Tao-Girls Rule!: Finding Balance, Staying Confident, Being Bold, in a World of Challenges

by C.J. Golden

With an infectious wit and an eye on the prize, Tao-Girls Rule! is part philosophy, part self-help, and all girl-power. From the author of Tao of the Defiant Woman comes this awward winning, incredibly inspiring collection of anecdotes on how to be the girl who will become a strong and courageous woman. Writer and noted speaker CJ Golden leaves nothing to chance as she breaks the mold on the idea that girls are made of sugar, spice, and all things nice. Sure, that's part of it, but it also takes grit, perseverance, imagination, and self-awareness. Filled with anecdotes and personal stories of girl power, in twelve chapters with titles such as "A Tao-Girl is Tenacious" and "Take the Tao-Girl Challenge," teens and pre-teens will be able to see how they can remain true to themselves as they face the challenges of growing up in a complex and ever-changing world. While it's great to be a girl-it's even better to be a Tao-Girl!

124 pages, Paperback

First published October 23, 2009

About the author

Author and inspirational speaker, CJ Golden, has a passion for helping others find joy in their life journeys. Her first book, Tao of the Defiant Woman, was born out of a personal need to find her own inner strength. She then brought her Tao and defiant attitude to teen and pre-teen girls through Tao-Girls Rule! Recently she became caregiver to her husband, Joe, after he suffered cancer-related strokes. Blogging about that, the greatest challenge of her life, she turned her work into her newest book: One Pedal at a Time.
You can visit her at www.cjgolden.com

Reviews

[Komi]

Life is full of challenges and doesn't always go the way we want it to. Tao girls despite focusing mainly on women demonstrates to people that they can decide how to respond to the events that they face in life by following tao principles - eastern practice.

Tao girls also have the following attributes:

"As a Tao-Girl you are: § TENACIOUS -- You don't give up even when life gets difficult. § ACCEPTING -- You make the most of your strengths and understand and forgive yourself for your weaknesses. § OPTIMISTIC -- You recognize all the good things in your life even when you experience disappointment. § GRATEFUL -- You are grateful for your life, family and friends. § IMAGINATIVE -- You find ways to make the best of every situation. § RADIANT -- You are beautiful on the outside because you are beautiful and joyful inside. § LOVING -- You are loving to your friends and family, and especially to yourself. Life isn't always trouble-free. We're constantly being challenged. It's completely up to you as to how you want to feel"

[Paul]

Imagine that you are a river, just flowing along. Suddenly, a large boulder is dropped in your path. Do you find a way around the boulder, and keep flowing, or do you, figuratively, panic and stop flowing because there is an obstacle in your way? This book is intended to help young women accept, and deal with, life's obstacles.

Tao ("path") is an ancient Chinese philosophy, not a religion. It implies that all creatures seem to find their own way through life; humans are the only ones who try to control their futures. Invariably, we end up frustrated and unhappy. It is possible to live life much more contentedly once we accept, instead of fighting, life's challenges.

What does this mean to the average young woman? A Tao-Girl is accepting of herself. You may not be the prettiest or smartest girl in school, but learn to make the most of your abilities, and forgive yourself for your weaknesses. Maybe you haven't yet found that thing at which you really good, and enjoy doing. A Tao-Girl is tenacious; not giving up when life gets unpleasant. A Tao-Girl recognizes the good things in life, even in the midst of disappointment. A Tao-Girl is able to make the best of any situation. She is also grateful for her life, family and friends. Last, but not least, everyone knows someone who simply radiates joy, happiness and sunshine; one can almost hear the birds chirping as they walk past. Then there are the people who seem to radiate gloom, doom and thunderstorms. Which person better represents the definition of a Tao-Girl? (The first one.)

In this book are plenty of real world examples of situations faced by every young woman, at one time or another. It's short and really easy to read. Even if you can't do all of the things mentioned here, doing some of them will help greatly. This book does a really good job at making growing up just a little easier.

[Sara Thompson]

I, originally, review CJ's first book Tao of the Defiant Woman on budgetartists.com http://budgetartists.com/node/134
I was excited to get the opportunity to review this "sequel" on the same site but things change I didn't get the chance. I finally pinned myself down to finish reading this book and share my thoughts about it.
I loved Tao of the Defiant Woman because it was the sort of woman I wanted to be. Tao Girls Rule is a book that just comes too late in my life. I would have loved to have had a copy in my teens, which is the point of this book. Tao Girls Rule is for young woman who are finding their footing in this world. It's designed to help them feel better about them selves and make choices that will lead to lingering happiness not momentary happiness.
I think what's really great about this book is that it encourages girls supporting girls. CJ Golden runs workshops and invites the girls to participate on her website. I'm sure that in this day and age of technology there is a way for these lost girls to find each other and connect through the book. (I just don't know how). I, almost, wish I had my own teenage girl to pass the book on to.
Now I think it's time for CJ to find someone to do the teenage boy equivilent.
Take the time to check out her books - you will not be sorry.