Relentless Solution Focus: Train Your Mind To Conquer Stress, Pressure, And Underperformance by Dr. Jason Selk and Dr. Ellen Reed

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

From bestselling author and mental toughness expert Jason Selk comes a mind-training regimen for reframing every problem into an opportunity for productive action.

The most common cause of failing to reach our professional and personal goals is hardwired in us: Humans instinctively focus on problems. Over millennia, our very survival relied on our ability to be alert to any potential dangers that could threaten our existence. But today this negativity bias significantly limits our potential and increases stress, pressure, and underperformance.

The one characteristic all phenomenally successful people share is mental toughness. Mentally tough people are better at making decisions more quickly and with better results. They possess the uncanny ability to control what goes on between their ears. Instead of allowing their minds to focus on their problems when adversity strikes, the most successful people have learned to direct their thoughts in a systematic manner that produces positive emotions and productive actions: they have a Relentless Solution Focus.

In this book, top performance coach Dr. Jason Selk, former Director of Mental Training for the World Series champions St. Louis Cardinals, and his colleague Dr. Ellen Reed provide the insight, tools, and proven step-by-step framework for you to do the same. When you have Relentless Solution Focus, you think better. Your decisions garner positive results. You take action and follow through, every time. And when you do get off track, you get back on with less effort and less drama. Weakness shrinks and strength grows, creating confidence and momentum, taking you and your team to higher levels of performance and achievement.

my thoughts:

Wow! What a book! I absolutely LOVED Relentless Solution Focus. It was fantastic! Chock full of steps, tips, and information on how to get your mind to focus on positivity and productivity - this book is helpful, insightful, and thought-provoking. You can't help but try and incorporate the information into your life, especially when you recognize just how often you tend to focus on the negative and be less productive as a result. I definitely needed this book at this time and am so happy that I was given the opportunity to read it. Relentless Solution Focus is a MUST-READ for anyone looking to improve their life - you will gobble up this book and enjoy all the ways in which it helps to improve your mindset. I would definitely recommend Relentless Solution Focus. 

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Relentless Solution Focus

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

The Art of Calm: Photographs and Wisdom to Balance Your Life by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Let’s face it: the more we rush around, the shorter the days can seem. Packed with page after page of inspirational ideas to help you bring your life back to center, this is the perfect antidote to reducing the chaos of everyday life. Filled with exquisite photographs and insightful quotations, this elegant book offers an opportunity to enjoy guilt-free “me” time, as well as easy suggestions for a more peaceful existence—from keeping a bud vase on your desk to tucking yourself into bed an hour early with a book you love. The brilliant images are a reminder to savor the world’s natural beauty—and ease the mind in an instant. This enriching, beautifully illustrated book is an inspiring guide to relaxation and harmony. Simple tips for how to unwind, ideas for spending quality time with loved ones, and illuminating quotes offer ideas on how to slow down and savor life’s simple moments.

my thoughts:

Talk about the perfect book to de-stress with! Filled with fabulous quotes, soothing photos, and helpful tips; The Art of Calm is the go-to book for inspiring its readers to focus on finding balance amidst all of life's chaos.  I absolutely loved it!

Lately, every day is filled with lists and lists of things that have to be done ASAP, leaving little to no breathing room for a ten-minute break.  Its crazy and tiring!  So, I was very excited to find myself with a quiet morning and this handy little tome to peruse over a nice cuppa.  I flipped through the pages and got lost in the images of trees, the beach, seashells, and flowers.  I read quotes by amazing and insightful figures like Louis May Alcott, Michelle Obama, Jane Austen, and Oprah Winfrey.  And the tips scattered throughout were fun and thoughtful - there's even a recipe for brownies (Yum!).  My favorite tip was, "Start every morning with beautiful words by subscribing to a daily poem online. It's food for the mind and the soul." Who doesn't want to wake up to beautiful words, right? 

The Art of Calm turned out to be the perfect book to help remind me that I need to remember to spend a little time with myself now and again.  So, I plan on carving out an hour each morning ( and I mean early morning ) to just read, write, and enjoy a nice cuppa while the rest of the worlds sleeps.  I think it will be a great way to kick off the start to my days. 

To find out what other book bloggers have to say about this amazing book, check out the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Art of Calm

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

1,001 Ways to Live Wild: A Little Book Of Everyday Adventures by Barbara Ann Kipfer

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Bestselling author 14,000 Things to Be Happy About Dr. Barbara Ann Kipfer pours her creativity into an irresistible book of bite-size inspiration for leading an adventurous, happy, and fulfilling life. 1,001 Ways to Live Wild is filled with light-hearted quick hits of encouragement for anyone looking for a jolt of “get out there and live.” Short entries—musings, things to do, and inspirational quotes—are paired with stunning artwork, creating a beautiful keepsake to give as a gift or to keep on your bedside table. Presented as one continuous list accompanied by whimsical sidebars and thought-provoking quotes, the text touches on many and varied themes such as: following your passions, staying curious, appreciating nature, traveling, trying new things, and living life with courage.

my thoughts:

I feel like I'm in a rut and its not a fun feeling.  I need change and I need it now.  So, when I was given the opportunity to read Barbara Ann Kipfer's latest book, 1,001 Ways to Live Wild, I jumped at the chance.  How could I not?  It sounded like the perfect book to help push me into trying something new and exciting.  Perhaps, trying to "live wild" would help me out of my rut?

According to Kipfer, living wild is about experiences that bring more passion, thrills, and courage into your life.  Her 1,001 suggestions are meant to inspire people to "get out there and live" and/or "jump-start a new beginning".  She's urging you to think about what it is you want from your life.  Her whole concept to "live wild" is focused on trying to push you into " living a freer, more joyful and fulfilling life". Sounds pretty great, doesn't it?

Here are a few of her suggestions:

• Dance in a public fountain.
• Write the opening sentence of your debut novel.
• Help someone today.
• For a day, give a flower to every person you know.
• Invent a new sandwich made from you favorite foods.

Of course some are a bit more adventurous:

• Compete in a poetry slam.
• Learn how to make pasta in Italy.
• Travel with no destination and simply focus on what you see, hear, and smell along the way.
• Go ice fishing.
• Volunteer to a be magician's assistant.  

What do you think? Seems like a pretty good mix of ideas, eh?  Well, there are plenty more in Kipfer's fun, new book.  I just loved flipping through the pages and seeing what she's come up with.  Plus, she's scattered these terrific lists that she calls a "Wild List" throughout her book.  Each list is about a specific theme, like, "Children's Activities to Do as an Adult" or "Life-Changing Places to Experience".  Oh, and did I mention the delicious quotes she's included - they are everywhere and just perfect for the entire theme of this book!  I really enjoyed getting inspired and spurred on to try new things.  1,001 Ways to Live Wild is a terrific book that I believe anyone looking for a little or a lot of adventure will just fall in love with.  Definitely, check it out ASAP!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for:

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

Every Day A Hope by Marci M. Matthews

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Through tiny stories and illustrations, Every Day a Hope encourages and empowers readers to examine emotionally difficult issues, while instilling confidence, introspection, and creativity. In each page, Marci M. Matthews addresses familiar concepts in a unique manner, designed to evoke thoughts, feelings, changes in perspective, and the ability to embrace the positive.
 

The concepts in Every Day a Hope are taken from Matthews’ work with survivors of sexual violence and PTSD, but the book is accessible to anyone who wants to find new ways to approach life with a positive outlook. Accompanying pages encourage readers to embark on their own explorations by asking questions and providing space to draw, write, keep lists, and create in whatever ways inspire them the most.

my thoughts:

Marci M. Matthews' book, Every Day a Hope, is the perfect blend of creativity and self-help.  Filled with short stories and drawings, this book provides plenty of hope and positivity with its messages about friendship, speaking to your heart, and so forth.  There are pages that ask you to jot down your own thoughts or ideas about what makes you happy or what you've learned today.  In these passages of self-reflection you are able to see the ways in which you are moving forward with your life.  These exercises are a way for you to begin working on your own emotional state of mind and I absolutely loved them.   

Every Day a Hope is a great little book that helps to open its reader's mind and heart to what they are holding deep within and letting it go.  Its truly a powerful and emotional reading experience.  I love how the author asks us to share our own stories/feelings within the book; thereby making the book even more personal for each reader.  This is definitely a book I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone and everyone interested in working through some of their personal issues.  Every Day a Hope provides its readers with positivity and the understanding needed in order to work towards a more hopeful future.  Such a great book!


Thanks so much to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!