I couldn’t have found this book at a better time in my life. Not only that, it was 49 cents at Goodwill. I was moseying through the book aisles hoping for some oldie but goodie cook books, when this little dime piece popped out. I had no idea what the book was about, but I did know I needed some sort of motivational read on hand. For those of you who know me, you know I can be an anxiety ridden person. I try to work with my body by eating healthy, working out, and doing things I enjoy to decrease my anxiety. I hate that I have it, but it is part of me. I have been living with it since I was 6 years old and had anxiety about carrying a tray in the lunch room at Wyomissing Hills Elementary Center. I packed PB&J for those 6 weeks straight without ever turning my head at the lunch line. That was just not a place for me. Anyway, anxiety is something I must deal with and sometimes reading motivational stories help me to realize where I am in life right now isn’t that big of a deal. I’m not at the end of the road; I’m not in the middle of the road; I am just starting at the beginning of my road.
Maria Shriver’s book, if you haven’t read it, helps you to reevaluate who you are as a person. She goes on to explain a job doesn’t have to define who you are. Who you are will be defined on its own. She explains as you go down one road and you don’t like where you are, it’s OK to change your mind. This paragraph in the book gave me goose bumps because she reaffirmed it was acceptable to change careers and not think twice about it. I decided teaching wasn’t the career path for me in June of this year and it has been really hard to accept my decision. I have NO idea where I am going, but I have to remember, it’s OK. I remember just because I went to school for all these years for elementary education and everyone tells me I am a great teacher, that I still don’t want to do it. Plain.and.simple.
Maria also talks about her family and how they have an expectation for their loved ones. In order for you to be successful in her family you must be doing and going somewhere big. My family doesn’t put that pressure on me, but I put that pressure on myself. I kept on wishing at 28 years old that I was going somewhere big and as of right now, I don’t have the slightest idea as to where I am going, let alone something big.
Finally, Maria has a list of ten pledges, which she has to keep her centered and focused upon being herself. The pledges are really powerful and she even gives ten lines for you to create your own pledges. I have only made one so far.
Pledge # 1: I pledge to do things in life that make ME feel good. If they don’t feel good, I don’t want any part of them. I am the person that makes myself happy and others’ visions of who I am and what I should be don’t matter.
