February 2024 MBR The Self-Help Shelf

The Self-Help Shelf

Sacred Celebrations
Elizabeth Barbour
Empower Press
c/o GracePoint Publishing
www.GracePointPublishing.com
9780972468695, $22.95 Paper/$9.99 eBook

https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Celebrations-Designing-Milestone-Transitions/=
dp/0972468692

Sacred Celebrations: Designing Rituals to Navigate Life's Milestone Transit=
ions comes from Elizabeth Barbour, a life coach who first makes the case fo=
r why rituals are needed to celebrate and reinforce transitional points in =
life, then outlines the types of rituals that are possible for all forms of=
 change.

From birth and death to moving, divorce, and daily living, these rituals, b=
ig and small, she offers readers opportunities for connecting in celebratin=
g and sharing moments of life. Initially charged with creating the ritual f=
or her mother's passing, Elizabeth Barbour made not one, but two ceremonies=
, and in them found the strength, inspiration, and healing from her efforts=
 to be transformative.

With clarity, honesty, and revealing tenderness, Barbour translates her exp=
erience for readers who can then glimpse the actual impact and meaning that=
 rituals hold and promise to those who organize and participate in them: "W=
e have access to ministers and rabbis and other holy people to help facilit=
ate funerals because it allows space and time for the family to grieve and =
feel all their emotions. But for some crazy reason, I had decided that Mom'=
s first send-off should be fully planned and executed by me, her only child=
. What was I thinking? Slowly, my circle started gathering and my jangled n=
erves calmed down with each hug I received. More than thirty women arrived =
from all aspects of my life in Houston, neighbors, church friends, book clu=
b members, networking colleagues, clients, and Zumba dance buddies -- only =
three or four had actually met my mother. They all gathered for me. This di=
verse group of women all enjoyed meeting one another, and my home and my he=
art overflowed with the rich sounds of women talking and laughing together.=
"

Each example in her book outlines the possibilities ritual can introduce to=
 virtually any facet of life. They are opportunities for connection and hea=
ling that only come from organization, purpose, and spiritual and psycholog=
ical intention, and apply to many surprising life changes that readers init=
ially won't associate with ritualistic applications, such as divorce:

"I proceeded to move through my condo one room at a time and I lit a ceremo=
nial fire in each. There is something deeply primal and oh-so-powerful abou=
t fire as a tool for transformation. Using a large Pyrex bowl, I put in a l=
ittle bit of Epsom salts and rubbing alcohol, and then I lit a match. I had=
 a bowl of water nearby in case the fire got out of hand. With each tiny fi=
re, I forcefully spoke out loud the things that I was ready to release from=
 my marriage."

The result is a lesson plan for life that does more than outline ritual pos=
sibilities, but embraces them as part of the act of letting go, moving on, =
or releasing negative energy to make room for the positive forces of suppor=
t and healing. Ideally, Sacred Celebrations shouldn't be limited to spiritu=
ality or new age collections (which will be its most likely audience), but =
will be incorporated into general-interest libraries and selected for book =
club and discussion groups from all walks of life, from spirituality to psy=
chology circles.

More so than most books about celebrations, Sacred Celebrations translates =
the act and ritual of healing to everyday life, making it a top recommendat=
ion for libraries seeking a wider-ranging approach to better living.

Thought Leader Academy
Sara Connell
Muse Literary
https://museliterary.com
9781960876386, $33.99 Hardcover/$15.99 Paper/$5.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Thought-Leader-Academy-Through-Mission/dp/1960876384

Thought Leader Academy: 10x Your Impact and Income Through Your Mission and=
 Message isn't just a book: it's a program developed by Sara Connell to gui=
de fellow coaches and entrepreneurs to make the most of their leadership ab=
ilities.

Now, Connell's message isn't new. There are many other coaching books and g=
uides on the market that boast of doing the same. What differentiates Thoug=
ht Leader Academy from many of its peers is an approach to the process that=
 offers proven strategies and tips for honing one's ability to increase imp=
act and income in an exuberant, uplifting way, as a thought leader. "Have y=
ou had a Resonance moment? Felt the tingling, demanding, that won't let you=
 go no matter how hard you try to push it away, this is my destiny? Was the=
re something you came across that grabbed you by the spine and said, "You w=
ill follow me, you must follow me. For this you have come!"

From childhood trauma to her first book deal that landed her on Oprah, bein=
g published in the New York Times and founding Thought Leader Academy to he=
lp others overcoming inner blocks to become the leaders they are meant to b=
e, Thought Leader Academy is more than a memoir or self-help guide. It's a =
strategic program to help readers publish books, speak on stages, build com=
munities, and monetize their missions.

The journey is powered by Connell's own life experiences as well as those o=
f others: "I knew this transformation was not going to be subtle. I could f=
eel that, like recovering from an addiction or summiting a high mountain, i=
t would require radical new thinking, behaviors, habits, and action. What I=
 found is that it required an uplevel of my identity. I went for this work =
from every possible direction, investing in coaching, mindset work, spiritu=
al practice, new styles of meditation, neuroscience techniques."

The uplifting nature of her subject is tempered by realistic assessments of=
 what makes thought leadership difficult work, ultimately challenging and p=
roductive. Her assessments of these pivot points of transformation and new =
possibility creates a dialogue of step-by-step approaches to giving, learni=
ng, and pushing the boundaries of success.

Readers of Thought Leader Academy should, like AA members, be "willing to w=
ork the program" presented here. The roadmap is proven, but the work itself=
 is up to the reader who takes action on Connell's Thought Leader Academy.

Libraries seeking inspirational self-help guides to leadership will want to=
 highly recommend her approach to various discussion groups, from entrepren=
eurial circles to book clubs interested in not just ideals, but programs th=
at hold both the promise and the nuts and bolts of active change.

Creating Harmonious Relationships
Andrew LeCompte
https://andrewlecompte.com
Connections Press
9798988748304, $16.95, PB, 254pp

https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Harmonious-Relationships-Practical-Empathy/=
dp/B0CN2H3KNK

Synopsis: "Creating Harmonious Relationships: a Practical Guide to the Powe=
r of True Empathy, Revised Edition" by Andrew LeCompte is empowering in a h=
eartfelt way. It teaches the reader how to communicate wisely and effective=
ly with other people. The basic technique is easy to grasp, and it is taugh=
t in a step-by step manner. It teaches how to listen in a way that invites =
the other person to open up and disclose what is really bothering them whil=
e also encouraging them to turn what might be their negative complaint into=
 a positive hope. This is the use of "true empathy." It is particularly use=
ful in defusing an argument when emotions are running high.

"True empathy" involves first acknowledging the other person's feeling stat=
e, as in "Are you upset because...?" This guess shows concern for the other=
 person's feeling state and invites their correction. They might say, "I'm =
angry at you because you've only been criticizing my idea." Then you guess =
at what their positive hope might be that is behind their feeling criticize=
d. You might reply, "So you're angry because what you really want is some p=
ositive support." Then they will supply what their hope is, in this case pr=
obably involving some kind of help. This defuses their emotional energy.

Hopes are a key concept in interpersonal communication. We are all motivate=
d to get our hopes met. Hopes are such things as to be heard and understood=
, to be accepted. These are connection hopes. We also have freedom hopes su=
ch as to be free to express our creativity and to be treated with honesty. =
Hopes are positive needs that can be met without infringing on someone else=
. They are at the heart of effective conflict resolution.

This method of communicating is the culmination of techniques that have bee=
n practiced and refined over many decades. Thousands of people have learned=
 and benefitted from the first edition of Creating Harmonious Relationships=
: a Practical Guide to the Power of True Empathy. The book was sold out in =
its first printing and the much awaited Revised Edition is now available.

Critique: While being a successful human doesn't come with an instruction m=
anual. But this newly revised edition of Andrew LeCompte's "Creating Harmon=
ious Relationships: A Practical Guide to the Power of True Empathy" is the =
next best thing. Expertly written, organized and presented, "Creating Harmo=
nious Relationships" is especially and unreservedly recommended for communi=
ty and college/university library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, a=
nd supplemental Communications curriculum studies lists. It should be noted=
 for personal and professional reading lists that "Creating Harmonious Rela=
tionships" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.9=
9).

Editorial Note: With a master's degree in Humanistic Psychology in Organiza=
tions, and practical life experience, Andrew LeCompte (https://andrewlecomp=
te.com) developed a deeper method of interpersonal communication, which inv=
olves tapping into each person's emotions and what they are most hoping for=
. He then taught empathic speaking and listening skills to couples and to p=
eople in schools, colleges, civic groups, legal practices, hospitals, pharm=
aceutical and financial corporations. As President of the Let's Talk traini=
ng group he led leadership, management, and organizational development prog=
rams.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
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To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal=
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Midwest Book Review