Joyful: A Truthful Guide To Finding Peace And Living A Fulfilling Life

by Toks Adebiyi

Successful or not. Rich or poor. People use plenty of terms to determine and define happiness—but is it really joy they're seeking?

Author Toks Adebiyi shares examples from his time in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom in the inspirational memoir Joyful. Like many others, Toks got caught up in the push for wealth and popularity and dreamed of becoming the next Richard Branson or Robert Kiyosaki. But when events in his life brought him back down to earth, he began to redefine what joy meant to him.

Here, Toks shares what he found, laying out a path for others to follow in advice-filled chapters such as "Loving Yourself" and "Mind Your Environment." All throughout, he includes action points to aid others in their own pursuit of joy.

Joyful is specifically targeted at young readers and families. This lighthearted, easy-to-read guide will help you find what matters most in your life—and what you really need to find inner peace.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

120 pages, Paperback

First published July 16, 2016

About the author

Toks Adebiyi, an entrepreneur and business consultant for over thirteen years, is the principal consultant and owner of T&A Bespoke Solutions Ltd. Global brands his company has consulted include Visa Europe, Lloyds Register, Regus, and European Medicines Agency. He is the founder of two restaurants, a real estate company, a business consultancy, and an Internet marketing company.

Toks is actively involved in community enhancement initiatives and has held leadership positions in local charities. He serves as the coordinator of his local neighborhood watch and supports a number of local, national, and international charities.

Toks is blessed with a beautiful wife and daughter who live with him in Barnet, London.

Reviews

[Arlena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Joyful: A Truthful Guide To Finding Peace and Living a Fulfilling Life
Author: Toks Adebiyi
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:

"Joyful: A Truthful Guide To Finding Peace And Living A fulfilling Life" by Toks Adebiyi

My Thoughts.....

Quite a interesting quick read where the first part of the book was about the author's life and the other half of the read was divided life's lessons in putting the joy into ones everyday situation. I enjoy this author fascinating story of when he was in Lagos, Nigeria and that whole experience showing the difference from being materialistic as well as successful. In the end if one really loves himself that will seem to give one the feeling of joy rather than having all of the stress in ones daily life.

From the read one will be definitely be directed to the fact that 'Joy is not find in materialistic things but within us.' This is a christian read for anyone who maybe interested in wanting to have a better quality of life as the author points to the power of God being our source of our the joy that is already within. The reader will be drawn into this read being able to look at things somewhat differently and with that being able to ignore many outside stressful pressures. In the end the novel "Joyful" gives one a wonderful guide, enjoyable read and most of all a inspirational look at how to succeed and have a quality life.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read, short chapters - a joyful read!

Filled with personal stories and insight, this is a book you can read in one sitting, and you will probably return to it again and again when you feel the need for a mental lift, and reminder that life can be joyful.

[Musings of a Middle-aged Mum · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be a mixed bag.

At first the book reads as if it adheres to the Prosperity Gospel, but if you persevere you realise this isn't the case. There is also much of this book that is just biography, and anecdotes of his own inspirations and prejudices. The chapters are very, very short, I hadn't realised that it was purposely aimed at young readers, so that may be the reason why?

And some of the comparisons are hilarious - when discussing the idiom [paraphrased] "the wealthiest people are not always the richest and the richest people are not always the wealthiest" he gives the example of someone who has a one hundred million pounds of savings but is depressed and gets divorced, compared to someone who has one hundred thousand pounds of savings, who is happy and content. £100,000!!!! That's still someone who is really really rich! I do agree that you can be economically poor, yet rich in life, but this was not the example to choose!

However, within the book are nuggets and gems, hidden amongst the other stuff. I got the book because it was free on Kindle, and if you can get it for free it is definitely worth reading.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writer's first attempt is partially successful. Toks has a lot to say and tries to put it all in a combination of personal stories and didactic preaching. The writing style needs development and the content would be better if it had more focus.
With that said, I found that I couldn't put the book down. It is a short book that I read in two sittings. Toks has a good perspective on life and seeks to share it with his readers. If we all followed his admonitions, we would live a joyful life.
This book was provided to me without cost by the publisher. Thanks to Netgalley for tho opportunity to read and review this work.

[Kirsten Lost 2022 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost gave this one star, as I got nothing of the title from the book. It has two, because the author has had a difficult life and he talks about this at length.

It's rather self-centered and I got very little out of it.

Thanks to Netgalley for the read.

[Horace Chu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short book that provides some obvious rules to its readers on how to live a happy balanced life. A lot of the books talks about Christianity and its relation to happiness. A nice read albeit its simplicity.

[Stacy · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Joyful, author Toks Adebiyi discusses both his own life path and journey to true joy as well as giving step-by-step advice on how to achieve such joy. I enjoyed Adebiyi’s upbeat narrative style and willingness to discuss mistakes he has made and loved reading the first section of his upbringing in Nigeria.

I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn’t feel the self-help section of the book worked. It attempts to encapsulate self-help, business acumen, spiritual and relational advice all under the umbrella of the concept of Joy which could in theory work, but doesn’t seem to here. I had a hard time relating some of the sections he wrote back to the subject of joy as there wasn’t enough tying them in. As a result, the varied subjects don’t coalesce in the end and the cartoons included seem out of place. It might also have helped to have included studies on Joy and contentment.

The long and short of it is, as a self-help book, I don’t think this has a lot to offer. However this is not to say Adebiyi can’t write. His back story and in particular the social infrastructure of Lagos, Nigeria was fascinating. As such, I could see Adebiyi excelling more at memoir and hope he will attempt one in the future as his life was quite interesting.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a good read for young adults seeking answers to daily contradictions in faith versus their walk. The chapter on finding a way to be content in the moment and/or situation was relevant to all. Would love for the writer to expand on that chapter in his future writing endeavors.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joyful: A Truthful Guide to Finding Peace and Living a Fulfilling Life is in fact told in sincerity and truth. Toks Adebiyi, the author, writes of his experiences growing up and his observances around him. He is also very candid about his evolution from a young man wanting to be successful to the journey he is on today, and all of the lessons he learned along the way.

Mr. Adebiyi’s realization of not feeling fulfilled and his determination to not only discover his fulfillment but also his quest to aid others in discovering their own fulfilling callings.

I truly enjoyed Mr. Adebiyi’s story because it was so honest and sincere. We all have found ourselves at a crossroads and need to journey forth in discovering what God has for us.
This book is an enjoyable book of one individual’s inspirational and faithful journey. If you’re in need of some inspiration give this book a read.

Happy Reading!

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose to read this book because of its title: "Joyful- A truthful guide to finding peace and living a fulfilling life." Who wouldn't want to learn how to do that right? Well what I read was much less of a guide and much more of an autobiography. While I appreciated the author's life story and found his life accomplishments interesting, these honestly didn't teach me anything about joyfulness. I mean I did learn about the author's idea of joy but not really how I could achieve it. That is why I gave this three stars. I almost felt misguided by its title. The author has had an interesting and much different life than my own here living in one northeastern state in the US all my life, so his life story was interesting. His language and writing style were simple and very easy to understand. It's worth a read if you're interested in this man's life. But if what you're looking for is how to get more joy out of your own life or some inspirational words to help you on your own joyful journey, then I suggest you choose another book. Or write your own.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I had the pleasure of reading this book for free, due to NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.*

A short book, that I finished reading in about an hour. Vocabulary is simple and the organization of ideas makes it easy to read. I was mainly interested in reading this book because of the cover. The first half of the book is the Author's life story. The second half of the book is divided into lessons. Some of these lessons are things that almost every self-help book mention such as gartitude and health. Even if you skim through the book you will find some ideas that will stand out to you such as:

"Wise words from a wise man: “The people you try the hardest to impress are the ones who do not really matter to your life; those who do, take you as you are” (author unknown)."

At times the book was a bit boring but overall it was enjoyable because of the author's positive outlook.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joyful

A Truthful Guide to Finding Peace and Living a Fulfilling Life



by Toks Adebiyi

Create Space

AuthorBuzz



Self-Help, Christian

Pub Date 16 Jul 2016

I was given a copy of Joyful through the publisher and their partnership with Netgalley in exchange for my honest review which is as follows:

In this book we are reminded that Joy is not found in things but within us. We are reminded too that Joy is not going to be found when we try to keep up with the Jonses.

This book reminds us too that worry is born out of fear we often worry about things that we do not need to worry about and worry can steal our joy.

The author reminds us too that being ourselves is an important part of living a Joyful life.

I give Joyful five out of five stars

Happy Reading.

[Bevkay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read.Toks focuses on the way we look at ourselves and be confident about yourself gives the feeling of joy. He uses his own life story to show the difference between being materialistic and success compared to loving yourself and giving which gave him the feeling of joy rather than stress. Toks has found the secret for his life and recommends trying it. Self confidence and being comfortable with your lifestyle will give you joy. Toks states that joy has no negative opposite word.Its a feeling we all like but for most of us don't get that feeling enough.
I enjoyed the book but felt he could have focussed more on positive thinking to develop confidence and joy.

[Jill Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this little book in a Goodreads giveaway, and received it in the mail yesterday. I started flipping through it, and something caught my eye so I read a couple of paragraphs. Before I even realized what had happened, I had completed the entire book! What struck me the most about it is the utter sincerity that is so apparent in the author's voice.....I instantly liked, trusted, and valued the opinion of this man. This is a super-quick read (and I'm a slow reader) that I recommend to anyone who is interested in improving the quality of their life and side-stepping the rat race in which so many of us find ourselves trapped.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christian Self-help book
This is a very quick and easy read. The author clearly talk from his heart about his story and what he has learned.
There is nothing earth-shattering in this book - just a good reminder to live for Christ not material possessions and follow in the path of Christ (love yourself, love others, be patient, etc.)

Note I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in a recent Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.

This is quite a quick read and one that I enjoyed. Had me smiling in a few parts, mainly because I was born and raised in London (Bermondsey). I rarely write what a book is about for fear of spoiling for others, but am pleased to have been given the opportunity to read this book.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. There were some points of interest but for me personally the book focused to much on 'God' as a source of joy and started to feel a little preachy. I am not religious but could pick out some value from the authors points however the many references to God and religion made it somewhat unrelatable to me.

[John Crone · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very honest and sincere book by Toks Adebiyi which certainly made me put my thinking cap on. This book is easy and quick to read and allows you to look at things differently ignoring outside pressures etc. He shares his many life experiences which I found both interesting and intriguing, worth a read.

[Tushar Mangl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise yet powerful book packed with anecdotes from Toks own life. It is an inspirational book that guides you to succeed in life and live a quality life.
Read the complete review at
my blog

Received a gift copy from the author, courtesy Goodreads Giveaway program.

[Dixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book blends brief bits of memoir with life application ideas to put more joy in your everyday. Instead of admonitions to "count it all joy" the author offers models of choices we can make and actions we can take to live joyfully.
My thanks to Netgalley for making it possible for me to voluntarily read an advanced reading copy provided by the publisher.

[Reece Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An eye opening look at life essential.