In my work as a counselor and spiritual director, it is my belief that this analogy holds:

I'm like a piano teacher. People who consult with me do so because they want to learn to play the piano or learn to play it better. Just attending the piano lesson is not enough. One must practice.

Consequently, I am personally always reading books that might contribute to my emotional, relational and spiritual growth. Two of the books I consistently recommend are:

"The Five Things We Cannot Change: And the Happiness We Find by Embracing Them" by David Richo.

This is a wonderfully helpful book. Richo brings his insights as both a Jungian psychologist and a Buddhist practitioner to an understanding of "how life works."

The other is a book by Cindy Wigglesworth. It is "SQ21: The Twenty-One Sills of Spiritual Intelligence."

In this book you will find specific and practical steps to take and things you can do to grow in experiencing and enhancing not only your personal life but also all of your relationships. I'm sure you know people who are incredibly bright in some area or aspect of their lives but who also seem to have the relational skill of lint. Sometimes, I suppose we can all fall into this category. Here is a book that can help with this.

My promise to you is that if you read, digest and live the teachings found in these two books, your life will improve in every way.