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.

Book Review: Wake Up to Wonder by Karen Wright Marsh

About the Book:

In her quest to live a vibrant spiritual life, Karen Wright Marsh had a revelation: she didn't need to find and follow the perfect plan; she needed people she could follow.

In Wake Up to Wonder, Marsh introduces you to those people--faithful yet oh-so-human Christians from across centuries and cultures. Inspired by their example, she offers playful, simple practices that bring deeper meaning and purpose to everyday life.

In the company of diverse spiritual companions, you'll journey through physical health, prayer, activism, Scripture reading, creativity, and beyond. Each chapter includes hands-on invitations such as writing prompts, space for personal reflection, and "Try This," a collage of spiritual and personal experiments anyone can do.

As you wake up to wonder, you'll discover what these twenty-two historical figures already knew: that a life of spiritual depth, amazement, and connection is within reach--today and every day.

Read an excerpt from Wake Up to Wonder by Karen Wright Marsh on the publisher's website.

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My Thoughts:

Reading Wake Up to Wonder by Karen Wright Marsh felt like a conversation with a kind, wise mentor. The content focused on living life with intention and wonder, making it more of a practical self-care book than a devotional book. I admit that I was sold on the book when I read the first invitation (aka daily reading) because it discussed the benefits of journaling (a hobby near and dear to my heart). Other invitations in Wake Up to Wonder included singing, gratitude, examining the day, and solitude. Wake Up to Wonder also recommended the common sense practices of proper nutrition, daily walks, and short rests which are easily skipped over in the rush of life.

Wake Up to Wonder cited many works by Christian thinkers as the book’s premise was that the author sought to learn from reputable people of faith. I enjoyed the mini-biographies of Martin Luther, Margery Kempe, Augustine, Brother Lawrence, Fannie Lou Hamer, Dorothy Day, and many more. The author drew together historical documents/information, Scriptures, and her own story/thoughts. Often, she included questions for reflection or suggestions on how to implement the ideas presented. My list of want-to-read books grew as almost every book Marsh recommended sounded like something I would learn from or like to read for enjoyment.

I thoroughly enjoyed Wake Up to Wonder by Karen Wright Marsh. Five 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.

Book Review: Stronger Every Day by Janell Rardon

About the Book:

Fortify your emotional health.

As a trauma-informed professional life coach, Janell Rardon spends a good deal of her day-to-day work with brokenness--broken families, broken relationships, broken hearts and souls. In response to the pleas of her clients, she developed a set of emotional-health tools to help them repair the broken parts of their lives. In Stronger Every Day, she shares these powerful tools with you, showing you how to

• transform pain into meaning
• experience secure attachment with God
• shape healthy thoughts
• shift from shame to self-compassion
• practice healthy assertiveness
• set mental and emotional boundaries
• understand triggers and defense mechanisms
• regulate emotional highs and lows
• cultivate healthy human connection

With inspiring Scriptures, quotes, prayers, personal stories, and case studies, Rardon sets you on the path of emotional health so that you can be stronger than ever--every day.

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My Thoughts:

Stronger Every Day by Janell Rardon combines Christian spirituality with modern mental health practices. I currently see a therapist once a week and we explored together the material presented in this book. In both our opinions, the content is solid and healthy.

I found Stronger Every Day by Janell Rardon immensely helpful as I continue to navigate my post-trauma life and strive to grow emotional healthier. The introduction presents Janell Rardon’s ideology and specific “Heartlifting” practices. I loved that crafting a vision for victory sits at the start. Once I began this book, I spent greater time with my journal, writing out my thoughts, experiences, and questions.

Following the introduction, each chapter presents one emotional health tool (secure attachment, cognitive reframing, healthy assertiveness, etc). The chapters begin with an explanatory portion that includes stories, Scripture, and examples. The final three parts of the chapter are loaded with specific intentions: envision, educate, and establish. These sections include various responsive prompts: prayers, affirmations, reflection questions, journal prompts, etc. With gentleness and care, the author encourages the reader to consider thought-provoking questions (which led to more journaling for me). Stronger Every Day requires mental effort and time investment, but I found the rewards worthy of the effort.

I recommend Stronger Every Day: 9 Tools for an Emotionally Healthy You by Janell Rardon to anyone who want to improve his or her mental and emotional health.

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.

Book Review: Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire by Jen Hatmaker

About the Book: 

New York Times bestselling author Jen Hatmaker, with cheeky candor and fearlessness, guides readers to a deep dive into how they are wired and provides them with the tools to walk in that identity with freedom and guts.

Stuck in people-pleasing or fear, many women hide and pretend, then end up sidelined in their own lives. But what they want is to be brave, to claim every gift, dream, quirk, and emotion inside, to stop performing and start living.

Beloved New York Times bestselling author Jen Hatmaker understands the struggle to find firm footing in a culture that operates from stereotypes and often unreachable expectations. In this new book, she offers women encouragement, challenge, and humor as she helps them identify everything that makes them tick and gain the confidence to live it all out. She leads them through five self-reflective categories—who I am, what I need, what I want, what I believe, and how I connect—and helps them:

• identify the exact ways they pretend, and learn instead how to be genuine at all times, in all ways, in all contexts;
• be empowered to say yes and no without guilt;
• learn to voice both their spiritual questions and convictions; and
• opt out of drama and into healthy adult relationships.

With wry humor, earnest passion, and been-there insight, Jen calls women to the life-giving freedom of leaning into the identity, convictions, and community they’ve been given.

Purchase Links

Amazon |Books-A-Million | Barnes and Noble | Thomas Nelson

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My Thoughts:

Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire mixes Jen Hatmaker’s personal story, spiritual thoughts, and self-improvement principles to empower women to live in freedom. Reading this book made me feel like the author was a friend I’d known for years. She’s funny, honest, and challenging. I didn’t agree with everything she said and I found the mild cussing to be mostly superfluous, but I did benefit from reading this book and I intend to reread it annually.

Truth lies at the core of everything in Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire. From this concept, comes the freedom and empowerment that Jen Hatmaker invites readers to push for. Whether the chapter addressed who I am, what I need, what I want, what I believe, or how I connect, some part of each anchored in the concept of truth, be it telling the truth, accepting the truth, or searching for the truth.

As I read Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire, I found that some chapters refreshed and affirmed my heart, some challenged previous thoughts, and some didn’t really apply to me. I Want This Dream and I Believe in Spiritual Curiosity ranked as my favorite chapters. I Want to Connect Without Drama was the most challenging as my dysfunctional family creates abundant drama. I recommend Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire by Jen Hatmaker.

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.

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About the Author:

Jen Hatmaker is the author of the New York Times bestseller Of Mess and Moxie (plus twelve other books) and the host of the For the Love! with Jen Hatmaker podcast. She and her husband, Brandon, founded the Legacy Collective and also starred in the popular series My Big Family Renovation on HGTV. Jen is a mom to five, a sought-after speaker, and a delighted resident of Austin, Texas, where she and her family are helping keep Austin weird.

Connect with Jen:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Book Review: Don't Overthink It by Anne Bogel

About the Book:

We've all been there--stuck in a cycle of what-ifs, plagued by indecision, paralyzed by the fear of getting it wrong. Nobody wants to live like this, but overthinking doesn't feel like something we can choose to stop doing. It feels like something we're wired to do, something we just can't escape. But is it?

Anne Bogel's answer is no. You can overcome negative thought patterns that are repetitive, unhealthy, and unhelpful and replace them with positive ones that will bring more peace, joy, and love into your life. In Don't Overthink It, you'll find actionable strategies that can make an immediate and lasting difference in how you deal with questions both small--Should I buy these flowers?--and large--What am I doing with my life? More than a book about good decision-making, Don't Overthink It offers you a framework for making choices you'll be comfortable with, allowing you to use an appropriate amount of energy and freeing you to focus on all the other stuff that matters in life.

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My Thoughts:

Don’t Overthink It by Anne Bogel is the type of self-help book to read once (or more) every year. Though the book focuses on how to deal with overthinking, much of the advice applies to overall mental health. Chapter 5 (Take Time to Make Time) and chapter 11 (Rituals to Rely On) resonated strongly with me, but practical suggestions fill the pages of every chapter. There is an emphasis on preserving mental processing/decision-making power by streamlining or outsourcing activities as needed. Almost exclusively, the book focuses on smaller decisions, not big life changes. I found that the advice and practices by the author could be implemented right away.

I recommend Don’t Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life by Anne Bogel to anyone, though the book seems targeted to women. Whether overthinking rates as minor hinderance or a major issue, this book offers suggestions to empower one to make healthy choices.

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."

The Exceptional Life by Stephen Arterburn

What is an exceptional life? Is it amassing tremendous wealth? Is it a perpetual state of happiness? Is it even possible? In The Exceptional Life by Stephen Arterburn, an exceptional life is essentially experiencing God's best for one's life. An exceptional life is filled with hope, love, trust, forgiveness, patience, power, connection and freedom.

Arterburn addresses eight difficult issues keep can keep a person from leading an exceptional life: guilt/shame, resentment, fear, anger, instant gratification, learned helplessness, isolation and addiction. Each chapter is divided into three parts that address what the issue is, how it affects a person and how to break free from the power of it.

Because The Exceptional Life by Stephen Arterburn addresses several heavy issues, I really appreciated the bits of humor that were incorporated throughout the book. Just the introduction had me laughing and the humor made the topics less intimidating. Reading the book was like sitting down with a therapist and getting some honest, non-biased advice about life. I feel like Arterburn's descriptions and solutions regarding each issue were right on target. Although I have not personally experienced all of the issues addressed in the book, I found that I could always see some way to apply what he was saying to my life. I liked that, when applicable, he used Scripture to back up his points.

I would recommend to any Christian who is looking to experience the best life that God intends for him or her.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. 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."