Daring Greatly // Sierra's Book Reviews

I love to read. I have loved reading and letting my mind wander since I was a little girl. I loved Historical Fiction and Realistic Fiction as a child. Now, as an adult, I still love those genres, but because of my teacher ways, I have expanded my library, if you will. I now love listening to nonfiction/self help novels in my car. My car is where I do most of my thinking so it is the perfect getaway while I am stuck in traffic (and I don't lose my temper while driving..I mean, what? This has never happened!).

Because I love to read, I have found that I am reading, listening and sharing book quotes, reviews, and ideas from novels constantly. I find that I am doing all of these things with five or six novels at a time. I truly don't know how I do this, but I somehow do. Because of this excessive reading habit (can I call it that?) I find that I can only post some of my favorite novels, or novels that truly stuck out to me positively or negatively on this blog. You can see the other novels that I am reading on my GoodReads, but I only post the ones that stick in my brain on here. Otherwise I would be posting about books three times a week. And, let's be honest, I highly doubt that you want to only read book reviews on this blog.

via instagram 

"Yes, we are totally exposed when we are vulnerable. Yes, we are taking a huge emotional risk when we allow ourself to be vulnerable. It's taking off of the mask and hoping that the "Real me" isn't too disappointing to myself or to others"- Daring Greatly, Brene Brown.

I posted this video on my blog a few years ago and that is when I sort of fell in love with Brene Brown. She is a researcher who studies shame and vulnerability, which I think is amazing. Side note: I am a little envious of this. I would absolutely love to do research with her on this subject. I find it surprisingly fascinating. She became "big" after this awesome TED Talk. I read the novel "The Gifts of Imperfection" a year ago and I may or may not have drove in my car and cried as I listened. It spoke right to my "emotional" being and nodded my head along as I listened to it. It spoke to me, okay? :)

Because of my love for her first novel, I had to pick up "Daring Greatly." And, yes, I loved it just as much. "Daring Greatly" is filled with information on how to combat shame and become vulnerable, authentic, and courageous - not just in romantic relationships, but at work and with your children as well (and for me, even as a teacher!). I have always struggled with vulnerability, but I loved how Brene Brown explained that we can't live fully and wholeheartedly without it. This is, honestly, a must read for anyone who feels a bit closed off from the world and/or the best parts of themselves. Personally, I loved her "Gifts of Imperfection" novel a little bit more. I think, personally, it resonated with me on a deeper level because of my own issues. But both of these novels are wonderful. 


Favorite Quotes: 

I tweeted this novel while listening/reading it (I did both) throughout. I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes from my tweets and otherwise. Now, I feel like I could write down half of this book in quotes, but, alas, I can only choose a few that stuck with me (or, well, that I had enough time to write down ;) ).


*Wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough. It's going to bed at night thinking, Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn't change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging.

*Empathy can be spoken without saying a word.

*We like to see and feel vulnerability from others, but we don't like to feel it or show it ourselves. Can you value your own vulnerability like you can in others? Admitting this does not mean that you are weak.

*To grow up is to accept vulnerability. To be alive is to be vulnerable.

*Love is a form of vulnerability.

*Vulnerability needs boundaries!!!!!!

*For me, and for many of us, our first waking thought of the day is "I didn't get enough sleep." The next one is "I don't have enough time." Whether true or not, that thought of not enough occurs to us automatically before we even think to question or examine it. We spend most of the hours and the days of our lives hearing, explaining, complaining, or worrying about what we don't have enough of.... Before we even sit up in bed, before our feet touch the floor, we're already inadequate, already behind, already losing, already lacking something. And by the time we go to bed at night, our minds are racing with a litany of what we didn't get, or didn't get done, that day. We go to sleep burdened by those thoughts and wake up to that reverie of lack.... This internal condition of scarcity, this mind-set of scarcity, lives at the very heart of our jealousies, our prejudice, and our arguments with life....

*One way to think about the three components of scarcity and how they influence culture is to reflect upon the following questions. As you're reading the questions, its' helpful to keep in mind any culture or social system that you're a part of, whether your classroom, your family, your community, or maybe your work team:

1. Shame: Is fear of ridicule and belittling used to manage people and/or to keep people in line? Is self-worth tied to achievement, productivity, or compliance? Are blaming and finger-pointing norms? Are put-downs and name-calling rampant? What about favoritism? Is perfectionism an issue?

2. Comparison: Healthy competition can be beneficial, but is there constant overt or covert comparing and ranking? Has creativity been suffocated? Are people held to one narrow standard rather than acknowledged for their unique gifts and contributions? Is there an ideal way of being or one form of talent that is used as measurement of everyone else's worth?

3. Disengagement: Are people afraid to take risks or try new things? Is it easier to stay quiet than to share stories, experiences, and ideas? Does it feel as if no one is really paying attention or listening? Is everyone struggling to be seen and heard?" (p. 28)

*Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage.

"Give me the courage to show up and let myself be seen."

"The vulnerability journey is not the kind of journey we can make alone. We need support. We need folks who will let us try on new ways of being without judging us. We need a hand to pull us up off the ground when we get kicked down in the arena (and if we live a courageous life, that will happen)." 

Sierra's Other Book Reviews: A Man Called Ove // Go Set a Watchman // These Is My Words //  Intuitive Eating // Happier at Home // Happiness Project // Wild // Elizabeth Smart: My Story  

Have you read this book? What were your thoughts on it? 

Book Review: Happier at Home

I am linking up with my lover bucket, Bonnie, to share this book with you all today! I love to read, but sometimes I am bombarded with grading, my health plan, and well, just, life. I am grateful that this online book club encourages me to keep reading, like I do with all my of students.

The novel that I recently read was Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin. I am happy that this book was the chosen one for this month because I just finished The Happiness Project this past summer.
(Also, remember when Gretchen Rubin tweeted at me the other week on twitter. No big deal. I'm basically famous now.) 

Overall, I liked it. No, I did not love it. (My same opinion goes for Happiness Project) I like the idea of it. I think that it had some wonderful quotes, ideas, and it is still inspiring for you to change something on your own personal level so that you can become "Happier at Home." I gave it 3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads. This novel is about a woman's personal journey and monthly goals to make herself feeling more comfortable, happy, and at peace at home.

Here are some of my thoughts:

*The Quotes
I loved a lot of quotes in this book. I love quotes and am sort of a quote fiend. I make collections in books, on my phone, and anywhere that I can possibly imagine. I thought that the author did a great job of involving some interesting, thought provoking quotes.
For example:
-"Feeling right is more elusive. Feeling right is about virtue (doing my duty, living up to my own standards) and also about living the life that's right fro me. Sometimes choosing to "feel right" means accepting some "feeling bad." Happiness doesn't always make me feel "happy." my feeling "right" is reflected in the ways to make my home reflect my values. My ordinary routine should reflect the things most important to me."
-"We are happy when we are growing. Striving after goals is what makes you happy."
-"Personal Control is a very important element to happiness.

*The Ideas
-The strange thing about this book was it didn't work for me as either a self-help book or a memoir, but yet I am supremely glad I read it for the helpful reminders and tidbits of wisdom sprinkled throughout. I am grateful for the day-to-day On one hand some of Rubin's discoveries about herself, people and the code that she lives resonated with me. For example, her reminder that we are happiest when we are growing meant a lot to me. Also, I could have blessed her for her understanding that opposites can be true at different times. For example, at some times we need to be more organized, but at other times we need to back off. I appreciated her embracing the fact that things aren't always black and white and easy like so many self-help books want their readers to accept. I don't agree with all of her ideas and goals (some of them seems kind of trivial to me), but I agree wholeheartedly with her reminder that we can only change ourselves and not to try to change others. This is how most of the book went for me, hmmm I don't agree with that, but hey! that is a great idea. So, back and forth it went, but at the end I have to say I am glad I read it.


Have you read this book?
What did you think about it? I would love your thoughts.

Other Book Reviews: Happiness Project// Wild // Elizabeth Smart: My Story // 

Sierra's Twelve Commandments // Happiness Project Book Review

This past summer, I finally completed the novel The Happiness Project. I started this book awhile back, but never seemed to have the time to finish it, which, now looking back, should have been an indicator of how much I didn't fall in love with the novel. Overall, I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the idea of this Happiness Project, I truly did. With that being said, I do think that the book was a little more vague than I was hoping, hence the 3/5 stars on GoodReads. For me, it had too many abstract concepts that applied too specifically to her. For example she continuously talked about the concept of "love". It's hard to talk about love, especially in a generic sense. I feel such abstract concepts such as love,  or kindness, for example, it needs to be broken down into smaller concepts, such as… How do I accept love? What kind of love to I enjoy showing to others? How can I work on my kindness, etc. especially in a Nonfiction/Self Help genre. 

On that note, there was one aspect that I did genuinely appreciate about Gretchen Rubin's journey. I loved that she talked about her own Twelve Commandments that she tried to improve on--certain rules, if you will, that she tried to abide by in order to help her happiness. I wanted to do this in my own life. Her novel inspired me to write my own Twelve Commandments 

Other Book Reviews: Wild // Elizabeth Smart: My Story // 

Before I begin, I want to show you what her "Twelve Commandments" are in her novel, which are listed below. In the novel she devels deeper into each of these self commandments.  

1. Be Gretchen.
2. Let it Go.
3. Act the Way I Want to Feel. 
4. Do It Now. 
5. Be Polite and Be Fair. 
6. Enjoy the Process. 
7. Spend Out. 
8. Identify the Problem. 
9. Lighten Up. 
10. Do What Ought to be Done. 
11. No Calculation. 
12. There Is Only Love. 

And now, for my Twelve Commandments that I am trying to live by.

1. Be Confident.
Amidst my own insecurities, health, mental and physical issues, I need to try everything in my power to be completely confident in who I am, in every aspect. 
2. Do What Makes Me Feel at Peace. 
I want to be at peace with my decisions, spirituality, career, marriage and life, whatever that may be.
3. Let It Go. 
I tend to have anxiety about things. I am a perfectionist. I need to remember to let some things go.
4. Take the World In. 
I love to explore nature, be outside, write, read, and daydream. I want to do everything possible to take the world in completely. When I am out on a hike, take in the beauty and gorgeous views. When I am teaching, take in the experiences learned from my students and coworkers.
5. Save. 
Now that I have a house, I want to try to work on our budgeting, saving and collecting money.
6. Love & Accept Those Around Me. 
Love everyone, even those who are different than me. I want to be nonjudgmental. I want to be friendly and learn to love everyone. I want to get to know people on a deeper level. I receive happiness by connecting with others and this is something that I want to work on.
7. Document.
I love to write. I dream of writing a book, I love to write in a journal, I write in my classroom, and obviously, I love to document my life on this blog. It is important to me to document my life through photos and writing and all that encompasses it. This is something that I value and that I want to continue.
8. Always Laugh. 
Being the emotional person that I am, I want to remember to enjoy life, even when it is hard. It is important to laugh and enjoy the journey and this is something that I want to remember.
9. Be Authentic.
No one wants to be around someone who is a follower or a product of other people. I want to remember to do what I know makes me happy in all facets of life.
10. Take Time For Yourself. 
Go to the gym, go for a hike or walk, read a book, write, watch a show. Take that introverted time that you know need.
11. Positive Before Negative. 
I sometimes look at the negative aspects of life; this is a negative habit that I have gotten into. I need to remember that things will always work out. Always. And it's important to see the good.
12. Allow the Passion.
I feel things deeply. I always have. I want to keep the deepness of my feelings to drive me in a positive sense. Passionate people allow the world to go 'round, I tell ya!



What would some of your Twelve Commandments be? 
Which one of mine do you appreciate or try to live by? 
Have you read this novel? Did you enjoy it?