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December 23, 2008.

A Classic Path to Success.

Rating: 4
"You create your own experience by and through the choices you make everyday." ~ pg. 67

"Life Strategies" is one of Dr. Phil's best Books on success because it helps you manage your life so that you create momentum in the direction of your dreams. At first he paints a dismal picture of our society in decline and then explains how you can follow the path of winners by making simple changes in your daily choices.

In order to program yourself for success Dr. Phil presents 10 laws of life. These laws can help you deal with depression, boredom, loneliness, financial problems and even relationship issues like getting people to treat you better.

While reading this book be prepared for "brutal honesty." If you are in denial then the sections on personal responsibility may seem a little overwhelming to you. Dr. Phil encourages you to stop being a victim and to take more action in your life.

I think "Life Strategies" is an excellent book if one of your main issues is "fear." This book shows it is OK to be fearful but that you should not let fear control you to the point where it takes away your dreams. It was also helpful to realize that most of our decisions are made based on either a fear of rejection or a love of acceptance.

The only thing I disagreed with is Dr. Phil's point about how "no one is teaching us about marriage or how to lose weight." There are plenty of Books on the subject and even Dr. Phil now has a few - Relationship Rescue: A Seven-Step Strategy for Reconnecting with Your Partner, Love Smart: Find the One You Want--Fix the One You Gotand The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom.

~The Rebecca Review

December 22, 2008.

good advice for changing your life.

Rating: 5
i've been reading this book and really thinking about the suggested advice and i think it's valuable. dr. phil tells it like it is. the life laws and strategies are worth considering. i do believe if put into practice his advice can help with any sitauation in your life that you're not happy about. as with any advice you get, take what is useful/valuable and discard the rest.

this book has one of the best and most useful explanations on the importance of forgiveness that i've ever read. dr. phil really explains it so that you understand how not forgiving someone really hurts you, not the other person. some writers almost encourage you to embrace and pray for the other person and that was just too much for me. this book tells you how to release yourself from that person and not let them change you at your core by forgiving them and letting go, whether they ask for or want forgiveness at all. for me this explanation makes the book worth it.

some people might find his approach too direct but i like that. i'm going through a self-development phase so this was valuable to me. there's a good amount of life stories integrated in with solid advice. the book does start out with a story about oprah and the amarillo/cattlemen issue which was relevant at the time but is a bit outdated now but that doesn't take away from the content and advice in the book.

December 10, 2008.

Dr. P's pep talk....

Rating: 4
"Life Strategies" is a quick, very basic reminder of sound - just as the title states - life strategies. Nothing profound here. Nothing earth shattering. Nothing you probably haven't heard in most contemporary self-help books, in fact. Or from your favorite neighborhood therapist, I imagine. The book may be a good addition to your bookshelf if that is what you seek - something of a reference book, or checklist, to turn to now and then to jog your memory about how to stay on track toward achieving your personal measure of success in life, or just to give yourself a pep talk.

Dr. Phil uses almost annoyingly simple (but precise) language, so I would think it would be difficult to misunderstand anything in these pages unless one is bound and determined to remain deluded and avoid life in general. No doubt, there are many such. Last I heard, the "happiness quotient" in modern society has been slipping, so I won't argue that point, just put it out there ... some people truly are more comfortable being unhappy and avoiding life. But, supposing you are one of those who really would like to stay focused and have a desire to fulfill your potential, this is a nice little starter kit. Basic and on target.

The main message of these life strategies is that a person should take full and conscious ownership of one's own life. The rest is detail. Dr. P. reminds you that no matter what the circumstances, it really is what you make of it and in what direction you decide to take your next step. Sure, that may be much easier for some than many others, depending on your circumstances. But hard or easy is not the issue. Hard or easy, it is still your life, your circumstances, and your choice, and yours alone - where you take it from here.

No stroke of brilliance to hold us all accountable or that nailing down a goal firmly only helps strengthen our resolve to achieve it. The more detailed the battle plan, the better. Just common sense. Those who achieve most in life (and I agree with Dr. P, there is no such thing as luck) are those who keep a persistently positive attitude, have a clear goal in mind, are willing to work hard at it, are willing to take a risk now and then to pull away from the ordinary masses to become extraordinary. I'm not sure the final section that glorified his wife, Robin, was necessary (too saccharin for my taste), nor, perhaps, the stories about Oprah and Andy the cab driver. But the book achieves what no doubt was Dr. P's life strategy: outline the usual behaviors and attitudes that work. We all can use the occasional pep talk and reminder.

December 18, 2008.

Mark Unread.

Rating: 4
Haven't gotten a chance to read it yet. I glanced through it and it seems helpful in preparing my personal vision statement.

December 05, 2008.

Eh.

Rating: 2
Despite being embarrassed to buy this book (I felt like a loser handing it to the cashier), I bought it anyway because I like Dr. Phil's show--he's entertaining. However, I didn't find this book nearly as helpful as Wayne Dyer, The Secret or Eckart Tolle. I didn't take anything away from it, and I wish I had bought something else instead of this book. Sorry Dr. Phil! I still love your show and that brilliant masterpiece, Dr. Phil House.