The Joy Strategist - Book Review

Title: The Joy Strategist; Your Path to Inner Change

Author: Grace Harry

Publisher: ‎ Andscape Books

Publication Date: October 17, 2023
 
Length: 224 Pages

About the Author
Grace Harry is an artist, entrepreneur, creative muse, pleasure instigator, and speaker. After a 30-year career in entertainment, Grace, “The Joy Strategist,” found her calling leading what she calls “the Revolution of JOY.” Through her popular playdate community “Play with Grace,” she helps everyday people welcome joy back into their lives.

A Toolbox for Joy
This book is a mix of memoir, self-help exercises, and cultural commentary on joy.
The author shares tips, tools, and exercises to help you cultivate your joy, embrace a more fulfilling life, and overcome obstacles.

My Thoughts 
I love the title of this book. 
This book is upbeat and inspiring. Ms. Harry shares experiences from her own life and explains how she has changed her life for the better by implementing JOY into her mindset.

The book is designed to be interactive and practical. The author suggests deep breathing exercises, journaling, playfulness, creativity, and nurturing the soul. Self-love is a strong thread that runs throughout this book. The author reflects on her past failures and disappointments; multiple husbands, affairs, bankruptcy, and a lack of self-love and respect. She asks the question, "Were all these botched relationships just reflecting how I felt about myself?" 

The author shares advice on picking a partner. The first thing to do is make a detailed list of all the qualities you are looking for in the person. And then ... go through the list and become what you want to attract. Start with yourself and become the partner that you would like to find. Great advice!

This book was a JOY to read. It is worth reading and rereading.

MY RATING: 5 Stars Out Of 5

Thank you to NetGalley for an excellent reading experience.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Please FOLLOW and share your thoughts in the COMMENTS section below.

The Joy Plan - A Book Review

The Joy Plan: How I Took 30 Days to Stop Worrying, Quit Complaining, and Find Ridiculous Happiness

Author: Kaia Roman

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Date of Publication: July 11, 2017

Pages: 321 pages


About the Author
Kaia Roman has a twenty-year background in public relations and marketing. She is currently a Mindfulness Teacher for elementary school students and a regular contributor to numerous mindfulness, happiness, and wellbeing blogs. She lives in Santa Cruz, CA.

Kaia Roman felt down-and-out after her business collapsed.  She was seeking direction in her role as a wife, mother, friend and business woman. She consulted a friend and decided to devote the next 30 days of her life to creating JOY!

Ms. Roman discovered that The Joy Plan was much more than a 30 day project. 
Joy and happiness became a lifestyle that would change her life and the lives of her loved ones.

This is both a memoir and a self-help book for anyone who is seeking joy and a positive lifestyle.

My Thoughts
What is a joy plan and how do you make one?

I think we would all like more joy in our lives. While happiness is a state of mind based on circumstances, joy is an internal feeling that disregards circumstances.

Kaia Roman explained how she started the joy plan by asking a single question; "Does this feel good?" As the author learned to choose positive thoughts and attitudes, her life took a joyful turn. She was attracting positive people and experiences into her life. 

I enjoyed this book very much. Ms. Roman provided a detailed account of the ups and downs that she experienced on her quest for joy. She cited an impressive number of references and resources for further study. There is an excellent discussion guide at the end of the book to be used with a study group or just a review of the reading material.

I am currently taking a MOOC on Positive Psychology at Coursera. The experiences chronicled in this book demonstrate that positive emotions CAN change your life for the better. I applaud Ms. Roman for writing this book and thank her for showing us how to "stop worrying, quit complaining, and find ridiculous happiness."

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUR OF 5

FYI - I received a digital review copy of this book from Net Galley.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below. I will reply to all comments and questions. 

Dancing With Mummu Birthday Card

Mummu made her first appearance in print in "Getting to Know Ruben Plotnick" written by Roz Rozenbluthand and illustrated by Maurie J. Manning. She is based on Ms. Manning's Finnish grandmother.

I think this is a great image for a birthday card. What is better than celebrating your day by kicking up your heels? You never get too old to have some fun.

This is how I made this card:

I started with a blank kraft greeting card that measures 4" by 5.5". I rounded the corners with a corner punch.

I chose the digital stamp "Mummu" from Mo's Digital Pencil. I paper-pieced the skirt by printing out the image on a piece of flowered paper from my stash. I cut out the skirt and glued it to an identical image that I printed on white card stock. I colored the remainder of the image with Copic Sketch markers.

I cut and embossed the image with an oval Spellbinders die.

I distressed three pieces of background paper (including a piece of the flowered paper that I used for the skirt) and tied them with blue ribbon. I then attached the colored Mummu image to the background. I attached the image/background to the craft cardstock with a Tombow tape runner.

I am entering this card in Mo's Anything Goes in 2015 paper crafting challenge.

Thank you for taking a look at my card. Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Life is Great! Revealing the 7 Secrets to a More Joyful You

Life is Great! Revealing the 7 Secrets to a More Joyful You!

By Rabbi Yitz Wyne

Xlibris Corporation, 2011

ISBN: 978-1-4568-6943-4

 

About the Author

Rabbi Yitz Wyne is the founder and spiritual leader of Young Israel Aish of Las Vegas. Rabbi Wyne's sense of purpose and fulfillment in life is inextricably connected to the sharing of the timeless Torah knowledge, values and spiritual beauty with the entire Las Vegas community.

Life is Better Than Good - It's Great!
Rabbi Wyne believes that living joyfully is very attainable. We just need the right combination of wisdom and skills in order to achieve a happier existence. The author uses wisdom from religious teachings, poignant folklore and real life examples to teach the importance of living a joyful life. The following seven secrets are highlighted in this book;

• Clarity or Death! Finding Your Bottom Line.
• Choosing Joy: Making It Your Driving Force.
• Seeing Is Being: Expanding Your Reality.
• Focusing on the Good: Training Your Mind's Eye.
• Becoming a True Optimist: Anticipating a Great Tomorrow.
• Got Gratitude? Appreciating What You Have.
• Living a Meaningful Life: Finding Your Greater Purpose.

The author is an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi and refers to the Torah, the Talmud, Kabbalah and other Jewish teachings in his writing. The principles in this book are universal and apply to all who desire to make positive changes in their lives.

My Thoughts
I found this book to be enlightening and inspiring. Rabbi Wyne's "seven secrets" are right on target for those seeking a more enriched life. The author provides practical suggestions and strategies that are easy to understand and implement.

Attitude is a small thing that makes a big difference. Rabbi Wyne believes that we have the ability to change the way we think about how we are living. Our circumstances might be difficult, but we can choose to have a joyful attitude and outlook. This book is about living life to the fullest.

Sometimes we just need a gentle (or not so gentle) reminder. Yes, life IS GREAT and we have so many reasons to rejoice. 

My Rating:  5 Stars Out of 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary paperback copy of this book to read and review from the author's publicist.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below. 

The Spark Book

How do you live a life of joy? Is it really possible to live one's life directed by joy? What would a life of joy even look like?

Steven Rice has written a book about his spiritual quest for a life of joy. An Imperceptible Spark: Finding the Courage to Live a Life of Joy tells about Steve's journey from living a life of frustration to living the life of his dreams. He tells of the events that prompted the journey, of the obstacles he faced, the observations that he made along the way and the surprising discovery that he made at the end.

About Steve Rice
Mr. Rice is a trained workshop facilitator, and has conducted relationship enhancement and communication workshops. He has provided keynotes for a variety of church and civic organizations. An Imperceptible Spark: Finding the Courage to Live a Life of Joy is his first book.

Steve Discovers His Life Purpose
Many people struggle to determine their life purpose. Why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing? Mr. Rice wanted to define his innate purpose. He believes each person is uniquely equipped to fulfill a purpose. One day, Steve realized that his purpose was to give other people hope. He realized that all the things he does instinctively and intuitively are driven by his desire to give hope to others. Steve tells about that nearly imperceptible spark...taking courage and making a decision...that has changed his thoughts and changed his life.

How Do You Change Your Mind?
Mr. Rice compares a shift in thinking to a tidal wave. When a tidal wave hits an island, it wipes out everything in it's path. After the destruction, new life emerges and growth occurs. Steve tells how the "tsunami" of change began to hit his life and to transform his experience profoundly. In the mind, when a shift like this occurs, a wave of new thoughts begins to churn like the waves beneath the surface of the ocean. When these new thoughts meet the resistance of old habits and thought patterns, that is when the evidence of the new thought becomes visible. A change in habits and thought patterns is never easy but it is possible. Mr. Rice shares exactly how he changed his life by changing his thoughts.

This book gives me hope because...
it shows how one person can cast off the expectations of others and live a life that is rewarding and joyful. I have everything I need to live a life of joy. Each person has an imperceptible spark...the courage to make a decision to change our thoughts and live a life of joy!

This book is available in paperback and as a digital download for the Kindle. You can click HERE to download the first chapter of the book FREE.
I want to thank Mr. Rice for sending me a digital copy of this book to read and review.