Emily Stone's Blog, page 3

Burnout is a Bummer.

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I recently read Breaking Out of Burnout by Rex Baker in hopes that I can add to my arsenal to combat the dismal burnout feeling that had been plaguing me for months. I ran across this book on Amazon Kindle and mentally shrugged thinking it couldn’t hurt to read it. At best it would provide some relief from the exhaustion and lack of hope I felt in my current situation. The worst case would be a wasted few hours on the same old rhetoric I had heard all of my adult life. Color me surprised when I actually enjoyed the book and felt energized and hopeful that I might not be trapped in a stagnant and unfulfilling position in my career and personal life.

                The
book begins by the author describing the shift from his career in broadcasting
to becoming a director of a rescue mission. He had reached a point where missed
many special occasions with his young family because of the long grueling hours
demanded by the broadcasting career. He had been lead to volunteer at a mission
in his spare time and eventually realized this fueled his passion to help
others. Eventually he decided to leave his broadcasting position to step out
and follow his dream. Eventually, he realized that even his passion for the
mission began to fade, being doused by the day to day monotony, and paperwork
necessary to run the facility.  He
reached a burnout point even doing something that he originally loved
doing.  He began to put a plan together
to actively get himself out of the pit he found himself in.  

                The
tips and information that the writer put together for this book make sense and
can be put in to action easily. A few of the tips I that I took away from this
book are common sense, but sometimes it has to be shoved in your face to make
the lightbulb go off.  I had to take a
good look at myself and change some of my thought processes. The first thing
that is important is, no matter where you are or what job you are doing, you
have the possibility of reaching burn out. The common denominator in the
equation is YOU.  Change your thinking and
mindset to help pull yourself out of the hole you are in. It’s not the only
answer but an important starting point.  He points out that a burnt out person not only
hurts themselves but those they are tasked with helping. For instance, a
burned- out doctor does his patients a disservice by not providing quality care
to them. This example is even evident in parent’s relationships with their
children. 

                The
second tip I found helpful stems from his realization that a by-product of
burnout is emotional insecurity.  It
feeds the doubt and insecurity that some of us carry deep inside us. Those
feelings that we are not good enough, smart enough, our ideas won’t work, or we
just can’t do it end up dominating and destroying any confidence that we
originally had. He advises to start telling yourself that no matter what you
can and will do what it is you set out to do. This step is a hard one to master
especially if the individual already had such negative self-talk to begin
with.  However, it is a powerful step in propelling
yourself forward in your life.  You must
not only think confidently but also act confidently or it will not work.

                The
last thing that hit home for me that I wanted to share with you is to always
make time to do something that you are passionate about. I have to remind
myself that even though I am exhausted by the work hours spent and all the
chores at home, I still need to make time to do something I enjoy to recharge
my batteries for life. I know these tips I shared are common knowledge but I needed
a reminder and a wakeup call.  There are
several other important tips and information that helped but hopefully that
will entice you to sit down and read his book. I hope that you get as much out
of it as I did and get back to your best life.

The Forgotten Hours….

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  This book was recommended to me by my Amazon Kindle settings and the following week popped up in one of my book reader clubs on Facebook. I had read posts by other readers and their excitement over getting the opportunity to read it and hoped it would be the next chance for me to lose myself in a great story. It begins with a young woman’s memory of a childhood summer spent at the family’s lake house with her best friend and her father.  The story describes the difficulty that the young woman, Katie, has with reconciling the father that she knew and loved and the father who was convicted of having sex with her 14 year old best friend.  Katie was sheltered from the evidence and testimonies produced at the trial and for the rest of her childhood and early adult life she harbored a resentment towards her former friend and an unwavering faith in her father’s innocence. However, she rarely shared her experiences with friends and even changed her last name in college to distance herself from the scandal. Katie had a budding relationship with an older man and wrestled with the need to tell him of her past before her father was released and showed up back in her life.  Things began to change when she started to get calls from news outlets and reporters wanting to know her thoughts on her father’s innocence.  His case received regional attention due her father’s impending release from prison and another similar case being tried at the time. Katie found herself wondering about the evidence in question and went on her own truth seeking quest to set the manner to rest in her mind.  The more she learned, the more she began to question everything which ultimately drove her to confront her father.  I liked the book and the determination that the main character demonstrated to find the truth even knowing it would likely cast a shadow on everything she knew about her family. The one thing I found a little distracting, though not enough to take away from the book, was the jumping from memories in the past to the present. There were a lot of flashbacks that were helpful to tie the story together but at times I found it slowed the story’s momentum. Regardless I found the book engaging and finished it in just a couple of days.  I rated it a four stars.

Keep it simple s…. you get the idea.

Welcome back! Sorry it’s been a couple of weeks since my last post. Things have been hectic at work and while I continue to read the books on my list, I haven’t had the time to review them like I wanted. However, I made time to get this one in here. The book is called Minimalism Mindset: 7 Step Guide to Declutter, Organize and Transform Your Life by Sara Lee Johnson. I rated this book five stars because it was straight forward and easy to grasp. It was an easy thirty minute read for me and I liked that it wasn’t full of examples that I didn’t need. Most of the information in the book was probably heard before either from other articles or magazines but it was convenient because it was in one location. I could relate with the author’s comments on the mail ending up on the table along with other items. In our family the table is a catch-all for random stuff. I am constantly clearing it off and wondering where the stuff even came from. Most of the information in here addresses procrastination and also being mindful, while creating efficient new habits. I hope you find this book informative and easy to incorporate the ideas into your lifestyle.

Check back next time when I review a book that I am excited to share with you. The name of the book is Breaking out of Burnout by Rex Baker. I also want to leave you with a quote from one of my most admired authors.

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”

―

Ernest Hemingway

Demons, witches, and children, Oh My!

Aidan O’Linn’s childhood ended the night he saw a demon kill his mother and mark his sister, Ava, with Darkness. Since then, every three years the demons have returned to try to claim her. Living in the gritty, forgotten corners of Los Angeles, Aidan has managed to protect his sister, but he knows that even his powers to fight demons and speak dead languages won’t keep her safe for much longer.

This book popped up in my Kindle Unlimited recommendations. After reading the blurb on it I decided to download it and give it a try. It had pretty good reviews, 4.3 stars out of 5. I like a book that will take me for a wild ride and keep me guessing. I will admit this book did that for me. I love how she brought Aiden’s character alive and I could feel his urgency and determination to save the only family he has left. I found it was a gripping story with as much internal conflict and self discovery as there was with the surrounding characters. I would rate this story a 5 star because it was difficult to put down and I found the religious references interesting. I will probably continue with the series when I have some extra time.

Check back for the next book review: Minimalism Mindset: Declutter, Organize and Transform Your Life 7 Step Guide by Sarah Lee Johnson.

And we’re off…

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Wise words by my favorite Author.

        Well now that my website is up and running, I wanted to post my first blog and give you an idea of what I am trying to accomplish with this webpage.  As so many other independent authors have pointed out, it is really difficult to promote, network and to continue to write all while holding down a full-time job. Even without working a full-time job, the cost and time needed to promote your work is daunting.  Not only do I want my book in the hands of people who will enjoy my creation, but I also want to help other independent authors find their followers. So I will be using my kindle unlimited and my group pages on facebook to find the new books, and books that have few reviews to not only enrich my library but to help another who only wants to tell the world their story.  I will post my reviews here. Also if you have a suggestion please feel free to email me or message me on any of the social media outlets I use.  Here’s to a great start to 2019!

January 1, 2019