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Don't Tell Me I Can't Do It!: Living Audaciously in the Here and Now
Holocaust survivor Dr. Erica Miller shares the five core beliefs that she has acquired throughout the course of her colorful life in this engaging combination of memoir and self-help book. From her experience as a refugee during the Holocaust to her time in the Israeli Air Force, Dr. Miller has seen the dark side of humanity. Yet rather than becoming bitter over these trials, she has chosen to live life with an optimistic spirit, determined to overcome any obstacle in her way. Dr. Miller also candidly discusses her experience raising two small children while attending graduate school. Many readers will be able to identify with her struggles. Dr. Miller's determination to live ''life according to Erica,'' and the lessons she has learned along the way, make Don't Tell Me I Can't Do It! a compelling read that motivates readers to live life in the here and now. ''Live life today. The past is gone. The future might never be.'' This is one of the five core beliefs that comprise Dr. Miller's philosophy. As a therapist, she has shared her belief in the power of optimism and self-reliance to help clients get their lives back on track. In this book, she imparts the same ideas to readers.
- GenresSelf Help
112 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2015
316 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 5, 2015
2.5
The author is an amazing person, who has gone through horrendous times. She has done very well, following her dream. I loved her story, but that is really all I got out of this was her story. I never felt the connection to me that she was trying to direct me the reader to. There where a lot of words of wisdom to be shared. The stories about her sacrifices and her no matter what philosophies awed me, she is who she wanted to be. She was very goal orientated, tunnel vision. She knew early on what she wanted, and never wavered. She threw everything aside and did it.
What about those of us who aren't driven to be that one thing, the wanderers. I just couldn't put her philosophy to work with my goals. I am not willing to sacrifice time with my family, to me that is the most important thing. I wish she would have talked about balance and bending a little.
It was very inspirational, this woman lived through The Holocaust, she witnessed the ugly side of humanity. She came out fighting, swinging a very big stick. She gave to the world, she helps people live better lives. I would have loved to hear more about her.
The author is an amazing person, who has gone through horrendous times. She has done very well, following her dream. I loved her story, but that is really all I got out of this was her story. I never felt the connection to me that she was trying to direct me the reader to. There where a lot of words of wisdom to be shared. The stories about her sacrifices and her no matter what philosophies awed me, she is who she wanted to be. She was very goal orientated, tunnel vision. She knew early on what she wanted, and never wavered. She threw everything aside and did it.
What about those of us who aren't driven to be that one thing, the wanderers. I just couldn't put her philosophy to work with my goals. I am not willing to sacrifice time with my family, to me that is the most important thing. I wish she would have talked about balance and bending a little.
It was very inspirational, this woman lived through The Holocaust, she witnessed the ugly side of humanity. She came out fighting, swinging a very big stick. She gave to the world, she helps people live better lives. I would have loved to hear more about her.
December 7, 2018
This is a motivational and inspirational book. I have read some books written by authors who are Holocaust survivors and the most common feature is their strong vigor and determination to get through tragedies or hardships. Yet they soon realize their meaning of life.
For me, Erica Miller is like the "great wall" that would never collapse. Her mantra is "Don't tell me I can't do it" and she cherishes life with all its challenges. There may be always obstacles or adversities we have to overcome from time to time but the important point is the way we face and make efforts to settle them. No matter what or how family, friends or others contradict her decision, she still pursues it. She knows what she wants to accomplish and persist with all her strength.
Five her rules of life also are five chapters of the book and they are demonstrated clearly through her life, from a child to an adult. An admirable life.
One of her rules is "Live life today. The past is gone. The future might never be." I have applied this rule to my life and I enjoy my life more than ever. Though it took me many years before I could realize it, I am glad that I did. I wasted a lot of time to just regret the past things or worry the future. I am sure that sometimes I still do but I can cut it short and come back to my reality. Let the past the experience be morals and smooth our rocky ways. Let the future be obvious targets to head to and achieve. Live an audacious life in the here and now.
I want to take a note here to remind myself:
- Trust but always verify. It would never waste effort to look into something for yourself. You may fail to achieve what you set out to do, but you can feel the reward for your hard work.
- Life is gift, a journey both smooth and rocky.
- Hurt brings opportunity for healing. Cherish it all.
- Disappoints make the joy of accomplishments so much greater.
- Always depends as much as possible on the one person whose desires you understand best: you. No more wait for others to take care of you. Choose to be the heroine of your life.
For me, Erica Miller is like the "great wall" that would never collapse. Her mantra is "Don't tell me I can't do it" and she cherishes life with all its challenges. There may be always obstacles or adversities we have to overcome from time to time but the important point is the way we face and make efforts to settle them. No matter what or how family, friends or others contradict her decision, she still pursues it. She knows what she wants to accomplish and persist with all her strength.
Five her rules of life also are five chapters of the book and they are demonstrated clearly through her life, from a child to an adult. An admirable life.
One of her rules is "Live life today. The past is gone. The future might never be." I have applied this rule to my life and I enjoy my life more than ever. Though it took me many years before I could realize it, I am glad that I did. I wasted a lot of time to just regret the past things or worry the future. I am sure that sometimes I still do but I can cut it short and come back to my reality. Let the past the experience be morals and smooth our rocky ways. Let the future be obvious targets to head to and achieve. Live an audacious life in the here and now.
I want to take a note here to remind myself:
- Trust but always verify. It would never waste effort to look into something for yourself. You may fail to achieve what you set out to do, but you can feel the reward for your hard work.
- Life is gift, a journey both smooth and rocky.
- Hurt brings opportunity for healing. Cherish it all.
- Disappoints make the joy of accomplishments so much greater.
- Always depends as much as possible on the one person whose desires you understand best: you. No more wait for others to take care of you. Choose to be the heroine of your life.
May 6, 2015
My TOTs:
Before I go into ranting about what I liked and how much I liked this book, Let me state the part I didn't like.
One thing I didn't like is that she said she is a Jewish Christian, but I never saw anything she wrote and made reference to God. Then I thought to myself: can I really write and publish a thing about my life and not recognize the fact that it is God that has brought me thus far?
Even if I were an unbeliever, looking at my life from my childhood-growing up to school days, till now-- the failures, the regrets, the abuse and various challenges and mountains I had to climb to get to where I am today. I would give the greatest credit to God, knowing that it's only by His grace that I am where I am.
My story isn't complete without God. And I know that we are where we are today because of God's grace. Every success we can ever achieve in our lifetime, we achieve them because of God.
Even those of us who thinks we have lost all, or that God has done nothing for us to deserve our gratitude, I want to let us know that God is the reason we have not lost everything.-- at least you still got your life and people who love you, and they say "where there is life, there is hope"
I'm not saying we should just fold our hands, sit around and do nothing--expecting God to do some magic. No... It is that which we have in our hands that God will bless and multiply.
I'm just saying that they are people who have worked harder than some of us, yet they still look like they are doing nothing...they still struggle through everything. So it is not because of how principled, determined we are or how hard we have worked. We succeed because of God's grace.
There are 2 scriptures I love so much that explains the whole point I'm trying to make here:
"I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.'' Ecclesiastes 9:11(NIV)
''So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.'' Romans 9:16(KJV)
Whether Dr Miller says it or not, I know it is only God who gave her the sweet story she shared in this book.
Now The part I like:
Dr Miller is really an inspiration. She has an indomitable spirit that inspires and motivates.
This woman lived through The Holocaust, she witnessed the ugly side of humanity. She came out fighting, swinging a very big stick.
She determined that she would not let suffering define her life. Resilient and headstrong from the start, she also decided that she would not settle for others' limitations of what she might be -- she would chart her own course and be her own person. In her 80s she is going strong and has no intention of stopping. She gave to the world, she helps people live better lives.
I would have loved to hear more about her.
She has done very well, following her dream.
I really enjoyed this book. I definitely caught myself smiling to her stories and encouraging words, while also nodding in agreement to a few principles that has helped me through. I could literally see myself in some pages of this book.
There are lots of wisdom to be shared from this book.
The stories about her sacrifices and her no matter what philosophies awed me, she is who she wanted to be. She was very goal orientated, tunnel vision. She knew early on what she wanted, and never wavered. She threw everything aside and did it.
I admire her drive to live-and-succeed, and passion to live audaciously.
She is determined, strong willed, focused. Not letting other people's opinion and perception of any matter determine how she feels, what she does or influence her decision is one thing I found in nearly every chapter of this book. This is one quality I appreciate and relate to, and I love it.
One other quality I appreciate and relate to is that she knows there are things she wishes she did better during her life, but also does not dwell on that or allow guilt to over take her and just moves forward to improve what she can. Something most of us really need to have.
I appreciate that the book both has real life examples that I found interesting and then brought that to be motivational for life moving forward. There is always a nugget or two of wisdom you can gather from another person's life story. And in this book, you will find many of such nuggets.
It is only through overcoming trials that we usually realize the strength we carry within.
As we go through this life, we are met with challenges, adversities and roadblocks along the way. How we face or respond to these challenges will help shape our character, experiences and achievements.
We all wear certain labels that could easily be assigned blame for why we can't do this or that... Those labels might be things people tell us we can't do, or things we affirm ourselves we can't do because of being a man, woman, short, tall, plain, smart, dull, beautiful, not-so-beautiful or some natural features and things you have no control over.
Reading this book, you will learn that with or without those labels, you can make the most of your life and God-given talents and strength. Whether you are a woman, or man, or anything you have believed yourself to be, you can be anything you desire to be.
Regardless of who and what we are, where we are or the hurts, pains and challenges we have endured, we can always decide not to let them stop us, and try to make the most out of our lives. I doing so, we will unconsciously inspire and give others the permission to do the same with their own lives. That is one big lesson you will learn from this book.
What have you set out to do that people said you couldn't do because you are a man or a woman or black or white?
What have you discouraged yourself from doing because you feel you can't?
Are you at that point in your life where you are about letting go of your dreams and aspirations because of people's opinion, past failures, or some limitation?
I personally recommend this book for you. Reading this book will be a great start for you. It is full of inspiration, thoughts and nuggets that will drive you into picking up your dreams.
Dr Miller's story, struggles and challenges is one that you can easily relate to. You will be greatly inspired.
I received this book from the publisher through netgallery for my honest review.
Before I go into ranting about what I liked and how much I liked this book, Let me state the part I didn't like.
One thing I didn't like is that she said she is a Jewish Christian, but I never saw anything she wrote and made reference to God. Then I thought to myself: can I really write and publish a thing about my life and not recognize the fact that it is God that has brought me thus far?
Even if I were an unbeliever, looking at my life from my childhood-growing up to school days, till now-- the failures, the regrets, the abuse and various challenges and mountains I had to climb to get to where I am today. I would give the greatest credit to God, knowing that it's only by His grace that I am where I am.
My story isn't complete without God. And I know that we are where we are today because of God's grace. Every success we can ever achieve in our lifetime, we achieve them because of God.
Even those of us who thinks we have lost all, or that God has done nothing for us to deserve our gratitude, I want to let us know that God is the reason we have not lost everything.-- at least you still got your life and people who love you, and they say "where there is life, there is hope"
I'm not saying we should just fold our hands, sit around and do nothing--expecting God to do some magic. No... It is that which we have in our hands that God will bless and multiply.
I'm just saying that they are people who have worked harder than some of us, yet they still look like they are doing nothing...they still struggle through everything. So it is not because of how principled, determined we are or how hard we have worked. We succeed because of God's grace.
There are 2 scriptures I love so much that explains the whole point I'm trying to make here:
"I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.'' Ecclesiastes 9:11(NIV)
''So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.'' Romans 9:16(KJV)
Whether Dr Miller says it or not, I know it is only God who gave her the sweet story she shared in this book.
Now The part I like:
Dr Miller is really an inspiration. She has an indomitable spirit that inspires and motivates.
This woman lived through The Holocaust, she witnessed the ugly side of humanity. She came out fighting, swinging a very big stick.
She determined that she would not let suffering define her life. Resilient and headstrong from the start, she also decided that she would not settle for others' limitations of what she might be -- she would chart her own course and be her own person. In her 80s she is going strong and has no intention of stopping. She gave to the world, she helps people live better lives.
I would have loved to hear more about her.
She has done very well, following her dream.
I really enjoyed this book. I definitely caught myself smiling to her stories and encouraging words, while also nodding in agreement to a few principles that has helped me through. I could literally see myself in some pages of this book.
There are lots of wisdom to be shared from this book.
The stories about her sacrifices and her no matter what philosophies awed me, she is who she wanted to be. She was very goal orientated, tunnel vision. She knew early on what she wanted, and never wavered. She threw everything aside and did it.
I admire her drive to live-and-succeed, and passion to live audaciously.
She is determined, strong willed, focused. Not letting other people's opinion and perception of any matter determine how she feels, what she does or influence her decision is one thing I found in nearly every chapter of this book. This is one quality I appreciate and relate to, and I love it.
One other quality I appreciate and relate to is that she knows there are things she wishes she did better during her life, but also does not dwell on that or allow guilt to over take her and just moves forward to improve what she can. Something most of us really need to have.
I appreciate that the book both has real life examples that I found interesting and then brought that to be motivational for life moving forward. There is always a nugget or two of wisdom you can gather from another person's life story. And in this book, you will find many of such nuggets.
It is only through overcoming trials that we usually realize the strength we carry within.
As we go through this life, we are met with challenges, adversities and roadblocks along the way. How we face or respond to these challenges will help shape our character, experiences and achievements.
We all wear certain labels that could easily be assigned blame for why we can't do this or that... Those labels might be things people tell us we can't do, or things we affirm ourselves we can't do because of being a man, woman, short, tall, plain, smart, dull, beautiful, not-so-beautiful or some natural features and things you have no control over.
Reading this book, you will learn that with or without those labels, you can make the most of your life and God-given talents and strength. Whether you are a woman, or man, or anything you have believed yourself to be, you can be anything you desire to be.
Regardless of who and what we are, where we are or the hurts, pains and challenges we have endured, we can always decide not to let them stop us, and try to make the most out of our lives. I doing so, we will unconsciously inspire and give others the permission to do the same with their own lives. That is one big lesson you will learn from this book.
What have you set out to do that people said you couldn't do because you are a man or a woman or black or white?
What have you discouraged yourself from doing because you feel you can't?
Are you at that point in your life where you are about letting go of your dreams and aspirations because of people's opinion, past failures, or some limitation?
I personally recommend this book for you. Reading this book will be a great start for you. It is full of inspiration, thoughts and nuggets that will drive you into picking up your dreams.
Dr Miller's story, struggles and challenges is one that you can easily relate to. You will be greatly inspired.
I received this book from the publisher through netgallery for my honest review.
September 11, 2015
Don't Tell Me I Can't Do It! comes from a Holocaust survivor who has created five 'core beliefs' to live by, and who imparts the basics of how to live an optimistic life no matter what obstacles and adversity this includes. This attitude comes from a therapist and mother who leads the kind of life she talks about, making her tenants both easy and authoritative.
Don't Tell Me I Can't Do It! is a dual offering: an autobiography relating the author's life and process of making it a goal-oriented success, and a set of admonitions others can use to follow in her footsteps. This is not to say that everyone can do so: it takes a certain attitude, flexibility, determination and grit to take these philosophies and make them your own. Intended as a motivational read offering food for thought, this comes in a format that lends to quick reading and insights which can be easily tailored to different personalities, goals, and lives.
Dr. Erica Miller does a good job of leading the horses to water, but it's up to readers to drink in whatever way works for them. Those seeking not an exact path but a broad-spectrum guide for taking these first steps will find her approach is both general and based on her own choices.
Hers isn't a book for those who would be provided a complete formula: it's for the self-motivated who need only a direction and some basic insights in order to hone and stay a course.
Even more so than Don't Tell Me I Can't Do It!, Dr. Erica Miller's Thanks for My Journey is autobiographical in nature and focuses on her tumultuous life; first spending four years in a Ukraine holding camp after the Nazis invaded, then the family's struggle with homelessness after they found their former home occupied by Russians.
Unlike most Holocaust survivor stories, Miller only touches upon events of the past, focusing more upon the life that evolved from these events. Her journey to Israel, her unusual service in the Israeli Air Force, and her entry into the field of mental health all make up the heart of the story more so than her Holocaust experiences in a combination of inspirational reading and autobiography that traces the evolution of grit, determination and lessons from this survivor's experiences.
Thanks for My Journey is a vivid memoir and a life story. It should ideally be pursued as a predecessor to her inspirational handbook, laying the foundation and groundwork that allows readers to understand how her psyche, attitude, and philosophy evolved.
Don't Tell Me I Can't Do It! is a dual offering: an autobiography relating the author's life and process of making it a goal-oriented success, and a set of admonitions others can use to follow in her footsteps. This is not to say that everyone can do so: it takes a certain attitude, flexibility, determination and grit to take these philosophies and make them your own. Intended as a motivational read offering food for thought, this comes in a format that lends to quick reading and insights which can be easily tailored to different personalities, goals, and lives.
Dr. Erica Miller does a good job of leading the horses to water, but it's up to readers to drink in whatever way works for them. Those seeking not an exact path but a broad-spectrum guide for taking these first steps will find her approach is both general and based on her own choices.
Hers isn't a book for those who would be provided a complete formula: it's for the self-motivated who need only a direction and some basic insights in order to hone and stay a course.
Even more so than Don't Tell Me I Can't Do It!, Dr. Erica Miller's Thanks for My Journey is autobiographical in nature and focuses on her tumultuous life; first spending four years in a Ukraine holding camp after the Nazis invaded, then the family's struggle with homelessness after they found their former home occupied by Russians.
Unlike most Holocaust survivor stories, Miller only touches upon events of the past, focusing more upon the life that evolved from these events. Her journey to Israel, her unusual service in the Israeli Air Force, and her entry into the field of mental health all make up the heart of the story more so than her Holocaust experiences in a combination of inspirational reading and autobiography that traces the evolution of grit, determination and lessons from this survivor's experiences.
Thanks for My Journey is a vivid memoir and a life story. It should ideally be pursued as a predecessor to her inspirational handbook, laying the foundation and groundwork that allows readers to understand how her psyche, attitude, and philosophy evolved.
April 25, 2015
Dr. Erica Miller has an indomitable spirit that inspires. A concentration camp survivor, Miller determined that she would not let suffering define her life. Resilient and headstrong from the start, she also decided that she would not settle for others' limitations of what she might be -- she would chart her own course and be her own person. In her 80s she is going strong and has no intention of stopping.
Many quips in this book shine. I highlighted them and found them to be motivating. However, reading this book as a whole felt somewhat disjoined. The best parts felt like a graduation or motivational speech. The weakest parts felt out of order and irrelevant.
I wasn't surprised at the end of the book to find out that the author is a motivational speaker. My guess is that she would be very good at it. I think that that her message probably translates much better in a spoken word format than in a book format.
**Thank you to Netgalley and Greenleaf Book Group for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest book review***
Many quips in this book shine. I highlighted them and found them to be motivating. However, reading this book as a whole felt somewhat disjoined. The best parts felt like a graduation or motivational speech. The weakest parts felt out of order and irrelevant.
I wasn't surprised at the end of the book to find out that the author is a motivational speaker. My guess is that she would be very good at it. I think that that her message probably translates much better in a spoken word format than in a book format.
**Thank you to Netgalley and Greenleaf Book Group for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest book review***
May 5, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. I definitely caught myself smiling to her stories and encouraging words. I appreciated that it both had real life examples that I found interesting and then brought that to be motivational for life moving forward. I am at a point in my life where I don't know what the future holds and reading this just helped remind me that that is okay.
One quality I appreciate and relate to is that she knows there are things she wishes she did better during her life, but also does not dwell on that or allow guilt to over take her and just moves forward to improve what she can. Something I find encouraging.
I believe this is a book I will hold onto for future quick reads in the future to help me out.
I received this book as a First Read Giveaway from Goodreads.
One quality I appreciate and relate to is that she knows there are things she wishes she did better during her life, but also does not dwell on that or allow guilt to over take her and just moves forward to improve what she can. Something I find encouraging.
I believe this is a book I will hold onto for future quick reads in the future to help me out.
I received this book as a First Read Giveaway from Goodreads.
April 11, 2015
I admire Dr. Miller's determination and passion to live her life audaciously. There is always a nugget or two of wisdom you can gather from another person's life story. It is only through overcoming trials do we usually realized the strength we have within. Having the focus and drive to go for what you want would you be able to actually achieve anything. Living in the here and now is the only way to truly appreciate life for what it is, no use in dwelling on the past or being too afraid of the future. Partly memoir and partly self-help, this book is honest, candid, and straightforward.
Note: This is my very first NetGalley ARC read. Free books are awesome, thanks NetGalley!
Note: This is my very first NetGalley ARC read. Free books are awesome, thanks NetGalley!
July 30, 2015
I was really looking forward to reading this book, it sounded like the author had been through so much I was intrigued to know more about her life story and what she had been through. The book is inspiring and I really recommend this to anyone, the author has been through and experienced two of the worst things, war and racial hatred and has such a positive outlook, she's an inspiration. Thank you so much for letting me review this book.
May 23, 2015
4.5 stars! I'll be posting my review soon. :)
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews