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Courage to Be You: Inspiring Lessons from An Unexpected Journey
Gail Miller might seem as though she has it easy now. But she has experienced challenges in nearly every aspect of her financial struggles, family trials, and personal loss. Through it all, she has had courage to move forward and remain grounded in her faith. In Courage to Be You , Gail encourages readers to find their own path with the help of the Lord. Her candid stories and personal insights about faith, hard work, grief, and many more topics are both fascinating and inspiring. "I hope as you read about my journey," she writes, "you will recognize a gem or two of truth that may be useful in your journey. Hopefully, you'll recognize you're not alone in a confusing and complicated world." Reading this book is like sitting down with a good friend and visiting about the things that matter most. It will fill you with courage and determination to be the best "you" possible.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2018
29 people are currently reading
403 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
February 27, 2021
A good friend gave me this book as a gift knowing my family’s connection to Gail. My mom worked for the Utah Jazz for nearly 30 years. I personally benefited from Gail and Larry’s generosity throughout the years. She talks about how important it was to provide for their employees throughout the book, and they certainly did. My mom always felt like they cared. As my mom became sick, Gail reached out with kindness that my mom truly treasured. Gail is truly a great woman, and it was inspiring to read her words about her life.
April 7, 2018
I’ve always admired Gail Miller but after reading this small book I’m a super fan! What a remarkable woman. Her humility and love for the Savior is evident throughout the book. There are nuggets I’ll be pondering for many days - treating people as if found not lost, needs vs wants, blessing others brings the greatest happiness. Loved loved loved this book!
June 10, 2019
It is wonderful that Gail Miller (wife of the late Larry H. Miller, currently married to Kim Wilson, and owner of the Larry H. Miller group of companies, as well as head of the family charitable foundation, etc.) finally wrote this book, at the urging of family members and others. She has a wealth of experience and insight to share, and her desire to help others become what they are individually meant to become with the help of God is evident.
Gail Miller grew up in humble circumstances in Salt Lake City, and that humble upbringing has influenced her entire life and the things that are important to her. She never would have dreamed that someday she’d be the wife of the owner of car dealerships and various businesses as well as an NBA basketball team (and, at various points, owner of an IHL hockey team, WNBA team, and a Triple-A baseball team), let alone the owner herself. Married to a man with that kind of drive, she learned to be happy and thrive despite long hours apart and so much family responsibility placed on her shoulders. She also had to learn to move outside her comfort zone in order to be at her husband’s side in various situations. I admire her dedication to her family and the community, and her desire to find creative ways to spend time with her busy husband, even sitting next to the tub where he soaked after work to relieve the tension, letting him talk for a few hours to decompress. After Larry’s death, she was thrust into a role she wouldn’t have chosen, and she learned even more about her divine potential and abilities. And despite her prominence in the business arena and the community, she is genuine, frugal, and a friend to all. She accepts everyone and appreciates their individual gifts and abilities—and what they are meant to become. I feel like I could sit down with her and feel that I was in the presence of a genuine friend.
I appreciated her candor about the difficulties she has experienced in marriage, family, and financial circumstances, and the beautiful experiences she shared as she and her family returned to church activity through the loving efforts of people who responded to the Holy Spirit and her own response to those stirrings within herself. It is no wonder that one of the main themes of this book is to reach out to others and serve them in the way only you can.
Gail Miller grew up in humble circumstances in Salt Lake City, and that humble upbringing has influenced her entire life and the things that are important to her. She never would have dreamed that someday she’d be the wife of the owner of car dealerships and various businesses as well as an NBA basketball team (and, at various points, owner of an IHL hockey team, WNBA team, and a Triple-A baseball team), let alone the owner herself. Married to a man with that kind of drive, she learned to be happy and thrive despite long hours apart and so much family responsibility placed on her shoulders. She also had to learn to move outside her comfort zone in order to be at her husband’s side in various situations. I admire her dedication to her family and the community, and her desire to find creative ways to spend time with her busy husband, even sitting next to the tub where he soaked after work to relieve the tension, letting him talk for a few hours to decompress. After Larry’s death, she was thrust into a role she wouldn’t have chosen, and she learned even more about her divine potential and abilities. And despite her prominence in the business arena and the community, she is genuine, frugal, and a friend to all. She accepts everyone and appreciates their individual gifts and abilities—and what they are meant to become. I feel like I could sit down with her and feel that I was in the presence of a genuine friend.
I appreciated her candor about the difficulties she has experienced in marriage, family, and financial circumstances, and the beautiful experiences she shared as she and her family returned to church activity through the loving efforts of people who responded to the Holy Spirit and her own response to those stirrings within herself. It is no wonder that one of the main themes of this book is to reach out to others and serve them in the way only you can.
January 2, 2019
This quick-to-read book is more religious than I expected. That's not necessarily a bad thing. I just thought it would be more of a self-help book about how to have courage to be oneself. It's much more about her life and her beliefs. I didn't know much about Gail Miller and I didn't realize the book was published by Deseret Book or I might have guessed.
Each chapter has a theme and is mildly interesting and autobiographical (though with less detail than I would have liked), but the book becomes much more interesting to me at the chapter about patient living.
Miller sees patience as an action word. That's new to me. I thought patience meant happy waiting. To her, it's actively doing what you can until things work out. It's not just sitting there feeling sorry for yourself or surrendering to current circumstances. It's being busy doing things that improve the circumstance. I love this idea. That is the secret to being truly happy while waiting. Now that I think about it, Miller exemplifies and illustrates this concept throughout the book and in all her life's challenges. She actively tackles life. No wonder she is such a successful, ambitious, and talented woman.
I'm also impressed by her generosity and ability to love. Her "bucket group" of twelve women who fill each other's emotional buckets each month is such a great example of a support group. It's easy to see she has surrounded herself with a lot of great people and that she's one of them.
Each chapter has a theme and is mildly interesting and autobiographical (though with less detail than I would have liked), but the book becomes much more interesting to me at the chapter about patient living.
Miller sees patience as an action word. That's new to me. I thought patience meant happy waiting. To her, it's actively doing what you can until things work out. It's not just sitting there feeling sorry for yourself or surrendering to current circumstances. It's being busy doing things that improve the circumstance. I love this idea. That is the secret to being truly happy while waiting. Now that I think about it, Miller exemplifies and illustrates this concept throughout the book and in all her life's challenges. She actively tackles life. No wonder she is such a successful, ambitious, and talented woman.
I'm also impressed by her generosity and ability to love. Her "bucket group" of twelve women who fill each other's emotional buckets each month is such a great example of a support group. It's easy to see she has surrounded herself with a lot of great people and that she's one of them.
June 21, 2018
I love it when I find a well written book about a really interesting person. Courage to Be You by Gail Miller is one of those.
Gail Miller is kind of a big name in the state where I live. I have enjoyed watching from afar all of the things she has done for the state in general and for individuals as well. I actually got to go to an event where she sat down and talked a bit about her life. She was honest, she was kind. She was real. I loved that!
Her book is just like she is. There is honesty. There is sadness with her family story. Honestly, her husband Larry was the more well known of the two. But reading her book made me love her so much. I loved her charity, her kindness to others. The way she talks about the lessons she’s learned throughout her life is just awesome. The lessons are all things we need to know. How to be friends with everyone, how to make family the most important thing, how to have the courage to just be you.
This book is one that everyone should take the time to read. You won’t regret it!
Gail Miller is kind of a big name in the state where I live. I have enjoyed watching from afar all of the things she has done for the state in general and for individuals as well. I actually got to go to an event where she sat down and talked a bit about her life. She was honest, she was kind. She was real. I loved that!
Her book is just like she is. There is honesty. There is sadness with her family story. Honestly, her husband Larry was the more well known of the two. But reading her book made me love her so much. I loved her charity, her kindness to others. The way she talks about the lessons she’s learned throughout her life is just awesome. The lessons are all things we need to know. How to be friends with everyone, how to make family the most important thing, how to have the courage to just be you.
This book is one that everyone should take the time to read. You won’t regret it!
July 17, 2018
Reading about another persons life is usually interesting and Gail Miller certainly has had an eventful life. We lived in CT for 35 years and the Millers were never covered in the New York Times like in the local Utah papers so I knew very little about their lives other than seeing the Larry H Miller dealerships when we moved back to Utah. Gail was obfiously very honest in relating her story to Jason Wright and he told it well.
I liked when she said her family didn't always agree but that, "When these topics come up--and we encourage that--I remind them that the foundation of our family is stronger than our opinions.
Oh if everyone could do that what a better world it would be.
I liked that they didn't coddle their children, as in the story of the broken window when they had him participate in replacing the window and learned "...hard work can make up for almost any mistake."
I liked when she said her family didn't always agree but that, "When these topics come up--and we encourage that--I remind them that the foundation of our family is stronger than our opinions.
Oh if everyone could do that what a better world it would be.
I liked that they didn't coddle their children, as in the story of the broken window when they had him participate in replacing the window and learned "...hard work can make up for almost any mistake."
August 3, 2018
What a wonderful book!!
Living here in Utah (same as the author), I see/hear a lot about Gail Miller in the media. But I had no idea the inspiring things I would learn from her life. She has wisdom to share about faith, business, success, motherhood, marriage and so much more. I was especially touched about her definition of success and finding your own voice. What I learned from this book had nothing to do with the wealth that she has (being the richest woman in Utah), but how she lives her life. Most importantly, we share the same hopes of living a Christ centered life.....and wouldn't that make us all 'rich'!
I listen to the audio version of this book and her voice is also very comforting, like listening to a friend!
Living here in Utah (same as the author), I see/hear a lot about Gail Miller in the media. But I had no idea the inspiring things I would learn from her life. She has wisdom to share about faith, business, success, motherhood, marriage and so much more. I was especially touched about her definition of success and finding your own voice. What I learned from this book had nothing to do with the wealth that she has (being the richest woman in Utah), but how she lives her life. Most importantly, we share the same hopes of living a Christ centered life.....and wouldn't that make us all 'rich'!
I listen to the audio version of this book and her voice is also very comforting, like listening to a friend!
February 19, 2019
I have looked up to Gail Miller for a long time so I was super excited when she wrote her book. It was everything I was hoping it would be and better. She was able to relate to anyone no matter what time in their life they were living. I definitely felt a comraderie to her when she was talking about raising her kids since that's where I am at in my life. She doesn't shy away from the hard things that she has gone through and the lessons that have been learned and although my challenges have been different I appreciate that I could still learn from her experiences. This book is deeply religious which I enjoyed but it wouldn't be for everyone. I think Gail is such a great role model for women everywhere about taking your life in stride and enjoying each season while you are in it! I would love to meet her and tell her how much I adore her!
October 3, 2018
I loved this book. Gail has some really great bits of wisdom. I love her outlook on life and the people around her. I loved hoe Gail said, “you and I are successful when we a line our will with God’s.”
One quote she repeat several times throughout the book is from Larry H. Miller, “continue going about doing good until there’s too much good in the world.” I love thought philosophy.
One quote she repeat several times throughout the book is from Larry H. Miller, “continue going about doing good until there’s too much good in the world.” I love thought philosophy.
March 27, 2019
I unexpectedly liked this book. Gail has a lot of great quotes and there is much to learn from her life story. She has had a hard like and they have worked hard for what they have. It was just a peek into their lives but it was interesting and kept me thinking. I wrote down many quotes that struck me and that I may need for the future. Really glad I read this.
July 14, 2018
My parents gave me this book and recommended I read it. There is some good stuff in it.
January 16, 2019
This is such a wonderful book. You can feel Gail's love for people by reading her words. Her advice is heartfelt, real, and down to earth.
May 16, 2019
Such an uplifting book. There are so many small pieces of wisdoms scattered throughout the interesting life stories of Gail Miller. This is even a book I might read again!
April 29, 2023
Written to give advice to women primarily. Amazing things can happen when we work to accomplish our version of success.
August 12, 2023
Gail Miller is an amazing role model! I adore her, just wished the book had been filled with more stories and less quips of wisdom. Uplifting but not life changing.
September 4, 2018
I love a true story of rags to riches but even better, one who stays grounded through it all. Easy to listen to the author, I think she could be everyone's best friend if given the chance.
November 13, 2019
This book is about courage. But I learned a long time so that courage and faith go hand in hand, and by the end of the book I realized it is a book of faith. Faith and encouragement and hope are the things I got from this book. It is short and uplifting, and I will probably refer to it again and again.
August 4, 2018
Delightful book. I must admit I didn’t even know who Gail Miller was before picking up the book (go ahead, accuse me of living under a rock), but I’m glad I judged this book on its cover and picked it up to read. Gail is insightful, wise, humble, candid, genuine, honest, and exemplary. She mentions several times in her book that she isn’t perfect but she seems a pretty good example to me. She’s the kind of person you could hope to be friends with. I loved her wisdom and ideas and wrote down a great many gems and quotes from which I gleaned knowledge, insight, and ideas. I think this is a great book, with a bit of self-help anecdotal knowledge, a smattering of wit and humor, a bunch of real-life lessons, and a depth of spiritual wisdom.
Quotes:
“It’s impossible to strive for goodness and not be living some gospel principles—whether a person is sitting in a pew on Sunday or not.”
“The foundation of our family is stronger than our opinions.”
“I hoped [i would be remembered] for spreading the Lord’s love every chance I had.”
“Every day that we get to know Christ better is a good day, no matter how it happens, and we shouldn’t let anyone convince us otherwise.”
“I don’t believe you can really be loved without being vulnerable. You have to truly open yourself up in order for the other person to get to know you enough to love you. When we present what we only want that person to see, that’s not true love. Could be attraction, affection, or connection, but it’s not the full package.”
“I knew from the very beginning, our journey was meant to be spent together, as a family.”
“If you’ve ever had to choose between doing housework or spending time with the kids, I hope you’ve looked down more often than not and said, ‘who cares about the floor?’”
“God doesn’t withdraw because our lives don’t turn out the way we dreamt as children. We’re not living our vision of our lives anyway. We’re living His.”
“Parents aren’t tasked with raising another version of themselves. We can set the standards but we also need to allow our children to keep their dignity and grow into individuals. There are eternal consequences to raising God’s spirit children and loving parents constantly remind themselves they are raising future mothers, fathers, or leaders in the church or community. Whatever path our children take, the better job we do, the more prepared they’re going to be.”
“I like to think of parenting as a discovery process.”
“No marriage or family is complete without forgiveness.”
“There were times I felt guilty about needing [rejuvenation time]. But when those feelings crept in i tried to remind myself that Heavenly Father doesn’t build mother’s as machines. He created us as human beings, just like our children, with thoughts, feelings, needs, desires and ambitions. As part of His perfect pattern, He wants us to learn to work and then teach our families to do the same. But He also wants us to be happy and happiness comes with balance. I wonder why we forget that we not only have the power to make life, we also have the power to make schedules, balance, and opportunities. We don’t have to let or schedule make us, we can and should make our schedule.”
“Hard work can make up for almost any mistake.”
“Children just have to understand that working around the home has nothing to do with making mom and dad happy. It’s about being responsible for the welfare of the entire family. If the family plays together, the family works together.”
“Hard work is never hard to find.”
“Failing gives you a chance to work harder next time.”
“As long as [my children] never give up, I’m perfectly fine with them losing every single time. Winning takes courage but losing might take even more.”
“Adults and children alike should be rewarded for what they do and not rewarded for what they don’t. The danger of anything less is a sense of entitlement that can spread like a virus.”
“Money doesn’t buy happiness. If you have sufficient for your needs, that’s all that matters.”
“Money isn’t about things but people, and I don’t mean the president on the front of the bill.”
“Money could never become more important than the people earning it.”
“Money is just a tool.”
“We’re not letting money change us, right?”
“Sound money management in the 21st century is a lot like the parable of the talents 2000 years ago. Are we careful stewards of what we have? Growing it, nurturing it, blessing others with it? Or are we squandering it and finding our resources shrinking instead of growing to bless others?”
“Having money is hardly a prerequisite to helping others.”
“The only people we don’t love are those we haven’t served yet.”
“Service is the one universal ingredient that brings people together.”
“Love without service isn’t love at all.”
“It’s important to know both sides of the love and service coin and to be both a gracious giver and a gracious receiver.”
“It is possible one of our greatest obstacles to service is our predisposition to judge.”
“How hard it is to love and give service when we don’t love ourselves.”
“Caring was a purposeful skill and it endeared him to people and nourished friendships. It’s just another one of those instances where the more you serve, the more you love and the more you love, the more connected you are. The more connected you are, the greater the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life.”
“Regularly filling your bucket to the brim with goodness makes your journey much lighter.”
“Patience isn’t just waiting and just waiting isn’t patience. Every good result requires action. It’s a life-long pattern.”
“There is an important relationship between patience and prayer.”
“I learned to live patience by fixing a problem where I had control to do so.”
“In any healthy marriage, the more we live patience as a verb, the closer we feel to heaven.”
“I learned patience, not by waiting, but by actively praying, loving, and serving.”
“If my journey has taught me anything, it is to love myself and the life I have. I know because of God’s grace, we’re all doing better than we think we are. The Lord knows it takes active faith and courage to be His disciples, and losing our patience over our husbands, children, church callings, or clients doesn’t make us any less worthy of discipleship.”
“All adversity has a purpose. If we believe Christ is perfect, and I do, then my trials are meant for me. They are a custom challenge designed by Someone who doesn’t just love me, He wants me to pass the test. We can’t become like Him if we don’t experience patience trying adversity. If it was important for His ministry, it should be important for ours, too.”
“It’s meaningless to make comparisons when the plan isn’t ours, it’s God’s.”
“Experiencing loss enables us to find ourselves and our place in God’s patient plan for us.”
“We are each unique in our own way....I would suggest we measure ourselves against the standard and potential God has for us.”
“It is crucial to understand the difference between how the world measures success and how it’s measured in heaven. To me real success has at least three components: number 1) the depth of our relationship with God; number 2) the quality of our relationships with others; number 3) our stewardship over gifts and resources God had entrusted to us.”
“We mostly measure ourselves by our daily efforts, so if all our efforts are based on eternal principles they will have a stronger foundation and deeper rewards.”
“[The Lord] always sees the big picture and with His guidance and my work, we usually get the right combination of things done. It is always interesting to me to watch how He rearranges things as the day progresses. My job is to stay in tune and be flexible. At night I kneel by my bed and ask in prayer if I have done all that He expected of me that day. If I can feel a reassuring yes, or something even close to a yes, I consider myself successful.”
“Our creator only asks us to do our best with what we’re given.”
“If you feel the need to compare yourself to someone, look up and compare yourself against the measure God has set for you.”
“Some success comes from serving, growing, and developing talents that we didn’t even know we had.”
“You and I are successful when we align our will with God’s, whether the public knows our name or not.”
“The real recipe for success is investing in yourself and others. Give back. Pay it forward.”
“Life isn’t about one huge achievement. It’s a series of successful moments strung together by little victories at home, work, and church, and in the community.”
“It’s hard to find out what your voice sounds like if you aren’t using it.”
“We cannot shy away from our responsibilities or opportunities to testify of Christ in the way we live. Standing tall doesn’t just benefit us, it also blesses the world that watches—and trust me, the world is indeed watching.”
“We have divine talents and a mandate to use them.”
“Have faith in yourself. You can make a difference. In fact, you already have....There’s a 100% chance that if you’ve loved well, served often, and used your voice for good in whatever way you could, you’ve impacted at least one other child of God. What a legacy!”
“My friend, I guarantee that if you listen, He also knows just how to help you find the courage to be you.”
Quotes:
“It’s impossible to strive for goodness and not be living some gospel principles—whether a person is sitting in a pew on Sunday or not.”
“The foundation of our family is stronger than our opinions.”
“I hoped [i would be remembered] for spreading the Lord’s love every chance I had.”
“Every day that we get to know Christ better is a good day, no matter how it happens, and we shouldn’t let anyone convince us otherwise.”
“I don’t believe you can really be loved without being vulnerable. You have to truly open yourself up in order for the other person to get to know you enough to love you. When we present what we only want that person to see, that’s not true love. Could be attraction, affection, or connection, but it’s not the full package.”
“I knew from the very beginning, our journey was meant to be spent together, as a family.”
“If you’ve ever had to choose between doing housework or spending time with the kids, I hope you’ve looked down more often than not and said, ‘who cares about the floor?’”
“God doesn’t withdraw because our lives don’t turn out the way we dreamt as children. We’re not living our vision of our lives anyway. We’re living His.”
“Parents aren’t tasked with raising another version of themselves. We can set the standards but we also need to allow our children to keep their dignity and grow into individuals. There are eternal consequences to raising God’s spirit children and loving parents constantly remind themselves they are raising future mothers, fathers, or leaders in the church or community. Whatever path our children take, the better job we do, the more prepared they’re going to be.”
“I like to think of parenting as a discovery process.”
“No marriage or family is complete without forgiveness.”
“There were times I felt guilty about needing [rejuvenation time]. But when those feelings crept in i tried to remind myself that Heavenly Father doesn’t build mother’s as machines. He created us as human beings, just like our children, with thoughts, feelings, needs, desires and ambitions. As part of His perfect pattern, He wants us to learn to work and then teach our families to do the same. But He also wants us to be happy and happiness comes with balance. I wonder why we forget that we not only have the power to make life, we also have the power to make schedules, balance, and opportunities. We don’t have to let or schedule make us, we can and should make our schedule.”
“Hard work can make up for almost any mistake.”
“Children just have to understand that working around the home has nothing to do with making mom and dad happy. It’s about being responsible for the welfare of the entire family. If the family plays together, the family works together.”
“Hard work is never hard to find.”
“Failing gives you a chance to work harder next time.”
“As long as [my children] never give up, I’m perfectly fine with them losing every single time. Winning takes courage but losing might take even more.”
“Adults and children alike should be rewarded for what they do and not rewarded for what they don’t. The danger of anything less is a sense of entitlement that can spread like a virus.”
“Money doesn’t buy happiness. If you have sufficient for your needs, that’s all that matters.”
“Money isn’t about things but people, and I don’t mean the president on the front of the bill.”
“Money could never become more important than the people earning it.”
“Money is just a tool.”
“We’re not letting money change us, right?”
“Sound money management in the 21st century is a lot like the parable of the talents 2000 years ago. Are we careful stewards of what we have? Growing it, nurturing it, blessing others with it? Or are we squandering it and finding our resources shrinking instead of growing to bless others?”
“Having money is hardly a prerequisite to helping others.”
“The only people we don’t love are those we haven’t served yet.”
“Service is the one universal ingredient that brings people together.”
“Love without service isn’t love at all.”
“It’s important to know both sides of the love and service coin and to be both a gracious giver and a gracious receiver.”
“It is possible one of our greatest obstacles to service is our predisposition to judge.”
“How hard it is to love and give service when we don’t love ourselves.”
“Caring was a purposeful skill and it endeared him to people and nourished friendships. It’s just another one of those instances where the more you serve, the more you love and the more you love, the more connected you are. The more connected you are, the greater the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life.”
“Regularly filling your bucket to the brim with goodness makes your journey much lighter.”
“Patience isn’t just waiting and just waiting isn’t patience. Every good result requires action. It’s a life-long pattern.”
“There is an important relationship between patience and prayer.”
“I learned to live patience by fixing a problem where I had control to do so.”
“In any healthy marriage, the more we live patience as a verb, the closer we feel to heaven.”
“I learned patience, not by waiting, but by actively praying, loving, and serving.”
“If my journey has taught me anything, it is to love myself and the life I have. I know because of God’s grace, we’re all doing better than we think we are. The Lord knows it takes active faith and courage to be His disciples, and losing our patience over our husbands, children, church callings, or clients doesn’t make us any less worthy of discipleship.”
“All adversity has a purpose. If we believe Christ is perfect, and I do, then my trials are meant for me. They are a custom challenge designed by Someone who doesn’t just love me, He wants me to pass the test. We can’t become like Him if we don’t experience patience trying adversity. If it was important for His ministry, it should be important for ours, too.”
“It’s meaningless to make comparisons when the plan isn’t ours, it’s God’s.”
“Experiencing loss enables us to find ourselves and our place in God’s patient plan for us.”
“We are each unique in our own way....I would suggest we measure ourselves against the standard and potential God has for us.”
“It is crucial to understand the difference between how the world measures success and how it’s measured in heaven. To me real success has at least three components: number 1) the depth of our relationship with God; number 2) the quality of our relationships with others; number 3) our stewardship over gifts and resources God had entrusted to us.”
“We mostly measure ourselves by our daily efforts, so if all our efforts are based on eternal principles they will have a stronger foundation and deeper rewards.”
“[The Lord] always sees the big picture and with His guidance and my work, we usually get the right combination of things done. It is always interesting to me to watch how He rearranges things as the day progresses. My job is to stay in tune and be flexible. At night I kneel by my bed and ask in prayer if I have done all that He expected of me that day. If I can feel a reassuring yes, or something even close to a yes, I consider myself successful.”
“Our creator only asks us to do our best with what we’re given.”
“If you feel the need to compare yourself to someone, look up and compare yourself against the measure God has set for you.”
“Some success comes from serving, growing, and developing talents that we didn’t even know we had.”
“You and I are successful when we align our will with God’s, whether the public knows our name or not.”
“The real recipe for success is investing in yourself and others. Give back. Pay it forward.”
“Life isn’t about one huge achievement. It’s a series of successful moments strung together by little victories at home, work, and church, and in the community.”
“It’s hard to find out what your voice sounds like if you aren’t using it.”
“We cannot shy away from our responsibilities or opportunities to testify of Christ in the way we live. Standing tall doesn’t just benefit us, it also blesses the world that watches—and trust me, the world is indeed watching.”
“We have divine talents and a mandate to use them.”
“Have faith in yourself. You can make a difference. In fact, you already have....There’s a 100% chance that if you’ve loved well, served often, and used your voice for good in whatever way you could, you’ve impacted at least one other child of God. What a legacy!”
“My friend, I guarantee that if you listen, He also knows just how to help you find the courage to be you.”
June 24, 2018
What a remarkable lady...
June 4, 2020
I picked this up because I have a family member who works for the Miller family and they are almost fanatical in their loyalty to their job and the Miller community. I also have found her to be absolutely admirable in the recent racism issues (beginning with the fan a couple of years ago and ending with current events). So I was curious about her.
She has a lot of good to say and I appreciated the book. Her experiences and her advice was valuable. You can definitely smell out Wright's touch but Miller's genuineness shines through.
She has a lot of good to say and I appreciated the book. Her experiences and her advice was valuable. You can definitely smell out Wright's touch but Miller's genuineness shines through.
April 8, 2019
Being non-Mormon and non-religious, the insight into her religion and the religious culture of her church is valuable, as any comparative study always is. Beyond that, Gail Miller's experiences are truly inspiring. In particular, I loved the descriptions of her childhood, narrated with no trace of self-pity though the reader might be struck by how desperately poor her family was. I found it to be interesting, heartfelt and inspiring.
June 19, 2018
This book should be read by every adult and teenager in Utah -- especially those who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. When we see the name Larry H. Miller on car dealerships, or Megaplex on theaters, or hear anything about the Utah Jazz, we ought to appreciate what led to the present circumstances of the Larry and Gail Miller family and to have some insight into their faith and their attitude toward life and their fellow beings -- including how they handled the rock slides, bumps, and detours in the roads of their lives. This book is packed with excellent advice for achieving real success and real happiness in life. Among Gail's closing comments we read, "It's true, my life has been an unexpected journey. But I bet yours has been too. Isn't that part of the joy? . . . I have no doubt that [Heavenly Father] knows precisely how to help me, Gail Miller, find the courage to be me. My friend, I guarantee that if you listen, He also know just how to help you find the courage to be you." I must say that this book will be a little more appreciated and understood if the reader first reads "Driven: an Autobiography" by Larry H. Miller.
July 18, 2018
I really enjoyed this book! Gail Miller separates the book by topics such as; Marriage and Motherhood, It's Not About the Money, Friendship Is a Choice, Success Is Relative and others. In each chapter she shares a little about her life's story and lessons she's learned.
Her journey is not what you'd expect. She grew up poor, sometimes having to move light bulbs around the house because they couldn't afford to buy more and now she is owner of the Larry H. Miller Group of companies. Her book is inspirational because of the path her life has taken.
One of my favorite chapters is Success Is Relative. To start off she shares a story from when her husband was on his death-bed, he was talking with their youngest son. Her husband told him "...don't measure yourself against me. Measure yourself against yourself. It is enough." I love this quote because too often we measure our worst against other's best.
This book would be great for anyone who needs a pick-me-up. It does have some LDS references, but I would not classify it as an LDS specific title.
Her journey is not what you'd expect. She grew up poor, sometimes having to move light bulbs around the house because they couldn't afford to buy more and now she is owner of the Larry H. Miller Group of companies. Her book is inspirational because of the path her life has taken.
One of my favorite chapters is Success Is Relative. To start off she shares a story from when her husband was on his death-bed, he was talking with their youngest son. Her husband told him "...don't measure yourself against me. Measure yourself against yourself. It is enough." I love this quote because too often we measure our worst against other's best.
This book would be great for anyone who needs a pick-me-up. It does have some LDS references, but I would not classify it as an LDS specific title.
August 6, 2018
3.5 I enjoyed this short, quick read. Gail Miller is a woman of great faith. I loved how she makes her relationship with Christ and her Heavenly Father central in her life. She tells about her life - growing up in a loving but very financially poor family, and ending up as the owner of the Larry H. Miller Group (president of 80 companies). Along the way she became a wife and mother - roles she cherishes. She has some good advice and insights. I think this book would be especially helpful to those just starting their families or busy raising their children. Gail made herself vulnerable by sharing personal things. She is a courageous woman. I think I would love being friends with her.
May 25, 2019
Well-meaning but with a lot of platitudes like “money doesn’t buy happiness,” “service is more fulfilling than riches,” etc. These are all valid, but when you have a rags to riches story like the Millers, it’s a lot more relatable to go into the failures as well as the successes. Clearly Gail Miller is a lovely, grounded, philanthropist who has never forgotten her humble roots, but the book requires more balance. If you write that you’re not comfortable talking a lot about money, then perhaps use the phrase “billion dollar company” a bit less.
August 26, 2019
This is an enjoyable read by an amazing lady.
April 29, 2018
I knew a little about Gail Miller from reading Larry Miller's biography Driven. This book came to me from the library at a time when I didn't have a lot of time to devote to a book. I was able to finish it quickly because it's not a big book. Each chapter seems to have a theme, and my favorite was on patience. Gail is a remarkable lady who is more in the limelight since Larry's passing. I would have liked to hear more about her life.
*The foundation of our family is stronger than our opinions.
*Avoid personal debt, treat people with kindness, don't let money rule your lives, and use it wisely. (advice given to their children)
*I couldn't serve away all their problems, but I could serve in all the ways I knew how.
*We all need someone to confide in, to bounce ideas off of, and to help us understand that together we're going to make it.
*The best way to nourish any friendship, especially during a tough patch, is to never have a conversation about a friend that you wouldn't have with that friend.
*Patience isn't just waiting, and just waiting isn't patience. Every good result requires action.
*When I think of moments of impatience in my life, they are often tied to a weakened relationship with the Savior.
*"What am I supposed to be learning from this? This is so hard." The friend answered, "I'm not sure it's anything you have to learn; it's what you are teaching others."
*The foundation of our family is stronger than our opinions.
*Avoid personal debt, treat people with kindness, don't let money rule your lives, and use it wisely. (advice given to their children)
*I couldn't serve away all their problems, but I could serve in all the ways I knew how.
*We all need someone to confide in, to bounce ideas off of, and to help us understand that together we're going to make it.
*The best way to nourish any friendship, especially during a tough patch, is to never have a conversation about a friend that you wouldn't have with that friend.
*Patience isn't just waiting, and just waiting isn't patience. Every good result requires action.
*When I think of moments of impatience in my life, they are often tied to a weakened relationship with the Savior.
*"What am I supposed to be learning from this? This is so hard." The friend answered, "I'm not sure it's anything you have to learn; it's what you are teaching others."
June 7, 2018
This was a super quick read. I finished it in 2 1/2 days just by sneaking it in when I could at bedtime and when I took a “moment” to pee. (Ok, let’s face it...peeing was not a real successful reading opportunity. It is a little hard to read when peeing when the little is yelling your name down the hall...How do they know when you are in the bathroom Every. Time. ?)
Pros first:
- The formatting was beautiful with larger print and quotes I would have highlighted already pulled out and duplicated in bigger font.
- There were little insights in this book that surprised and thrilled me. Like...Her perspective on Death and Counseling/Therapy
- My favorite chapter by far was the final Chapter of the book “Your Voice: Find It, Use It” Loved. This. Chapter. Her insights on individuals need for counseling are profound and inspirational. I wish it was a viewpoint more widely accepted and shared amount our circles.
- I am a sucker for any definition of success. I enjoyed adding her definition to my repatoire.
- I will most certainly be referencing her candid words on expectations and patience found on pp 128-129
Cons:
- There was a little bit of repetition in the stories.
- Some areas were a little too oversimplified for my taste.
Overall, this book was uplifting and I walked away with a couple new nuggets of truth that I am sure to reference time and again.
Pros first:
- The formatting was beautiful with larger print and quotes I would have highlighted already pulled out and duplicated in bigger font.
- There were little insights in this book that surprised and thrilled me. Like...Her perspective on Death and Counseling/Therapy
- My favorite chapter by far was the final Chapter of the book “Your Voice: Find It, Use It” Loved. This. Chapter. Her insights on individuals need for counseling are profound and inspirational. I wish it was a viewpoint more widely accepted and shared amount our circles.
- I am a sucker for any definition of success. I enjoyed adding her definition to my repatoire.
- I will most certainly be referencing her candid words on expectations and patience found on pp 128-129
Cons:
- There was a little bit of repetition in the stories.
- Some areas were a little too oversimplified for my taste.
Overall, this book was uplifting and I walked away with a couple new nuggets of truth that I am sure to reference time and again.
June 30, 2018
I admire Gail Miller, even more so after reading this book. She has carried on her husband's businesses actively and has done so in what I think is a more people-focused way. Yet she stays relatable in this book. I enjoyed reading the stories of growing up with only one light bulb in the house that they'd carry from room to room, or serving as a Relief Society President and bathing a neighbor whose husband wasn't able to take care of her. She just gets stuff done. I also liked how she was honest about how hard her marriage to Larry was at times.
I think the chapter that interested me most was her final chapter, describing how she used to introduce herself as "Larry's wife," and how, through counseling and self-work, she was able to come into her own. Now she's one of the most influential people in Utah. Based on the title of the book, it's clear that the editors/publishers latched on to that theme. But it's only one chapter. I wish that theme had been carried on a bit further.
Finally, not to sound like a 4-year old, but there were no pictures! For as much time as she spends talking about her life, this really would've been a good add.
All in all, a good book and a quick read.
I think the chapter that interested me most was her final chapter, describing how she used to introduce herself as "Larry's wife," and how, through counseling and self-work, she was able to come into her own. Now she's one of the most influential people in Utah. Based on the title of the book, it's clear that the editors/publishers latched on to that theme. But it's only one chapter. I wish that theme had been carried on a bit further.
Finally, not to sound like a 4-year old, but there were no pictures! For as much time as she spends talking about her life, this really would've been a good add.
All in all, a good book and a quick read.
November 30, 2018
Synopsis: Gail Miller, a well-known Utahan, shares stories from her life arranged by topic, rather than chronologically. She tells of growing up in humble circumstances, raising her children, and her first marriage, to Larry H. Miller, and her second after his passing. Gail's faith and experiences in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints form a thread that bind her stories together.
My Thoughts: I LOVED this book! I feel like it was written just for me, and I loved Gail's stories of service, motherhood, and marriage. I felt like I was getting just the advice I needed, and I was impressed by Gail's honestly and openness in sharing so many parts of her life and her struggles. This book will probably be most appreciated by members of the Church, but I think everyone, women and men, would find many kernels of wisdom and gentle encouragement in Gail's words.
This book was written with Jason F. Wright. Having read "Driven," Larry H. Miller's autobiography, it was insightful to read the other side of the story. I love this book, and would recommend it to anybody.
My Thoughts: I LOVED this book! I feel like it was written just for me, and I loved Gail's stories of service, motherhood, and marriage. I felt like I was getting just the advice I needed, and I was impressed by Gail's honestly and openness in sharing so many parts of her life and her struggles. This book will probably be most appreciated by members of the Church, but I think everyone, women and men, would find many kernels of wisdom and gentle encouragement in Gail's words.
This book was written with Jason F. Wright. Having read "Driven," Larry H. Miller's autobiography, it was insightful to read the other side of the story. I love this book, and would recommend it to anybody.
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