Book Review: Think This, Not That by Dr. Josh Axe

About the Book:

Instant New York Times Bestseller

Unlock your potential by cultivating self-awareness and curating a fulfilling life full of self-improvement, emotional intelligence, and a growth mindset. Leadership expert and entrepreneur Dr. Josh Axe teaches 12 revolutionary mindshift transformations to beat the grind and reach the life you've always wanted. Redefine success and replace the limiting beliefs of yourself with the healthy mental toughness to think this, not that.

Perhaps you're busy but still feel empty. Maybe things haven't turned out how you'd hoped, and life seems stale and unfulfilling. What if you could wake up every morning excited about your purpose, knowing you're fulfilling your greatest potential?

A more meaningful life is within your reach, and it starts in one place: your mind.

Living with a mindset of false narratives will keep you stuck, locked in a prison of unpursued dreams and goals. But cultivating a new mindset based on what is actually true will set you free—free to start exploring and growing beyond the limits you thought you had.

In Think This, Not That, Dr. Josh Axe unpacks the top twelve mental barriers holding people back from realizing their potential and becoming the greatest version of themselves, and contrasts each one with a new empowering mindset, such as:

• Don't simply drift; clarify your purpose.
• Don't define success based on what you accomplish; base it on who you become.
• Don't be the victim; be the hero.
• Don't be a slave to your vices; overpower them by building virtues.
• Don't live by popular opinion; follow enduring principles of wisdom.
• Don't allow unintentionality; visualize a strategy.

Whether you want to improve your physical or financial health, raise the quality of your relationships, or take your career to new heights, these mindshifts will help transform your life.

It's time to break through your limiting beliefs and find out who you can become, to build a meaningful life through new thoughts and actions, and to make the switch from what's stalled you toward a life of ultimate significance.

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My Thoughts:

Thnk This, Not That by Dr. Josh Axe gave me a lot to think about. It’s not a book to read too quickly (because there are many ideas to consider) or too slowly (lest the momentum and train of thought be lost). Honestly, I probably need to read it again to cement some of the ideas deeper in my mind while I continue working on my vision board (an exercise from Chapter 11).

Think This, Not That held Christian undertones throughout, but it’s during Chapter 7 (Build an Unshakable Identity So No One Else Does It for You) that spirituality and God began to be discussed more openly. The content often felt like a combination of traditional Christian ideas with lots of motivational, self-help narrative. In my opinion, it’s best let the Holy Spirit illuminate what in this book works for the individual reader (and I think Dr. Josh would likely agree with that). For instance, Chapter 5 (Rewrite Your Role in the Story) was very motivational, but ultimately, a miss for me. Sometimes a person endures such severe trauma that even with counseling, prayer, and healing, they may always have scars (physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual) that prevent certain achievements and/or resilience.

Chapter 6 (Assemble a Team to Fulfill Your Dreams) felt unrelatable. I agree that we need community for encouragement, companionship, and inspiration, but Dr. Josh presented the ideas based on his own experience which included a “team” of celebrities and extremely wealthy people who gave him opportunities that just aren’t common for most people.

I will say that Dr. Josh seemed to be very authentic in his desire to help people and make the world a better place. And I have no doubt that Think This, Not That will help many readers, myself included. Chapter 1 (Create a Breakthrough by Unlimiting Your Beliefs) made quite an impression in my mind and has helped me have a more positive, open mindset. Chapter 9 (Bust Vices by Building Virtues) has stuck with me and reminded me to do things with excellence. Though I’ve finished off the book, I still flip back through it, rereading quotes I underlined and notes I made in the margins.

Think This, Not That by Dr. Josh Axe offers readers a resource of best practices and positive mindsets.  In my opinion, nearly everyone could glean inspiration from this book, but not all of this book will be applicable to everyone. 4.5 Stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

Balanced by Tricia Goyer

About Balanced: Finding Center as a Work-at-home Mom:

How can a work-at-home mom raise kids, juggle a career and take care of family responsibilities with only 24-hour days? Working at home while raising kids and juggling a career and family responsibilities is no easy feat. Author and homeschooling mom Tricia Goyer shares her tips for finding balance among all your many hats as a mom. Balancing is a process and a journey, one that Tricia herself has yet to perfect. But between writing more than forty books, raising and homeschooling six kids, being a wife, and being active in her community, she has amassed valuable tips she shares in “Balanced.”

The book includes tips on:

—how to create focus themes for your family
—how to prioritize your schedule
—how to utilize your job so it also benefits your kids
—how to keep yourself out of the comparison game
—how to make working at home work for you
—and much more!

Purchase a copy, get a free downloadable workbook, and learn more at Tricia’s website.

My thoughts:

Now, a confession: I'm a stay-at-home mom, not a work-at-home mom. Nevertheless, I struggle to balance my time between my child, house cleaning, errands, church activities, etc. I found that many principles in this book still applied to me: finding priorities, seeking God's wisdom, resisting certain societal pressures, being fully present in what I am doing at the moment, dependence of God, setting an example for my children, forming my schedule, not feeling guilty when I'm not supermom, inner freedom, and knowing God intimately.

In addition to the aforementioned principles, Goyer encourages mothers to follow their dreams while still emphasizing the importance of mothering children and realistically acknowledging that time isn't free.  It may mean paying someone else to watch the children and relinquishing that time with them. But it can also instill dreams and aspirations as the children watch you pursue your God-given calling. Goyer's ultimate point in this book is the value of knowing God and doing His will.

This is a book I could see myself reading annually around New Year's to realign personal priorities and dreams. I highly recommend Balanced: Finding Center as a Work-at-Home Mom by Tricia Goyer to any mom who struggles complete the daily to-do list, needs to streamline her day, or just needs some encouragement and direction about priorities.

Read more reviews by fellow bloggers at Litfuse Publicity's website.

About Tricia Goyer:

USA Today best-selling author Tricia Goyer is the author of over 35 books, including the three-book Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series and “Lead Your Family Like Jesus,” (co-written with Ken Blanchard). She has written over 500 articles for national publications and blogs for high traffic sites like TheBetterMom.com and MomLifeToday.com. She is the host of Living Inspired, a weekly radio show. Tricia and family live in Little Rock, Arkansas. They have six children.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook free from the publisher via Litfuse Publicity. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

In Outlive Your Life, Max Lucado takes readers on a journey though the book of Acts. The early church lived out their lives in tangible ways that impacted other Christians as well as non-believers. Why should Christians today be any different? Do you want to do something that has a lasting affect? Can anything be done to improve the condition of third-world countries? Should we care about changing our own society? If you want to make a difference in the lives of others, then you are invited to outlive your life!

Every time I opened this book, it was like sitting down with an old friend and having a nice, comfortable chat. This is the fourth book I've read by Max Lucado and, like the others, I was challenged, uplifted and educated. The facts mentioned in the book about poverty and hunger were very sobering. Yet, at the same time, the author always provided a probable solution to challenge and encourage. The author used real-life examples and there was a study guide in the back of the book that provided questions for contemplation as well as ideas for putting faith into action. Because the chapters were not overly long and the author's use of language was enjoyable, I found that this book integrated very easily with my personal devotional time.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has a desire to make a difference in the lives of others.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from BookSneeze as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews

The Law of Sensitive Dependence Upon Initial Conditions is otherwise known as The Butterfly Effect. The Butterfly Effect is basically the theory that everything that is done affects everything else, no matter how insignificant the first thing to be done is. Could a butterfly really flap its wings and set molecules in motion that would eventually result in a hurricane forming on the other side of the planet? It sounds almost ridiculous, but the theory was highly intriguing and eventually substantiated by scientific research.

In The Butterfly Effect, author Andy Andrews explores the implications of the butterfly effect in the lives of human beings. Andrews narrates the tales of two men whose actions changed the world forever. One is a school teacher from Maine who served in the Union army and refused to do nothing when it seemed failure was eminent. The other is the story of a man who invented a hybridized corn used to save millions of people from famine. But had that man not known the vice president, and had the vice president not known a brilliant science student, and had the science student not been saved from kidnapping, the last man never would have invented the hybridized corn. Such is the butterfly effect lived out in real human beings. The author concludes with the assertion that everything that one does matters, not only to that person, but to the entire world.

This book is in the format of a gift book. It had a lovely cover and beautiful illustrations inside. It would make a nice present for anyone, but especially for students and graduates.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Booksneeze as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."