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“The 7 Graces of Marketing” by Lynn Serafinn: A Review

January 5, 2012 By ireneconlan Leave a Comment

By Irene Conlan -

This book was long overdue and Serafinn has done a brilliant job of taking us from what marketing is now to what it can be. The 7 Graces of Marketing was not just a breath of fresh air for me – It was a gale. It wasn’t at all what I expected – a dry treatise on marketing with a touch of spirituality thrown in for good measure. What I found it to be was a knock-your-socks-off journey from traditional marketing as we know it now to a holistic approach to marketing that has the potential of healing the planet. Literally. This new approach is based on a foundation of deep spiritual principles and science that could bring trust back into the art of selling and ultimately take us from fierce competition to remarkable and productive collaboration.

Key words such as “sin,” “grace,” “inspiration,” are carefully and clearly defined leaving no room for ambiguity and, while at first glance, you think she may be “pushing” the content to make her point, the content rings true. She makes her case with “7 Key Relationships,” “7 Deadly Sins of Marketing” and “7 Graces of Marketing.” Contrived? I thought so until I read it. On reflection I couldn’t think of anything she could take away or anything she could add to it and it all makes perfect sense. As she says on several occasions, “It is science.”

The book is rich in stories that keep you fascinated, deeply spiritual in a way that makes your heart and soul sing along, filled with facts that make you understand what has happened to us through marketing and what can happen through a change to holistic, human based, planet-concentric marketing. I fully intend to read it again because it is so rich that you can’t possibly digest it all in one read.

Who should read this book? Anyone who buys or sells anything and that includes most of us. Every student sitting in a marketing class should have it assigned as required reading, and the head of every marketing firm and every director of marketing should read it at least once. Some won’t “get it” the first time around but it will gradually seep in as their own soul responds to it after their intellect has finished reading it to the end.

Furthermore, anyone who grits his/her teeth when a pushy marketer or salesperson unleashes his pitch should read this book to know that it doesn’t have to be this way. Anyone who deletes the ubiquitous emails with large, bold, brightly colored type face that screams about how you MUST have whatever it is but never tells you how much it costs and goes on for pages and pages ending in a video that seems to play for a lifetime – they will love this book. Their messages? “You can get rich fast. You can lose weight now. You can end snoring. You can sleep. You can buy cheap medicine. Yes you can. Just sign up now. And, please give us your credit card information.” If you’re tired of those e-mails and the TV ads that promise sex with almost anything you buy – read this book.

Without any sexy, pushy hype, I encourage you to read “The Seven Graces of Marketing.”

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Self Improvement Tagged With: holistic marketing, Lynn Serafinn, Marketing, self improvement, The 7 Graces of Marketing

Life is a Choice: A Guide to Success in Life. A Review

December 29, 2011 By ireneconlan Leave a Comment

By Irene Conlan -

There are people who believe that life happens to them, that they are victims of circumstance and that success comes to others by some quirk of fate. Dr. David Washington is not one of them. He believes that “Life is a Choice” and he wrote a book by that name to be “A Guide to Success in Life.”

What this book is not is a dry tome of stuffy ideas written by an ivory-tower- dweller who never worked outside of academia. It is not a vehicle for the author to let everyone know how amazing he is. And it is not a text book that, once read, sits on the shelf to gather dust and never be touched again.

What it is is is a collection of valuable tips on how to take yourself from where you are to where you want to be. It is a small book written by a man who lived it and wrote it from the heart. It is an easy to read book that can fit in your pocket or your purse to be read when you have a minute or need a nudge of encouragement.

This is a brilliant little book that speaks to you of courage and “can do.” It is practical and down to earth. It isn’t “pie in the sky” as much as it is “here’s the stuff, you can make a better pie” if you want to and work at it. It talks about not quitting and it speaks of attitude. It admonishes you to stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.

It isn’t that it gives you anything startlingly new but that the man who wrote it lived it first and you can count on to be sound, to be true, to be real.

This book should be on the desk of everyone in management of any kind. It should be in high schools, in college schools of business and in management. It should be in the hands of every entrepreneur and/or every CEO in a major corporation. Why? Because it is honest. It tells you the truth without fluff or sugar coating and it makes the dream seem real and reachable. It is, indeed, a guide to success in life

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Self Improvement Tagged With: Life is a choice, self improvement, success in life

LoveParent by Betsy Thompson – A Review

December 8, 2011 By ireneconlan Leave a Comment

By Irene Conlan -

Betsy Thompson’s book, LoveParent , is a spiritual approach to parenting. For those of us who are parents of adults our response most likely is “Oh, why didn’t I know this when my children were born?” Those of you who are new parents may say, “Oh, I wish my parents had known this.” And you will think as you read it, “ What a wonderful way to raise my child” Those of you who are traditional “I’m the boss around here” kind of parents, pay attention because it’s not too late to realize that your child is a unique human being who may need a different parenting style to fit the times we’re in. If you believe in “Spare the rod and spoint the child,” please read this book and consider seriously what Betsy has to say.

This book is so loving, so kind, so aware of a newborn’s needs and what a child knows and wants. She tunes in to teens brilliantly and gives exciting ideas about how to help them grow into adults and triumph over the challenges they meet as teens.

This is not a “run of the mill” parenting book. It will help you gain an enormous respect for your child and help you tune in more and more to your own heart and the heart of your child when grappling with a problem about discipline, rules or guidance. This is a “must read” for spiritually oriented parents. If fact it is a “must read” for parents who want to consider every facet of and approach to parenting. Raising children is not a “one size fits all” proposition and this book helps you understand and accept the individuality and uniqueness of each child entrusted to your care.

Betsy sums up her approach with the statement, “Give him the freedom to be himself. He knows what is realistic to achieve and what is not. Respect what he does well. Believe in his abilities and his ambitions. What more can you give a child? If he appreciates his energy and finds pleasure in his existence, he has everything.”

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Self Improvement Tagged With: Discipline, Love parent, loving your child, parenting, self improvement

Why Wait? The Baby Boomers’ Guide to Preparing Emotionally, Financially & Legally for a Parent’s Death – A Review

December 1, 2011 By ireneconlan Leave a Comment

By Irene Conlan -

This is a book that is long overdue and is a must read for those who have aging parents as well as for the aging parents themselves. This book is filled with the wisdom about caring for aging parents that comes from experience and with the compassion that comes from love. Brent walked the path first and then wrote about it in an effort to help others avoid some of the pain,confusion and pitfalls she had to experience in caring for her aging father.

Our society has kept the subject of death and dying hush-hush. It wasn’t a subject we talked about as if not avoiding it would keep it from happening to us or our loved ones. Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross brought it to the forefront with her revolutionary book, On Death and Dying in 1969. Since then many books about grief and grieving have been written and many websites are dedicated to the subject of grief.

There is little available, however, on how to prepare for your care when you begin to decline – becoming unable to totally care for yourself. Furthermore, there is little available to help your loved ones prepare for your decline and death. Carolyn Brent helps you find ways to do this kind of planning together BEFORE its to late to have a viable discussion.It isn’t ever pleasant but it is absolutely essential.

Brent covers such subjects as finding an acceptable long term care facility and what is expected from them and what they expect from you. She details caring for them in your home. She helps you approach the discussion about money issues, end of life directives, and care for the body after death. She talks openly about family upheavals, jealousies, interference and ultimatums. She gives encouragement to the caregiver and offers great tips on how to be a caregiver without ruining your own health in the process. In fact she touches on all those difficult and delicate issues that we don’t know how to deal with or how to approach discussing them with the ones we love. She bravely bares her own soul and emotions to describe personal experiences to make it real to you and help you see the necessity of addressing these painful subjects with all who are affected.

Why Wait? is well written, speaks to the issues without beating them to death, holds your attention and addresses critical information in an understandable way. I recommend that anyone approaching their older years read it and give it to their children. I recommend it to the children of aging parents. I recommend it to caregivers everywhere and I urge every Senior Center and geriatrics practitioner to have a copy of this book available. If you don’t have a copy, Why wait to get your copy of Why Wait?

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Self Improvement

The Vortex of Vulnerability

November 25, 2011 By Admin Leave a Comment

Excerpt from Journey To You: A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming Who You Were Born to Be, by Steve Olsher
There’s an old adage that says “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.”

And it’s dead wrong.

The fear of the devil you don’t know is much worse than the devil you do. Positioning yourself to look what you don’t know in the eye—and refusing to back down—will empower you to achieve breakthrough results.

The Vortex of Vulnerability will help cultivate this strength. It is composed of a four-step process. Each step will help you gain clarity as to who you are and why you do what you do.

When combined, the steps will help you move forward with conviction and purpose and reveal aspects of your life you aren’t consciously aware of but have a profound impact on your behavior.

Step One – Identify three recent times in your life when you absolutely “lost it.”

“Losing it” varies for different people. It might mean yelling at someone at the top of your lungs, sending a nasty email, or not returning someone’s phone call. The specific way in which you “lose it” isn’t important for this exercise.

Step Two – Identify three moments in your life that you would describe as having unequivocal, life-altering ramifications.

Such moments may be either positive or negative. The idea is to gain an understanding of the key moments in your life that helped shape you into the person you are today.

Step Three – Identify how you believe the world sees you versus how you’d ideally like to be seen.

This is known as a “disconnect” and there’s often a huge difference between these two frames of mind. While you may believe your actions reflect your conscious desires, this is seldom the case.

Step Four: Create a list of questions for which you’d like feedback.

Take this step only if you can handle constructive criticism from the people closest to you and are willing to risk the consequences.

I recognize that The Vortex of Vulnerability can be difficult and may have brought some dirt to the surface. So let’s take advantage of that dirt by planting some flowers! The next exercise, The Vortex of Invincibility, will open your eyes to areas of your life where your soul truly soars.

Known as America’s Reinvention Expert, Steve Olsher is the co-star of the ground-breaking film, The Keeper of the Keys, Founder of the Reinvention Workshop, Host of Reinvention Radio, Author of USA Book News’ “Self-Help Book of The Year” Journey To You: A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming Who You Were Born to Be, and an in-demand media guest who has appeared on ABC, Fox TV and more than 200 radio shows. To learn more, and for your FREE eBook copy of Journey To You: A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming Who You Were Born to Be, visit www.JourneyToYou.com.

Note: Content has been edited and omitted from Chapter 2 of “Journey To You: A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming Who You Were Born to Be”, by Steve Olsher to fit the purpose of this blog.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

A Review: Out of the Woods: Healing Lyme Disease – Body MInd and Spirit by Katina Makris

November 17, 2011 By ireneconlan Leave a Comment

By Irene Conlan -

Lyme disease. It sounds simple. It is not. It is a long term, debilitating assault on every aspect of your being. This is one woman’s story of her battle with this tick-related, spirochete-caused disease and it’s a story you won’t soon forget.

I didn’t want to read another book about someone’s illness – I’ve reviewed a number of them this year – and I thought that was enough. And so I procrastinated. But the radio interview with Katina Makris was just around the corner and I needed to get at it.

I read review books at breakfast and this one looked like it was worth about two weeks of oatmeal and eggs. I picked it up on Thursday and, instead of quitting when I finished eating, I stepped out of character and finished the chapter. On Friday, I read two chapters and on Saturday I moved from the breakfast table to the living room, book in hand, and read until I finished it. I couldn’t put it down. Not only does Katina Makris tell a compelling story, but she is as brilliant an artist with words as she is with a palette of paint. Her descriptions draw you in and make you a part of the experience.

A health care professional as well as a healer, she writes about the course of this incapacitating illness both as a doctor and as a patient. Sliding from a robust, healthy homeopathic physician with a very active family and busy practice, she rapidly became a bedridden woman who could barely hold her head up. As the disease progressed her life crumbled around her.

Her story could belong to any one of us who may be at the wrong place at the wrong time and come into contact with the spirochete that causes Lyme disease. The question is, could we meet it head on it with the courage, determination and grit that Makris did? She shares it all for our benefit – the highs and the very low lows. She opens her soul for us and shares the emotions in all their “glory” – the fear, the discouragement, the exhaustion, the doubt, the feelings of abandonment and helplessness and she buoys us up with her courage, her hope for recovery and her determination to get well.

Her journey through Lyme disease is, however, more than simply a medical one. It is also a spiritual one. Makris states,

“May my story bring help and hope to those of you who need it. Healing is a journey of the deepest order. It comes from within. By opening your heart to its whimpering, the answers will come. You will be set free. May each and every one of you be graced with the power of love. It is eternal. We are all eternal. This I know.”

Who should read this book? Anyone who has experienced a debilitating chronic illness such as Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Lyme disease as well as anyone whose loved one has the misfortune to have one of them. It will help you understand what is happening and give you hope that there may be an end to it sometime, somehow. Health care workers of all kinds need to hear the descriptions of the bone tiredness, the mental confusion, the aches and pains that appear and disappear so you can give the kind of informed and loving support that someone with this type of illness needs. And anyone who loves brilliant storytelling and descriptions that make everything come to life inside your mind should get this book and plan to spend some time – just you and the book – because you probably won’t be able to put it down.

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: book review, Katina Makris, Lyme Disease

A Review: The ZPoint Process for Peace by Grant Connolly

November 15, 2011 By ireneconlan 1 Comment

By Irene Conlan -

On October 27, Grant Connolly, the creator of the ZPoint Process was on The Self Improvement Show, broadcasting from Istanbul, Turkey. That alone was memorable but not nearly as memorable as what he teaches. Generally I publish a review the day I have a guest on the show but this time I could not. I hadn’t completed the full 21 days of the program and didn’t feel it was fair to write about something I hadn’t finished.

Initially I did the first half of the program from the perspective of a reviewer, a critic, if you will. I soon realized that looking at it from this point of view did not do it justice and I asked Grant to send me the full program. I started from the beginning with a clear intention and a mind and heart open to any change it might initiate.

The recordings themselves are high quality. Connolly has a voice that is well suited to relaxation, and everything was done to precision. From the viewpoint of a reviewer only, the jury was out. It seemed at times tedious and slow and I found myself fidgeting and looking at the clock. However, when I listened to them with a set intention for improvement and an open heart and mind ready to receive, there was a dramatic shift. I looked forward to the session and didn’t want it to end. I was engaged for the full thirty minutes of each recording. The teaching that energy follows intention is oh, so true.

As a reviewer, my conscious mind wanted to take over and run the show – and it did – to the detriment of both the review and any benefit to me. As a fully engaged participant I still had to let go and let my subconscious mind to its job but this time it was relatively easy.

In the first recording Connolly tells you that this program will help you “clean up” things that stress you and that cause you not to like yourself – that it’s a healing process that works with the subconscious mind. He emphasizes that you don’t have to make anything happen because you own subconscious mind knows how to do that very well. I understand the power of the subconscious mind – I didn’t doubt that – but I have heard some pretty “heavy duty claims” by many programs and have become something of a skeptic.

His website claims:

Using ZPoint can quickly transform your life by completely releasing difficult or painful feelings associated with traumatic memories, difficult relationships or life situations. You can start to move past difficult, intense, or unwanted feelings and start living a happier, more peaceful and positive life right away!

My thought? Yeah, right!

I am delighted to report that he is right. The claims are valid with the caveat that you approach the program with the right intention and the desire for change to take place.

Because I have experienced so many programs that didn’t live up to their claims, I didn’t expect any immediately noticeable results. I thought they would be very subtle if noticeable at all. I figured that perhaps subtle change would be perceptible by the time I ended the three weeks or sometime after that. On about the fifth day, I became aware of an overwhelming feeling of well being unlike anything I have experienced before. It happened again a couple of times during the three weeks and that experience alone made it all worth wile. I find that I am less rattled by things that go wrong or are hard to accomplish. I can get more done in less time and the feeling of peacefulness and well being persists.

I have experienced a lot of “self improvement programs” over the years, but this is by far the most beneficial.

I highly recommend this program. In fact, if you click the TOOLS tab on the Home page of this blog you will see that I’ve added it to my list of recommended self-improvement tools.

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Self Improvement Tagged With: Grant Connolly, Self Improvement Tools, Zpoint process

A Review – Healing With Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey

November 10, 2011 By ireneconlan Leave a Comment

By Irene Conlan -

Diana Raab’s book, Healing With Words: A Writer’s Cancer Story is a three-time blessing. She writes a poignant story of her battle with cancer from the first detection of a lump in her breast until reconstructive surgery after the mastectomy. She gives the reader instructions about journaling and, at the end of each chapter, asks questions that stimulate deep reflection about the reader’s own journey Finally, she gives us her own thought provoking and heart tugging poetry all along the way.

It is a very brave telling of a difficult story that no one wants to be a part of. She lays bare her soul and lets us feel her fears, her anger, her concern and, yes, even her self-pity. (We all deserve a little self-pity now and then when tough times just seem to be getting tougher and tougher). She shares with us her most intimate thoughts about her breasts and what they mean to her and her feelings that she was going to be a lesser woman. It would be nice to think there are no others who go through this – but we all know that most women share this feeling even if they are reluctant to give voice to it. Diana allows them walk through it with her. She doesn’t hold back and she doesn’t give up.

A great strength of the book is that she doesn’t judge or devalue her feelings. They are what they are and she lets you see them all – and sometimes you can feel them along with her. Sometimes they last for what you might consider “far too long.” Sometimes you may want to say to her, “Get on with it.” The tears flow often and copiously and she tells us about them. Please pay attention. It’s o.k. to feel what you feel and not keep those emotions bottled up to fester inside you. This is a special gift Diana gives you – to know it’s o.k. to feel your feelings and cry your tears. This is real. This is what she was facing. It is down to rock bottom honesty and I commend her for being so open and sharing so freely. Many women are being helped by it even as we read this.

And, after winning the battle with breast cancer and coming to terms with her changed body, she received another ominous diagnosis – multiple myeloma – and four years after that diagnosis she states: “In spite of everything, I try to wake up in the morning happy to be alive and with joy in my heart. I believe it is very important to surround myself with those who bring only positive and nurturing energy into my life. Being surrounded by joy brings joy and helps you move forward toward your dreams.”

Who should read this book? Every woman with a diagnosis of breast cancer (or any cancer) and every man who’s wife or lover is affected by it. If you know someone who has recently received the diagnosis of breast cancer, give them a copy of the book, a lovely bound journal and a really great pen. It could, in all possibility, be a life saving gift.

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Self Improvement

A Review of the Award Winning Book – The Human Hologram by Dr. Robin Kelly

November 3, 2011 By ireneconlan Leave a Comment

By Irene Conlan -

Editor’s note: Robin Kelly was notified yesterday that he was awarded Science Book of the Year at the 2011 USA Best Books Awards‘ Congratulations, Robin. He is our guest on today’s Self Improvement Radio Show. 12 noon PDT.

My mind is boggled by quantum physics, unified field theory, holograms, and other such subjects that are too fierce to mention, They are a great challenge to my non-scientific mind. If you feel this way, too, read this book anyway. It may turn out to be one of the most important books of our time and will change your thinking regarding everything you think you know about “what makes you tick” – restated” “what makes you sick.”

Using science, physics, quantum physics, energy psychology, Eastern medicine, Western medicine and a lot of common sense Kelly builds a strong case for a radical change in health care. As you read, keep in mind the teaching of the hologram – that each part of the hologram contains the information of the whole. The more recent study of the human cell is revealing that it, too, contains the information of the whole and that anything that impacts the being at any level is revealed in some way in the cell. And what affects me affects the whole of humanity in some way. It makes me think of the “nesting dolls” crafted by the Eastern Europeans – one inside another, inside another, inside another – each single and yet a part of the whole. Each one impacted by what happens to one of the others. One but many.

Kelly posits that we are human holograms. It’s up to you to decide whether or not he makes his case.

If you are disillusioned and perhaps concerned about contemporary health care and the fact that many doctors have become highly educated prescription-writers and test-orderers take heart. If you have seen a doctor who looked at your symptoms but not at you and didn’t have time to hear how you’ve been feeling and how you feel now you know what I mean. The pendulum may have swung as far as it will swing to the side of treating us like we are simply machines. The incidence of doctor and hospital induced illness and the increasing number deaths from properly prescribed medicines makes it necessary to take a hard look at contemporary medical practice.

As science is coming to understand more and more about how our thoughts and emotions affect us at a cellular level it is becoming more apparent that “holistic” is where the action should be or perhaps that should be ”holographic.” To quote Kelly, “The human hologram model acknowledges that it is our feelings and our experiences that are of fundamental importance. It recognizes that our bodies work together with our brains in an integrated fashion. The body feels, the brain thinks. Insights and inspirations come from a coherence throughout the body, a balance of head and heart.”

While the science in the first few chapters may be a challenge for some like me, the remainder of the book ranges from very interesting to fascinating to deeply profound and compelling. I highly recommend that any read it who is interested in health, health care, energy medicine – in what it means to be a human. I fully intend to read it again and perhaps again after that because every time I read a passage for a second time I discover something new that I missed the first time around.

This is a book to enjoy, to savor, to study and to ponder. To end with something Kelly says in the beginning of the book, “Your wisdom will expand the wisdom of all.” Thanks, Robin Kelly, for this mind-stretching book.

You can find Dr. Kelly on the web at http://www.robinkelly.co.nz/

Filed Under: Book Reviews

C’ing Is Believing – A Review

September 29, 2011 By Admin Leave a Comment

C’ing is believing is a brilliant book about a very important topic – how you can change your beliefs. Dr. Andy Yates is a holistic healing facilitator and uses that wonderful modality called hypnosis/hypnotherapy as one of his key tools to help you identify those subconscious beliefs that run your life even though you are not aware of them. The C’s stand for Capture, Consider, Construct and Change in relation to your beliefs.

He gives the clearest description of how the mind works and what hypnosis is that I have read anywhere and I encourage everyone who wants to understand why they do things the way they do to read it. “Why do I do those things I don’t want to do and why don’t I do things that I DO want to do?” is an often posed question and C’ing is Believing will help you find the answer.

A wealth of information for therapists, it is also highly informative and functional for anyone who wants to understand their own mind better and for anyone who wants to do self hypnosis. (I agree with Yates who says that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis but sometimes it helps to have a facilitator).

He discusses beliefs, contra-beliefs and beliefs that are on the “edge and he looks at them from three points of view: 1) a logical, analytical perspective; 2) an open minded point of view; and 3) a spiritual perspective. He also suggests how you can frame suggestions for each of the above points of view to bring about a positive result.

As a hypnotherapist for quite a number of years, I can honestly say that this is the best book I have read on the subject of the mind and how to work with the subconscious mind in a helpful way. I think every hypnotherapist could benefit from reading this book as well as anyone who wants to learn to do positive work with their own subconscious mind.

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Self Improvement Tagged With: changing beliefs, hypnosis, hypnotherapy

“The 7 Graces of Marketing” by Lynn Serafinn: A Review

Life is a Choice: A Guide to Success in Life. A Review

LoveParent by Betsy Thompson – A Review

Why Wait? The Baby Boomers’ Guide to Preparing Emotionally, Financially & Legally for a Parent’s Death – A Review

The Vortex of Vulnerability

A Review: Out of the Woods: Healing Lyme Disease – Body MInd and Spirit by Katina Makris

A Review: The ZPoint Process for Peace by Grant Connolly

A Review – Healing With Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey

A Review of the Award Winning Book – The Human Hologram by Dr. Robin Kelly

C’ing Is Believing – A Review

Lipstick and The Leash

An Interview with Christopner “Divinity” Dines

News and Other New Stuff

Listen to Yvonne Perry’s interview with Gaetano Vivo today at 2:55 CDT

Someone You Should Know

Book Reviews

The Oneness Gospel: Birthing the Christ Consciousness and Divine Human in You. A Review

Alpha Chick: Five Steps for Moving from Pain to Power. A Review

Irene’s Articles

Cleaning out the clutter

Let’s put “Self” Back in Self Improvement