Customer Reviews

Seven Dragons

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Author Jen Blackert recognizes that today's self-help audiences are looking for easy-to-read descriptions of the thoughts patterns that inhibit our growth in so many ways and ideas for changing them. She delivers that in Seven Dragons and her entertaining writing style engages the reader right from the beginning.

The inhibiting thought patterns are presented as dragons. By effectively exploring the principles behind each one, she reveals different strategies and exercises for dealing with them.

The seven dragons address the ideas of aligning your subconscious feelings with your logical thought, clarifying your needs, changing your procrastination habits, understanding how to increase your focus and concentration, how to "reset your mindset", learning to be comfortable with the flow of money, and overcoming feelings of unworthiness.

Key to getting the most out of this book is being disciplined about keeping the "dragon diary" while working through the various exercises Blackert suggests. Other than the journal, all you need is an open and reflective mind to take advantage of the ideas Blackert shares.

The book's format consists of a chapter each devoted to the ten rules of living that Blackert has derived from her learning and experiences as a life coach. Using Rule #6, "Know Your Dragons" as an example: the chapter begins with a famous quote and a personal anecdote. This leads into a discussion of the king dragons, the negative thinking "king dragons" that most people fight daily. These limiting beliefs are the core of Blackert's work. An excerpt: "Do you carry on a conversation with yourself? Maybe you are questioning yourself and your thoughts? Do you tell yourself about all the things that you "should" be doing, but never take the action to make it happen?" This is what she identifies as the seeds of negative self-talk and the remaining points of the chapter deal with how to answer these dragons and re-train them.

I found it interesting that Blackert does not advocate killing your mental dragons. She instead encourages the reader to acknowledge the power of the negative thought patterns and how they have tried to be protective in the past. But the next step is to be assertive and descriptive in announcing to them that things are going to change. She gives good examples of both the old thinking and the new self-talk that will replace the destructive talk.

While the book attempts to find a balance point between being too deep and yet deep enough to be taken seriously, I found it to be more on an introductory level than I would have liked. Admittedly, I did not keep the dragon diary as directed so perhaps some of the depth I was looking for in a book of this genre was therefore missed. It does serve as a nice, concise summary of the ideas and popular philosophies regarding self-growth that are common today, yet with a personal stamp of personality to keep the reader intrigued.

Paula Buermele is a reviewer for BookPleasures and the author of "The Dream Catcher Tour."

I found Seven Dragons to be the perfect book for guiding me in business and life. I connected with Jen and her story immediately and the light yet insightful way she presents solutions with practical and guided exercises. Knowing your Dragons Rule #6 was particularly useful. I loved the book!

Jen has written a wonderful book that explains why we get stuck and then she gives exercises to get us moving again. All of us have our dragons that get in our way. And Jen's book helps us to make friends with the dragons so we can change our behaviors and bring success into all areas of our lives. And best of all, it's fun to read! Jen's Seven Dragons aren't scary, but instead have names like Dino and Alice. If you want to ditch your negative thought patterns easily and quickly, then Jen's book is for you!

Jen has written a great combination style of practical useful information yet entertaining and easy to read. If you are looking for ways to improve your resourcefulness, then get a copy of Seven Dragons so you can avoid the 7 areas that hold people back from their success.

When I first found out about Jen Blackert's, Seven Dragons, A Guide to a Limitless Mind, I thought it might be just one more Law of Attraction book in a list of many out there. I wondered if it would add any more substance to what I had already heard.

Yes, this book acknowledges the Law of Attraction, but Blackert adds her own blend of perspectives so it's not necessarily a rehashing what you've already heard from The Secret, Napoleon Hill, etc. Whether you share every one of her philosophies or not, her suggested exercises can help unlock what you already know but haven't quite tuned into yet. It's an interactive self-coaching book with a variety of activities. If one thing doesn't resonate for you, you can try something else. You can also skip around and use whatever you want whenever you're ready.

My favorite exercise, and one which has propelled me forward in amazing ways within the span of a few weeks, is work I did in association with what Blackert calls the resistant dragon. Bottom line, I had understood zero resistance in theory, but it wasn't until I did Blackert's mental unblocking exercise that I really got it and could actually release resistance. Out of this work, I came up with a plan that has propelled me in ways I have not expected and at an exhilarating pace!

Gift yourself with this book and unlock your mind. It's a journey of self-coaching and journaling.