Asking me as NLP trainer which books I love is asking me to favorite one of my children to be honest.
“What are your favorite non-NLP books?” I am often asked as both working as an NLP Trainer as well in life. Through different stages of my life, I have liked and used different books. It is hard to pick.
But here are some books I love to read for personal use, as well as reference in my work as an NLP Trainer and coach. I made a selection of those that are fore sure somewhere in my top 15.
5 Books an NLP trainer loves
Man’s Search for Meaning – Victor Frankl
Aside from an incredible account of the Auschwitz death camps, my particular interest goes out to what Frankl calls “Logotherapy.” It describes the thought patterns of a survivor, as opposed to a victim. Being a psychotherapist himself, he interviewed survivors after the war. When I read the account of the grandfather of a good friend of mine -an Auschwitz survivor- his self published book revealed the exact same thought pattern. It is a choice to be a survivor instead of a victim.
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
The underlying theme is happiness, and how it is achieved by being fully involved in an activity. Where every thought, action, emotion, movement is naturally aligned. Chapter by chapter, many gems of knowledge are offered, even related to consciousness and unconsciousness. Flow is something we make happen ourselves, it is therefore a choice to achieve happiness.
Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes – William Bridges
It accurately describes the process of change, as I see it occur over and over in my own life, friends, family, and those of my clients. Each transition either voluntarily or involuntarily comes with three stages which are accompanied by specific emotional states. As the initial first two stages come with a host of unresourceful feelings such as anger or confusion. The last stage comes with resourceful feelings such as enthusiasm, hope and seeing the new life/plan take shape. I always remind myself, when I am in the two initial phases of change, that I will arrive in the third phase. In that, I feel there is a choice to know without a shadow of a doubt that things will get better and knowing how transition works for you to kick start the last phase faster.
The Biology of Belief – Bruce Lipton
This book gives scientific evidence that it isn’t our DNA or genetics that are a determining factor in our biology. The environment we expose ourselves to being the people we spend time with, the foods we eat, the thoughts we have, the environment we live in, and the things that we do. If someone wants to look for scientific evidence for spirituality, this is the book to read. We aren’t trapped into the biology of our parents, sooner we are trapped into our own beliefs. It is therefore our own choice, to create our own bodies.
Who Moved My Cheese – Spencer Johnson
This is a fun story, as to how to deal or move with change. It offers an amazing insight, as to how people deal differently with change. And offers the choice, to view change, as an event to be enjoyed.
And before anyone asks, my favorite books of all times are “A Man’s Search for Meaning” as well as “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
So much for what books this NLP Trainer loves. 🙂
