Welcome to
"Marvelous Monday & Review."
Recently I joined a Deseret Book "Blog Tour’ for three books. They are all a ‘Time Out Classics,’ coming from the Time Out For Women events series. Each title has less than sixty pages, and can easily be read in one afternoon, or even a lunch break if you’re a quick reader."
Let us start the journey with...
Habits of Happinessby Wendy Ulrich
About:
Our Father's plan for us is often referred to as "the great plan of happiness," but we sometimes struggle to feel as happy as we'd like. Are there really some simple things we could do to feel happier? You may not have thought that such suggestions as "Don't even try to get motivated to exercise" and "Stop hoping to find friends" would show up in a book on happiness, but those are just a couple of the "habits of happiness" Dr. Wendy Ulrich invites readers to consider. This perfect blend of scientific research, engaging anecdotes, and practical advice that you might not have expected can help you discover new ways to feel a little better about life.
Product Details
Size: 4" x 6"
Pages: 57
About the Author:
Wendy Ulrich, Ph.D., M.B.A., was a psychologist in private practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan for almost fifteen years before moving with her husband to Montreal (where he presided over the Canada Montreal Mission), then Alpine, Utah. She founded Sixteen Stones Center for Growth, which offers seminar-retreats for LDS women (sixteenstones.net). She is a mother and grandmother, a columnist for Deseret News, a former president of the Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapist, and a business consultant with The RBL Group. Her books include Forgiving Ourselves, Weakness Is Not Sin, and national best seller The Why of Work, co-authored with her husband, Dave Ulrich.
In my opinion:
What is happiness? Ulrich said it perfectly, "We don't get happiness by just deciding to be happy. We don't even get happiness by pursuing it directly. Happiness results when we get on the right path-a path of living in accordance with our highest ideals." Recently, I've gone through a lot of trials and challenges. I realized I needed to change myself and not those around me. I started reading my scriptures, praying morning and night, going to the temple once a month and having family home evening. Since doing these four things, I have found happiness.
Ulrich writes about the seven habits of happiness which are
1-Stop worrying about your weaknesses
2-Don't even try to get motivated to exercise
3-Stop hoping to find friends
4-Don't try to feel happier
5-Celebrate failure
6-Don't try to get help with your problems
7-Don't endure to the end
A few quotes I liked were...
"Put most of your energy into contributing to the world from your strengths, not into overcoming your weaknesses."
Ulrich also said, "I decided a few months ago to review my patriarchal blessing, wanting to better understand what the Lord wants me to be doing with my life." I couldn't believe what I was reading because that was exactly what I turned to when I first started having a major trial. We need to follow Ulrich's advice by asking ourselves, what are our strengths? If we look at the positive, we will become happier
I've also struggled with motivating myself to exercise. Ulrich gave more great advice..."Don't try to get motivated to exercise. If you wait until you feel motivated, you'll wait a very long time, and the benefits of exercise will elude you." Watch out for those gremlins. They don't want us to exercise. If we do simple things like get dressed as if we were going to exercise, we may just start walking or running to the mailbox or maybe run in place during commercials. She also said, "Motivation follows action."
Overall, I enjoyed reading Wendy's book, Habits of Happiness. It also made me feel like I completed a task in an hour because her book was about 50 pages long. A very uplifting book that I recommend to everyone even if you don't have any trials at the moment.
The second book is...
Making it through the middle
by Emily Freeman
About:
"Have you ever noticed that when people talk about their trials in a public setting, they tend to focus on what happened at the end?" writes Emily Freeman. "They talk about the miracle, the promise, the way it all worked out. It isn't often that people talk about what happened in the middle of the trial." Sometimes we can't imagine there will be an end to a hard time. But we can find hope and help even when the road seems long and dark. Using examples from her personal life and from the scriptures, Emily shares six lessons that can help all of us make it through the middle moments of our lives.
Product Details
Size: 4" x 6"
Pages: 56
About the Author:
Emily Freeman took her first creative writing class in high school and has loved writing ever since. She finds great joy in studying the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Her deep love of the scriptures comes from a desire to find their application in everyday life. She is the author of several books, including The Ten Virgins; 21 Days Closer to Christ; and The Promise of Enough. There is nothing Emily enjoys more for breakfast than a bowl of vanilla ice cream, raspberries, and chocolate chips. Other favorites include parades, vacations, firework displays, and going for a long walk with a good friend. Emily and her husband, Greg, live in Lehi, Utah, with their four children, whom she adores.
In my opinion:
On Sunday February 9th, my sister invited me to her Relief Society Women's Conference. I was privileged to meet Emily Freeman who was an amazing speaker. After her talk, I went up to ask her to sign my copy of Making it through the middle. She was sweet and even told my sister to run home to get her copy for her to sign as well.
I enjoyed reading Making It through the middle. It was another motivating book that I needed at the moment. I loved the quote found at the back of the book, "We come to know the Savior best in the moments when we need Him most." I feel as if I need Him most right now. It was funny to read on page three, "I don't know how this book ended up in your hands, but hopefully the message contained within these pages is just what you need right now." Wow! Freeman was definitely inspired to write Making it through the middle. Well, at least that was how I felt when I read her book about hope during our journeys. She continued by saying, "Have you ever noticed that when people talk about their trials in a public setting, they tend to focus on what happened at the end?" Oh my, YES. That is the best part of the story-the end and the strength that came out of the challenge.
Freeman also shares six lessons that we must learn which include...
Lesson 1: Turn to the scriptures, Lesson 2: Wait patiently; tomorrow will come, Lesson 3: Recognize and Remember His mercy, Lesson 4: Rely on the Atonement, Lesson 5: Continue to minister & Lesson 6: Trust God's Heart. She ends by saying, "Years from now, when you look back, you might discover that this moment, right here in the middle, was one of the most precious moments in your life. Because it led your heart to His.
Let us remember that the trials we go through will bring us closer to the Savior. I definitely recommend reading this time out classic by Emily Freeman. She gave great advice on how to make it through the middle.
And the last book is...
Everything I need to know I learned from home
by John Bytheway
About:
Remember the phrases it seemed like your mom said every day when you were a child? "Wash your hands" was a frequent instruction in John Bytheway's home, along with "Clean up your room," "Help your sister," "Go ask your dad," and others. In Everything I Need to Know I Learned at Home, John Bytheway makes an inspiring and insightful connection between everyday phrases spoken at home and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Using examples from his childhood and from raising his own children, he demonstrates how parents—especially moms—can use simple things to influence their families in profound ways.
Product Details
Size: 4" x 6"
Pages: 58
About the Author:
John Bytheway is an instructor at the Brigham Young University Salt Lake Center. He served his mission in the Philippines and earned a master’s degree in Religious Education at BYU. He has published dozens of books and audio programs and lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, Kimberly, and their six children.
In my opinion:
Lately, I've felt spiritually reborn. I re-committed myself to four goals or things I learned from home and I feel the love of the Savior. I'm a huge fan of John Bytheway especially now that I had the opportunity of listening to him at a Women's Conference. He is one funny man and I appreciate his fun personality as well as his spiritual side. In this book he explained a few main phrases we may have heard growing up such as, "Wash your hands, change your attitude, clean your room, help your sister, ask your dad and come and eat." We may have also said these phrases to our children and now are laughing about how similar we are to one another. Bytheway made a connection between these phrases to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
My favorite quote in Everything I need to know I learned at home was, "We've just learned that as soon as we turn to the Father, even when we're far away, he will run to us in whatever state we're in and help bring us home." Wow! That quote really hit home for me and I pictured Heavenly Father running to me. I'm so grateful for the opportunity of reviewing all three of these time out classics. They were definitely encouraging and insightful.
One lucky reader will win all three of these Time Out Classics books.
HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY?
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Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products or services for free in the hope that I would mention them on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.