Review: A Must-Read Book for Everyone
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 19, 2014
Stepping Stones to Emotional Resilience by Marquita Herald - ReviewAmong all the self-development books I've read, this is one of the best.Marquita sums up the essence of the problem and the solution to self-help right at the beginning:"Call it what you will: Self-help, self-development, self-improvement or personal growth. The bottom line is no matter how good the personal growth theory or materials, you are the key to creating meaningful change in your life.At best self-help can show you the way and serve as a catalyst to take action. But if you truly desire to grow stronger and live a richer, more fulfilling life you are going to have to be willing to take responsibility for yourself and accept that there are no short-cuts. You are either ready for change, or you are not. It is not enough to read about what you need to do - you have to take committed action."She follows this up with common misconceptions about resilience including this one: "Myth: Adversity makes people stronger." I loved her explanation, part of which is:"...But the important thing to understand is this growth did not come about as a result of the adverse situation, but from how they responded to the experience. In other words, it’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do about it. We gain strength and confidence by how we choose to overcome life’s challenges."Marquita provides numerous inspirational stories and quotations to embellish her wise and compassionate guidance. Here is one of my favorites in this book:"It doesn’t matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off.  You cannot make progress without making decisions." ~Jim RohnWhat I found most useful are the subheadings and the summary at the end of each chapter so that I could quickly scan and recap the text.I liked the chapters on Adaptability, Realistic Optimism, and Laughter.I think the utility of this book would be enhanced if Marquita gives some guidance about mindfulness or meditation practice. Also, there's a small typo on Pg. 49 - "oh contraire" should be "au contraire."In conclusion, I enjoyed this book and found it very useful.(I downloaded a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.)