Influential
Gurus
For Your
Journey
Guides To Transform Your Thinking
There are plenty of teachers, gurus, and sages out there, with countless books and talks that you will attract as soon as you embark on a path of exploration. The teachers on this page have been the most powerful guides I attracted into my life. I have seen how my life was when I didn’t practice their teachings and I have seen how amazing life is when I put their lessons into practice. As always, I encourage you to give everything a try for 30 days. Find a teacher you resonate with… any teacher really… and use their strategies for 30 days to transform your weight loss journey. My favorites are below.
Marc Allen
Of course, I have to start things off by paying homage to the the guru who started it all. This may sound foreign to those of you who are young, but back in 2008, the overwhelming majority of Americans were not receptive to discussions about visualization, meditation, metaphysics, and spirituality. Oprah had mainstream, best-selling, self-help authors on occasionally, but for the most part, the only way for those types of teachers to get their message out in an oral format was this new, emerging interview platform called a “podcast.” If go back and look at an old iTunes catalog, you will see the podcast library was dominated by spiritual teachers. (Even the person who eventually destroyed the podcast format, Joe Rogan, began in 2009 by interviewing alternative thought leaders.) A teacher named Kelly Howell had a podcast called “Theater of the Mind.” I was hooked on it. One day, she interviewed a guest named Marc Allen who spoke about his philosophy and book of the same name, “The Type Z Guide To Success.” He built a wildly successful publishing company without waking up early, napping every afternoon, and taking Mondays off. Through the power of intention, he visualized and lazily attracted success, eventually publishing “The Power Of Now,” by Eckhart Tolle. And his message was that anyone could have success in their life without struggle and strife. I had never imagined that this one area of my life that I struggled with could be… easy??? If he could accomplish all he had “in an easy and relaxed manner, in a healthy and positive way,” so could I! As soon as I changed my thinking, I started to instantly attract things, one after another. I formulated my “Easy Way” weight loss plan and the rest is history. None of this would have been possible without The Man, The Legend, The Guru, The Easy Way Architect, The Big Homie, The Triple OG, The Type Z Godfather… kiss the ring of The Great Marc Allen.
Dr. Wayne Dyer (R.I.P.)
A true pioneer in self-development and spirituality, there will never be anyone as influential as Dr. Wayne Dryer. Known as “The Father of Motivation,” I initially was introduced to him as a child because my mother would listen to cassette tapes he produced about reaching your goals. Yes, he was a pre-internet life coach! (Side note: do you youngins even know what a cassette tape is? LOL) However, by the time I rediscovered him via a PBS Special in the mid-2000s, he had shifted his focus to spirituality. It was during a time that I would say I was “seeking,” so I was immediately hooked and read everything he wrote that I could get my hands on. As someone who grew up a hard-core Pentecostal, his personal philosophy resonated with me:
“My beliefs are that the truth is a truth until you organize it, and then it becomes a lie. I don’t think that Jesus was teaching Christianity, Jesus was teaching kindness, love, concern, and peace. What I tell people is don’t be Christian, be Christ-like. Don’t be Buddhist, be Buddha-like.”
Every book he wrote was an immediate best-seller. His lectures were always sold-out. Though they doubted his spiritual message would resonate with viewers in the beginning, he brought in more money for public broadcasting than any other speaker. We were blessed to share the Earth at the same time as this wise teacher, and he left a legacy that will be unmatched. If you don’t know him, get familiar with the greatest sage of our time, Dr. Wayne Dyer.
Louise Hay (R.I.P.)
When it comes to daily affirmations, self-love, and healing the body, there was no messenger more powerful than Louise Hay. I have listened to the audiobook, “You Can Heal Your Life” more times than I can count, as well as several of her affirmation audio recordings (on repeat) for years. What I appreciate about her teachings the most was she did not just “preach” a message about change, she always provided actionable steps you could take to assist you in making the shift. She was a pioneer in the New Age Movement, starting all the way back in the 1960s, when I’m sure that type of talk was considered heresy. However, she became a best-selling author of many books, and started her own publishing company, Hay House, with authors such as Dr. Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, and Abraham-Hicks on her roster. Her books, affirmation cards, and audio recordings will have a profound effect, primarily because of the focus on loving the self. If you are 50, 75, or 100 lbs. overweight, there is someone you forgot how to love. Louise Hay’s Self-Love Teachings have been instrumental in my weight loss journey. I spoke about her in my 2009 vlogs, and I dedicated a page of this site to her “Mirror Work” technique. I plan on speaking about her books and teachings in future videos as well. If you aren’t familiar with the incredible legacy she left behind, prepare to be blown away by the teachings of Louise Hay.
Eckhart Tolle
I can remember it like it was yesterday. It was during my “seeking” phase of life — about 2006. I had been listening to Wayne Dyer and Louise Hay recordings. I learned how to meditate from Adyashanti’s podcast. I was playing the manifestation “games” from Esther, Jerry, and Abraham Hicks. Buuuuttt… “Twilight” was all the rage on my nerdy book sites, so I needed to grab a copy to see what the hoopla was all about! I walked into Barnes & Noble and this huge, bright orange display of “A New Earth” greeted me. I read the first 3 pages and was hooked. That was my introduction to a teacher who is simply not of this world… E.T. Eckhart Tolle. There’s no other way to describe his wisdom than otherworldly. I read that book, then downloaded it on iTunes to listen to it on repeat. I then downloaded “The Power Of Now” as well as several talks he did in Europe (Ireland??) at spiritual retreats. (Back in the day, iTunes was the best place for rare recordings people would upload.) A couple of years later, Oprah got ahold of “A New Earth,” was unbelievably moved by it, but said she thought to herself, “it’s too bad I can’t put something like this on my show.” (It was a different time back then, people.) So she made the internet’s first live global webcast, a 10-part series, where she brought Eckhart on to teach the wisdom of his book. It was amazing!
His teachings bring you to the present moment, show you it is the only thing that exists, and explain how it is your only point of power. However, it’s his quiet yet commanding wisdom about life that will floor you. You’ll question how he knows the things he knows, but they somehow resonate deep within you as truth. During your weight loss journey, know that your only point of power is right here, right now. Learn from an otherworldly authority, Eckhart Tolle.
Esther, Jerry, and Abraham Hicks
I cannot think of another book that I wrote in, highlighted, and marked up more than “Ask and It Is Given, The Teachings of Abraham.” On a different, non-“Twilight” Barnes & Noble run, I was actually looking for spiritual teachings. I picked up this book, opened it, and saw the forward was written by my baby daddy, Dr. Wayne Dyer. That was enough for me to buy it. I literally cannot think of one other time in my life that I got home and read a book cover-to-cover in one sitting. I am all about actionable steps you can do to accomplish your goals, and this book is a powerful, plain-English manual on getting everything you want in life, with actual steps you can take right now. Abraham refers to his lessons, not as “teachings,” but as “games.” He offers many “games” you can play to raise your vibration around any particular issue.
Like nearly everyone who was “seeking” back then, I had seen the movie, “The Secret.” I did not know that it was based on Esther, Jerry and Abraham, who were later cut from from the film due to their “unconventional” nature. Though these were the teachers that changed Rhonda’s life and sent her on a path which ultimately led to her creating that movie, she was very disingenuous by cutting them out. You see, Esther “channels” a collective known as “Abraham,” who teaches us how to raise our vibrations… and that was all a little too odd to include in a movie that was set to be distributed worldwide. When they asked Esther to “change her language,” obviously she refused. So, though she was the basis of Rhonda’s lifechanging transformation, she was cut from the final film. (The UK version still has Esther in it.)
Anyway, if you are serious about transformation, and you want a plain, straightforward plan with actionable steps to change your life, raise your vibration, and reach your goals, you absolutely must learn about the teachings of Abraham-Hicks.
Barbara Hand Clow
To be perfectly honest, I am not into astrology. I don’t understand it and I’m not drawn to it in any way. The reason I include Barbara Hand Clow on this list is because she gave a transformational teaching about the Spring Solstice that woke me up to the reality of our calendars.
One day, shortly before the Spring Solstice, Kelly Howell had Barbara Hand Clow on her podcast to talk about the energies of the Spring Solstice and how we could use them to manifest our desires. She explained that the calendars are all wrong. The “New Year” actually starts at the Spring Solstice, not January 1st — which explains why our New Year’s resolutions almost universally fail. This was the first time I had ever heard this teaching, but it makes complete sense. Nothing grows in the dead of Winter. What would happen if you planted a seed in the ground on January 1st? It would die. So you should keep your seeds and plant them when the actual energies of awakening and new life begin — the true New Year, the Spring Season. She goes further to explain how exactly to use the energies of the Solstice in meditation to manifest your desires. Listen to that podcast here so you can receive the lesson directly from her.
In any case, she is a wise sage and I use this particular meditation practice every year. It has never failed me. Learn more about Mayan Elder, Cherokee Record Keeper, and astrological author, Barbara Hand Clow on her website.
Sarah Ban Breathnach
While her name may be unfamiliar to you, you may actually be practicing her most powerful teaching right now. Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book, “Simple Abundance,” is where the practice of keeping a daily “Gratitude Journal” comes from. At the end of the day, you simply jot down 5 things you were grateful for. It seems like such a simple practice, but it is transformative. The energy vibration of Gratitude is a powerful attractant. The reason this practice elevates you is because all day, you are on the lookout for things to write in your journal each night. This keeps you in the energy stream of Gratitude for your life and causes you to attract more and more things to be grateful for all day, every day.
Sarah Ban Breathnach is proof that not every author needs a huge catalog of best-selling books to be impactful in the world. She appeared on Oprah NINE times. This one teaching has transformed countless lives. If you are not keeping a Gratitude Journal, try it for 30 days. Don’t make a big procedure out of it. You can just keep a quick notepad on your phone. As I spoke about in my Success Series, I do this each night with my OM Meditation, and in a video I have yet to edit, I show you my current journal. This powerful technique will be instrumental in elevating your awareness of the little things to be grateful for every day. Learn more about Sarah Ban Breathnach on her website.
Les Brown
Les Brown and Zig Ziglar were two of my mother’s favorite motivational speakers. I can remember hearing their tapes and CDs play during my youth. Les has been a radio DJ, television host, best-selling author, and politician, despite being labeled “educable mentally retarded” as a child by teachers. His most powerful teaching is one he has truly lived: “Someone else’s opinion of you doesn’t have to be your reality.”
There are so many quotes that you may use in your daily life without knowing he is the author: “You can’t see the picture when you’re in the frame.” “Live your dreams, not your fears.” “Shoot for the moon because even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” He has numerous famous quotes. Many people say he is the best motivational speaker of our time. If you are looking for the energy to motivate you to get on the road to a healthy lifestyle, no one will get you more fired up to accomplish your goals than Les Brown.
Dr. David "Doc" Hawkins (R.I.P.)
Dr. David Hawkins spent his life as a psychiatrist until one day he had an epiphany about the Oneness of All. At the age of 68, he wrote a seminal book in my life, “Power vs. Force.” Around 2006, Oprah had her own station on satellite radio, where she would have conversations with various spiritual teachers. It was my introduction to Dr. David “Doc” Hawkins. In their talk, he coupled his spiritual ideas with physical scientific testing. He spoke about a scale of human consciousness that influences all of our behavior, where higher consciousness was associated with “power” and lower consciousness with “force.” I was so hooked, I listened to her station all day and waited for the re-run that night (her programs were on a loop). I got the book and studied it intently. It was instrumental in my Weight Loss Journey. I had never thought of “power” being distinct from the concept of “force” in accomplishing goals. I wanted to elevate my energy around my journey to come from a place of joy, love for my body, and mental peace to align with “power”; not align with struggling, fear, and shame to “force” change in my behavior. He also shows you how you can physically test if you are operating from the trueness of power or the falseness of force. It’s difficult to summarize the book in just a few sentences, but I encourage you to pick up a copy and explore the other books on Dr. David Hawkins’s website to elevate your energy, your “power,” during your weight loss journey.
Bruce Lipton
As fat people, we often believe we are slaves to our DNA. Our genetics rule our lives, right? Wrong! Bruce Lipton is a cellular biologist who challenges that belief from a scientific perspective. His best-selling book, “The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter, and Miracles,” was transformative in my thinking around my weight loss journey. He explains epigenetics, which is what is going on “above” the genetic level that is causing us to have the experiences in life that we are having. Genes do not control your experiences in life… your experiences in life control your genes! This was so profound for me. Releasing stress and negative emotions creates a different environment for your genes to express themselves. We all have all kinds of genes in our bodies such as cancer and obesity, but what makes some genes express in one person and not another? The environment you place those genes in. I was flabbergasted. I had never heard a teacher explain genes in this way. Grab a copy of his book and visit Bruce Lipton’s website to transform your belief about the limits of your biology.
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor
You may have heard of Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor from her TED Talk. It was the first-ever TED Talk to go viral. She is a Harvard-trained brain scientist who had a massive stroke, recovered, and shared the insight of the entire process beautifully in her book, “My Stroke Of Insight.” She had a very unique perspective, because as brain scientist, she knew what was going on as it was happening. I first heard of Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, the singing scientist, on Oprah’s spiritual podcast. The thing I remember most is that it was the first (and only) time I heard Oprah curse! LOL She said of Dr. Taylor, “after you had your stroke, you lost all of the baggage we’re carrying around. You had no sh*t!” It was like hearing your Sunday School Teacher curse! LOL Anyway, Dr. Taylor said something so profound about how she maintains having “no sh*t.” She explained she specifically chooses not to think thoughts that feel negative in her body. Every thought we think runs a specific circuitry which causes a physical reaction in our bodies. You can choose to think a positive, uplifting, joyful thought, experience that positive feeling throughout your body, and run that positive circuitry. You can also choose to think a negative, angry, depressing thought, experience how that feels in your body, and run that circuitry. Your body has a physiological response to both positive and negative thoughts that you can literally feel. If you have the choice, why on Earth would you choose to think negatively?! The book is a quick read and a captivating page-turner about an experience that hopefully none of us will ever go through. However, the lessons she learned, and was able to teach in a clear, concise manner, will transform your thinking around how you CHOOSE to walk through your life’s journey. Grab a copy of her book and visit Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s website.