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This is Not the Life I Orderedby
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Atina Hartunian: How do you judge a self-help book? After reading cover to cover how do you gauge whether or not the recommended advice really worked? Even after you’ve faithfully completed the exercises. Perhaps the best way to decide is to see how you feel while reading the book and how you feel afterwards. If you’ve been moved, motivated or even empowered to do something, to heed the advice spelled out on the pages to help change your current circumstances. Well, this particular book speaks true to many people who might find themselves in a life they did not see themselves having.
The title, This Is Not The Life I Ordered, is co-written by Deborah Collins Stephens, Jackie Speier, Michealene Cristini Rosley and Jan Yanehiro. Throughout the pages of this book are the collective stories of four friends, who would get together every month for “kitchen-table coaching sessions.” Through each others support the foursome has seen each other through some difficult times: from martial problems, career success, to financial ruin. From each experience endured and lesson learned, valuable wisdom was gained and it’s all shared in this book.
It would be great if you could turn to someone and say, “This Is Not the Life I Ordered,” every time life handed you a cold plate of unexpected misfortunes. Unfortunately, that is not the case. However, in nine accessible chapters, the book covers “50 ways to keep your head above water when life keeps dragging you down.” Each chapter is filled with practical advice that can help anyone navigate through the pitfalls of life. The chapters are further divided into sections that help tackle or view the problem the chapter is discussing.
Besides personal stories from from one or all of the co-authors, each section includes stories from other successful and admirable women who have conquered mountains to get to where they are today as well as blazing the trail for other women. Also found in each chapter are clever cartoons as well as inspirational quotes from such women like Amelia Earhart, Maya Angelou and Cher which makes this book engaging to the reader.
At the end of each chapter are suggested discussion topics for you to talk about with your friends at one of your own “Kitchen-Conversations.” The exercises are no quick-fix solutions. They require honest answers and a commitment to follow through. Though you may stray off of your own course every now and again, the circle of friends you surround yourself and talk to will not let you forget your goals. This group of people that you can lean on is an essential component to this book’s message. The Co-authors agree, it is vital to have your friends around you when overcoming difficulties. In fact the very first exercise is to create this support group if there isn’t one already in place.
Along with a strong support system, the book also emphasizes that life is essentially in your hands. Even if you feel like you are trapped in some spiral of despair and have no other options in front of you, the book stresses to remember: there is always a way. All the dark days you might be going through currently , remember: it’s only temporary. Keep on thinking positively. What’s important is to have the courage to persevere no matter what. Courage is a muscle, it needs to be flexed and it needs to be exercised.
These are the unique tools that these co-authors have learned to develop and now they are passing on this wisdom earned from their own experiences onto you, the reader. In hopes that when life dishes out something you did not ask for, you will know how to act and not re-act to the circumstances at hand.
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