Good Choices Good Life
This book includes my favorite quote on its cover:
Managing the power of choice,
with all its creative and spiritual implications,
is the essence of the human experience.
Choice is the process of creation itself.
CAROLINE MYSS
Anatomy of the Spirit
I think Caroline is absolutely correct because our choices determine the words and deeds that over time collectively create our lives. Concerning Good Choices Good Life, it was never intended to be a “how to” book because I don’t believe someone can tell another person exactly how to live. Instead, I’d categorize it as a “some important things to think about” book because it contains points, quotes, and examples that I believe are worth considering if you want to improve the way you are living your life.
Book Table of Contents
Chapter 1 | Learning How to Live
Life Doesn’t Just Happen
A Life Is Built with Thoughts and Deeds
Some Misunderstandings about Life
What Was Intended for You?
It’s All Up to You and the Choices You Make
Chapter 2 | We Are Who We Choose to Be
No Matter What, We Have Choices
Poor Choices Are All Around Us
You Can’t Wait for the World to Change
Our Choices Define Us
Self-Control Improves Our Choices
Things that Influence the Choices We Make
Good Choices Are Not Always Easy
Chapter 3 | Developing Understanding
Good Thinking, Good Choices
How Good Is Your Thinking?
Experience vs. Understanding
House Rules and Personal Rules
Recognizing Our Need for Understanding
The Folly of Not Understanding
Chapter 4 | Being Honest
You Are What You Say and Do
Why Are People Dishonest?
Honesty Is a Character Test
Do Our Little White Lies Make Us Dishonest?
Being Honest
Honesty Is a Perishable Condition
What Will Your Honesty Do for You?
Chapter 5 | Becoming Who You Are
The Opportunity…of a Lifetime
Living in the Middle
So, Where Do You Live?
Understanding Your Basic Needs
Distractions from Becoming Who You Are
How Do I Become Myself?
To Be (Yourself) or Not to Be
Chapter 6 | Acting On Faith
The Role of Faith
What Is Faith?
The Components of Faith
Developing Faith
Developing Faith in Yourself
Is Developing Your Faith Worth It?
Chapter 7 | Giving to Others
“Getting It”
Our Self-Centered World
The Foundation of Giving Is Respect
Respect – Feeling It vs. Showing It
Respect – the Chicken or the Egg
Level I Giving – The Little Things
Level II Giving – Your Time and Your Money
Level III Giving – Yourself and Your Life
What Will You Give?
Chapter 8 | Developing Friendships
The Importance of Friendships
A Few Points about Friendship
The Development of Friendships
Positioning Ourselves for Friendship
A Friend is a Friend…or Maybe Not
Close Friends vs. Good Friends
Chapter 9 | Letting Love Into Your Life
Bingo!
Responding to Love When It Appears
Letting Love Lead You
Where Does Love Come From?
Chapter 10 | We Are Who We Choose To Be
Our Gifts
The Gift Discovery Process
Where Do Our Gifts Come From?
How Many Gifts Do We Have?
Never Assume It’s Not a Gift
Your Gifts Evolve with Your Choices
As You Think about Your Gifts
The Realities of Gift Discovery
Some Closing Thoughts about Gifts
Chapter 11 | Tending To Your Body
The Unhealthy Truth
My, that Was Big of You
We Say, “We Exercise!”
A Society of Pill Poppers
Other “Sins of the Body”
Our Choices Are Killing Us
Now, Three Questions for You
Chapter 12 | Establishing Goals and Taking Risks
Lots of Ways to Live It
Why Establish Personal Goals
Goal Setting Is a Thinking Process
Start by Looking Inside Yourself
What Do You Want to Accomplish?
Goals Have an Immediate Impact On Your Life
What Role Does Risk Taking Play in All of This?
Anytime Is a Good Time for Goal Setting
Chapter 13 | Making The Effort
Empty Promises and Empty Efforts
Making the Effort for Others
Becoming the Person You Were Intended to Be
We Shall Overcome…Someday
Where Effort Counts the Most
Chapter 14 | Your Choices, Your Life
What Will You Accomplish with Your Life?
Don’t Settle for Being Average
A Few Choice Reminders
What Others Say about this Book
The entire time I was reading Good Choices Good Life, I felt my grandfather was talking to me. It is apparent that this book was written with a kind heart, a gentle soul, and a loving nature. The deepest truth I received from this reading is that one should make choices for others, not just for oneself. In each chapter, a truth lies…sometimes hidden, sometimes obvious, but nevertheless there. Rhonda Wilson, Mokena, IL
Good Choices Good Life told me things I wish I had known when I was younger. With exceptional clarity, Michael Nelson demonstrates the interplay of fate and free will, faith and doubt, self-interest and sacrifice in every life. A careful reading reveals why we should choose love when it conflicts with our stated ambition, how wrong priorities prevent us from maximizing our potential, and why “just letting things happen” doesn’t work. Amy Kaufman, Portland, OR