Recommended by Catherine Mulvihill of My Happy Insides

Catherine mentioned this book in several conversations.

From Amazon’s description:

A recent study showed that when doctors tell heart patients they will die if they don’t change their habits, only one in seven will be able to follow through successfully. Desire and motivation aren’t enough: even when it’s literally a matter of life or death, the ability to change remains maddeningly elusive.

Given that the status quo is so potent, how can we change ourselves and our organizations?

In Immunity to Change, authors Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey show how our individual beliefs–along with the collective mind-sets in our organizations–combine to create a natural but powerful immunity to change. By revealing how this mechanism holds us back, Kegan and Lahey give us the keys to unlock our potential and finally move forward. And by pinpointing and uprooting our own immunities to change, we can bring our organizations forward with us.

This persuasive and practical book, filled with hands-on diagnostics and compelling case studies, delivers the tools you need to overcome the forces of inertia and transform your life and your work.

This book is on Ann’s reading list.

From Amazons description:

The MetaSecret by Dr. Mel Gill The movie THE SECRET revealed to us THE LAW OF ATTRACTION. This Law of Attraction is but ONE of seven ancient Hermetic Laws. The METASECRET reveals ALL SEVEN OF THE ANCIENT LAWS! Along with that are practical strategies and methods to systematically manifest your desires and to finally LIVE YOUR DREAMS! The METASECRET has been described by some as a rapid Step-by-Step ‘How-to’ Video Manual of the greater workings of The Laws of Attraction. It begins with my Near-Death experience falling from a mountain and losing my arm in the Operating room to my various encounters with Wisdom Teachers both from the East and the West. It ends with a reminder that we are Spiritual Beings having very temporary LIFE experiences and that it is not the things we collect or own that defines us……it is how we RESPOND to our circumstances. I wrote this book, and created the movie and paid for it by working 18 hours a day 7 days a week for the past 3 years because I believed that pain was inevitable but suffering was optional for all humanity. I wanted to others another way to be. In one sentence,The METASECRET is a reminder that the Journey through Life is our primary thing in life … and we must experience more feelings of GRATITUDE for what we already have, the places we live and the people that we surround ourselves with.

Recommended by Catherine Mulvihill of My Happy Insides

Catherine mentioned, not this book in particular, but the concept of the Enneagram and how she’s used it to understand herself, her partner, and others she works with.

There are a number of other books on Amazon on the Enneagram topic which you will probably see when you follow the Amazon link.  There is also a Enneagram Institute created in 1997 by the authors Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson.  There are also Enneagram tests online that you can take for free to determine your type.

Models like this help to understand one’s self as well as others.  Where there is understanding, there is better communication, better relationships, better lives.  This is one of many models; the ones we have experienced have all proven helpful.

From Amazon’s description:

The first definitive guide to using the wisdom of the enneagram for spiritual and psychological growth

The ancient symbol of the Enneagram has become one of today’s most popular systems for self-understanding, based on nine distinct personality types. Now, two of the world’s foremost Enneagram authorities introduce a powerful new way to use the Enneagram as a tool for personal transformation and development. Whatever your spiritual background, the Enneagram shows how you can overcome your inner barriers, realize your unique gifts and strengths, and discover your deepest direction in life.

The Wisdom of the Enneagram includes:

Two highly accurate questionnaires for determining your type
Vivid individual profiles focused on maximizing each type’s potential and minimizing predictable pitfalls
Spiritual Jump Starts, Wake-Up Calls, and Red Flags for each type
Dozens of individualized exercises and practical strategies for letting go of troublesome habits, improving relationships, and increasing inner freedom
Revealing insights into the deepest motivations, fears, and desires of each type

Highly accessible, yet filled with sophisticated concepts and techniques found nowhere else, The Wisdom of the Enneagram is a strikingly new fusion of psychology and spirituality. It offers an exciting vision of human possibility and a clear map of the nine paths to our highest self-expression.

This is a small little book, but it’s full of encouragement to work smarter rather than harder.  There’s the story of the fly on the inside cover that I frequently read to clients because it illustrates how we can be so focused on working hard at what we are doing that we can’t see the better way that’s right there for us. This book is about MULTIPLYING your effectiveness and results.  You squared.

I remember years ago I would struggle to make something happen.  Just as I seemed to have a good direction, it seemed the door would slam in my face.  Being rather stubborn I would beat my head against the closed and locked door, until finally I would step back and notice that as soon as the one door had closed, another one next to it had opened up.  How often does this happen to you?

Get this book.  You’ll be reading the fly story to YOUR clients, family, and friends.

This book is a little off-topic, but hey!  Ann is the author!

A Kitchen You Love is an examination of what makes a kitchen really work in your home – the difference between a kitchen that looks great, and one that looks great AND is a joy to work and entertain in.   You know, it’s not much fun to use a dysfunctional kitchen.  It can be very frustrating and aggravating.  This book gives you all the tips and knowledge you need to make sure your kitchen design is functional!

From the book description:

Create a kitchen that works as hard as you do, one that flows and fits YOUR life style. Functionality is often overlooked when surrounded by the glamour and sparkle of new cabinets, fixtures and appliances. But after the new wears off, the function – or dysfunction – remains. Get it right from the start by following the guidance in this book. Create a kitchen you will enjoy for years to come. Do you wonder what goes into a well thought out kitchen? Maybe you really want to do it yourself but are not sure where to start. Ann McKinley is a kitchen and bath designer with a degree in Mechanical Engineering as well as Food Science and Technology. She has many years of experience working with houses from the inside out. Through rental properties, rehabbing fixer-uppers and her general love of all things housing, Ann has accumulated a wealth of knowledge that she is sharing with you in this book. Ann is one of the rare Kitchen and Bath designers who has construction skills and knowledge, as well as mechanical competency. She understands what is going on behind the walls, floors and ceiling, from structure to plumbing and electrical, as well as ergonomics. The kitchen is much more than pretty cabinets! This book is focused on providing an understanding of what will make your kitchen highly functional, and functionality is what makes it a joy to work in. It makes a kitchen you will enjoy for years to come.