Book Review: Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor E. Frankl

Man's Search For Meaning is a staple in the Personal Development and Psychological world. The book is comprised of two parts; Viktor Frankl's incredible story and then the theory (Logotherapy) which came from this experience.

Viktor E. Frankl recounts the horrors of living in the Death Camps of Nazi Germany through the eyes of a psychiatrist. Shortly after his admittance, he becomes curious as to what attributes to the survival of some and the demise of so many.  In circumstances which soon equalize all who enter, how is it that some prisoners live on for years while other quickly die? A clue to the answer: "everything can be taken from man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

In the ultimate test of one's psychology, as you learn of the horrors of what went on within the camps, it is impossible not to wonder... if faced with such circumstances, how would you show up? would you be amongst the few that lived or the many that perish.

Worth noting, Viktor Frankl does a fantastic job of recounting and not dimissing the horrors of what happenned within the camp without diving into all the details which could turn off some readers.

The second part of the book is the science behind it all.  Quite frankly (no pun intended), this part isn't for everyone.  Although valuable to all, it is a tough read.  There is more information packed into one paragraph than found in entire psychology text books. As Viktor himself notes, the 60 pages which comprise the end of the book are a compilation of twenty volumes in German.  If you are a coach, tough it out. It is well wort the read.

Inspirational/Key Quotes & Excerpts:

"Man, however, is able to live and even die for the sake of his ideals and values!"

"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." - Nietzsche

"Live as if you were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first timeas wrongly as you are about to act now!"

"The more one forgets himself - by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love - the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself."

"We must never forget that we may also find meaning in life even when confronted with a hopeless situation, when facing a fate that cannot be changed. For what then matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into a triump, turn one's predicament into an achievement. When we are no longer able to change the situation... ... we are challenged to change ourselves."

"Consider a movie: it consistsof thousands upon thousands of individual pictures, and each of them makes sense and carries meaning, yet the meaning of the whole film cannot be seen before its last sequence is shown."

"People have enough to live by but nothing to live for; they have the means but no meaning."

If you joined me at my last seminar, you would have heard me talk about the meaning of life at the very end.  So again I say...

"Instead of asking 'What is the meaning of life?' ask, 'What is a life of meaning?'" - Bryce Healey

Your friend and Coach,
Bryce

Book Review: Eat Right For Your Type - Dr. Peter J D'Adamo

A few weeks ago (in the blog Food For Thought) I first mentioned the book, Eat Right For Your Type by Dr. Peter J D'Adamo and the results I am reaping from his research on the topic.  About 10 days I wrote  a follow-up (Food For Thought, Part 2) to that with the darkside of NOT eating well.

Today will be a quick lesson learned and then the review of the book.

MY BABBLINGS

In addition to following the guidelines set out by Eat Right For Your Blood Type I am just about to complete week #2 of P90X (an INTENSE 90 day exercise program).  On Tuesday, I completed the exercise routine and promply drank my 'Recovery Drink' (a protein shake of sorts formulated by the P90X group) and then, after a much needed shower, enjoyed your standard protein shake. 

About an hour later I found my energy levels crashing and soon my drive to do any work.... followed by my drive to do anything.  I found myself staring at my computer with no drive or desire to do any of the things I know are important or like to do. I did a few techniques to snap myself out of this brain fog, but alas, nothing was working for more than a short burst. Very frustrating considering a) I am a Coach and b) I am eating and exercising to have MORE energy.

Then the obvious dawned on me, the protein shakes are whey based which is derived from milk.  Being Blood Type O, I need to avoid dairy.  The next day I did my routine without the powders and I felt great! No brain fog, no drop in energy or mental clarity!

The fundamental awareness gained was the impact the most powerful drug we consume every day has on not only our body, but our mind.... that drug being food.  The effects are obvious (both immediately and the next day) when it comes to things like alcohol, so why not see food in that same light? 

THE REVIEW

And if you are interested in finding out what foods can give you super powers and which may be your kryptonite, Eat Right For Your Type is THE book to read.

I would highly recommend that EVERYONE read this book.  Even if you don't end up applying the guidelines, at least you can start making informed choices. Its the equivalent of going to the gas pump and having the knowlesge of choosing between Diesel, Biofuels, or the different octanes of gas.

What I love about this book is that it is written for a broad range of people.  For those of you who like to cut right to the chase, you can open to your Blood Type section and your customized guide is laid out for you breaking down food into 16 different sections (with charts) as well as Meal Plans, Recipes, Supplement Advisory, Exercise Guideline, and Personality Traits. Furthermore, the food categories are then clearly broken down into which foods (with an extensive list) are Benefitial for your blood type, Neutral, and which to Avoid.

For those of you that need a little more convincing and like to understand the method behind the madness, there is a very interesting history of blood type evolution alongside the human race.  It also dives into the scientific side of things as well.

Dr Peter D'Adamo does an incredible job of condensing TONS of information into an easy to read book and does an equally amazing job of balancing the scientific mumbo jumbo with common everyday language. This book will not make it to my bookshelf as I will be refering to it WAY to often.  Instead, it will be the perfect coffee table book.

Our bodies and our minds effect one another and we are all unique.  This book is a crucial piece of the puzzle in understanding the bigger picture of how we function as indivudals.

Go get it!

Your friend and Coach,
Bryce

Book Review: Life's Golden Ticket

Hi everyone:

One thing you will start to see more and more of on this blog is Book Reviews.  A part of my own personal growth as well as to learn how to become an even more effective Coach, is reading books. In order to give you some insight into what books might be worth a read, I will be posting a quick summary and review of all the books and audio programs I complete.

Links are included to Amazon if you want to order yours right away.



This is the perfect book to start my book reviews.

At just over 200 pages, this is an easy read you won't want to put down! It is written by Brendon Burchard (Experts Academy as well as High Performance Academy and many other high quality/value seminars and online courses).

Life's Golden Ticket will help you connect with yourself and what is trully important in life. Its a wonderful story of man who goes looking for answers and ends up on a magical journey of self discovery.  Brendon Burchard manages to keep the writing light while we examine some of our own heavy issues. A must read for any personal development enthusiast and/or Coach.

I wish I could give more details, but I dare not spoil the surprises and amazing tail to be told. Just go get it already!

Dream your life. Live your dreams.

Your friend and Coach,
Bryce