12 Tiny Things: Simple Ways to Live a More Intentional Life

by Heidi Barr, Ellie Roscher, Andreas Michaelides (Foreword)

In a culture that says bigger is better, it is subversive work to take tiny, lasting steps toward learning and growth.

In 12 Tiny Things Ellie Roscher and Heidi Barr journey with us through twelve essential areas of life: space, work, spirituality, food, style, nature, communication, home, sensuality, creativity, learning, and community. In each of these areas, we are invited to take one tiny action that is sure to open up growth and renewal.

12 Tiny Things guides us in curating a spiritual practice that promotes a more reflective, rooted, and intentional life. Regardless of how the ground feels underneath your feet, trust that there are roots there to tend. By trying on one tiny thing at a time, you can slowly, deliberately, and playfully remember who you are. You can nourish that being with tenderness. Together, we will reach and grow toward the sun.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Personal Development, Spirituality, Health

181 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 5, 2021

About the author

Heidi Barr lives near the St. Croix River Valley in Minnesota with her husband and daughter where they tend a large organic vegetable garden, explore nature and do their best to live simply.

As a mother, spouse, gardener, and writer, she is committed to cultivating ways of being that are life-giving and sustainable for people, communities and the planet. She loves putting words together to paint pictures of ideas, as well as walking with others as they explore what it means to live well on a finite planet. Hiking through forests and across prairies, wading in streams, digging in the soil and surrounding herself with natural wonder help her stay grounded in reality.

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. It felt like a heartfelt conversation.

*Review coming up

[Heidi Fettig Parton · Rating 5 out of 5]

When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, author Heidi Barr would answer, “a person who paints front doors yellow.” Yellow made her happy, she explains in her new book, co-authored with Ellie Roscher, and front doors were “portals to love.” Roscher wanted to make flower arrangements that could provide others with beauty and joy. Barr and Rosher’s book, 12 Tiny Things: Simple Ways to Live a More Intentional Life, achieves both writers’ childhood goals. Reading this book was, for me, a portal to love—or at least to discovering sincere ways to be kinder and more loving to myself. Through the seamlessly woven prose of both authors, I felt myself leaning into Barr and Roscher’s lived wisdom for adding more beauty and meaning to the life I currently find myself in, rather than continuously hoping I’ll one day make my way to some mystical nirvana land. With 12 chapters examining the core essentials that make a life, like spirituality, work, creativity, and home, combined with simple tips for practicing the wisdom provided (along with post-chapter questions), readers gently breathe in practical, manageable guidance for creating a more satisfying life.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authors suggest taking one small step daily in twelve key areas including work, home, food, communication, and spirituality. Over time lasting change can happen. I've just restarted walking exercise using this method and it really works!

Thanks to the authors, publisher and Edelweiss for the ARC; opinions are mine.

[Yi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent reminders to pause. I was reading this book for work, but found myself reaching for it just because I knew it would ask me to look at things I didn't look closely enough at before. Smart, guiding questions paired with gentle physical cues, and two women talking to each other and to the reader--downright cozy, in highly useful fashion.

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

12 Tiny Things is my new go to book. This will make a great gift for loved ones struggling with the despair of the pandemic. Its already made a difference in my life. My new favorite. Important work at a crucial time in our world. Healing comes 12 tiny things at a time.

[Sarah]

I read this book straight through, but with 12 chapters each focused on a different aspect of living an intentional life, it could easily be spread over the year, with a new chapter and new focus every month.

[Holly Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love 12 Tiny Things! It is a great companion on the journey to live an intentional life that shares simple ways to have more joy in life. It is full of tiny gems and morsels of goodness to sip slowly, savor with delight, and inspires taking those small steps that can change your life in a meaningful way. A great gift for yourself or a friend, especially during these challenging times. This book is soul food!

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me a while to read this book. It started off interesting and then the more I read, I felt like the less realistic these two women are. If they do all the things they say to do, they live in an absolute dream world. They definitely live out west or upstate and it’s easy to know their political stance by reading this book. They are a bit in left field for most people I would think. I do like all 12 things, but the way they elaborate on the 12 things is very “hipster”. No offense. If you have time to wake up every morning and wait for your body to tell you exactly what it wants to drink first thing, conclude if it was what you thought it chose was right or wrong, do 2 hours of yoga, stare at a random picture frame of a river while doodling and make sure to have an all organic meal on your outdoor cabana at supper, then by all means this is your life and live it up. I was also let down on the spiritual section, really no mention of true “God”. Another attempt at not offending any certain body of people by the authors. I finished this book just to not have something incomplete. But I am so glad it’s over.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is well written and thoughtful but I didn't find it as relatable as I had hoped. The suggestions at the end of each chapter of ways to incorporate the tiny things in your life and the additional suggestions in the Appendix are helpful.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellie and Heidi have writing styles that act as a kind of yin and yang, a push and pull to bring a balance you feel all thru your spiritual extremities. The reflections at the end of each chapter help you find the "tiny thing" you can add/change/subtract/try to bring more balance and peace and health.

The writing is beautiful. Ellie is passionate and her writing has a (non-sexual) sensual edge to it that connected with my can-do nature. Heidi has an earthy writing style, like a hearty, colorful fall harvest.

The premise of the book--taking tiny actions toward growth--is a huge sigh of relief in the "self-help" genre. So many books ask for immediate, sweeping changes. This book encourages and instructs in slow, intentional movement. Read the pages slowly, answer the reflections intentionally, and watch the way you handle the stresses of each day change for the better.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. For some reason, I had a hard time getting into this. It was okay.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

These small reminders were a great way to get back into touch with my body and soul. I plan to continue to revisit this book in years to come.

[Jessie Light-Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a Christmas gift in 2020 and made my way through it to begin 2022. Barr and Roscher hone in on 12 spiritual (not religious) practices that encourage meaning-making and intentionality like creativity, sensuality, and food. Each chapter explores the practice, then provides prompts for reflection and action. As the book progressed, I found it more and more inspiring in its encouragement to translate values into daily actions of care for self, creation, and neighbor. I appreciate the tenderness of this book and would recommend it to those seeking a more rooted existence, particularly if they are not affiliated with organized religious.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

We read this for our Wellness group book club in my workplace. At first I tried listening to the audiobook, but I just was not getting into it. So I decided to try the ebook, and I found it much easier to digest in that format. I could skip around, revisit the body practices and spotlight stories, and highlight and note things. Even with that, I didn't find this book to be profoundly life altering. I did however, find some tiny things to try, and those that I have done so far have been very helpful. I was leading the discussion in the book club, so I was slightly nervous as to how it would go. However, it actually led to a very good discussion, and I think I found myself appreciating the book in new ways again. So overall, a slow burn for me, but worth picking up to visit for some helpful tips to make some small shifts in your life that may end up leading to big changes.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Memorable messages:

The deep roots never doubt spring will come.

Once a day, intentionally look up. Take in the vastness of the universe.

Practicing presence is remembering how to live.

Tend to the things you want to grow.

Spirituality is in the noticing.
See the sacred in the ordinary.

Attention is the beginning of devotion.

Be where you are.

Step outside. Come into contact with something wild. There is healing there.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed it but didn't love it. It was beautiful in its way, more poetry than anything else. It's just that I was expecting something different, something more concrete. The recommendations for the "tiny things" are good, but more ambiguous than desired, and definitely more towards mindset and less tangible acts you can do.

[Sadie Regnier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as useful as I hoped. More of a watered-down stories that fit and what not to do and 12 yoga-type moves to include in your day. Spirituality was most disappointing as it tried to inspire without giving direction or insult to absolutely any form of belief system.

[Dianne Oliver · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unoriginal waste of time. The most interesting parts were the quotes from other, far better, authors.

[Neil Purcell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kind of hard to take, honestly.

[Wendy Caduff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated how the book was organized. I liked the short manageable chapters by topic. Ms. Barr and Ms. Roscher intentionally chose 12 areas of life to focus in on and write personal essays about why these are important to raise up. I liked how the two authors alternated chapters and I knew whose voice I was gleaning wisdom from. It was thoughtfully done and they each shared pieces of themselves.

Overall I stay away from books that are anything near the self-help genre. I just do not care for them. Knowing Ellie Rosher personally and having heard her speak on this topic a couple different times helped me gravitate toward this book. I’m glad I spent time with it and read it slowly.

I was surprised to find very practical ideas for tiny things to try to match each of the 12 topics in the back, in the appendix. Gems! I do wish they would’ve been included in each chapter while the topic was fresh in my mind.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this short book, the authors want us to focus on 12 key areas of our lives to find more fulfillment and growth: space, work, spirituality, food, style, nature, communication, home, sensuality, creativity, learning, and community. While it emphasizes these, it provides a lot of practical guidance, questions to ask oneself, and ways to incorporate these ideas into our hectic lives.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little book to start or end your day with. Each chapter tackles a different area of your life and how to be more intentional. There is a “body practice” which involves a meditation, journal prompts and little anecdotes which keep the book interactive. Definitely a book I would pick up and read over and over again.

[Jessica Cottrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a culture that often celebrates big and “game changing” experiences, this book invites the reader to explore 12 areas of living and how we can live a more intentional and rooted life. I appreciated how it was filled with real life experiences and practical examples. While I read it straight through, it would be a neat book to explore with a group over the course of a year or several months. I enjoyed the writing styles of both authors and appreciated their warmth.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family tradition is to have a birthday goal to share every year on your birthday. I was looking for inspiration & I stumbled across this book. It was charming & had many tiny things I can embrace for the coming year. I was inspired. While I appreciated some of the personal stories the authors shared I was mainly interested in the little nuggets sprinkled throughout.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the perfect balance of practical and substantive weaving together thoughtful reflection with specific examples. Definitely something I will be thinking about and using for quite some time.

[Kimberly Loll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed all the sections of this book and I think I’ll return to the end of each chapter and do journaling. Easy to read and enjoyed both author’s perspectives. Glad I picked up from a bookstore this fall!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started out great! First couple of chapters were awesome. Good things in each chapter though as the book progressed the content wasn't as engaging.

[Kristina Dernier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book!

[Rania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun reading and gives you a sense of calm by focusing on small things that you cancontrol to make your day a little better.

[Mother Goose Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read that helps readers live a more inspired life in 12 areas.