Shine Bright Anyway | January Book Club

Shine Bright Anyway

I don’t care who you are or how charmed others think your circumstances to be, sometimes life is just hard. Sometimes it’s VERY hard.

If now is one of those times, my book club pick for January is arriving right on time.

“Shine Bright Anyway” by counselor, Faith Broussard Cade, is a beautiful book with 90 messages to inspire hope. Faith gained a large Instagram following when she started posting daily handwritten positive affirmations or “love notes” on her account as she grappled with recovering from a traumatic brain injury.

Following that success, Faith has written her debut book which promises to show readers that they are enough even when the world says they’re not. Faith's hand-penned notes came from a place of trauma and brokenness originating from a commitment to healing from a car accident in 2018, the effects of which she still deals with today. It hurts. It slows her down. It makes her feel emotionally vulnerable and overwhelmed sometimes. But every day she chooses gratitude, love, and hard work. Sharing her struggles on her Instagram account has helped thousands of others do the same.

In this full-color book she pairs each handwritten note with a longer message to help readers:

• Overcome the wounds of the past through honesty and humbleness
• Replace feelings of inadequacy with the truth of your worthiness
• Prioritize self-care even when life is demanding
• Celebrate each day with gratitude and appreciation
• Believe in yourself when others say you can't or that you don't matter.

If life has left you feeling you are not enough or you are haunted by past choices, circumstances, or labels, “Shine Bright Anyway” will give you the encouragement to change your narrative. The expectations you live with today do not have to define you. You are enough.

“Shine Bright Anyway” is a beautiful little hard-bound volume that would be a lovely gift for oneself or anyone you care about. Christmas may be over, but birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, and “just because” are not.

Give the gift of “Shine Bright Anyway”.

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? | January Book Club

A little book has recently come to my attention I feel all of us could get some benefit from, “Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? Everyday Tools for Life’s Ups & Downs,” by Dr. Julie Smith.

Each and every day has it’s ups and downs, and they are hardly ever in balance.  Dr. Julie’s book contains some amazingly simply, approachable, do-able ideas to help us navigate those segues, providing the firm rungs of a step-ladder in place of the frightening free-fall when a a bit of information, a situation, or our mind brings a down to our doorstep.

It’s a new year. In place of big, over-arching promises to become someone entirely different in the next 365 days, I propose taking small steps toward your perfectly wonderful authentic inner self. Heres how “Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? is described by those who know what they’re talking about:

“Drawing on years of experience as a clinical psychologist, online sensation Dr Julie Smith provides the skills you need to navigate common life challenges and take charge of your emotional and mental health in her debut book.

Filled with secrets from a therapist's toolkit, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before teaches you how to fortify and maintain your mental health, even in the most trying of times. Dr Julie Smith’s expert advice and powerful coping techniques will help you stay resilient, whether you want to manage anxiety, deal with criticism, cope with depression, build self-confidence, find motivation, or learn to forgive yourself. Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before tackles everyday issues and offers practical solutions in bite-sized, easy-to-digest entries which make it easy to quickly find specific information and guidance. 

Your mental well-being is just as important as your physical well-being. Packed with proven strategies, Dr. Julie’s empathetic guide offers a deeper understanding of how your mind works and gives you the insights and help you need to nurture your mental health every day. Wise and practical, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before might just change your life. “

You can get yourself a copy at AMAZON and you can all follow Dr. Julie for daily drops of soothing inspiration on her Facebook and Instagram pages.

There is too much joy to be celebrated in these lives of ours to spend anymore of it than necessary feeling low or caught in cycles of anxious worry.  My hope for you in 2023 is that you are as gentle and compassionate with yourself as you are with others. Perhaps Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? will help with that mission.

HAPPY NEW YEAR my friends!