Book recommendations from The Wardrobe Shrink

Recommended Reading
for Developing Your Personal Image

Self-Esteem and Body Image

Codependent no more – the word co-dependent is such a leading word – but this book talks about how we get ourselves tied up into knots with people and loose sense of our boundaries, and what people may be 'doing' in terms of how they are interacting with you and how to become untied from someone. Why buy: Your self-esteem can be tied to other people and the first step to building your self-esteem is to untie yourself from those people and develop a healthier self-esteem that is regulated by you alone.

The Broken Mirror - Body Deficit Disorder (BDD) is the new term given by psychologists to someone who is obsessed with believing their appearance is full of flaws. A understanding into how this may be and how it affects one's life. Why buy: if you look in the mirror and continuously feel a strong adversity to what you see, then this may help you understand how taking it to an extreme is not a healthy or positive thing for you

Understanding Yourself

Imaginary Crimes – looks at the deep unconscious patterns that we pick up as children to respond to those around us, and that are at the root of our behaviour today and the choices we make on a daily basis. These crimes are not what you see when you look in the mirror, but the programming that is deep rooted and what I would refer to as your programming software (e.g. windows 2000/XP. So, it doesn't matter what applications you use as the main program is the underlying controller. Why buy: your self image is greatly influenced by those around you and this book is very powerful for uncovering your inner reasoning especially at a time of change or wanting change. Written by a doctor of psychology.

Relationships and Finding Your Match

Getting The Love That You Want - Don't let the title of this book put you off. It has some basic but invaluable information on how you interact with others and why. The exercises are very revealing and essential and more than any other book you become aware of your inner dynamics in terms of relationships and what you are bringing to the table. Why buy: how can you search for your ideal partner without knowing who your ideal partner is? Also, you may understand your image type, but in reality may be playing a very different game in your relationships or 'attracting' someone who does not complement you at all. Wandered why you are attracting these types? Do the exercises!

Keeping the Love That You Find - the next installment with some exercises and ideas from book 1 but also with more revealing information about internal dynamics.

Intimate Communion – the core difference between men and women and the stages of the male/female relationship. Fascinating approach and very insightful. Why buy: I recommend this book because it reveals so much about the 'essence of the feminine' and our drivers. It then does the same for the 'essence of the masculine'. This helps you not only embrace your femininity but also understand more about what the heck men are about (or read It's a Guy Thing - which answers all questions like - 'Why doesn't he call?' etc). David Deida is very leading edge in his approach and way of writing, and unlike John Gray, this book has a spiritual and anthropological twist to it, so it is not common sense stuff that you are being reminded of, but a whole new theory. Moving from shallow love guides, to the more appropriate investigation of what it means to be a woman/man and how to express that from the core.

Mars and Venus on a Date - details the approach men and women have in dating and how you can make the dating game successful for you. Why buy: the five stages of dating are helpful, especially stage two which is about taking a step back and feeling uncertain. It also looks at the reality that people often jump stages - like going straight from stage one to stage four in 2 weeks and how this isn't a recipe for success.

Discovering Your Potential

The Life You Were Born To Live – indicates your life path and purpose according to numerology. Why buy: it is incredibly accurate and like the 'Image Types' gives you another sense of yourself. I bought this book ten years ago and what it says about me (38/11) is so still so accurate and inspiring.

What Should I Do With My Life? each chapter tells the story about a person and how they found their purpose and what to do with their life. There are about 50 stories, they are all real life based and range from the city banker who opened his own cake shop, to the 17 year old who got a letter from the Dalai Lama telling him that he was a reincarnation of a great buddist warrior (he now lives in the US and drives an Oldsmobile). Why buy: often understanding your Image Type can lead to questions around your life choices. This books helps you to look outside the box not from some self-help strategy but simply from listening to others stories and how they discovered and are discovering their way in life. Great fun read too.

The Artist's Way – takes you through a 12 step program (12 chapters) on how to unveil/activate/reignite your creativity. Why buy: for those of you that want to develop your creativity or become a creative person, then this book will become a bible for you! It is a 'classic' and introduces you to the natural flow of energy that is creativity and how you can harness that in all aspects of your life. You have to write morning pages, go for an 'artists day' and much more. By chapter three, you find some many answers/ideas/words/pictures are coming to you. Her next book I had to stop reading at chapter two as the flow was just too much!

Spirituality

Creative Visualisation - a classic in this genre, Creative Visualisation is a practical way of taking control of your choices and circumstances to creating a life that you want. It is very easy and practical and not at all hocus pocus. In fact, you may not realise, but you already use these techniques everyday, and this book relates the art of this practice to you in a wonderfully light way. Why buy: to see yourself in a new light can be a change; to not see yourself in a negative light can be a change too. To visualise yourself in a new way shows that it is in the eye of the beholder where magic actually occurs and change takes place.

Ask and it is Given your 'intention' and 'desire' can make a difference to what results you attain in life. Why buy: it is a great book for reconsidering the way you see yourself/your personal image of yourself, and watching how, by changing your perception, you start to look at yourself differently in the mirror. It also gives back the power to you to be able to make things happen in your life, and that you can step beyond your current beliefs to discover a new world is out there for the taking.

Creating your own Reality - Ramtha, an ancient teacher and master, provides his viewpoint on how the brain works and how we create our own reality through our thought. Very scientific, intriguing and also intense! Ramtha, aka JZ Knight, was featured in 'What the Bleep'. Why buy: one can get too tied up in looking at the world through a filter, just as one can look at ourselves through a filter. Ramtha is from totally another time and place! His scientific and spiritual ideas and practices are very different and forward thinking. By the end of this book, you start to consider whether 'you' exist in literal sense or are just a manifestation of your thoughts, and if so, then why not make those thoughts much healthier, gorgeous and sexy.

Feminine Spirituality

Moon Under Her Feet -a fictional story about Mary Magdalena, her practices, her meeting with Yeshua and the feminine religion of that time. It is an eye-opener into the religion of the feminine deity that existed long before the male (war) god worship began. Why buy: your image type is a feminine archetype in essence, and to learn more about the natural practices of the feminine from a time now lost (almost it seems) will remind you of your true essence beyond the designer label and the fads. It is essential to honour the feminine when you dress.

The Woman With The Alabaster Jar - a dialogue of the feminine and a historic investigation of Mary Magadalene and the feminine role in the bible and at that time. This is full of extremely useful research, incorporating the findings of many historians, theologians and artisans. A key book in redefining the feminine in society and the events that led to her devaluation in society. Why buy: you may wonder who you are in terms of Image Type, but then if you take that to the next level i.e. what it means to be a woman, a feminine archetype, then this book really explores this. Beyond the vanity and the mirrors lies the true nature of woman.

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©2006 Sarah Whittaker [www.TheWardrobeShrink.com].
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Sarah Whittaker has been featured in numerous newspapers and magazines worldwide, and writes The Wardrobe Shrink Newsletter full of the latest fashion trends, celebrity style and honest image advice.

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