Spiritual Inspiration Books and Resources

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
This is one of those small but powerful books of spiritual inspiration in my office that I refer to quite often. Deepak offers some powerful spiritual guidance. He explains these powerful truths so eloquently and succinctly. I LOVE books like this that say a lot using a few well-chosen words that really stick with you. If you are feeling off center or need some empowering, spiritual direction or a new perspective in your day, pick this up and read just one section. I often feel a sense of inner peace as I read the words in this book.

Getting into the Vortex: Book and Guided Mediations by Esther and Jerry Hicks
We LOVE this book and meditation CD. Everyone can find some spiritual inspiration within these pages. First of all the book is very short, simple and easy to read. It's written so that you can pick it up and get something good out of just one paragraph or one short 3-4 page section at a time. The book is divided into four parts: 1) "General Well Being" 2) "Financial Abundance" 3) "Physical Well Being" and 4) "Relationships".
The CD is a guided mediation created to spark your spiritual awakening. It is a shortened version of the book and covers the same four topics. I LOVE the CD as it not only completely relaxes you and gets you to breathe slowly, but it also takes you to your center and reminds you that ultimately all is well. For me, the Hicks knocked it out of the ball park on this one - my favorite Hicks book/cd so far!

The Architecture of All Abundance by Lenedra J. Carroll
This is one of my favorite books I've read in years. It's about abundance of all kinds - not just financial abundance. In it, Lenedra Carroll elegantly describes how to live more fully in tune with one's spirit in ways that feel plentiful and abundant. She has honestly applied her trust in the abundance of the unknown to many areas of her life with wonderful results. The things that many authors talk about like "letting go" and "allowing" take on a practical feel with Carroll's writing so that I am able to more easily apply these important principles to my own life.
The book uses numerous stories from Carroll's own life to illustrate how a shift in one's perspective combined with patience and trust can make real and lasting changes in life. She covers many different experiences ranging from abundance in: inner life changes; financial and business interactions; health and wellness; love and relationships; and giving from a soulful place. Through each of these she shows clearly how it is possible to live your dreams without pinching yourself off from the flow of potential. It's available through New World Library publishers.

Living With Joy Keys to Personal Power and Spiritual Transformation: An Orin book by Sanaya Roman
Roman summarizes the book best in her opening dedication where it says:: "To all of you who are learning to grow through joy rather than through struggle or pain, for opening the door for humanity to do the same." I appreciated how this book was laid out to include 3 sections at the end of each chapter entitled "Playsheet", "Daily Joy Practices" and "Affirmations". The Playsheet consists of some excellent questions and thought-provoking exercises to enhance the personal understanding of the chapter topic. The Practices section consists of practical actions to take to apply the learning from the chapter. The Affirmations section is just that with specific, topical affirmations to help internalize the information and provoke inner change.
One of the best chapters is on the importance of self love. Roman points out that even though most of us can think of many different ways to practice self love, we still neglect to do those things - and then an inner battle begins where we berate ourselves for not putting our energy in the right place. She says "Judgment stands as an obstacle to self love."
Another chapter I really enjoyed was one which described the differences between self respect, self esteem and self worth. Roman defines self respect as honoring your soul so that you speak and act in integrity with your higher self. "Professing one set of values but acting from another leads to a lot of internal conflict." "Self respect means coming from you power, not your weakness." She goes on to write about self esteem as "believing in yourself, knowing that you did the best you knew how, even though two days later you might see a better way." If you are simply trying and working hard to get everything just right, it won't necessarily lead you on the road to joy. And finally, self worth simply means "paying attention to how you feel." She encourages us to honor how we feel and to not let the thoughts and feelings of others become your authority for determining what is good for you.
I read a newly updated 25th anniversary edition from the publishers at New World Library who have many other excellent books in their lineup in addition to Living With Joy.