The Wellness-Empowered Woman by Reena Vokoun

The Wellness- Empowered Woman by Reena Vokoun

Published by Fuchia Rose ISBN 9781736364703

Trade paperback, $16.95, 175 pages

In 2012, Reena Vokoun was a mom of two boys, 2 years and 5 years old, and working 60+ hours a week at Google, where her husband also worked 80-100 hours a week, as she recounts in her new book, The Wellness Empowered Woman. 

She and her husband rose early each day and worked late into the night at home. They had insomnia, had no time to workout, ate the scraps of food their sons didn't finish. She began to suffer from high stress and anxiety which manufactured in chronic sinus infections and asthma. 

While she loved her job, Vokoun had a lifelong passion for fitness, dance, and nutrition. As a first-generation-born, Indian-American, her family had introduced her to yoga and meditation, an important part of their culture.

Vokoun's grandfather encouraged her to follow her dream and start a wellness and health business. Finally, in 2014, Vokoun made the leap to begin her own business, called PassionFit.  The PassionFit motto is "Pursue your passions, be fit, and the rest will follow." 

Pursuing your passions, doesn't necessarily mean quitting your job. Vokoun suggests ways to incorporate your passions into your life- take classes, join organizations, work on side hustles. She says that by enjoying your passions, it adds a richness and depth to your life in other areas as well.

In the fifteen chapters of her book, Vokoun concentrates on the importance of maintaining a balanced life, get your body moving, sleeping enough and eating a balanced diet. At the end of each chapter. there are questions to answer to help you move forward and improve your life.

Some of her biggest takeaways include making a list of top three things personal and professional tasks to accomplish each day, celebrating your own individuality by prioritizing your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being (something social media can harm), and stepping out of your comfort zone to try something new.

During this last year of pandemic, when many people's physical, emotional and mental health suffered, The Wellness Empowered Woman has much to offer readers. When many have recently taken stock of their lives and what is truly important, her book comes at just the right time. I recommend it.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on Reena Vokoun's tour. The rest of the stops are here:

Instagram Features

Tuesday, August 24th: Instagram: @everything.is.words

Wednesday, August 25th: Instagram: @rozierreadsandwine

Thursday, August 26th: A Bookish Way of Life

Saturday, August 28th: Instagram: @reading_with_nicole

Sunday, August 29th: Instagram: @workreadsleeprepeat

Monday, August 30th: bookchickdi

Tuesday, August 31st: Instagram: @meghans_library

Thursday, September 2nd: Instagram: @neverthless_she_reads

Tuesday, September 7th: Living My Best Book Life

Wednesday, September 8th: Instagram: @joannasbookshelf

Thursday, September 9th: Instagram: @bookishbadassthings

Thursday, September 9th: Instagram: @nurse_bookie

No Pain, No Gaines by Chip Gaines

No Pain, No Gaines by Chip Gaines

Published by Thomas Nelson ISBN 9780785237914

Hardcover, $26.99, 190 pages

One the shows that put HGTV on the map is Fixer Upper starring the husband and wife team of Chip and Joanna Gaines, owners of Magnolia in Waco, Texas.  Chip handles the demolition and remodeling of a house and Joanna does the creative and design of the home. 

Chip is known as a goofy, funny, hardworking guy and he shares his philosophy of life and the things he has learned along the way in No Pain, No Gaines. Not the best student growing up, Chip found more value on hands-on, physical work. 

He was a hard worker, a go-getter, even as a child, when he sold snacks at the local public tennis courts. In college, while others were having a good time, Chip had a lawn mowing business and earning nearly $30,000 annually. Sales always interested him, and he even had a stint selling books door to door.

When it became apparent that his career as a baseball player wasn't going to happen, Chip had to pivot.  He was devastated at getting cut from the Baylor University baseball team, but meeting a guy who lost an eye in high school, and then had an aneurysm that led to brain surgery in college, woke Chip up.

Chip learned to "see the life in front of" him. He began to pay attention to life as it was happening around him, "ready to shift gears whenever necessary." 

He also discovered the importance of having a network of people around him, people who will support and cheer you on. He gives his family- parents and sister, his in-laws- an opportunity to share their insights into and anecdotes about Chip that are so enlightening.

According to Chip, one of the most important things in understanding who you are involves making a list of Nonnegotiables, "a list of qualities that are an unwavering part of who you are", your core values. When your actions don't line up with your nonnegotionables, you become unmoored.

Gaines believes in taking chances, and listening to your gut. He says you also have to be willing to fail; as successful as he and Joanna are with their media empire (a TV network, retail store, restaurant, magazine, decor line at Target, etc.), they came close to declaring bankruptcy at one point.

I'm not someone who watched Fixer Upper, but I have to say that I found much to like in No Pain, No Gaines. I'm also not someone who reads a lot of self-help or business advice books, but much of Gaines' advice and experiences he shares are interesting, useful, and thought-provoking. It's written in an easy, conversational voice, and if you are a Chip and Joanna Gaines fan, you'll get even more out of this book.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on Chip Gaines' tour. The rest of his stops are here:

Print review tour:

Monday, April 5th: Bookchickdi

Wednesday, April 7th: Mammanatty’s Raves and Reviews

Thursday, April 8th: Literary Quicksand

Friday, April 9th: Running Through the Storms

Monday, April 12th: @workreadsleeprepeat

Monday, April 12th: Palmer’s Page Turners

Wednesday, April 14th: Leighellen Landskov and @mommaleighellensbooknook

Thursday, April 15th: Living My Best Book Life and @livingmybestbooklife

Friday, April 16th: @books_faith_love

Monday, April 19th: Nurse Bookie and @nurse_bookie

Tuesday, April 20th: What is That Book About

Wednesday, April 21st: @stumblingintobooks

Thursday, April 22nd: A Bookish Way of Life

Friday, April 23rd: Pacific Northwest Bookworm and @pnwbookworm

It's Never Too Late by Kathie Lee Gifford

It's Never Too Late by Kathie Lee Gifford

Published by Thomas Nelson ISBN 9780785236641

Hardcover, $26.99, 208 pages

Kathie Lee Gifford has been a part of popular culture for many decades. Most of us know her from her fifteen years cohosting with Regis Philbin on Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee, a daily talk show that revolutionalized daytime television, and then her eleven years cohosting the fourth hour of the Today Show with Hoda Kotb.

But she has done so much more in her life. In her new book, It's Never Too Late- Make the Next Act of Your Life The Best Act of Your Life, Kathie Lee Gifford takes us through each stage of her life and the lessons she learned that brought her to a happy place, and can do the same for you.

After a Foreword written by Dolly Parton, who wrote of the importance of having dreams for your life and working hard to achieve your dreams and goals, Kathie Lee writes 35 short chapters each titled with It's Never Too Late to... and then things like Never Give Up, where she decribed leaving college before graduation and moving to Los Angeles to become an actress. She struggled, going on many auditions (and usually losing out to Nancy Morgan, John Ritter's future wife), but finally she got her first big break on Name That Tune, where she got to use her beautiful singing voice.

She recounted a tough year in 1995, which began with her thrilling appearance singing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl, moved on to her being accused of using sweatshop labor for her women's fashion line at WalMart, and then her husband was caught cheating on her in a highly publicized tabloid scandal. 

In Change the Ending, Then Change It Again, she shares her tale of landing in Scotland ready to film the movie she wrote for Craig Ferguson and herself, Then Came You. Ferguson tells Kathie Lee that she has to change the ending of the movie- just as they were to begin filming. When director Adriana Trigiani shares  Ferguson's opinion, Kathie Lee reluctantly agrees to change it. Then in the middle of the shoot, Gifford writes a song with her writing partner that convinces her to change the ending yet again. (Oh, poor Adriana Trigiani!) If you have seen the wonderful movie, you know the ending works perfectly. 

Kathie Lee shares funny stories- like the time Al Pacino came to her home for lunch and they tried to top each other with crazy celebrity true encounters (Kathie Lee won), frightening stories (her sister Michie nearly dying), and disappointments (the Broadway show she wrote closing after three weeks), and through it all her faith in God sustains her. 

Kathie Lee Gifford reminds of Joan Rivers- they both worked hard, followed their dreams through good times and bad, picked themselves up, and never let anyone stop them from achieving their goals. People have strong opinions about both of these women, and I respect each of them for being true to themselves and never giving up.

It's Never Too Late is a must-read for Kathie Lee Gifford fans, and people who have strong faith in God will get an extra level of appreciation from this book. It's inspirational and enjoyable, and it's good to be reminded especially during these troubled times that you can change your life for the better, no matter where you are in life.

My review of Kathie Lee's movie, Then Came You, is here.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on Kathie Lee Gifford's tour. The rest of her stops are here:

Review tour:

Monday, March 1st: Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Tuesday, March 2nd: Bookchickdi

Thursday, March 4th: From the TBR Pile – excerpt

Friday, March 5th: A Bookish Way of Life

Saturday, March 6th: Leighellen Landskov and @mommaleighellensbooknook

Tuesday, March 9th: The Sketchy Reader

Wednesday, March 10th: @queeninbetween and The Queen in Between

Thursday, March 11th: Seaside Book Nook

Friday, March 12th: Well Read Traveler and @wellreadtraveler

Monday, March 15th: Christian Chick’s Thoughts

Tuesday, March 16th: Living My Best Book Life and @livingmybestbooklife

Thursday, March 18th: What is That Book About

Friday, March 19th: Tabi Thoughts

Saturday, March 20th: @fashionablyfifty

Monday, March 22nd: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom – review and excerpt

Wednesday, March 24th: Running Through the Storms

Friday, March 26th: View from the Birdhouse

The Only Skill That Matters by Jonathan A. Levi

The Only Skill That Matters by Jonathan A. Levi
Published by Lioncrest Publishing ISBN 9781544504346
Trade paperback, $15.99, 185 pages

As someone who reads 100 books per year, I was drawn to Jonathan A. Levi's book The Only Skill That Matters- The Proven Methodology to Read Faster, Remember More, and Become a Superlearner. Levi, who bills himself as "a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, podcaster and bestselling author", struggled in school as child, having a difficult time keeping up with the other children.

Things turned around for him in high school, but when it came time to take an intensive MBA program, he was overwhelmed with the extensive reading he had to do. He met a couple who, using "neuroscience, memory, and learning theory", helped him to become what he termed a "superlearner".

With the couple, he built a hugely successful online course to help others become superlearners. One of the most important aspects of learning is measuring your progress, having goals. Levi created a SMART system (Specific, Measureable, Ambitious, Realistic and Time-Based) of goals. He uses the example of setting a goal of getting better at Excel. If instead you get specific, say set a goal of "learning six new features of Excel, including pivot tables and macros by December 31st", you'll be more likely to meet your goal. That makes sense.

Another interesting idea is that there is no such thing as "below-average memory". In a 2017, a study by Radboud University determined that practicing mnemonic techniques for 30 minutes per day can double memory capacity for anyone. As someone who has a difficult time remembering names of people, I guess I'd better start creating my "highly detailed visualizations."

As a big reader, I was intrigued by the mention of an app- Readwise. You can connect it to all your highlighted text in Kindle, Apple Books, and Instapaper (I highlight on Kindle frequently for book reviews), and then add all of the print books you have read. It will create a database, add the common highlights, and then send you an weekly email of the highlights. That will also help reinforce what you have read during the week. I'm definitely going to get that app.

The Only Skill That Matters will be most helpful to people who have to do massive amounts of reading and have to retain what they read- law students and medical students could benefit greatly.
Levi has a website- superhumanacademy.com- to learn more about it.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on Jonathan A. Levi's tour. The rest of the stops are here:

Instagram Features

Tuesday, September 3rd: Instagram: @libraryinprogress

Wednesday, September 4th: Instagram: @happiestwhenreading

Thursday, September 5th: Instagram: @meganthemeganerd

Friday, September 6th: Instagram: @rynicolereads

Saturday, September 7th: Instagram: @megsbookclub

Monday, September 9th: Instagram: @rendezvous_with_reading

Tuesday, September 10th: Instagram: @sarahandherbookshelves

Review Stops

Tuesday, September 3rd: bookchickdi

Wednesday, September 4th: PhDiva

Monday, September 9th: Booked J

Tuesday, September 10th: Write – Read – Life

Wednesday, September 11th: Unabridged Chick

Thursday, September 12th: Instagram: @book.hang.o.ver

Friday, September 13th: Kahakai Kitchen

Monday, September 16th: Instagram: @megabunnyreads

Tuesday, September 17th: The Desert Bibliophile

Tuesday, September 17th: Openly Bookish

Wednesday, September 18th: Iwriteinbooks’s blog

Thursday, September 19th: Jathan & Heather

Friday, September 20th: Comfy Reading

Friday, September 27th: Girl Who Reads

Sunday, September 29th: Instagram: @books_with_bethany

Monday, September 30th: Patricia’s Wisdom

Tuesday, October 1st: Lit and Life

TBD: Thursday, September 5th: Ms. Nose in a Book

Living Well With Chronic Illness by Richard Cheu

Living Well With Chronic Illness by Richard Cheu
Published by Dog Ear Publishing ISBN 978-1-4575-1343-5
Trade paperback, $16.95, 214 pages

Chronic illness is something that will touch each of us in some way, whether it is something that we face ourselves or watching someone whom we love deal with it. Author Richard Cheu has extensive experience dealing with this as a neurophysiologist teaching medical students, an EMT working the streets of New York City, and a chaplain working in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice facilities, and he uses those experiences to help people deal with chronic illness in his helpful book Living Well With Chronic Illness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide.

Cheu sets out to guide people coping with the stages of illness, from the initial shock "to overcoming emotional hurdles that stand between you and your goals" to "finding new meaning for your life", and his extensive experience is invaluable in this journey.

The layout of the book is wonderful; he gives examples of people he has met, like Joan and Jack, two tourists he met in an NYC emergency room. Joan had stomach pain and thought it was food poisoning. Cheu was with them when the doctor came in and brusquely told her she had stomach cancer. In one moment, their lives were turned upside down, and their reaction is one people who have dealt with this will recognize.

Cheu tells Sharon's story, a woman with breast cancer who refused to allow her friends and family see her in the hospital, saying that they could see her when she looked and felt better. She died and her parents and siblings were not allowed to say goodbye to her. She wouldn't even allow her husband to tell her what she meant to him.

He contrasts that with Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon professor and author of The Last Lecture, who when told he only had a few months to live, delivered a lecture that he wanted to be his legacy. He shared the life lessons he learned to not only his students and his young children, but to all who read his insightful book.

The book is divided into four parts:

• The Personal Impact of a Chronic Illness
• Overcoming Emotional Hurdles
• Finding New Meaning in Life
• Free Your Spirit

Along with the examples that we can identify with, Cheu has worksheets in the book that will help you deal with your illness. There is a Self-Help Fear-Management Plan, A Plan to Increase My Connections that will help you deal with loneliness, and a Worksheet For Creating Your Own Life Story, to tell your  life's journey for those you leave behind.

Living Well With Chronic Illness is not only a helpful guide for those who find themselves dealing with it, but also for those who love and care for people with chronic illness. Even if you don't face a chronic illness, the insights you will draw from this wonderful book will help you live an emotionally healthier life.

rating 4 of 5

Richard Cheu's website is here.
You can follow Cheu on Twitter here.

Dr. Marie Pasinski's BEAUTIFUL BRAIN BEAUTIFUL YOU

My review of native Auburnian Dr. Marie Pasinski's BEAUTIFUL BRAIN BEAUTIFUL YOU from the Auburn Citizen share