Metamorphosis

Sometimes words get the best of us—during a heated family argument, in bumper-to-bumper traffic as we yell at our dashboard, or while screaming at the overly aggressive telemarketer before slamming the phone down.  After reading How to Heal Toxic Thoughts: Simple Tools for Personal Transformation (Sterling Publishing Co., 2007) you'll think twice before you speak.  In Sandra Ingerman's self-help guide, she teaches readers how to recognize toxic thoughts and then how to deal with them before getting out of control.  Each chapter offers simple tools such as stopping automatic reactions by creating post-it notes with positive words to remind you that you have a choice of how you act in all situations.  She also includes interactive exercises on meditation, visualization, breathing techniques, and journaling opportunities that can be used during all circumstances (like the use of breath the next time you're waiting in line, or the power of writing your thoughts while sitting at work).  Her suggestions are practical and provide concrete ways to replace negative energy with positive results. The saying “if you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all,” will hold a tremendous amount of meaning at the book's end.      

—T.G.

September/October 2007