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Re-Create & Celebrate: 7 Steps to turn your Dreams into Reality
In this unique book, Cindy guides her readers through simple steps to achieve the life they have always dreamed of. Not simply life goals, but a whole new outlook and way of living. Through her transformational techniques and practices, which she has gained from decades of experience in the field of life coaching, she provides a teaching memoir and workbook containing the tools to build a blueprint to a life of fulfillment, inner peace and happiness.“It is not always easy to trust ourselves, to venture out of our comfort zones, and go for our dreams, however, Cindy Georgakas has successfully done this in an eloquent way.”—Dr. Chérie Carter-Scott, New York Times Bestselling Author of If Life is a Game, These are the Rules
“As a memoir, the book is a testament to the power of positivity in our lives. There is resilience, hope, and healing.”—Gabriela Marie Milton, Author, Editor, Publisher
“An inspiring book of anecdotes and ideas for personal exploration and growth. Positive, uplifting, and wholly possible. Highly recommended.” —D. Wallace Peach, Bestselling Author of Catling’s Bane
“As a memoir, the book is a testament to the power of positivity in our lives. There is resilience, hope, and healing.”—Gabriela Marie Milton, Author, Editor, Publisher
“An inspiring book of anecdotes and ideas for personal exploration and growth. Positive, uplifting, and wholly possible. Highly recommended.” —D. Wallace Peach, Bestselling Author of Catling’s Bane
160 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 20, 2023
2 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 6, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. More than that, I took notes, set goals, and have accomplished many of them. Cindy made herself vulnerable to make a point, making the book stick to my heart more than any self-help book could ordinarily do. :) She asked so many deep and probing questions that made me think about how I want to define the rest of my life.
Although Cindy spent the last 40 years supporting and training others, there are so many stories in her life in which she felt uncertain that any reader could identify with her and take courage and inspiration.
"I had many phobias that I hid from the world around me. I honestly thought I was crazy for most of my life, despite how successful I was in the world at large."
Cindy's Teaching Memoir and Workbook is a fast read, but if you take the time to meditate and answer her probing questions, you will come away with a doable to-do list that will improve your daily life. My teacherly advice is to have your journal or notebook handy.
No matter where we are, most people want to learn and strive to be a better version of ourselves. Individuals want different things in life, but Cindy asks the critical question of "why" as a companion question to most of the other probing questions she poses. She encourages us as readers to put dates on our calendars when we say we want to return to something.
Cindy digresses in her book from point to point to sneak in a bit of personal advice from her own life. I found her humor refreshing.
"A life without question is like a life lived in a maze, running after the cheese when we prefer chocolate."
I will continue to use it to motivate me to achieve goals long after this post has faded from view.
Although Cindy spent the last 40 years supporting and training others, there are so many stories in her life in which she felt uncertain that any reader could identify with her and take courage and inspiration.
"I had many phobias that I hid from the world around me. I honestly thought I was crazy for most of my life, despite how successful I was in the world at large."
Cindy's Teaching Memoir and Workbook is a fast read, but if you take the time to meditate and answer her probing questions, you will come away with a doable to-do list that will improve your daily life. My teacherly advice is to have your journal or notebook handy.
No matter where we are, most people want to learn and strive to be a better version of ourselves. Individuals want different things in life, but Cindy asks the critical question of "why" as a companion question to most of the other probing questions she poses. She encourages us as readers to put dates on our calendars when we say we want to return to something.
Cindy digresses in her book from point to point to sneak in a bit of personal advice from her own life. I found her humor refreshing.
"A life without question is like a life lived in a maze, running after the cheese when we prefer chocolate."
I will continue to use it to motivate me to achieve goals long after this post has faded from view.
November 27, 2023
It's always great to find a book that can enhance our lives. In "Re-Create & Celebrate," Cindy guides readers through a transformative process that reshapes how one sets priorities and goals, distinctly different from many methods found in the self-help section of your local bookstore. The process consists of seven steps: Finding the true you, Finding your purpose, Finding your Want and Why, Plan of Action - Reaching your goals, Loving yourself, Processing feelings, and Falling off the wagon, burnout & support.
The initial step, "Finding the true you," begins with a pivotal question: "Who am I?" Cindy emphasizes, “It is a fundamental question, and spending a little time on it … will help you when you begin the process of defining your purpose. If you don’t know who you are, how can you decide what you want, or where you want to go?”
Moving onto "Finding your purpose” she states, “without purpose, we sail in a direction that takes us away from ourselves, rather than towards ourselves, leaving us empty, or always climbing a ladder of success so we can finally feel whole and connected." She further elaborates on page 43, clarifying that "to be clear, purpose is not a goal or an object, but the guiding force that leads us towards a life of true fulfillment." Finding one's purpose holds immense significance, especially in today's world, where many suffer from depression and lack hope. Cindy's emphasis on purpose as a path to genuine fulfillment is enlightening.
On "Finding your Want and Why" Cindy presents a series of questions to refine personal aspirations. She prompts readers to ponder, "Who is this for? Is it truly for yourself, or is it for someone else? Is it really your dream, or is it a dream someone else has for you?"
The next step is, "Plan of Action - Reaching your goals.” Cindy guides readers through a set of questions aiding in the formulation of this plan.
Steps five through seven are pivotal chapters. Although I've read numerous self-help and management books in the last 30+ years, this is the first time I've encountered these steps in personal or professional planning. "Loving yourself," "Processing feelings," and "Falling off the wagon, burnout & support" are dimensions often overlooked in any kind of planning. As highlighted in the book, there are deep-seated issues in our lives that we need to address if we truly want to achieve our goals. Loving yourself enough to identify those issues and then, processing and managing them are essential for our well-being. Her adept explanation of these steps underscores their significance. Lastly, she outlines ways to get back on track after setbacks, emphasizing, "The sooner you can catch yourself and get back on track, the better.” She then says, “The problem with most people is that they feel bad and start cycling backwards, letting some of their habits slip and retiring to the ways that didn’t serve them.” “Desire + Commitment = Results”. Throughout, she encourages introspection, mindfulness, and the importance of human connections and self-care to prevent burnout and sustain momentum towards our aspirations.
In conclusion, "Re-Create & Celebrate" offers a unique approach to goal-setting and self-improvement. Cindy effectively navigates readers through the process of redefining their lives, using personal anecdotes to illustrate each step. I highly recommend this book to those seeking to discover their true selves.
Note: I read the paperback edition.
The initial step, "Finding the true you," begins with a pivotal question: "Who am I?" Cindy emphasizes, “It is a fundamental question, and spending a little time on it … will help you when you begin the process of defining your purpose. If you don’t know who you are, how can you decide what you want, or where you want to go?”
Moving onto "Finding your purpose” she states, “without purpose, we sail in a direction that takes us away from ourselves, rather than towards ourselves, leaving us empty, or always climbing a ladder of success so we can finally feel whole and connected." She further elaborates on page 43, clarifying that "to be clear, purpose is not a goal or an object, but the guiding force that leads us towards a life of true fulfillment." Finding one's purpose holds immense significance, especially in today's world, where many suffer from depression and lack hope. Cindy's emphasis on purpose as a path to genuine fulfillment is enlightening.
On "Finding your Want and Why" Cindy presents a series of questions to refine personal aspirations. She prompts readers to ponder, "Who is this for? Is it truly for yourself, or is it for someone else? Is it really your dream, or is it a dream someone else has for you?"
The next step is, "Plan of Action - Reaching your goals.” Cindy guides readers through a set of questions aiding in the formulation of this plan.
Steps five through seven are pivotal chapters. Although I've read numerous self-help and management books in the last 30+ years, this is the first time I've encountered these steps in personal or professional planning. "Loving yourself," "Processing feelings," and "Falling off the wagon, burnout & support" are dimensions often overlooked in any kind of planning. As highlighted in the book, there are deep-seated issues in our lives that we need to address if we truly want to achieve our goals. Loving yourself enough to identify those issues and then, processing and managing them are essential for our well-being. Her adept explanation of these steps underscores their significance. Lastly, she outlines ways to get back on track after setbacks, emphasizing, "The sooner you can catch yourself and get back on track, the better.” She then says, “The problem with most people is that they feel bad and start cycling backwards, letting some of their habits slip and retiring to the ways that didn’t serve them.” “Desire + Commitment = Results”. Throughout, she encourages introspection, mindfulness, and the importance of human connections and self-care to prevent burnout and sustain momentum towards our aspirations.
In conclusion, "Re-Create & Celebrate" offers a unique approach to goal-setting and self-improvement. Cindy effectively navigates readers through the process of redefining their lives, using personal anecdotes to illustrate each step. I highly recommend this book to those seeking to discover their true selves.
Note: I read the paperback edition.
November 20, 2023
The book will add to our thoughts:
Cindy writes in her book that if you have a desire and you commit to that desire, you get good results. If we think about it now, we realize that this thought did not cross our mind. We don't think deeply until we find ourselves in a bad situation. In this hectic life we don't know about ourselves, we don't understand what is the purpose of our life. We just drift. Our purpose is to do something, to identify ourselves but we fall back somewhere to change our lifestyle with purpose.
I think this book will add to our thoughts and we can change our lifestyle for better, keep positive mindset, live with good thoughts by sharing good thoughts with others.
Cindy writes in her book that if you have a desire and you commit to that desire, you get good results. If we think about it now, we realize that this thought did not cross our mind. We don't think deeply until we find ourselves in a bad situation. In this hectic life we don't know about ourselves, we don't understand what is the purpose of our life. We just drift. Our purpose is to do something, to identify ourselves but we fall back somewhere to change our lifestyle with purpose.
I think this book will add to our thoughts and we can change our lifestyle for better, keep positive mindset, live with good thoughts by sharing good thoughts with others.
December 2, 2023
The book will add to our thoughts:
Cindy writes in her book that if you have a desire and you commit to that desire, you get good results. If we think about it now, we realize that this thought did not cross our mind. We don't think deeply until we find ourselves in a bad situation. In this hectic life we don't know about ourselves, we don't understand what is the purpose of our life. We just drift. Our purpose is to do something, to identify ourselves but we fall back somewhere to change our lifestyle with purpose.
I think this book will add to our thoughts and we can change our lifestyle for better, keep positive mindset, live with good thoughts by sharing good thoughts with others.
Cindy writes in her book that if you have a desire and you commit to that desire, you get good results. If we think about it now, we realize that this thought did not cross our mind. We don't think deeply until we find ourselves in a bad situation. In this hectic life we don't know about ourselves, we don't understand what is the purpose of our life. We just drift. Our purpose is to do something, to identify ourselves but we fall back somewhere to change our lifestyle with purpose.
I think this book will add to our thoughts and we can change our lifestyle for better, keep positive mindset, live with good thoughts by sharing good thoughts with others.
August 2, 2023
Cindy Georgakas has decades of working with people and she knows anatomy and physiology. The many inspiring ideas in this book make it a valuable resource. As a university professor, I often remind students to stay on the lookout for books that are written by seasoned experts because the books can be life-changing gems. When authors pour decades of seasoned experience into a debut book, the result is often a jam-packed original manuscript that peppers the reader with rich insights. And even though Cindy’s book is packed with motivating insights, the flow of the book is smooth and easy to read; the careful attention to editing really shows. I look forward to her next book.
September 3, 2023
Cindy Georgakas’ new book, Re-Create & Celebrate (EIF - Experiments in Fiction, 2023), definitely fits the theme. The book is a manual for the soul. I wish I had had this book when I was young. It offers the tools which I eventually discovered by trial and error and which enabled me to overcome moderate depression, a depression that I now believe was triggered by my fear of expressing my authentic self without losing others’ love and respect.
I feel there is a drive in this culture to conform to others’ expectations, to stifle one’s voice for fear of standing out as odd. The tendency to bully those who don’t conform is prominent. Georgakas offers ways for people to nurture the courage to stand in their truth by examining their life purpose and manifesting their dreams.
The drive to conform is particularly true in families if the parents expect their children to be exactly like them and align to their social, political, and religious ways. I come from a large family, and honestly, everyone of us is a unique soul. It’s impossible to live as someone else’s light. Still how often do we hear of parents expecting their children to put aside their true desires to fit into what the parents dream for their children? In public, children nave to navigate social expectations to conform and fit in. How can we separate from parental and social expectations? How can we become who we want to be? And actually who we are? How can we ‘come out’ and be our own story? How can we shine our own light?
Georgakas describes seven ways we can manifest our soul truth and thus our goals.
Step 1: Finding The True You
Step 2: Finding Your Purpose
Step 3: Finding Your Want and Why
Step 4: Plan of Action— Attainable Steps
Step 5: Loving Yourself
Step 6: Processing Feelings
Step 7: Falling off the Wagon, Burnout & Support
Within each step, Georgakas shares her own experience. The best teachers are the most vulnerable. Her memories reveal how she herself came into her being. It isn’t easy to reveal personal trauma in order to transform it into a new dream. If she can do this, so can we. She provides questions for self reflection in each step. If readers journal earnestly, no doubt there will be many deep discoveries. After all, one finds her voice by using it.
Each chapter is written with enthusiasm. Georgakas is a cheerleader for those who are down, shy, and retreating. She can pull them out of their doldrums quickly. Her tone is uplifting and reassuring throughout the process of self-discovery. She is with us all the way, cheering us on.
One of my favorite parts of the book is her recommendations to use affirmations, which have the best effects when spoken. Words and thoughts have vibrations. If we repeat positive thoughts as opposed to falling victim to replays of negative thinking, we will change our thinking and outlook about ourselves and life. Showing gratitude, Georgakas says, is an essential practice. I agree. Once I began a daily gratitude practice, more good things magically came into my life. New connections, new opportunities, and profound love and respect for self and others and from others in return.
And Step 5, Loving Yourself, also hit home for me because I practice Loving Kindness, which has taught me how love for myself fills my cup with love for others. I notice today how depleted we are because we give so much of ourselves without any regard for self-care. Let’s face it. This life is full of stress and trauma. Unless we can find ways to center in our authentic self, we will be tossed about by the turmoil. Self-care, Georgakas teaches, is grounding.
Georgakas is a qualified teacher. As her preface shows, she is a Health and Wellness Coach certified by Chérie Carter Scott. Georgakas is a teacher of Yoga, Qigong, and Tai Chi and has training in Therapeutic Recreation. All of these modalities played a role in her own healing, so she is dedicated to helping others to heal, center in their authentic self, and thus manifest their dreams with the skills she has mastered.
Georgakas is also a poet. The sections end with a haiku. Health and wellness research shows that poetry serves a healer. At the end of the book, this haiku helps us reflects on the strength of self-acceptance. Maybe those of us who work thorough the steps in this book can emerge as wounded healers.
Torrential downpour
floodgates burst enabling
healing waters flow
In these uncertain times, we could use guidance, support, a way to center in our being. This book offers readers tools to converse with our authentic self and manifest our soul’s purpose with grace and ease. This process asks us to open up to our vulnerability, as Georgakas does when she shares her life traumas and journey. Her teachings are born out of her own need to find her way and embody her authentic self. She comes to us as a wounded healer, the best teacher to have.
Review Copyright © 2023 Barbara Harris Leonhard
All Rights Reserved
Quotes from Re-Create & Celebrate
Copyright © 2023 Cindy Georgakas
All Rights Reserved
I feel there is a drive in this culture to conform to others’ expectations, to stifle one’s voice for fear of standing out as odd. The tendency to bully those who don’t conform is prominent. Georgakas offers ways for people to nurture the courage to stand in their truth by examining their life purpose and manifesting their dreams.
The drive to conform is particularly true in families if the parents expect their children to be exactly like them and align to their social, political, and religious ways. I come from a large family, and honestly, everyone of us is a unique soul. It’s impossible to live as someone else’s light. Still how often do we hear of parents expecting their children to put aside their true desires to fit into what the parents dream for their children? In public, children nave to navigate social expectations to conform and fit in. How can we separate from parental and social expectations? How can we become who we want to be? And actually who we are? How can we ‘come out’ and be our own story? How can we shine our own light?
Georgakas describes seven ways we can manifest our soul truth and thus our goals.
Step 1: Finding The True You
Step 2: Finding Your Purpose
Step 3: Finding Your Want and Why
Step 4: Plan of Action— Attainable Steps
Step 5: Loving Yourself
Step 6: Processing Feelings
Step 7: Falling off the Wagon, Burnout & Support
Within each step, Georgakas shares her own experience. The best teachers are the most vulnerable. Her memories reveal how she herself came into her being. It isn’t easy to reveal personal trauma in order to transform it into a new dream. If she can do this, so can we. She provides questions for self reflection in each step. If readers journal earnestly, no doubt there will be many deep discoveries. After all, one finds her voice by using it.
Each chapter is written with enthusiasm. Georgakas is a cheerleader for those who are down, shy, and retreating. She can pull them out of their doldrums quickly. Her tone is uplifting and reassuring throughout the process of self-discovery. She is with us all the way, cheering us on.
One of my favorite parts of the book is her recommendations to use affirmations, which have the best effects when spoken. Words and thoughts have vibrations. If we repeat positive thoughts as opposed to falling victim to replays of negative thinking, we will change our thinking and outlook about ourselves and life. Showing gratitude, Georgakas says, is an essential practice. I agree. Once I began a daily gratitude practice, more good things magically came into my life. New connections, new opportunities, and profound love and respect for self and others and from others in return.
And Step 5, Loving Yourself, also hit home for me because I practice Loving Kindness, which has taught me how love for myself fills my cup with love for others. I notice today how depleted we are because we give so much of ourselves without any regard for self-care. Let’s face it. This life is full of stress and trauma. Unless we can find ways to center in our authentic self, we will be tossed about by the turmoil. Self-care, Georgakas teaches, is grounding.
Georgakas is a qualified teacher. As her preface shows, she is a Health and Wellness Coach certified by Chérie Carter Scott. Georgakas is a teacher of Yoga, Qigong, and Tai Chi and has training in Therapeutic Recreation. All of these modalities played a role in her own healing, so she is dedicated to helping others to heal, center in their authentic self, and thus manifest their dreams with the skills she has mastered.
Georgakas is also a poet. The sections end with a haiku. Health and wellness research shows that poetry serves a healer. At the end of the book, this haiku helps us reflects on the strength of self-acceptance. Maybe those of us who work thorough the steps in this book can emerge as wounded healers.
Torrential downpour
floodgates burst enabling
healing waters flow
In these uncertain times, we could use guidance, support, a way to center in our being. This book offers readers tools to converse with our authentic self and manifest our soul’s purpose with grace and ease. This process asks us to open up to our vulnerability, as Georgakas does when she shares her life traumas and journey. Her teachings are born out of her own need to find her way and embody her authentic self. She comes to us as a wounded healer, the best teacher to have.
Review Copyright © 2023 Barbara Harris Leonhard
All Rights Reserved
Quotes from Re-Create & Celebrate
Copyright © 2023 Cindy Georgakas
All Rights Reserved
May 21, 2023
I am not a frequent reader of self help books but I have been following Cindy Georgakas's lovely blog for some time now and I knew she had some excellent life experiences to share and advice to give so I decided to read the book.
After all, in this modern age of endless fake and bad news in the media, fast change, and whirlwind lifestyles, who doesn't need good advice about how to feel happy and achieve your personal dreams.
This book is certainly a great aid to believing in your abilities and setting goals. There is detailed guidance on how to go about understanding who you are, how you can set about understanding where you want to be in life, and how to get there.
One of the core messages in this book which is repeated in each section, is self care. A lot of parents, especially mothers, give and give to their families, while holding down full time jobs and running a home. This is an awful lot to juggle and can lead to not taking any time out for yourself, especially when children are young and dependent.
The author reinforces the point that if we don't look after ourselves, we won't be in good health and of the right mental state to care for our dependents as well as we could. I know from my own personal experience that this is true and we have to take care of ourselves, especially during times of illness and crisis with our loved ones.
This is a book readers can keep at their side and dip back into during times of need and when a mental boost and some good advice are needed.
Hats off to Cindy Georgakas and this beautiful and useful book.
After all, in this modern age of endless fake and bad news in the media, fast change, and whirlwind lifestyles, who doesn't need good advice about how to feel happy and achieve your personal dreams.
This book is certainly a great aid to believing in your abilities and setting goals. There is detailed guidance on how to go about understanding who you are, how you can set about understanding where you want to be in life, and how to get there.
One of the core messages in this book which is repeated in each section, is self care. A lot of parents, especially mothers, give and give to their families, while holding down full time jobs and running a home. This is an awful lot to juggle and can lead to not taking any time out for yourself, especially when children are young and dependent.
The author reinforces the point that if we don't look after ourselves, we won't be in good health and of the right mental state to care for our dependents as well as we could. I know from my own personal experience that this is true and we have to take care of ourselves, especially during times of illness and crisis with our loved ones.
This is a book readers can keep at their side and dip back into during times of need and when a mental boost and some good advice are needed.
Hats off to Cindy Georgakas and this beautiful and useful book.
May 27, 2023
There aren’t many people who would turn down the chance at a happier, more fulfilling, and more productive life. Re-Create & Celebrate 7 Steps To Turn Your Dreams Into Reality lays the framework for a multi-approach personal journey.
Though the author shares her wisdom and some practical advice, stemming from her years working as a life coach, the focus of this self-help guide is to aid the reader in a deep exploration of the personal factors that get in the way of realizing our goals. Georgakas provides questions to ponder about ourselves, our beliefs, and our experiences. She offers frequent anecdotes about her own explorations and growth, as well as what she’s observed in clients.
The tone of this book is positive and uplifting, determined to empower the reader by suggesting that the answers to achieving our best selves lie within us. All possible if we can muster the courage to seek them and if we’re brave enough to examine the worn-out messages and ways of being that hold us back. A well-written and well-organized book that deserves a thoughtful read. Highly recommended to anyone seeking to overhaul or fine-tune their lives.
Though the author shares her wisdom and some practical advice, stemming from her years working as a life coach, the focus of this self-help guide is to aid the reader in a deep exploration of the personal factors that get in the way of realizing our goals. Georgakas provides questions to ponder about ourselves, our beliefs, and our experiences. She offers frequent anecdotes about her own explorations and growth, as well as what she’s observed in clients.
The tone of this book is positive and uplifting, determined to empower the reader by suggesting that the answers to achieving our best selves lie within us. All possible if we can muster the courage to seek them and if we’re brave enough to examine the worn-out messages and ways of being that hold us back. A well-written and well-organized book that deserves a thoughtful read. Highly recommended to anyone seeking to overhaul or fine-tune their lives.
February 18, 2026
Cindy Georgakas's debut book, Re-Create & Celebrate – 7 Steps to Turn Your Dreams into Reality, published by Experiments in Fiction (May 2023) is a workbook style, categorized as a Happiness/Success/Motivational Self-Help book. Fitting given the author's impressive background in fitness, healing modalities, and life-coaching. The author’s diverse and interesting professional and life experiences enrich the pages of this book. The tone is comfortable and conversational – like the author is speaking directly to the reader, guiding them toward discovering or reconnecting them to their passion and purpose. A life with boundless energy is evident as she weaves health and physical well-being throughout her book, along with attention to the mind and spirit. Re-Create was an excellent choice to begin my new year with. I highly recommend Cindy’s book for a wellness boost, any time of year.
February 6, 2026
“Re-Create & Celebrate” is a well-written, well-thought-out self-help book. I have done a lot of work on myself in the past, but it’s easy to fall back into bad habits. This was the perfect uplifting read for me right now. It is divided into seven steps that offer insight into the subject, a place to gain more awareness by answering questions, and a bonus: a poem. Ms. Georgakas includes her own struggles and stories along the way that add to this positive read. It not only tackles dreams but also covers the mind, body, and soul. It’s a book that will have you smiling, nodding in agreement, and probing uncomfortable feelings. If you are looking for some motivation or working on personal growth, this inspirational book is for you. I can highly recommend it.
October 21, 2024
Generally I don't buy "self-help" books. Many of them are availble and most of them say the same thing. But Cindy Georgakas' book is different. It's more about turning inward and learning to love yourself, and then directing yourself to joy and healing and satisfaction. I can't say it like Georgakas does, and she uses a lot of her own personal experiences and "issues" to help her readers look deep inside and work on their own "issues." But the book is light-hearted in some ways, never a downer, and it certainly lightened me up. In fact, guess what's on my holiday gift lift for my friends?
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews