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What's Your Story?: A Journal for Everyday Evolution
“ This journal is beautiful. It will help you find your voice and, finally, hold it sacred.” ― Cleo Wade, bestselling author of Heart Talk
Transformational questions for personal and collective change .
In this time of global reckoning, revolution, and reinvention, authors Rebecca Walker and Lily Diamond invite you to excavate the narratives that have shaped your life and write a new, fulfilling story for the future.
Consisting of 150+ questions―designed to be answered in as little as five minutes or as long as a lifetime― What ’ s Your Story?: A Journal for Everyday Evolution is essential for anyone ready to begin living their most authentic, creative, and meaningful life.
• Explore by area of Each chapter invites you to explore a different part of life as you move through your day―from waking up and encountering your mind, to being in relationship with your body, other people, nature, and technology, to reflecting on community, identity, and mortality.
• Explore by Five themes, color-coded throughout each chapter, allow you to explore a particular focus from beginning to creativity and self-expression; self-care; activism; spirituality; and grief, loss, and the work of healing.
“Finding the voice to know, write, and speak your story can mean the difference between an existence of repressed silence and a life of joyful fulfillment,” write the authors. “Our stories have the power to limit or liberate us.”
Transformational questions for personal and collective change .
In this time of global reckoning, revolution, and reinvention, authors Rebecca Walker and Lily Diamond invite you to excavate the narratives that have shaped your life and write a new, fulfilling story for the future.
Consisting of 150+ questions―designed to be answered in as little as five minutes or as long as a lifetime― What ’ s Your Story?: A Journal for Everyday Evolution is essential for anyone ready to begin living their most authentic, creative, and meaningful life.
• Explore by area of Each chapter invites you to explore a different part of life as you move through your day―from waking up and encountering your mind, to being in relationship with your body, other people, nature, and technology, to reflecting on community, identity, and mortality.
• Explore by Five themes, color-coded throughout each chapter, allow you to explore a particular focus from beginning to creativity and self-expression; self-care; activism; spirituality; and grief, loss, and the work of healing.
“Finding the voice to know, write, and speak your story can mean the difference between an existence of repressed silence and a life of joyful fulfillment,” write the authors. “Our stories have the power to limit or liberate us.”
232 pages, Paperback
Published December 8, 2020
42 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 10, 2024
Yeah...this book really wasn't for me. I don't even know why I have it on my Kindle in the first place. I think I must have gotten it confused with something that offered pragmatic writing advice, or maybe I mistakenly expected some useful problem solving tips? Umm..no. This was just "deepity" saturated twatwaffle, attempting to masquerade as a profound repository of inquiry & exposition.
It's actually some kind of workbook that posits a selection of questions - supposedly targeting certain aspects of your life - wherein you, the deeply dissatisfied, dormant leftist activist (I shit you not, you're supposed to revisit all of your answers through a radical, intersectional lens, taking time to find examples where your heteronormative whiteness could be interrogated...y'know, because if you aren't gay, trans or anything other than Caucasian, and you're not feeling terribly guilty about it, then you *really* need to work on that) can discover your authentic voice, identity those areas of your life that are deeply unfulfilling, and after figuring out the mental road-blocks that have held you back thus far, move forward in the world with a vision for how you can be the change you want to see in it. (Barf.)
Because what middle-class, white, liberal, straight woman DOESN'T have a life so comfortable and easy, that she doesn't need to recline on her sustainably-sourced fainting-couch, feel all "woe is me" over the fact that she has so very little to complain about, before deciding that the most appropriate course of action would be to truly "find oneself", and then get involved in some form of activism?
The questions vacillate between the mind-numbingly obvious, and the radically batshit. You can't just be happy with yourself or your life; no, if you're content with anything you need to interrogate WHY you are content and what that means in the greater sphere of things? Oh, so you're happy with your life, your partner, your family, your job, your home? WELL HOW VERY DARE YOU! Now, redo the previous section until you're able to see how you're just privileged and need to realise that not everyone on the planet has what you have, and if you aren't doing something to be part of the solution then you're part of the problem.
Then however, it's time to work on some self-care, so you can truly appreciate what your body does for you and learn to love yourself. (Barf.)
But only so that you can then do more activism...you selfish, decadent, western, coloniser! Here's some wisdom from some fecking tribe of Iroquois folk, who are inherently magical beings whose alleged faults can all be attributed to the evil white man. Everything they say is fecking gold, so you'd better start to appreciate everything they've ever said.
Now write a new life story about how you should "make space" for indigenous trans women, and how you would go about making this happen.
On and on it goes, interspersing trite bollocks you can find in any self-help guru's shitty paperback book (probably endorsed by Oprah as the latest thing that "literally saved my life - for cereals, this time!") with weird feminist crapola and reasons why you should become "authentically yourself" (unless your authentic self is already happy with your life, in which case you're just a selfish bigot) whilst also working on "holding space" for [insert allegedly oppressed demographic of choice here] so you can achieve your full potential...by being a smugly self-satisfied, workbook completing ally, full of cis, heteronormative, privileged, western guilt.
It's what you were born to do, sis!
Anyway, to summarise: this book was bollocks. The only reason I read it today was because I'm working on buying fewer books (I've only bought 4 so far this month, which isn't bad - but I'm sure the weird bints who wrote this crapfest see me as the embodiment of the "hypercapitalist consumer" they bitched about in this dumpster-fire, but that only makes me want to buy more shit I don't need, lol) and instead been "Shopping My Stash" - which basically just means going through all the books you've bought but not read and finding some forgotten titles you were once totally hyped for, only to have forgotten all about them the next time you "accidentally" found yourself in a bookstore, or got a bit tipsy and mass-purchased a dozen or so eBooks from Amazon, that have now been languishing on your Kindle for months or years.
I had no idea what this book was when I found it on my Kindle this evening. I don't remember buying it (I'm guessing it was during one of those aforementioned, slightly inebriated, Amazon shopping sessions, where the "Buy It Now" function comes back to bite you on the star at a later date) and the only positive thing about it was that it was mercifully short and only took about 45 mins to read. I have no desire to a "do the work" of answering the questions; I'm simply going to delete it and forget all about it.
I'm awarding this gash-fest a single, solitary, 1 star rating, and urge absolutely nobody to waste their time, money or energy bothering with it.
⭐
It's actually some kind of workbook that posits a selection of questions - supposedly targeting certain aspects of your life - wherein you, the deeply dissatisfied, dormant leftist activist (I shit you not, you're supposed to revisit all of your answers through a radical, intersectional lens, taking time to find examples where your heteronormative whiteness could be interrogated...y'know, because if you aren't gay, trans or anything other than Caucasian, and you're not feeling terribly guilty about it, then you *really* need to work on that) can discover your authentic voice, identity those areas of your life that are deeply unfulfilling, and after figuring out the mental road-blocks that have held you back thus far, move forward in the world with a vision for how you can be the change you want to see in it. (Barf.)
Because what middle-class, white, liberal, straight woman DOESN'T have a life so comfortable and easy, that she doesn't need to recline on her sustainably-sourced fainting-couch, feel all "woe is me" over the fact that she has so very little to complain about, before deciding that the most appropriate course of action would be to truly "find oneself", and then get involved in some form of activism?
The questions vacillate between the mind-numbingly obvious, and the radically batshit. You can't just be happy with yourself or your life; no, if you're content with anything you need to interrogate WHY you are content and what that means in the greater sphere of things? Oh, so you're happy with your life, your partner, your family, your job, your home? WELL HOW VERY DARE YOU! Now, redo the previous section until you're able to see how you're just privileged and need to realise that not everyone on the planet has what you have, and if you aren't doing something to be part of the solution then you're part of the problem.
Then however, it's time to work on some self-care, so you can truly appreciate what your body does for you and learn to love yourself. (Barf.)
But only so that you can then do more activism...you selfish, decadent, western, coloniser! Here's some wisdom from some fecking tribe of Iroquois folk, who are inherently magical beings whose alleged faults can all be attributed to the evil white man. Everything they say is fecking gold, so you'd better start to appreciate everything they've ever said.
Now write a new life story about how you should "make space" for indigenous trans women, and how you would go about making this happen.
On and on it goes, interspersing trite bollocks you can find in any self-help guru's shitty paperback book (probably endorsed by Oprah as the latest thing that "literally saved my life - for cereals, this time!") with weird feminist crapola and reasons why you should become "authentically yourself" (unless your authentic self is already happy with your life, in which case you're just a selfish bigot) whilst also working on "holding space" for [insert allegedly oppressed demographic of choice here] so you can achieve your full potential...by being a smugly self-satisfied, workbook completing ally, full of cis, heteronormative, privileged, western guilt.
It's what you were born to do, sis!
Anyway, to summarise: this book was bollocks. The only reason I read it today was because I'm working on buying fewer books (I've only bought 4 so far this month, which isn't bad - but I'm sure the weird bints who wrote this crapfest see me as the embodiment of the "hypercapitalist consumer" they bitched about in this dumpster-fire, but that only makes me want to buy more shit I don't need, lol) and instead been "Shopping My Stash" - which basically just means going through all the books you've bought but not read and finding some forgotten titles you were once totally hyped for, only to have forgotten all about them the next time you "accidentally" found yourself in a bookstore, or got a bit tipsy and mass-purchased a dozen or so eBooks from Amazon, that have now been languishing on your Kindle for months or years.
I had no idea what this book was when I found it on my Kindle this evening. I don't remember buying it (I'm guessing it was during one of those aforementioned, slightly inebriated, Amazon shopping sessions, where the "Buy It Now" function comes back to bite you on the star at a later date) and the only positive thing about it was that it was mercifully short and only took about 45 mins to read. I have no desire to a "do the work" of answering the questions; I'm simply going to delete it and forget all about it.
I'm awarding this gash-fest a single, solitary, 1 star rating, and urge absolutely nobody to waste their time, money or energy bothering with it.
⭐
October 23, 2020
What's Your Story?: A Journal for Everyday Evolution by Rebecca Walker & Lily Diamond
Publisher: Sounds True
Genre: Self-Help
Release Date: December 8, 2020
What's Your Story? by Rebecca Walker & Lily Diamond is a journal designed to help you on your self-discovery journey. It aims to ask the hard questions to draw out your truth.
The journal is designed to follow the timing of the day, but there are also five thematic tracks woven into the book that you can follow if you chose. The tracks are Creativity & Self-Expression, Self-Care, Activism, Spirituality, Greif, Loss, and The Work of Healing.
Each section asks the right questions and the journaling prompts are on point. What makes this special that it also asks the biggest question 'so what?'. Each sections pushes the writing to a point where truths can be uncovered.
I would recommend this for anyone working through something or working to push forward with their lives.
I'm so grateful to Rebecca Walker & Lily Diamond, Sounds True, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Sounds True
Genre: Self-Help
Release Date: December 8, 2020
What's Your Story? by Rebecca Walker & Lily Diamond is a journal designed to help you on your self-discovery journey. It aims to ask the hard questions to draw out your truth.
The journal is designed to follow the timing of the day, but there are also five thematic tracks woven into the book that you can follow if you chose. The tracks are Creativity & Self-Expression, Self-Care, Activism, Spirituality, Greif, Loss, and The Work of Healing.
Each section asks the right questions and the journaling prompts are on point. What makes this special that it also asks the biggest question 'so what?'. Each sections pushes the writing to a point where truths can be uncovered.
I would recommend this for anyone working through something or working to push forward with their lives.
I'm so grateful to Rebecca Walker & Lily Diamond, Sounds True, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.
February 8, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this journal was going to focus more on creating the story of your life. Focusing on your past and how that lead to your identity and figuring out who you are. Kind of a way of writing down your own biography. That's what the beginning of the journal steered towards I thought. Though it's more a braindump on thoughts about different subjects about life and the world without the depth I expected.
Every subject/theme is introduced by a ton, but a ton of questions. It's quite overwhelming on what to exactly write down and not the best guidance for discovering thoughts in a calm way. I think breaking this entire paragraph of questions into smaller sections with related questions that you can answer would work better and calms the mind a little more.
On the other hand it's a very open format that leaves a lot to the reader to interpret and write down. A true journal style, with a little bit of guidance on where to look.
I thought this journal was going to focus more on creating the story of your life. Focusing on your past and how that lead to your identity and figuring out who you are. Kind of a way of writing down your own biography. That's what the beginning of the journal steered towards I thought. Though it's more a braindump on thoughts about different subjects about life and the world without the depth I expected.
Every subject/theme is introduced by a ton, but a ton of questions. It's quite overwhelming on what to exactly write down and not the best guidance for discovering thoughts in a calm way. I think breaking this entire paragraph of questions into smaller sections with related questions that you can answer would work better and calms the mind a little more.
On the other hand it's a very open format that leaves a lot to the reader to interpret and write down. A true journal style, with a little bit of guidance on where to look.
October 8, 2020
This book was received as an ARC from Sounds True in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
This book could not have come at a better time. I have read many journals and self-help books and I especially love when the author gives the reader an opportunity to apply what they have just read into their own personal lives. Knowing your power to live your best life and that you deserve your best life is so powerful that it changes so many people's lives mentally and we all need that during this difficult time. The colors and outline used in this book was very eye-catching and straight forward that I an in high anticipation of the release for this book so I could do some of these exercises. I know this will benefit my whole life.
We will consider adding this title to our Self Help Collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
This book could not have come at a better time. I have read many journals and self-help books and I especially love when the author gives the reader an opportunity to apply what they have just read into their own personal lives. Knowing your power to live your best life and that you deserve your best life is so powerful that it changes so many people's lives mentally and we all need that during this difficult time. The colors and outline used in this book was very eye-catching and straight forward that I an in high anticipation of the release for this book so I could do some of these exercises. I know this will benefit my whole life.
We will consider adding this title to our Self Help Collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
November 18, 2020
When Rebecca Walker and Lily Diamond wrote that they spend the better part of a decade crafting this guided journal, I wholeheartedly believed them when it came to reviewing the pages in this journal. Filled with questions that are carefully crafted to help you cultivate a better story about yourself; I believe you will come to a more authentic version of you.
Whimsical pages and and inviting atmosphere is what you'll find in this journal. I've never been more excited to start a new story about my life, my values, and my beliefs.
All I can say is thank you for taking the time to write these prompts!
I gave it 4/5 stars as I prefer a more traditional guided journal and prompt layout. Whimsical is fun and writing about your life shouldn't be too serious, however for those working on real issues in their life - some pages that are deep in color. and random "artwork" may distract you from your thoughts rather than inspire them.
Whimsical pages and and inviting atmosphere is what you'll find in this journal. I've never been more excited to start a new story about my life, my values, and my beliefs.
All I can say is thank you for taking the time to write these prompts!
I gave it 4/5 stars as I prefer a more traditional guided journal and prompt layout. Whimsical is fun and writing about your life shouldn't be too serious, however for those working on real issues in their life - some pages that are deep in color. and random "artwork" may distract you from your thoughts rather than inspire them.
October 25, 2020
How frustrating is it to be told by all the different sources the things you must do to be successful in life? This book definitely does NOT do that. It instead takes an empathetic approach and gives bite size approaches and allows you to have kindness and patience with yourself when dealing with life. This is so necessary for everyone to read in life. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 26, 2021
A thoughtful, compelling guide to deepen your relationship with yourself. If you’ve ever felt averse to writing prompts of any kind this gentle guide will change your mind and meet you wherever you are. Don’t do it all at once—keep this book nearby as a companion to dip in and out of.
January 6, 2021
For me, the best journals are the ones that as the kinds of questions that seem simple and yet are subtle in their profoundness. Rebecca Walker & Lily Diamond have designed exactly such a journal that asks you questions to help you on your discovery journey.
The prompts follow a day from waking up to twilight and letting go and there are five tracks: creativity & self-expression, self-Care, activism, spirituality, grief, loss, and the work of healing. The prompts are designed such that you can follow one track all the way through the book if that's what you prefer.
the simplest journaling books can sometimes be the most powerful ones. This beautifully designed book is sure to be gold for those of us who like to take time and look within.
with gratitude to sounds true and netgalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review
The prompts follow a day from waking up to twilight and letting go and there are five tracks: creativity & self-expression, self-Care, activism, spirituality, grief, loss, and the work of healing. The prompts are designed such that you can follow one track all the way through the book if that's what you prefer.
the simplest journaling books can sometimes be the most powerful ones. This beautifully designed book is sure to be gold for those of us who like to take time and look within.
with gratitude to sounds true and netgalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review
February 2, 2021
I really liked the idea that you could examine your past, 'rewrite' or rather reframe how you tell yourself the story of your life, and in doing so break free of old patterns that aren't serving you any more. That's how the intro phrases it. That is not the book this turned out to be.
The questions - oh, so many questions! - tended to baffle and then irritate me. I didn't feel at all enlightened or helped by much of it. Of course, the use of a self-help book is in the reader, and alas I was just not 'the reader' for this - your mileage may vary.
Full review is up on my blog.
The questions - oh, so many questions! - tended to baffle and then irritate me. I didn't feel at all enlightened or helped by much of it. Of course, the use of a self-help book is in the reader, and alas I was just not 'the reader' for this - your mileage may vary.
Full review is up on my blog.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews