Oprah Winfrey for her book club.  In this book Tolle gives us the tools to get us to the place where we understand the benefits of raising our awareness, and more importantly, he actually gets us to want to do go do it.

From Publisher’s Weekly:

According to Tolle, who assumes the role of narrator as well, humans are on the verge of creating a new world by a personal transformation that shifts our attention away from our ever-expanding egos. This idea is well realized through Tolle’s remarkably well-paced narration. Naturally, the author understands his material so thoroughly that he is able to convey it in an enjoyable manner, but Tolle’s gentle tone and dialect begs his audience’s attention simply through its straightforward approach. Something about this reading just seems profoundly important, whether one agrees with the material or not, and listeners’ attention is sure to be captured within seconds of listening to Tolle’s take on the universe in which we live. Originally released in 2005, both book and audiobook were reissued when Oprah Winfrey chose the title for her book club this year.

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