self help – One Chapter

How To Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay by Jenny Lawson

5 stars Nonfiction

Another great book by Jenny. I have read 3 books by Jenny, and I felt this book was more serious than any of the previous books that I have read. Jenny tackles the issue of depression, anxiety and ADHD as she herself deals with these issues herself. I like how she approaches these issues with her honesty, her sincerity, as she is all in. She holds nothing back. I met Jenny at an author event a few years ago, and she was one real individual!! I appreciated her down-to-earth style and that she actually came to Iowa. Seriously, we do have a lot of book readers and book fanatics in Iowa.

I seem to read books of this nature as they can help others, and they have tons of information that opens my eyes to the real world around me. Jenny has some LOL moments inside this book which follow the format of her other books. She mentions a letter that Sigmund Freud sent his fiancée in 1884. She mentioned this letter as she addresses the topic of confidence. Her advice is to act confident because you can. Fake it, if you have to because someone has to believe in you and that might as well start with you. Reading Sigmund’s letter, had me laughing but it made total sense, if you think about it. “So, I gave my lecture yesterday. Despite the lack of preparation, I spoke quite well and without hesitation, which I ascribe to the cocaine had taken before hand. I told about my discoveries in brain anatomy, all very difficult things that the audience certainly did not understand but all that matters is that they get the impression that I understand it. “ (Sigmund Feud’s letter)

Here are some things that I am taking away from this book:

Rose, Rose, Thorn, Bud exercise – practicing gratitude. Done nightly describe Each of these four subjects: Rose – something good that happened during the day or something that made you happy. Thorn- something that difficult that you had to deal with during the day. Bud – Something that you’re looking forward to the near future. This sounds like a great activity although I’m not sure if I could do it every day.

She also mentioned making a list of items that bring you joy or comfort and continuing going to this list adding items.

Her comments about Buffering hit home with me as I find myself lost every day in thoughts, unable to quickly recall information while others wait on me. Now, I hope I can remember to use “buffering” instead of “it’s the meds”

Buying Wine for Babies – wonderful idea! I love it! Hilarious when she talks about.

Everyone deserves joy and contentment. WE all deserve people who will take care of us but we also need to take care of ourselves, which is a hard concept for me. She talks about giving ourselves a special treat, a special activity, or even forgiveness because we are worthy. We don’t have to rely on others for that.

Noise colors? This is a totally new concept for me. I have heard of white noise since our grandkids use the good old sound machines but pink noise, brown noise, green noise, blue noise, violet noise, gray noise, and zombie noise? I am intrigued and will have to investigate this.

All in all, this is a great book – one that I will have to come back to and address over and over again. Don’t blow it off just because you don’t have anxiety or depression or ADHD, read it because there is knowledge in there that might help others or might help you and you just don’t know it yet. 5 stars

Creating Moments of Joy For the Person with Alzheimer’s or Dementia by Jolene Brackey

5 stars Nonfiction

This is a great resource for those who know someone or is caring for someone with dementia or Alzheimer. I have read quite a few books, but this book was what I have been looking for. With short, direct chapters, each section dealt with specific topics which allowed me to skip sections. I liked the examples and real-world scenarios that were inside the book. The advice inside the book seemed practical and there were times as I read that I felt that either the examples or the advice offered is something I could relate to. The positive vibe that ran through the book was greatly appreciated too.

There is a table of contents at the beginning of the book so you can quickly get to a topic you want to explore. There is lots of practical advice inside this book. The book is broken into 3 sections: Powerful Tools That Create Positive Outcomes, Let’s Talk Communication, and Memory Enhanced Environments. Some of those topics include Remember Their Greatness, “I Want to go Home’, Stop Correcting Them, “Give Me That”, Playing Favorites, Magic Words, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Create a Safe Haven, and A Commercial About TV. It’s definitely a book that you should check out. I highly recommend it. I also think those working with these special individuals would greatly benefit from reading it and applying the information to their work environment. I bought a few copies and gave them to individuals who would benefit from them. 5 stars

Outdoor Kids in an Inside World: Getting Your Family Out of the House and Radically Engaged with Nature by Steven Rinella

Being an outside person, I wanted to read this book to see what Steven had to say about getting kids outside. I have to agree with everything that Steven said although, some of what he said seems to me, like common sense which might be because I like to be outside. As he breaks this book into chapters, you don’t need to apply all this book to your life, you can apply what fits. As you read it and apply it, you might just decide to try more than you originally thought you would.

The book is broken down into seven chapters with an index. It starts with some little steps about having your children get used to the idea of nature from fish to rocks to mud. Steven addresses the pandemic, ticks, and other obstacles that have some individuals locking themselves inside. Offering suggestions on how to get your children out the door, we have mudpies, a small aquarium, or a farmers’ market, to help get this love of nature started. The author even provides a list of questions, at the end of this chapter to ask your children about items in their life which have to do with nature. These are thought-provoking questions from where do they think their drinking water comes from? What crops and livestock are grown around where they live? What birds live in their neighborhood? Stephen continues in this format throughout the book with the rest of his chapters when he addresses camping, foraging, gardening, fishing, and hunting. I think most people will find something interesting in this book, in one of the chapters. I’m not a forager but I found that chapter interesting. He’s got some good points on how to implant getting children out from behind their electronic devices and how to make it interesting. Steven points out that you have to be present to make this work. You can’t give them the supplies to go camping and then, you go home. No, this is a joint project. It takes at least two (2) to make this happen. It’s also engagement and I think this is key. Engagement is what we’re slacking on now, I feel. No one has the time; everyone is busy or so they say. If you engage with your child with whatever activity they are doing, they’re with you. Now engagement does not mean, doing all of it nor does it mean just sitting there while they’re doing it all. Engagement means physically and mentally participating, so you’ll need to get off your phone. You’ll need to tell everybody else you’re busy. You’ll need to make this a priority as your child should be a priority for, they’re only young once. So, engage, give them some positive energy and experience some nature together. 4 stars

The Boy, The Mole. The Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

Fantastic book! The cover of this gem doesn’t do this book justice. The story has so many great treasures inside it. I think it’s a story to reflect upon, a story not of itself but a story that allows you to take what you have read and enjoy the words that Charlie has written.

The story begins with the author’s narrative about the book and what he hoped to accomplished. Although, he states that you can start anywhere in the book, the beginning of the book makes more sense as there is a storyline that you can follow. I do understand what the author means by starting anywhere in the book, so let me explain. If you open just about any of the pages in this book, you will find a meaningful quote either by the boy, the mole, or the horse. The fox does speak but he’s a quiet fox for the most part. Just opening the book to any page, you can a great quote and you can start reading the book from this quote or you can just enjoy this quote. “Life is difficult-but you are loved.” “Isn’t it odd. We can only see our outsides, but nearly everything happens on the inside.” “When the dark clouds come…….keep going.” Such meaningful great quotes! Enjoy them separately or if you read the whole story, you’ll experience a truly rich story that once you finish the book, you’ll want to open it back up to reread some of those great quotes again.

There’s some simple art work added to the pages to enhance the story and as a whole, this book is truly a great story. It’s a sweet story of how these four characters together, search for answers. I like how they encourage each other and are there for one another. It’s not a book to rush through but one to savor and enjoy. I think this would make a fantastic coffee table book as there’s something in it for everyone. I’m definitely adding it to my table. I highly recommend this one, go check it out!

Girl, Stop Apologizing: by Rachel Hollis

Girls & ladies, listen and listen carefully to what I have to say. If you feel you need someone in your corner, you need this book. If you have goals and lack the motivation to go after them, you need this book. If you just need to hear someone fired up, to get you moving, you need this book. I was not prepared for what I listened to when I put this novel in my car’s CD player.

I have just recently purchased a couple of Rachel Hollis’ cookbooks which I absolutely love. They are composed of dishes that I would actually make. Its real food created from actual grocery stores, not food made with fancy bouquet food where I’d buy a jar of something that I’d never use again but actual food. With these down-to-earth recipes, I figured Rachel would be an easy-going girl yet what I heard in this novel was a woman who was driven, strong, and very motivated. Bring it on Rachel, we need to hear more of this!

The more I listened to this novel, the more I understood where she got this ambition. Rachel just doesn’t try to motivate us women, she gives us some background on her own story so I know where she is coming from. Listening to her read her own novel, I could feel how she owned each word that she had put down in print. The energy and desire that she has to help others feel the same way she feels can definitely be felt while listening to her. It’s as if she’s trying to tell people: “Come on! Wake up and get with the program!”

Do you need Rachel in your life? I highly recommend the audio of this book, the enthusiasm and the passion as she reads her own words is definitely worth it.