Changing Lives: Achieving Your Untapped Potential

Michael Giudicissi
Robert D. Reed Publishers (2006)
ISBN 1931741719
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (1/07)

Motivational speaker and author Michael Giudicissi has written “Changing Lives” to inspire us to live our lives with passion and to challenge us to make more of ourselves. He had been at both ends of the spectrum of having a meaningful life and chose to stop living life as a victim and started living it as a champion. This book is only 91 pages. It is broken up into twenty-one short, concise chapters. It is also written in two parts. The first part covers “Choices” and the second part covers “The Power of Goals.”

For the most part, we make decisions and put ourselves in situations where things happen to us. When we start calling our own shots and step outside of the victim role, where we hold other people responsible for our problems, we become in control of our life. Feeding your spirit and your soul and being good to yourself is what brings you true happiness and makes you more effective at making the people around you happy. Focusing on other people usually is a waste of effort, and that time could be better spent focusing on our own growth. To transform ourselves, we also have to be prepared to let go of the past. We also have to decide what parts of ourselves that we are going to give up to make room for the new self. There are three areas of our lives that we need to keep in balance. These are the relationship area, personal area, and career area.

“Changing Lives” has given me a lot of food for thought about how I want to live. I read it in one day, but I plan on going back and reading a chapter a day to really allow me to process what was written. I feel very motivated about making positive changes in my life. I am signed up for my first marathon in July. Before I read Giudicissi’s motivational words, I have said, “I am going to try to do a marathon in July.” Now that I have finished his book, I am saying, “I will be doing a marathon in July!” Changing my words has actually made me feel stronger and more motivated about what I am going to do. I highly recommend “Changing Lives” for people who have decided that they are ready to make some positive changes in their lives. It is definitely a keeper.

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