Book Review: The Shift by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

 

 

 

 
 

 

I am happy to announce that I have been asked to be a book reviewer for Hay House Publishing! 

 

The first book Hay House has asked me to review is Dr. Wayne Dyer's book The Shift: Taking Your Life From Ambition to Meaning. In this 112-page book, Dr. Dyer takes us behind the scenes and explores some of the ideas and stories shown in his movie The Shift. I enjoyed the movie which shows Wayne Dyer meeting people while at a beautiful resort on the coastline of California. During the movie several of the people make a shift in their thinking — from ambition and ego to meaning and spirituality — that causes them to feel happier and more fulfilled after talking with him. 

 

Because I liked the movie so much, I was curious to read the book. I found it so enjoyable that I finished it in one sitting. In the book Dr. Dyer suggests that at a certain point in life we begin to want to feel life has meaning. He calls this shift moving from the "morning" of life to the "afternoon" of life. The shift in our thinking also causes us to act with humility and feel a greater connection with other people and all of life. If you feel you're one with the Universe, you feel connected with everything instead of separate or apart as the ego sees it. This leads to humility, forgiveness, and meaning which creates a shift in our focus from what we can get — to what we can give. 

 

Here are seven things Dr. Dyer says we will experience as we shift from ambition into a life of meaning:

 

1. We shift to personal empowerment.

2. We see ourselves connected to everyone.

3. We are motivated by ethics, serenity, and quality of life. 

4. We shift to the possibility, even the expectation, of miracles being part of life. 

5. We pursue a meditation practice. 

6. We begin to recognize ourselves in nature's beauty and intricacy. 

7. We are less judgmental, and we easily understand and forgive. 

 

As Dr. Dyer writes, on page 71, of The Shift: Taking Your Life From Ambition to Meaning, "By taming the ego, we elicit the support and assistance of our own originating spirit, and we come to notice synchronicities happening in our life. The people we need appear, circumstances come together in a way that assists our Dharma path, financing becomes available that was never there before, and so on."

 

I love Patanjali's quote about inspiration, and in this book Dr. Dyer included the last part of it which says, "Dormant forces, faculties, and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be."  It is inspiration that causes us to come fully alive and use all of our talents. When we allow ourselves to be inspired life can feel like a magical and meaningful journey. 

 

 
 
 

If you are a fan of Dr. Dyer's work, I am sure you will enjoy this book. In my opinion, the book can stand alone or be read as a companion book to the movie. I like the fact that it is a small book and can be easily taken with me as a reminder to shift my thinking. As Dr. Dyer reminds us, shifting from ambition to a life of meaning and purpose allows us to enjoy life more and can also improve our relationships with the people we love. 

One thing I am wondering is how I would feel had I first been introduced to Dr. Dyer's work with this book as opposed to one of his earlier books. It seems to me that if you've never read any of his books, you might want to start with watching the movie or perhaps reading one of his earlier books first to better understand his philosophy. Here are a few of my favorites: Ten Secrets for Success and Inner Peace, The Power of Intention, There is a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem, and Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life. As I write this, I feel inspired to re-read some of Dr. Dyer's earlier books myself.

I found this book interesting and inspiring. I recommend buying a copy.  

Dr. Dyer's book, The Shift: Taking Your Life From Ambition to Meaning, will be available March 1, 2010. To find out more about the book, and to purchase a copy of it, please click on one of the three links below:

Hay House  
Amazon
Barnes & Nobel

I would love to hear your thoughts after you read The Shift: Taking Your Life From Ambition to Meaning. Please send me a message or post a comment on my blog or on my facebook wall. 

Love & Joy, 

Margaux

Comments

[Selena Cate]

I can't wait to read this book. I stumbled upon WD when I picked up a book at a rummage sale. My life has never been the same since. The movie was fabulous. I love how it mixed documentary with fiction.

[John Duffy]

Great review, Margaux, and another great book by Dr. Wayne!