Adventurer | perpetual thinker | dedicated dad | ocean lover | traveler | massive fan of great pizza|
John Strelecky
John Strelecky is the #1 Bestselling inspirational author of many books including; The Cafe on the Edge of the World, Life Safari, and The Big Five for Life. His works have been translated into forty-five languages and sold more than 11 million copies worldwide.
John’s messages of hope and inspiration have inspired millions of people to live life on their terms. He has been honored alongside Oprah Winfrey, Tony Robbins, and Deepak Chopra as one of the one hundred most inspirational thought leaders in the field of leadership and personal development. All of which continues to humble and amaze him. When he isn’t writing or speaking, John spends extensive time backpacking around the world. He has taken extended trips to Africa, the Amazon Basin, Yucatan Peninsula, South America, SE Asia, Europe and China.
My 10 Best
(In no particular order)
Pippi Longstocking
Inspiration comes in many forms and at different ages. For me, Pippi Longstocking was a game changer. Pippi took on challenges with a courage I didn’t know existed. She was bold, brave, an adventurer, someone who charted her own path in her own way. Plus, she looked out for others and helped them push their own boundaries. Topping it all off, was her sense of humor which had me laughing out loud, which is a truly impressive accomplishment for the written word.
Illusions
This book is one I go back to again and again. There’s something in the simplicity of the story and the simplicity of life it describes which speaks deeply to me. It feels like visiting an old friend and “truth” when I read these pages. This book more than any other was the inspiration when I wrote The Cafe on the Edge of the World. I literally measured the book, its margins, and the page count as guides.
Journeys out of the Body
This is the first book of three that the author wrote about his out of body experiences. I was drawn to the content and his story because he was a “normal” guy who discovered elements of the underlying energies which are part of the human experience. I’d been actively trying to put the point of the human experience into perspective and these books helped me do that. I feel a resonance of truth when I read them that I can’t quite explain, but somehow just know.
A New Earth
I’m usually less drawn to books which share their wisdom in a more traditional non-fiction format. I think this is a gem of a book though. A lot of things to think about, shared in very absorbable ways. Bring your highlighter when you read this one.
Where The Red Fern Grows
This might not come to mind for most people in the genre of inspirational stories. It’s also a period piece, so that also might not work for some people. For me though, this book is a beautiful tale of love, friendship, courage, purpose, and the inevitable loss that is part of the way life works. I re-read it a few years ago with my daughter and the writing is so powerful in the way it transports you physically to the place of the story and emotionally through the relationships the story unveils.
The Celestine Prophecy
What struck me about this book was that it combined adventure with inspiration. By using cliff hangers and tension/release story elements Redfield kept me engaged and turning pages while also imparting important life wisdom. At the time I first read it I enjoyed it as a reader. Later I came to appreciate the format as an option for inspirational story telling. My book, The Big Five for Life would not be what it is without the influence of James Redfield’s methods as an author.
Man’s Search for Meaning
This one is life changing in so many ways. The everyday challenges we experience take on such different proportions in the context of what Frankl lived through. The wisdom he shares is so applicable to living a fulfilled life. I’m not sure what else to say other than “Read it.”
NLP The New Technology of Achievement
I discovered this book in my late 20’s and it opened my eyes to the power of words. It’s something which left a lasting impression on me in terms of how the simple act of being conscious with what I said, could impact my thoughts, emotions, relationships and the amount of control I felt over my situation. I think it also planted a seed which has made me a relentless editor of my books. Because it taught me that different words have different impact and that it’s worth pushing for the ones which create the exact experience I want to create for readers.
The Hidden Messages In Water
This title was given to me by the owner of an incredible little self-help focused bookstore. She was an incredible intuitive and the moment you walked in she would take one look at you and then recommend whatever her guidance told her. It’s a book which forever shaped my understanding about the ways in which our environment impacts our emotional state. Our bodies are mostly made up of water, and if we aren’t careful, we absorb a whole lot of energy without realizing the ways it might be impacting us. Once you read this book though, you realize how to use that knowledge in a way that helps you live an extraordinary life.
The Café on the Edge of the world
I have this on my list not because my name is on it, but because of what I’ve learned because of it. At the age of 32 I left everything behind to follow my dream of being an adventurer and see the world. When I returned, I heard a voice, or felt a voice, which said, “Sit down and start typing.” I trusted that, and over the course of twenty-one days the story flowed through me. I could see the characters. I could hear them speaking. I wasn’t the author as much as a scribe trying to capture a story unfolding in front of me. The lessons in the narrative were powerful and often well beyond anything I’d thought of up to that point in my existence. They were also exactly what I needed to hear at that exact moment in my life. What it all taught me is; we are part of something way beyond what we think of as “life”. We are not alone. Our existence doesn’t have to be a perpetual struggle. And when we allow ourselves to, we can connect to sources of wisdom and guidance that not only help us live the life we want, but that help us fulfill our life’s purpose too. Very often taking us places we never could have imagined. All of that, is available to all of us, as soon as we open up to it.