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Book Reviews
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Sound Advice, October 20, 2006 |
Reviewer: John H. Susen (St. Petersburg, FL)
If you feel inhibited and overcome by life's challenges, Conscious Courage is the book for you. In this book, Maureen Stearns gives sound practical advice, drawn from personal experience, that will help you face life's challenges by learning how to constructively face your apprehensions and fears. The result is a happier and more enriching life.
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A Conscious Resolve for Facing Life's Challenges, January 25, 2006 |
Reviewer: Richard R. Blake (San Leandro, CA)
Stearns, faced with personal crisis, found the inner resolve to turn this conflict into opportunity. In this book she presents an approach for turning your personal challenges into stepping stones for finding fulfillment and a winning way of life.
Although the book is classified as self-help and psychology, the author has a way of offering sound professional advice and practical easy to follow guidance counseling into a feeling that is comparable to sharing a cup of coffee with a friend.
The easy to read format of the book encouraged me to stop and reflect on the, often simple, often profound, insights of the author. I found the book a source of personal inspiration and discovery.
A comprehensive index affords an easy way to find and reflect on a chosen topic. The author also provides a resource list for additional reading and listening. I highly recommend this book for anyone facing a challenge, looking for courage.
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Discover that discomfort goes hand in hand with growth, January 23, 2006 |
Reviewer: Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas)
Reviewed by Kelli Glesige for Reader Views (1/06)
In "Conscious Courage," Maureen Stearns states that courage is a deliberate decision to act or think or be, regardless of your emotions and halting thoughts, an actual force that is felt from within that enables you to say "yes!" to what you want and "no!" to what you don't want. Courage is knowing that all your courageous acts will end up blossoming into something much more significant. Therefore, conscious courage is the discovery of your best self, the best in others, and knowing you had a part in making the world a better place.
The goal Stearns had in mind when writing this book was her desire to help us understand that discomfort goes hand in hand with growth. Because of her experiences while going through a painful divorce, Stearns tells us first hand how she was able to forgive, heal and move on with her life. The author is very successful in explaining that fear produces discomfort and that discomfort carries us toward personal growth. But, when you choose to be courageous, discomfort will not be as distressing or last quite so long.
Stearns divides her book into three sections, making the book organized, straight to the point, and, therefore, easy to understand her concepts. In addition, each bullet point that is reiterated with an example on one page contains a relevant quote by a well- known person on the corresponding opposite page. My favorite quote was by John Wooden, Head Basketball Coach Emeritus UCLA, who stated, "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others perceive you to be." This format helps to make the book easy to read and very understandable.
I believe anyone and everyone could benefit from reading "Conscious Courage" because if we learn the few basic steps to make us think or act courageously, we will become stronger, wiser and more complete as a person. We can begin to act courageously by simply giving a call to a long lost friend, writing down what we believe will be the outcome of the call beforehand and the emotions we will feel, and then comparing the actual results with our predictions. The outcome is not what is most important because we feel better because we have made a deliberate decision on something we wanted to do. If we learn to work through our discomfort zone, we will complete a challenge. When this happens, we overcome our fears, and we can be happier and live a more meaningful life.
The most meaningful part of the book to me was in the "Experiencing New Things" section where Maureen tells us how to unclutter in order to move forward, a problem I personally struggle with. We are also told to resist overspending by substituting something more meaningful and sustaining. After all, overspending gives an emotional boost which is short lived and will probably contribute to the clutter problem anyway!
Maureen Stearns did an excellent job of writing and explaining how we can all benefit from gaining conscious courage. The book was quite easy to understand and to the point while giving relevant and interesting examples. She shows us how to use "I Statements" to clarify feelings, desires and intentions regarding a situation. Stearns says that, "This is the Ultimate YES! -- the ability to move beyond fear and hesitation to embrace every day with "Conscious Courage." By doing this, you make yourself a better person and the world a better place - definitely!"
I look forward to "Conscious Courage, Vol. II," Maureen's upcoming project!
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I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK, October 9, 2005 |
Reviewer: Don Neri (Florida, USA)
I wish I would have read this book a while ago. It would have helped me through a very difficult time.
I recommend this book as a resource for dealing with the vicissitudes of life.
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Living Consciously, June 12, 2005 |
Living Consciously, June 12, 2005
Reviewer: Rachel Elaine
"Conscious Courage: Turning Everyday Challenges Into Opportunities" is an inspiring, self-help book, challenging its reader toward personal growth through the realization that the struggles and feelings of discomfort lead to accomplishment and empowerment when handled in the proper manner.
Part of Ms. Stearns' own definition of courage is: "...Courage is knowing that all our courageous acts will end up blossoming into something much more significant."
In easy-to-understand, down-to-earth wording, Maureen Stearns gives brief advice on ways to grow outside of one's current comfort-zone.
Almost every other page of "Conscious Courage" contains appropriate quotes of notable thinkers such as: Shakespeare, William James, Benjamin Franklin, Alex Haley and many more.
With a simple, accessible format, I found this practical book to contain good sense and advice.
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A great self-help book, February 11, 2005 |
Reviewer: Lois Moffett (San Diego, CA USA)
This self-help book is the first of two books that Ms. Stearns is writing on Conscious Courage. The book is beautifully put together in a format that is easy to read and gets "right to the point" without any of the extras that leave you wondering "what she was trying to say." For anyone who has ever had to survive a personal crisis, this is a book that anyone would find extremely helpful in learning to make decisions on how to carry on with the rest of their life. Her insight into what people go through in a crisis that affects the rest of your life is truly uncanny.
I'm looking forward to Ms. Stearns next book, Conscious Courage, Vol. II, when it comes out. I'm sure it will be just as wonderful as this book, and I look forward to reading that book soon.
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"Conscious Courage® is a must read for
anyone who wants to truly experience fulfillment in their life.
Maureen gently guides the reader through their greatest fears and
obstacles by teaching the power of courage. It's a terrific resource for
today's soul to turn to for guidance and support."
--
Michelle Morris Spieker,
Author of The Cherished Self
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