I’ve been REALLY into reading lately so I thought I would start doing a book review every time I finished a book that I loved. The genre I read the most often is self-improvement but I’m going to dig into other genres too. I used to read all the time, then after having kids I tapered off with it for a long while. Now that everyone sleeps through the night these days, I’m back at it again. So let’s hop to it with a book review of my most recent read, Own Your Everyday.
I found this book at Target and didn’t have super high hopes for it because I’d never even heard of it before. But the tagline grabbed me: overcome the pressure to prove and show up for what you were made to do. I’m in a stage in my life where this topic really speaks to me. I feel like I move through my life searching for my purpose (outside of being a stay-at-home mom), and have so many “unfigured-out dreams.” This book ended up being a super easy read, was unlike any self-help book I’ve ever read, and it was enjoyable enough I was motivated to finish it in just a couple sittings. I always like to take notes with my iPhone when reading a book that I think I have a lot to learn from. I’ll share a bit about the book and what it’s about as well as some of my biggest take-aways.
The author, Jordan, discusses many of the details of her life and how she has gotten where she currently is. She is younger than me and in a different place in her life (married with no kids) but I still felt like her message had a lot to offer me, and probably most women. She started a small business out of a passion of hers during college, and grew it from an online shop to speaking on a stage, to writing a book. She’s overcome sadness and disappointment as well as an exercise disorder. Her husband almost made it into the NFL, then right before their wedding he didn’t get in. More or less, we’ve been through a lot of the same things, and a lot of different things, but she has been committed to living a purposeful life along the way which is something I struggle with.
The book takes a Christian slant in its messaging, but every chapter gives scenarios the author has overcome and tangible advice beyond saying “listen to God’s will for your life.” If you are someone who is always feeling burned out by the thought “what am I supposed to be doing with my life?” then this is a must read. After putting the book down, I felt such a breath of fresh air about how I plan to live my life moving forward. I am someone who puts way too much pressure on myself to figure out my whole life immediately, and shame myself for not knowing what I want to do. Really, what I need to be doing is embracing every day moments, living out my life as who I am and (my true purpose) rather than being who I would like to be, and overcoming the lie that I can’t live out my purpose until I reach a certain milestone.
Some of my biggest takeaways that I wrote down:
What causes imposter syndrome? Living under the pressure to prove myself instead of just living intentionally, before I prove anything.
Purpose lies in how we show up in our spheres of influence and how people are loved by us. No platform is required for that. What spheres of influence are you overlooking because you’ve been so focused on a sphere of influence you’d like to have?
Distractions make me a consumer of the world rather than a contributor to the world. But the contributors are the ones who change the world. Default mode is a passive mode. If you soul is on autopilot you can’t see what direction to take. The more distracted we are, the more passive we will become. The more passive we become, the less passionate we will be, leaving us unable to pursue the purpose we were made for.
The times we feel most insecure is not when we are failing, but when we are on the verge of stepping into our destiny. Insecurity trips us up and holds us back.
I took so many more notes from the book but those are just a few that resonate with my deeply right now. I put down this book being driven to take a step back from “achieving” and just live my life. Love my people better, and be more open to receiving love back, and making THAT my purpose…knowing that if I keep my eye on the prize (meaning my eagerness to know what I’m meant to do in my life) that it will never be revealed. The monotony of every day living is the purpose- embracing THAT and being the person you hope to be when you achieve your biggest goals (compassionate, confident, joyful, secure in your identity, etc) RIGHT NOW before you figure out your dreams is the best way to live.
I love this book and the messaging and even if you don’t buy it or borrow it from your library, write this on your forehead, or your mirror, or make a cute framed print for your office if you need to hear this message as much as I do:
“How can I live out of who I already am?”
I loved sharing about this book…be on the lookout for more book reviews in the future from me. Leave me your favorite book recommendation in the comments. Or tell me if you plan to pick up this one!
Grab your copy of Own Your Everyday on Amazon!
