Personal Development for Smart People
by Steve Pavlina: A Review

Steve Pavlina is #1 in personal development on the internet. He is a prolific self-help writer and his website attracts two million visitors each month. It is one of my favorite go-to websites, offering more than 700 thought-provoking articles on life, love, careers, health, lucid dreams, inspiration and plenty more.

(In fact, I was fortunate enough to have Steve interview me on how I created World of Lucid Dreaming. I did it using an exceptional beginner's guide to creating a profitable website - called Site Build It. Visit StevePavlina.com to read the full interview and see how easy it could be to create your own work-at-home dream.)

In October 2008, Steve published his first book, titled Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth. The book received an extremely positive response from Amazon reviewers (4.7 out of 5 stars) and is being touted as THE best book on personal growth. Besides personal development, it's no secret that Steve Pavlina is also a fan of lucid dreaming. He has has written numerous articles on his website about lucid dreams, consciousness, the nature of reality and similar concepts - without alienating those who haven't experienced this kind of amazing mind phenomena before. It's well worth checking out.

Personal Development for Smart People

If you like Steve Pavlina's website - you'll like the book too. It's written in his usual confident, to-the-point style, accessible to anyone who considers themselves "a smart person". How do you know if you are a smart person? As Steve himself puts it: if you have to ask, you probably aren't.

The basic premise of Personal Development for Smart People is this: there are seven universal growth principles in this world. They are all connected and yet can all be applied independently to any area of your life - habits, careers, finances, relationships, health, spiritual development, and others.

The book is broken down into two parts; first the fundamental principles, then the practical applications of them. In his inimitable style, Steve makes it abundantly clear what you need to do to make changes in your life for the better. The result is an engrossing read with clear real life applications.

The Fundamental Principles

Here is a brief summary of those fundamental principles. If some of these words scream "cliche!" at you, look beyond it until you see the underlying principle he's really getting at.

• Truth - accept reality and rid your life of falsehood and denial
• Love - improve your ability to connect with yourself and others
• Power - build your motivation and discipline to create the life you desire
• Oneness - stop fighting against resistance, and make the world your ally
• Authority - take command of your life, and learn to make clear decisions
• Courage - summon the inner strength to take action in spite of fear
• Intelligence - live authentically, and express your genuine creativity

This first half of the book gives you a big picture to relate to, with each chapter focusing on a specific principle. Already you will see ways to improve the way you live and relate to the world around you. It is not at all abstract or "fluffy", but fueled by literal concepts based on Steve's real life experience.

The Practical Applications

The second half of the book takes these seven concepts and lays out a practical guidebook for personal growth. With specific instructions, Steve explains how to change your life by applying the principles in key areas.

With this knowledge, you can change:

• Habits - create a daily routine that gives you a sense of flow
• Career - build a career you're truly passionate about
• Money - achieve financial abundance without compromising your integrity
• Health - adopt health habits that empower your physical body
• Relationships - enjoy loving relationships that help you grow
• Spirituality - raise your awareness and live more consciously

Your Universal Growth Compass

Steve describes his unique set of principles and guidelines as a "universal growth compass". This sums up the broad application of the seven laws which most of us fail to recognize in day-to-day life - until now, that is.

Steve has a very grounded view of reality, and yet he is not afraid to tackle abstract concepts from different walks of life. His writing is compelling; it always leaves me with that "aha!" feeling which inspires me to implement his advice right away. In fact, I've no doubt that once you read Personal Development for Smart People, you will adopt a different life strategy altogether.

For instance, you might suddenly wonder why you go about the same mundane day job - when you could pursue your life purpose; something that really gives you reason to evolve as a person. Steve offers intelligent ways to identify which career path is right for you, and that, it seems, is the main problem people face. Armed with this new drive or life purpose, you will seek out new ways to earn a living and fulfil your basic needs as a creative human being.

Or perhaps you find it hard to connect with strangers. In this case, a single adjustment in your perception can turn anyone into a friend who you feel you have known your whole life. I understand this is not an easy step - but it is manageable with time, and Steve offers constructive ways to adjust your outlook accordingly, with powerful techniques like The Time Travel Meditation.

In fact, Steve Pavlina argues that any specific problem can be corrected when armed with this principle-centered approach to personal growth. So if you are feeling unfulfilled in one or more areas of your life, or just want an intelligent read that may make you think twice... Take a look at Personal Development for Smart People - and find yourself empowered to change your life.

You can buy Personal Development for Smart People through Amazon. And while you wait for your book to arrive, read the first chapter online for free. Enjoy ;)

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