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The I Factor: How Building a Great Relationship with Yourself Is the Key to a Happy, Successful Life

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The key to the life you want is already within your grasp. Join bestselling author Van Moody as he helps you learn the 3 keys necessary to discover your life's purpose and the satisfying fulfillment you're longing for. One question lies behind every struggle we How do I deal with myself? Behind all our stumbles, behind each of our missteps, behind every one of our failings lies an inability to handle what Moody calls the "I-Factor." More than self-worth or self-respect, beyond even character and perception of purpose, the I-Factor is about managing yourself--your whole life--well. In this inspiring book, Moody reveals how to get hold of your I-Factor and finally get out of your own way. In The I-Factor , Moody identifies three dynamics essential to winning the battle of the Weaving together personal stories, practical principles, and profound biblical truth, The I-Factor provides the key to achieving the life of greatness that you are destined for. Praise for The I-Factor : "Van Moody takes you on a biblically balanced, often painfully penetrating look--not just a look at the you in you, but a look at the God in you who defines and declares your destiny and worth." --Kenneth C. Ulmer, D.Min, PhD; Faithful Central Bible Church; founder-CEO, The Ulmer Institute

288 pages, Paperback

Published November 22, 2016

90 people are currently reading
244 people want to read

About the author

Van Moody

19 books33 followers
Field expert Van Moody is an author, motivational speaker, pastor, and media expert source who advises on matters related to relationships as they pertain to friends, family, significant others and the workplace.

Moody has lectured in the classrooms of Harvard and Oxford Universities where he, himself, has also studied to further his quest for knowledge. Among his numerous affiliations, Moody is an associate trainer in Japan for EQUIP, the world's largest and most comprehensive grassroots leadership, personal growth and development organization founded by Dr. John C. Maxwell. He also serves on the board of directors for Joel Osteen's Champions Network.

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5 stars
78 (52%)
4 stars
42 (28%)
3 stars
17 (11%)
2 stars
8 (5%)
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4 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Toyin Spades.
270 reviews539 followers
April 11, 2017
​Van writes this book with lots of examples to show the reader how they can introspect, learn about building themselves and ultimately have personal victories through their struggles.

We hear stories about individuals who are usually in the spotlight and are, in our minds, inevitably destined for success.

Out of the blues, they make a fall from grace and we are left wondering how this has happened.

Van suggests that this may be because the world places a higher value of external characteristics, these individuals do not spend the time to take care of their internal selves. Their crash and burn is inevitable.

What about us? How do we take care of inward selves? How do we ensure we don’t fall prey to pressures around us?

I like the way he explains how it is vitally important for the reader to have a relationship with him/herself. Our relationship with ourselves is as vital or even more important than our relationship with others.

How do you relate with yourself?

Favourite quote: “Here’s my point: the Titanic sank not because the iceberg was in the ocean, but because no one saw it in time to steer clear of it.”
30 reviews4 followers
August 13, 2019
This book is fantastic. It truly helps you to build relationship with yourself and be patient with yourself. Definitely helped me to break my anxiety and timidity! It revolutionized the way I talk to myself and treat myself! If you're trying to build your self esteem and confidence and or are trying to love yourself more, then this will help you a great deal

There's a lot of practicality, real-life examples, and even scripture to support you on the journey to build a relationship with you. Oftentimes, we have such great relationships with people but we treat ourselves as trash or as low because of a bunch of issues. This book will help you learn to like you and grow. Into a place where you can actually - LOVE YOU!!!

Not the hollow, "I love me" but the genuine and authenticity of those words. Check this book out!
Profile Image for Joanna.
95 reviews3 followers
October 19, 2017
Everyone seems to have the keys to happiness and success. Van Moody's "The I Factor" focuses on how building a great relationship with yourself is the way.

He looks at this from a spiritual perspective and shares some good points throughout. It's another look at many ideas and concepts you've likely read or heard from other authors. At the end of each chapter he offers a solid review of the main points, and then some questions to help put the points into practice in your life.

There's some good stuff here and some good reminders of how to keep yourself buoyed up in a crazy world that is often more intent on seeing someone fail than applauding the small steps toward a good life.





4 reviews
August 8, 2020
3 stars only because Moody shares gospel messages and Gods word does not return to Him empty. Moody’s instruction is shallow and misguided: he he points out a few (stereotypical) examples not taking responsibility for their emotions but then gives no more direction to the reader than to say you must take responsibility for your emotions. Misguided Moody consistently concludes that if the reader is not experienced “greatness” in life that they are doing something “wrong” and suggests they can fix on their own. This is inconsistent with the entire book of Job and, too, in the NT where
Profile Image for Zara.
290 reviews1 follower
June 29, 2025
A really great motivational text from a biblical world view. Altogether engaging and reflective.

I bought it years ago and finally got around to reading it. Worth the purchase and perhaps best suited to the season I am in.
137 reviews2 followers
November 24, 2016
I have a few things I didn't like about it but overall, the points are spot on and everyone can take away something from this.
Review is here: http://bit.ly/Ifactor
Profile Image for Taylor Boone.
5 reviews1 follower
June 18, 2017
This book unlocks our hidden fear and shines a light in our purpose. Why we are here and what is truly our bliss. Pick this book up and turn to page 99. It will impact your soul!
1 review
July 28, 2018
I learned a lot that I can use daily and long-term. It’s practical, spiritual, and easy to incorporate in your life.

Profile Image for Alec Lifschultz III.
16 reviews
December 12, 2019
The Pastor led quite the sermon with this one. Please pick up a copy of this book and look at how to read yourself and be happy.
Profile Image for Pragthika.
30 reviews1 follower
March 29, 2022
This book is legit a great handbook to have by your side at all times and it’s a good book to refer during your hard times. Good book for sure!
Profile Image for Nathan Albright.
4,488 reviews153 followers
December 27, 2016
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by BookLook/Thomas Nelson Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Being somewhat familiar with the author [1] and with the general circle of writers to which the author belongs, with the concerns about identity in the face of difficult pasts [2], and having looked at the book's focus on the self, I had some serious concerns about the book as I began to read it. Being very familiar with reading books that are not written with me in mind at all, I was not sure that this book would be able to avoid writing from a perspective that would alienate me as a reader. However, much to my surprise if not exactly my pleasure, I found out that this book was written precisely with me in mind in a way that I seldom see in writing, and I found the book to be rigorously biblical in its approach. This is not a book I saw coming, but is certainly one of the finest books I have ever read in the general subject of personal improvement. The author's perspective as a black man from a broken family gives him some instant credibility in writing about the need for forgiveness and rising above difficulty, and he deserves a great deal of praise for writing about self-improvement and personal responsibility in a day and age where many people like blaming others for their failures.

This book is one whose title and subtitle are poor preparations for its contents. While a reader might pick up the book and look at its cover and think that the author is simply looking to spout of some contemporary new age ideas about self-esteem, the author quickly disabuses the reader of that notion when one reads the book. The examples chosen from biblical history, American history, and general culture are immensely powerful and the author does not mince words on the sort of people he is writing to. Over and over again the author talks about broken families, personal histories full of immense trauma and abuse, and the historical experience of oppression as being experiences that must be overcome and seen through the light of God's purposes rather than chains that fate someone to failure in life. The author talks about the struggles to rise above the past, to achieve long-delayed dreams and goals, and how one needs to be persistent and optimistic in the face of difficulties. Chapters include discussions about the layers of people, the importance of identity and integrity, the need to know one's true self is based on what God has created in us and not what we are doing at any particular moment, the importance of wilderness experiences as the training ground for greatness, the importance of building the roots of success from the inside out, the power of perseverance and perspective, and two chapters at the end that give seven steps to greatness.

One finishes this book with a lot of value as a reader. One finishes with a sense of who the author is as a person, a man who has achieved a great deal of success in life and who is tired of seeing his own people--or people in general--who are held back by negativity or a desire to blame others for failure to rise above the difficulties of life. The advice and counsel of this book is from someone who knows that life is full of challenges and that some people will not get the advantages of others but can use their experiences and backgrounds as a source of strength, of resilience and empathy for others, as a training ground for faith and trust in God and the development of resourcefulness, that others may not have because they have lacked the experience of being tried and tested through immense difficulty. Not everyone could pull of a book like this one, but the author makes it clear that he speaks from the point of view who has struggled with his own identity and who wants to see the reader succeed in life, regardless of where they have been and where they are now. And that sort of goodwill and genuine concern is both impossible to fake and also of immense importance to the target readers of this book, namely people like me. Regardless of whether you come to this book looking for encouragement in dealing with a difficult personal background or whether one has found a certain amount of success in life but struggles with discontent and with patterns of self-sabotage, this is a book that offers the reader practical encouragement as well as thoughtfully expressed historical discussion and personal anecdotes, all of which make for a book that is concise at 250 pages, and even closes with the balanced approach that the thoughtful reader will want about the need both to find oneself and lose oneself simultaneously, a paradox that only deepens the book's achievement.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...

[2] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
Profile Image for Sharon.
Author 19 books36 followers
February 9, 2017
The book for review is “ The I Factor”:How Building a Great Relationship with Yourself Is the Key to a Happy, Successful Life” by Van Moody who is the author of “The People Factor. This book falls in the genre or religion, Christian life and personal growth.

How do you deal with yourself and what goes on around you? Between all our problems, our downfalls, our failures and how we deal with it is what Mr. Moody calls the I-factor. It’s not about placing us up high in how we see ourselves overall but about how you manage your life and the things that surround you. This book shows you how to do so.

But how do you get started to do so in finding your I-Factor? In this book Mr. Moody identifies three ways to find it inside of you. Those factors are identity, significance and perspective. Once you have figured this out you know who you are and what your identity is. From there you are setting the tone for your life.

Every so often you will see a gray box that has a condensed version of what you are reading. This one sums up the book for me. “You figured out who you really are… Often, before you can get down to the core of who you really are, you first have to strip away what you are not.”

What did I think about this book? I do see the value in some self-help books. Is this for everyone? This is probably not true. But if you are wanting to grow from the inside out and to the environment around you this is a good pick up. The questions at the end of the chapters and thoughts are a nice added touch.
Profile Image for Rachel | All the RAD Reads.
1,248 reviews1,315 followers
February 3, 2017
The subtitle of this one is "how building a great relationship with yourself is the key to a happy successful life" but it was other positive reviews that actually sold me on giving this one a shot. As soon as I got it, though, I read that the author was on Joel Osteen's board, and I had a feeling I wouldn't end up enjoying this one as much. I was right. It reads very much in line with the "prosperity gospel" themes, with a lot of that same language. It did have a lot of Scripture included and was clearly a faith-based book, but much more so in the "you can be successful if you just love yourself!" kind of way than a "strength comes from the LORD" kind of way. I didn't really like this one much at all -- just not the style that really encourages or motivates me at all.
Profile Image for Cassandra.
1,345 reviews
January 19, 2017
I recevied a complimentary copy.

The author is giving you something as you read the book and allowing you into this realm of seriousness. The book has so much to offer if you take the time to read it and I think that anyone male or female and older than 17 would benefit from its knowledge. There is a lot of faith based material, so it helps to believe in that perspective. It was interesting and real.
Profile Image for Cathy.
100 reviews2 followers
November 25, 2016
there were quite a few things I did not like about this book . it evident to me at least that some things in this life cannot be rebuilt and relationships are one of those things and to me someone should not write a book about said subject . Some of the things that were pin pointed in the book were not really attainable in my opinion . Nope I had a hard time with this book
Profile Image for Tonia Nicole.
2 reviews
January 3, 2017
I felt this book is a great spiritual guideline when your trying to discover your purpose. It gives many stories in the Bible that draw directly to how you can achieve anything. I think it was a great read for the start of the new year with goals to pursue.
Profile Image for Monzelle Mcwilliams.
18 reviews1 follower
January 12, 2017
God did not create you for insignificance; He created you to fulfill and awesome destiny and to achieve the greatness for which you were born.
-The I Factor
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews

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