Official Review: Motivational Spirit : How to Keep Yours ...

[Samantha Simoneau]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Motivational Spirit : How to Keep Yours Solid as a Rock!" by Robert L Kirby.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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As a student of psychology, business owner, personal trainer, health coach, and former competitive bodybuilder who was sidelined by an injury, Robert Kirby is certainly an expert in manifesting and maintaining motivation. His experiences as an athlete (and a human with goals) moved him to write Motivational Spirit: How to Keep Yours Solid as a Rock! in order to share his insights regarding personal drive and overcoming the issues which can undermine determination. Kirby has done his audience the service of exhaustively researching his subject and has compiled all of the most relevant, impactful advice into less than 200 pages. The result is a step-by-step guide that addresses motivation (or lack thereof) from all angles: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and social.

Motivational Spirit is thoroughly well researched and draws on sources spanning the last 6 decades in subjects including psychology, biology, sociology, counseling, communication, relationships, etc. Kirby's work is also elegantly organized. Each chapter and section builds neatly on the one before without feeling redundant. This wealth of information, intuitively divided into segments and lists, is easy to digest and understand. As a reader, I appreciated the fluidity and approachability of the content and the language.

I also appreciate Kirby’s recognition of the fact that motivation itself is highly personal. He believes profoundly in the importance of daily self-observation and self-reflection. These two foundational ideas underpin his coaching process. While goals and motivation are specific to the individual, the methodology for recognizing and addressing issues such as discouragement, procrastination, and burnout is very "transferable," to use the author's own word. Essentially, Kirby provides his readers with the understanding and the tools to coach themselves through whatever obstacles or setbacks are dampening their drive to succeed. Motivational Spirit features the moving stories of athletes, such as tennis player Rafael Nadal, who overcame performance and personal obstacles. Especially useful are several hypothetical case studies in which Kirby introduces a fictitious athlete with a motivation-sapping situation, identifies the source(s) of the problem, and makes suggestions specific to that athlete as to how to overcome those issues. These case studies succinctly illustrate the potential troubles an athlete may face, the evidence of those troubles, and the "diagnosis and treatment" process.

While this book is plainly intended for athletes, which I am not, I found most of the insights and advice to be universally helpful. Specifically, the passages on self-dialogue and self-belief were of immeasurable value to me. These chapters broke down the (paraphrased) cycle: What you say about yourself is what you believe about yourself, and your self-beliefs determine your limits. If you are constantly self-critical, you do not view yourself objectively, and you don't regard setbacks as opportunities, you fail before you begin. Additionally, the sections on effective communication and team cohesion are applicable in any relationship. I thought to myself, "Any team benefits from effective communication and team-building, and what is a family but a team?"

Kirby recommends a treasure trove of exercises and activities, including but not limited to breathing and meditation, keeping specific journals and logs, personal verbal or physical feedback and cues, short- and long-term goal setting, habit reminders, and regular gut-checks. To that end, he includes many questions to ask yourself, which include (paraphrased): To what do you attribute your success or failure? Are you motivated by task mastery or by your ego? What is your mission statement?

I truly love this book and found it to be endlessly encouraging, especially statements such as:

"Trial and correction, not trial and error."

"If you can perceive difficulties and setbacks as challenges to overcome and an opportunity for growth, you can change those experiences into advantages."

There were editing errors, such as occasional missing or misplaced commas and hyphens, missing slashes (e.g. "and or"), rogue spaces, and disagreement between subjects and the corresponding verbs. These did not disrupt the flow of reading, but there were enough of them to cost the book a star. Considering that this jam-packed motivational resource includes everything from hard science, personal-improvement activities, engaging photos, poetry, and even related word searches, I would love to award it 3.5 stars. Since I am prohibited from fractional ratings, I am highly motivated to give Motivational Spirit, by Robert Kirby, 3 out of 4 stars. I would recommend it to anyone, athlete or otherwise, who wants to be "Solid as a Rock" in the daily pursuit of their dreams.

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Motivational Spirit : How to Keep Yours Solid as a Rock!
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Like SamSim's review? Post a comment saying so!

[BelleReadsNietzsche]

Wow, what a review! I can honestly say I never would have picked this up on my own (buff dude on the cover makes me think it isn't my thing), but you've sold me that even the non-athletic (and okay, maybe those of us trying to be a little more physically active ) might find something useful in this book. Thanks for the detailed review, I really enjoyed it.

[Rose Harebate]

Awesome review! I like the fact that the book contains a vast amount of tips for exercises and activities. It also contains much needed information in regard to
hard science, personal-improvement activities, and poetry.

[Samantha Simoneau]

Wow, what a review! I can honestly say I never would have picked this up on my own (buff dude on the cover makes me think it isn't my thing), but you've sold me that even the non-athletic (and okay, maybe those of us trying to be a little more physically active ) might find something useful in this book. Thanks for the detailed review, I really enjoyed it.

I'm certainly glad I read it. The cover put me off at first too, but I thought maybe it would be an inspiring image to athletic folks. I really appreciate your time and kind comments!

[Samantha Simoneau]

Awesome review! I like the fact that the book contains a vast amount of tips for exercises and activities. It also contains much needed information in regard to
hard science, personal-improvement activities, and poetry.

This book is definitely a powerful motivational resource. Thanks for reading and replying!

[kandscreeley]

It sounds like the author has quite a bit of wisdom to share on different subjects. He's also done his research, which is a plus. It's too bad about the editing errors, but it seems that they can be overlooked for the most part. I'm just not up for another self-help book at the moment. Thanks for the review, though.

[Samantha Simoneau]

It sounds like the author has quite a bit of wisdom to share on different subjects. He's also done his research, which is a plus. It's too bad about the editing errors, but it seems that they can be overlooked for the most part. I'm just not up for another self-help book at the moment. Thanks for the review, though.

Yeah, this book is a wealth of carefully gathered information. The editing problems aren't pervasive. Thanks for reading and replying!

[kdstrack]

This author has certainly covered all the bases. I'm glad you pointed out that these strategies are not limited to athletes. His precise questions directed toward attitude as the basis for motivation could be a good starting place for anyone. I was happy to see that the author did a good job of organizing the material as that is one of his fundamentals! Thanks for this motivating review.

[Cecilia_L]

As you mentioned, the author certainly sounds qualified. It sounds like the book was motivational for a variety of readers. Thanks for the interesting review.

[Jessacardinal]

I particularly like the trial and correction statement. What an important concept to keep at the forefront of the mind throughout the trials of life.

[Samantha Simoneau]

This author has certainly covered all the bases. I'm glad you pointed out that these strategies are not limited to athletes. His precise questions directed toward attitude as the basis for motivation could be a good starting place for anyone. I was happy to see that the author did a good job of organizing the material as that is one of his fundamentals! Thanks for this motivating review.

Yes, this book is widely useful. Thank you for reading and replying!

[Samantha Simoneau]

As you mentioned, the author certainly sounds qualified. It sounds like the book was motivational for a variety of readers. Thanks for the interesting review.

I think I misjudged the book when I first saw the cover, but I was so impressed with the author's thoroughness and qualifications, I'm glad I didn't write this off. Thanks for reading and commenting!

[Samantha Simoneau]

I particularly like the trial and correction statement. What an important concept to keep at the forefront of the mind throughout the trials of life.

Yes, I had never thought about things that way, and as soon as I read that, I had a sense of relief - It all doesn't have to be perfect all the time. Thank you for reading and responding!

[inaramid]

I'm liking how the author applied psychology and other relevant sciences to his circumstances and how exercises and activities are included. Most self-help books I've come across are very personal and sort of vague. This seems worth a try! Thanks for the introduction to Mr. Kirby's work.

[Chrystal Oaks]

What an awesome informative and motivational review! The statement, "Trial and correction, not trial and error," seems much more relatable than "learn from your mistakes"; feels like you can develop a strategy to do and think differently. I have added this book to my want to read list.