Friday, April 4, 2014

"Life Lessons For Women: 7 Essential Ingredients for a Balanced Life" Book Review & Quotes

I thoroughly enjoyed and definitely recommend Life Lessons for Women: 7 Essential Ingredients for a Balanced Life by Stephanie Marston, M.F.T, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. Whether you just want to enjoy some feel-good stories by the folks who brought us the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books or really want to dig in and do all (or some) of the exercises, answer the soul searching questions and build yourself up with the positive affirmations, this book has something to offer every woman (and most open-minded men too).

 Here are some of my favorite quotes and one of the great exercises from the book:

"Living a priority-centered life means balancing responsibility to others with responsibility to oneself, obligations with enjoyment, work with play, activity with rest. It means finding a natural rhythm to your day-to-day life that will support an atmosphere of fulfillment." Page 47

“The next time someone asks you to do something, determine what your limits are before responding. Ask yourself, What can I reasonably and joyfully do?" Page 60

 "Most of you have an idealized image of what good parents, good employees, good daughters, good wives should be, and are haunted by these images of perfection. Rather than confront the comparison between the idealized images and your actual self, many of you feel inadequate and guilt-ridden because you can’t match up to your own impossibly high standards. You have a choice, you can either adjust your standards so that they more closely match reality or you can change your behavior. In the majority of cases, we would suggest that you get rid of those ludicrous expectations." Page 87-88
Exercise: “Strengthen your defender” write your self criticisms in one column and answer them with the most nurturing voice you can channel. E.g., “Critical voice: ‘You think you deserve some time for yourself? How about the laundry piled in the corner or the bills that are unpaid? Nurturing voice: ‘None of those things are urgent. I deserve some time for myself. Now tear the piece of paper in half and throw away the negative half. It’s time to banish your inner critic.” Page 99-100

"Simplicity is about reducing the things in your life that no longer serve you, eliminating energy-draining activities, and most of all, adjusting your attitude… It’s all about stripping back the possessions, activities and habits that eat up your time and energy so that you can focus on what truly matters." Page 218


“Treat yourself the way you would a cherished friend. You forgive her faults. You tolerate her flaws and mistakes. You cut her lots of slack and you accept her just the way she is, not how you would like her to be. Extend that same kindness, gentleness and understanding to yourself.” Page 269

I got so much from this book that I'm tempted to do a few more blog posts based on it (such as top 10 affirmations, soul searching questions, and inspiring quotes by other authors posts). If any of these potential topics interest you, please let me know and I'll be glad to share them soon.

Best wishes to you in your pursuit of your ideal life! May the God who makes all life possible bless you abundantly!

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Disclaimer: This post (and all of my blog posts, unless otherwise stated) is my own opinion and I was neither asked or paid to write it. I am not affiliated with anyone or anything in the post.
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