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Your Blue Flame: Drop the Guilt and Do What Makes You Come Alive
Break out of that rut and fall in love with your life again by joining standup comic, SiriusXM radio host, and mom of six Jennifer Fulwiler in finding your blue flame.
Every one of us has a blue flame - a special skill, a personal passion, a gift or talent. But when caught up in life's busyness, it's too easy to suppress our most joyful contributions to the world.
As Jennifer learned, the secret to a life you love isn't necessarily jumping the track, quitting your job, or hustling to make your dream your full-time reality. Rather, it's about simply doing more of what makes you come alive in your actual life. Your Blue Flame is your upbeat playbook to rekindling your energy, sparking those meaningful "first loves" back to life again, and discovering the unique way each one of us can make the world a better, brighter place.
With Jennifer's wit and straightforward, practical insights, this power-packed guide will show you:
How to channel your blue flame's contagious energy Why your blue flame is both personally fulfilling and a sacred duty to others Tips and tricks to boldly make time for your passions How to rethink dreaming big for your actual lifeNo matter where you are in life, you'll be inspired with stories of others who found their flame - the couple who packed up their three kids and moved onto a farm, the woman who discovered a passion for letter writing at age 95, and of course Jennifer's own story of self-producing her own standup comedy tour after being turned down by the entertainment industry establishment.
It's been said that the glory of God is the soul fully alive. Your Blue Flame will show you how to find that unique spark that makes *you* come fully alive.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 28, 2020
327 people are currently reading
2505 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Fulwiler
15 books299 followersJennifer Fulwiler is a mom of six, a standup comic, and the host of a daily talk show on SiriusXM. She’s a bestselling author whose new book is Your Blue Flame: Drop the Guilt and Do What Makes You Come Alive. After being told that there wasn’t an audience for standup comedy done by a minivan-driving woman from the suburbs, she self-produced her own tour, which is selling out venues across the country. Follow her on Instagram at @JenniferFulwiler.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
July 23, 2022
I’ve loved all of Jen’s books, so I knew I’d enjoy this one, too. She is honest, funny, vulnerable, and real. It’s not a “crush your dreams!” or “get it, girl” book. It’s more of a book that gives you permission to be who God created you to be, to take up space, to ask for help, and to do what makes you come alive, be it big or small. I will definitely revisit this one.
May 9, 2020
The final chapter of this book is the magic of this message. The thing you bring to the world isn’t about you. You don’t get to see how far reaching the blessing that will occur to others is going to be. You have a responsibility to show up, do the thing, and let it go. You must trust God to do the work of getting it in the hands of the person He wants to bless with your trusting “yes” to His call. This isn’t about you, even though it may feel good to do it. It is so much bigger than you.
This book will help you discern what that thing is, but more than that, it’ll light the flame under your butt to actually do the thing, all while remembering the why behind the what. Genius, inspirational, and now I want to go sit on her porch and drink wine and talk about Aquinas and be best friends.
This book will help you discern what that thing is, but more than that, it’ll light the flame under your butt to actually do the thing, all while remembering the why behind the what. Genius, inspirational, and now I want to go sit on her porch and drink wine and talk about Aquinas and be best friends.
May 11, 2020
I'm a big Jen Fulwiler fan. She is funny, practical, down-to-earth, smart, and an unabashed encourager of creativity in others. I've enjoyed both of her other books - the sharp writing, the hilarious family anecdotes - and I enjoyed this one just as much. The only reason it's not 5 stars is perhaps because I am TOO much of a fan a lot of the book was quite repetitive for me. I've heard a lot of the advice and anecdotes on her radio show already. However, I plan on giving/lending this book to lots of friends not as familiar with her (both people of faith and no faith) as it's an incredibly accessible look at gifts, vocation, and meaning. Well-done, again!
June 25, 2023
To start, I'm a big fan of Jen and the work she is doing in this world & for God, and I've read all her books. This one started out a bit slow, but I'm glad I persevered to the end. Much of the content wasn't new to me, mainly because I listen to her podcast and she's discussed a lot of the topics on there. Easy, simple, story-heavy read, but I did feel inspired and challenged in some ways, and learned some new things.
May 7, 2020
Jen Fulwiler is the real deal in many ways. And her newest book, Your Blue Flame, is her best one yet.
Your Blue Flame could be—and probably will be—shelved self-help. The central idea of the book (spoiler alert) is that you have something that will add to the world, something that only you can do, and that doing this thing will fulfill you and the world.
But she says it so much better. And so much funnier. And so much…more Jen.
Maybe only a mom of six who’s a full-time radio talk show host who homeschools her kids, produces her own comedy tour, and is married to a CPA/MBA can pull this off.
Then again, maybe this is a panel of fluroescents to light up the world and shake up the mentality that limits so many of us. Why can’t a mom of many write books and have a successful radio show and travel around the country with a comedy tour?
And actually, this isn’t about Jen at all. I think, in fact, that’s the whole point.
Jen is amazing. But what she’s trying to get you to realize, in this book especially, is that YOU ARE TOO. “My transformation started when I discovered my blue flame,” she writes in the first chapter, continuing, “Now, let’s talk about what that is, and how you can find yours.”
You’d do yourself a disservice not to read this book twice. The first time, zip through it, nod, and marvel. It’s not rocket science. It could be commonish sense. Appreciate that you’re holding it and that it’s not hard and that you have a margarita in your hand. (If you don’t, that’s fine too.)
The second time through, you’ll find yourself pausing—maybe because you had more than one margarita, but maybe also because you suddenly appreciate something that the team behind this book has done: Make something that’s so valuable (though many of us don’t recognize that yet) and that should be so obvious (but isn’t) both valued AND obvious.
Jen is coaching, instructing, and—let’s be honest—drinking. But don’t be fooled by her light tone and easy manner. What she’s unpacked in 200 or so pages is brilliant both for its presentation—straightforward and skimmable—and for its value. Jen knows what she’s saying, both that it’s important and that it’s hard. She also knows—and insists that you recognize it, too—that it’s going to change your life.
And the permission slip at the end? Photocopy it and use it liberally. And then get out there and set some things on fire with your blue flame!
Your Blue Flame could be—and probably will be—shelved self-help. The central idea of the book (spoiler alert) is that you have something that will add to the world, something that only you can do, and that doing this thing will fulfill you and the world.
But she says it so much better. And so much funnier. And so much…more Jen.
Maybe only a mom of six who’s a full-time radio talk show host who homeschools her kids, produces her own comedy tour, and is married to a CPA/MBA can pull this off.
Then again, maybe this is a panel of fluroescents to light up the world and shake up the mentality that limits so many of us. Why can’t a mom of many write books and have a successful radio show and travel around the country with a comedy tour?
And actually, this isn’t about Jen at all. I think, in fact, that’s the whole point.
Jen is amazing. But what she’s trying to get you to realize, in this book especially, is that YOU ARE TOO. “My transformation started when I discovered my blue flame,” she writes in the first chapter, continuing, “Now, let’s talk about what that is, and how you can find yours.”
You’d do yourself a disservice not to read this book twice. The first time, zip through it, nod, and marvel. It’s not rocket science. It could be commonish sense. Appreciate that you’re holding it and that it’s not hard and that you have a margarita in your hand. (If you don’t, that’s fine too.)
The second time through, you’ll find yourself pausing—maybe because you had more than one margarita, but maybe also because you suddenly appreciate something that the team behind this book has done: Make something that’s so valuable (though many of us don’t recognize that yet) and that should be so obvious (but isn’t) both valued AND obvious.
Jen is coaching, instructing, and—let’s be honest—drinking. But don’t be fooled by her light tone and easy manner. What she’s unpacked in 200 or so pages is brilliant both for its presentation—straightforward and skimmable—and for its value. Jen knows what she’s saying, both that it’s important and that it’s hard. She also knows—and insists that you recognize it, too—that it’s going to change your life.
And the permission slip at the end? Photocopy it and use it liberally. And then get out there and set some things on fire with your blue flame!
July 27, 2020
I stan Jennifer Fulwiler, so I didn’t think the book would have much I hadn’t heard before, but it was full of great, practical advice that can apply to anyone! I don’t like reading self help books that have no practical application to real life so this was refreshing. As with all Jen’s books the writing is top notch and makes for an easy and enjoyable reading experience, would recommend to everyone.
March 27, 2021
Insightful, yet funny. A book everyone should read. A book I should probably re-read every few years.
November 26, 2020
Great inspiration and practical ideas. I appreciate that this is not a drop everything and follow your dream book. It's more real world. I listened to the audio version, and the narration was fun to follow. However, it would be nice to have a paper copy to make some notes.
June 2, 2020
This is a book I think I will be revisiting often. It strikes the right mix of self-deprecation/humor on the part of the author and inspiration. As a mom with two little kids it’s really easy to be sucked into despair that I’ll ever have space/time to have a blue flame. The reality is that I already have a couple outlets, and I know just what she means when she says I feel more alive when I make an effort to use them.
July 5, 2022
I’d recommend instead PowerSheets, to help identify personal speed bumps and road hazards and what makes you fly; The Lazy Genius Way and Essentialism, to make the step between where you are and where you want to be a little more natural and immediate; and probably, after I finish it, I will also recommend Effortless, because, Greg McKeown.
There were some good ideas. As an audiobook at double time, I don’t regret reading it while folding the vacation laundry. Admittedly, she is a humorist, so I should have known this wouldn’t have been a tremendous fit for me from the outset. I deeply value humor, but for this type of topic, I’d rather get to the point much more quickly and take care of laughing on my own.
There were some good ideas. As an audiobook at double time, I don’t regret reading it while folding the vacation laundry. Admittedly, she is a humorist, so I should have known this wouldn’t have been a tremendous fit for me from the outset. I deeply value humor, but for this type of topic, I’d rather get to the point much more quickly and take care of laughing on my own.
April 26, 2020
As always, Jen offers a lift to the spirit and plenty to think about. She shares a vision of God's gifting that is joy-filled, other-centered, life-giving, and practical. I'll be pondering (and, I hope, implementing) this one for a long time.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
May 11, 2023
I listened to this one, read by the author. I have to admit I’m a bit biased being Catholic and all, but I really enjoyed this book. Jennifer is an encourager of dreams, and what’s not to love about that? I liked the way her husband talked about how to step out of the ordinary if necessary to reach your blue flame. He called it being willing to “blow it all up” , which means being willing to step away from the comfortable to reach your goals. This reminds me of an old parable about a skinny cow. There was a poor family barely getting by with one skinny cow. One night they had a visitor, some kind of wise man, and he pushes the cow over a cliff. He returns sometime later and finds the family prosperous. Turns out his pushing the cow over the cliff was just what they needed to actually grow and not settle for barley enough (I think I’d still be p***** about my cow). Anyway, nice to be encouraged without animal sacrifice, which is just what this book did for me!
May 14, 2020
I absolutely loved this!
I'm all about encouraging others to live creative lives, so this is right up my alley. Jen's articulation of what it means to have a "blue fame," or a passion and gift that you use to help others, perfectly explains how living with creativity and passion doesn't have to mean being an artist in the traditional sense--it can mean making cookies for friends or driving your grandchildren to extra-curricular activities. That was a subtlety I've been struggling to figure out how to communicate--now I can just hand friends this book or flip open to certain dog-eared chapters and quote passages at them. Of course I'll probably get distracted by the funny bits, but I presume they won't mind.
I'm all about encouraging others to live creative lives, so this is right up my alley. Jen's articulation of what it means to have a "blue fame," or a passion and gift that you use to help others, perfectly explains how living with creativity and passion doesn't have to mean being an artist in the traditional sense--it can mean making cookies for friends or driving your grandchildren to extra-curricular activities. That was a subtlety I've been struggling to figure out how to communicate--now I can just hand friends this book or flip open to certain dog-eared chapters and quote passages at them. Of course I'll probably get distracted by the funny bits, but I presume they won't mind.
May 19, 2020
This book is like one part Essentialism, one part Big Magic as Jennifer Fulwiler asks readers to find and share their blue flame: that passion, talent, or gift we all too often keep hidden instead of sharing it with the world. The beauty of the blue flame is that using it helps us become a better version of ourselves, AND it has a positive impact on those around us.
Your Blue Flame is full of Jen's characteristic humor, making it a fun, not at all guilt-inducing read. As a former Atheist, she also has a talent for drawing the connection between your gifts and the way God created you without alienating readers who don't consider themselves religious or resorting to tired Christian cliches.
I've written all over my copy, and I'm sure I'll revisit it again. Highly recommend!
Your Blue Flame is full of Jen's characteristic humor, making it a fun, not at all guilt-inducing read. As a former Atheist, she also has a talent for drawing the connection between your gifts and the way God created you without alienating readers who don't consider themselves religious or resorting to tired Christian cliches.
I've written all over my copy, and I'm sure I'll revisit it again. Highly recommend!
December 24, 2024
As a young twenty-something with a tendency to get overwhelmed by the sheer breadth of possibilities in front of me, I appreciated that this was incredibly practical and down-to-earth while still being energizing and inspiring. She defines a blue flame as "something you do, and were destined to do, that fills you with energy and adds love to the world" (23). Fulwiler breaks down how to discover your blue flame, how to ignite it, when to look for a new one, and how to overcome the inevitable setbacks that come on the road to finding and sharing your blue flame with the world. This book was easy to read, relatable, and hilarious. Perfect for anyone stuck in a rut and looking for the extra inspiration needed to make a change.
September 13, 2020
I have yet to read a book by Jen Fulwiler that I haven’t enjoyed. She’s relatable as a mom without the “mommy needs a glass of wine because kids, amiright?” jokes that I’ve heard since I was pregnant with my first child, she gives excellent advice without being preachy, her anecdotes are hysterical, and despite her success in pretty much every job she’s ever had, she truly remains humble. This book was no exception. Highly recommend!
May 8, 2020
I didnt finish this book. And I dont think I will. Based on Jennifer Fulwiler's previous books, I thought this would be a great story! But as I read the first handful of chapters I realized this is just a self help book. No story. Just short paragraphs on how I can find my blue flame. Which is what the title says so I shouldn't be surprised. This book just isnt for me.
May 24, 2020
I have no doubt I could sit across the table with this author and talk for hours. Not only do we have so much in common (large family, homeschooling, both authors) but we share the belief that we each have it within us to be creative, however that might look, whether it is gardening, ministering to others, writing poetry, painting, or whatever else it is that makes us feel alive.
August 10, 2020
I think this is one of those books where if you like Jen already, you will probably like the book, but if you are not a fan, you probably won't. I thought it was easy to read and did have some great insight about some myths I believed about my "purpose" in life. Over all, I think it was worth the read and I think if you go into it looking for something, you will find it helpful.
November 20, 2021
As happens with some books when I got to the end I longed for more. More stories, more wisdom and more thoughts. In sharing her experiences and the wisdom learned Jen takes us on a journey of finding that thing, those things in life wherein we are particularly gifted and doing more of that - whether or not we do that thing for earning income or not.
March 30, 2024
I’ve always loved Jennifer Fulwiler and listen to her audio book is a must, especially if you’re in a transitional state of life. Loved her explanation of a blue flame and it’s what drives us and can constantly change as your life grows and moves. Highly recommend this audio books to all the ladies out there who are struggling to know what’s next.
May 2, 2020
I heard about this book on a podcast so I thought I’d give it a try. For me, the most valuable part of the book was the 7-part set of prompts toward the beginning. Otherwise, most of the commentary was simply a familiar reminder.
August 30, 2020
If I had to rate this book based on how relevant it was to my life at the time, it’d be 5 stars. I really did enjoy it and it gave me a lot to think about. HOWEVER, her other books are better, in my opinion. This one felt so short and a little repetitive...almost like it didn’t really need to be an entire book? Regardless, I recommend it. Just make sure you read her other books too!
October 23, 2020
So-so. I’ve read other books of hers and liked them much better, maybe I’ve picked up on some/most of this already. Good inspiration, but every chapter seemed pretty repetitive. I did enjoy the examples provided though of people and their experiences.
November 28, 2020
I’d give this 6 stars if I could! Loved this book and appreciate how she ties in humor with concrete ways to help us overcome guilt and insecurities so that we can do what we’re meant to do! I would recommend all of her books but this one is my favorite.
June 23, 2021
I really liked this! It’s a lighter read but I just so appreciated the family-life examples and her witness pursuing her flame amidst being a mother of 6. She is speaking of charisms and I just so appreciated the down to earth examples.
July 3, 2020
One of the best books of 2020 so far. The questions asked in the beginning were some of the most eye opening questions I've ever been asked, and have given me a lot to think about and talk to God about. Will certainly read again!
March 2, 2021
Not my favorite of her books because it is more of a self improvement type book. I like that Jennifer Fulwiler elaborates some of the ideas that came up in One Beautiful Dream but her strongest writing is when she is sharing her personal struggles and stories.
March 9, 2021
One of the best, most thought-provoking, most life-altering books I've ever read (except I listened to it). The general idea behind this book is fabulous and I agree wholeheartedly, but even more than that, the simple and small, but deeply profound, ideas she shared about just living life in general were amazing. I wish I had a way to convey how much I loved listening to this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews