Showing posts with label calm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label calm. Show all posts

Sunday, 30 April 2023

I Am Enough: A 90-day challenge to find contentment - Sheridan Stewart


Stressed by your spending? Always feeling like you should do more? Join Sheridan Stewart on an inspiring journey towards spending less, feeling happier and focusing on the important things.

What began as a 90-Day challenge simply to spend less, becomes an exploration of what matters most. I Am Enough contemplates what it means to have enough, do enough and ultimately be enough. Told with insight and humour, this book is an antidote to the constant pressure we are under to do more, have more and be more.

Busy radio presenter and broadcaster, author and mid-lifer Sheridan Stewart created the 90-Day Enough Challenge out of necessity. She had been struggling with burnout for years but couldn’t find a way to break the cycle of dashing about feeling guilty about spending too much, eating too much and not being a good enough wife, friend, volunteer, work colleague and human being.

Sheridan’s quest to prioritise calm, self-care and what really matters in life is inspirational. The practical programme which she has created is in three parts with a detailed timeline, tips and checklists for every step of the journey.
 
SURRENDER:
  • The first part of the book is about surrender – learning to let go and strip life back to the essentials: getting enough sleep and support, utilizing what we have instead of buying more and doing enough without being sucked into the relentless pursuit of perfectionism. 
MAYBE I CAN BE ENOUGH?
  • The second part of the book makes a shift from not only doing things differently but beginning to feel and view things differently. Even though to the outside observer, Sheridan’s life may appear the same – same job, same relationships, same environment – she learns to see life through a different lens. She begins to take small actions that better served her physical, emotional and financial wellbeing and shows the reader how to do the same.
CHOOSE TO MAKE THE CHANGE LAST:
  • The third part of the book is about choice. As Sheridan nears the end of her 90-Day Challenge, she starts to explore implementing lasting change. As a chronic dieter and a driven over-achiever, she is aware of how quickly old patterns and behaviours can take hold. Why will this time different?
Over the course of this journey, Sheridan learns to trust herself, and you can too by following in her footsteps on a journey towards financial and emotional happiness.
 

What did I think?

This book is very well written with short chapters that are easy to follow and hold your interest.  Having, being and doing ‘enough’ is a simple idea but it makes a lot of sense and it’s comforting to know that you’re not the only one with a harsh inner critic that never shuts up.

I’m pretty good at saving money, but it was absolutely mindblowing to see how much money is wasted on coffee shops and restaurants; it’s ok to have a treat now and again but you can save so much money by making things yourself at home.  Yes, that’s a no-brainer but seeing Sheridan Stewart quantify it in monetary terms would’ve given me a cold sweat if I was someone who had a takeaway coffee every day.

For me, what I want to get out of this book is learning to accept that I’m enough.  There’s no manual for life so we’re all just doing the best we can but I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t want the elusive ‘more’.  I think just looking at what you already have is a really good philosophy as we waste so much these days.  I’m as guilty of this as the next person: my other half says I’m more thrilled by the purchase of a bargain than by actually consuming said bargain, that is likely to be languishing at the back of the cupboard six months after its best before date.

It almost takes the pressure off by changing the way you think, by saying for example: ‘I’m going to TRY to lose weight’ rather than ‘I’m going to lose weight’, that sets you up to fail the minute you step on the scales and put on 0.5kg so you might as well eat that whole packet of ginger nuts.

I’m really pleased I have discovered Sheridan Stewart’s I Am Enough book.  The small steps approach is one that is easy to follow and you really can’t fail, as you’re only trying after all.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Thursday, 14 February 2019

Ikigai & Other Japanese Words to Live By - Mari Fujimoto


Introducing and explaining some of the most poignant Japanese words, Ikigai is a lifestyle as well as a language book. From the wistful poetry of mono-no-aware, a word that asks us to recognize the bittersweet transience of all things, to the quiet harmony of wa, which knits together all of society’s structures, this book is an introduction to the intricacies and value of Japanese phrases and concepts. It hopes to inspire you to incorporate these words into your own lifestyle and adopt a more mindful attitude to life’s stresses, seeking meaning beyond materialism. 

In addition to over 40 ‘words to live by’, Ikigai features musings on the place of beauty, community, time and nature in Japanese thought, teaching mindfulness by way of compelling haikus, and illustrated by Michael Kenna’s reflective photography throughout.


What did I think?

When I think of Japanese people, a sea of serene and smiling faces comes to mind.  After reading Ikigai & other Japanese words to live by, I'm not surprised that they appear so happy and calm with such beautiful, meaningful words in their vocabulary.

The book is split into seven chapters: Harmony, Beauty, Nature, Mindfulness, Gratitude, Time and Respect, with a haiku (a 3 line Japanese poem) at the beginning of each chapter.  I've never been a poetry lover so these bite size poems are more my kind of thing and I rather surprisingly found myself lingering over the words and savouring their meaning.  Before we even get to the 'words to live by' there is a little essay on each chapter topic, however, this went completely over my head and I didn't really get it.  It might make more sense on the second reading, as I'm sure I'll be returning to this book for inspiration.

On to the words, which is the essence of the book.  My favourite section has to be 'Time' as I often say that time is something you never get back and particular moments in time cannot be repeated.  There's actually a Japanese phrase for this: 'Ichigo ichie' which means a once-in-a-lifetime encounter; a moment that cannot be repeated.  It's rather fitting for me (being a lifelong tea lover) that this phrase is attributed to renowned tea master Sen-no Rikyū and I'd already made a note to source some 'salty plum tea' that made my mouth water in the essay on gratitude.

I love black and white photography so I was completely spellbound by Michael Kenna's breathtaking images.  The images, coupled with the inspirational words and phrases, project an aura of calm and enlightenment, making Ikigai & other Japanese words to live by a book to savour and return to again and again.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:


Buy it from Amazon