What do you think?
Rate this book
Life's Messy, Live Happy: Things Don't Have to Be Perfect for You to Be Content
A simple shift in thinking can change everything you believe about your own happiness.
By the time we become adults, most of us have joined the religion of suffering, which preaches that unless circumstances are controlled, life will be a mess. We compare ourselves to others and speculate about an impossible-to-know future, holding out hope for an improved life through getting ahead, fulfilling passion, or finding true love. But the idea that happiness comes from putting effort toward altering one’s circumstances is harmful and backward. What if we instead learned to understand that circumstances can rarely be controlled, and that life is, and always will be, messy?
From that starting point, we could learn to use our minds to create happiness despite life’s ever-changing circumstances and events. Life’s Messy, Live Happy by Cy Wakeman is about dramatically changing the level of happiness you feel in your daily life, by learning to disconnect happiness from external forces, stop worrying about the future, and realize that most of your negative feelings are about things that never even happened.
Wakeman is a credible, relatable teacher―a business owner, mother, and community member who has lived her philosophy and achieved profound happiness and success in a crazy, messy life. Filled with concrete daily practices and true stories that are hilarious, painful, and poignant, this book will change your perspective, your focus, and your energy level for everyday life.
By the time we become adults, most of us have joined the religion of suffering, which preaches that unless circumstances are controlled, life will be a mess. We compare ourselves to others and speculate about an impossible-to-know future, holding out hope for an improved life through getting ahead, fulfilling passion, or finding true love. But the idea that happiness comes from putting effort toward altering one’s circumstances is harmful and backward. What if we instead learned to understand that circumstances can rarely be controlled, and that life is, and always will be, messy?
From that starting point, we could learn to use our minds to create happiness despite life’s ever-changing circumstances and events. Life’s Messy, Live Happy by Cy Wakeman is about dramatically changing the level of happiness you feel in your daily life, by learning to disconnect happiness from external forces, stop worrying about the future, and realize that most of your negative feelings are about things that never even happened.
Wakeman is a credible, relatable teacher―a business owner, mother, and community member who has lived her philosophy and achieved profound happiness and success in a crazy, messy life. Filled with concrete daily practices and true stories that are hilarious, painful, and poignant, this book will change your perspective, your focus, and your energy level for everyday life.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published March 29, 2022
58 people are currently reading
3316 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
January 16, 2022
With "Life's Messy, Live Happy: Things Don't Have to Be Perfect for You to Be Content," Cy Wakeman, a successful business owner and teacher/speaker, explores how a simple change in thinking can change everything one believes about their own happiness.
Do you remember that short-lived television series called "Bob?" It starred Jason Alexander as Bob Patterson, a popular motivational speaker whose own life never quite lived up to his teachings.
I thought about "Bob" a lot while reading "Life's Messy, Live Happy," a book that seems to find its inspiration across a philosophical Grand Canyon of sorts with pieces of prosperity thinking/theology, A Course in Miracles ("Nothing but Love is Real" came to mind again and again), and a host of others as Wakeman shares story after story about her own life and how she used shifts in thinking and in her own language to right her own course and get herself back on the right path.
At the core of "Life's Messy, Live Happy" is Wakeman herself, an arguably successful business owner, mother, and community member who has experienced business success amidst having also experienced a variety of life challenges including financial losses, divorces, the pandemic, and family stressors among others.
The problem, at least for me, is that at no point in "Life's Messy, Live Happy" did I ever actually feel Wakeman's happiness or, for that matter, contentment. As we get toward book's end, she begins to identify finding herself in a meaningful community and happy parenting but a good majority of "Life's Messy, Live Happy" finds Wakeman mired in the muck and simply changing her attitude to get through it all.
First off, there's very little in "Life's Messy, Live Happy" that is actually new in the spectrum of self-help. It's not new material. There aren't really any new insights. There's no new research, in fact no communicated "facts" at all, indicating validation for this material. Quite often, "Life's Messy, Live Happy" reads like "I do this. It works for me. You should do this. If you don't, you're stupid and going to stay stuck." No, she doesn't say these things literally, but it's the prosperity theology bones in this literary structure basically saying you determine your own outcome. While I certainly agree that attitude matters, self-talk matters, and we can impact our experiences by changing these things, an awful lot of "Life's Messy, Live Happy" feels more like a control freak grabbing for control in difficult circumstances than someone actually healing themselves through a different approach to difficult circumstances.
I wanted to love "Life's Messy, Live Happy" and I fully expected to do so. However, the book often felt to me like a self-help guru's condescending lectures on everything I'm doing wrong followed by overly simplistic fixes promising miracles without any evidence. Wakeman herself acknowledges that her own life was mired in muck while she was writing this book, less than two years ago, largely a result of multiple losses and financial uncertainties that were pandemic related.
"Life's Messy, Live Happy" comes off as condescending, arrogant, and narcissistic.
For example, Wakeman has a chapter here based upon reframing situations with the word "given," an approach that encourages a change in perspective and self-talk. However, what I found interesting was that Wakeman's approach was to apply this technique toward employees uncertain and uneasy about returning to the office during a still raging pandemic. So, she basically applies her technique outside herself by encouraging these employees to say "Given I want to keep my job and I'm required to return to the office, how can I...."
What a complete jerk.
She never once goes internal and says "Given my employees are concerned about returning to the work setting amidst a pandemic, how can I as their leader better support them?"
In fact, nearly every example Wakeman provides finds the core problem outside herself. Relationship failures? It was the men. Business failures? It was the circumstances or the employees or the pandemic.
There's a story involving Wakeman's sister receiving an organ transplant that Wakeman quite literally says "I got her..." I half pictured Wakeman herself in the operating room doing the surgery. However, the crux of the story is that the sister didn't really express gratitude for her sister and family's support and, in fact, seemingly rebelled against the experience. Wakeman's "woke" moment seems to involve that she was "giving" too much to her sister and giving help that wasn't being asked for.
For the record, that's not giving. That's called being a control freak.
I would argue that there are healthy teachings in "Life's Messy, Live Happy" but that, perhaps, Wakeman isn't yet far enough away from the muck to have written them with clarity and fullness of meaning. Rather than being inspired by "Life's Messy, Live Happy," I often found myself troubled by it and even outright depressed by Wakeman's stories of surviving life's messiness by changing her self-talk and choosing a different attitude but never really exploring the roots of how that muck and mire developed in the first place. She starts to get there in exploring a common factor in her two divorces, yet she seems to always return to overly simplified catch phrases rather than digging deeper.
There's an obvious goodness to Wakeman, a fact evidenced by a 30-year friend who wanted Wakeman by her side in her final days with cancer and by Wakeman's ability to maintain financial success even through a variety of hardships. I really wanted "Life's Messy, Live Happy" to more deeply explore the foundation of these successes because I can't help but think that's where we'd find the answers to how one maintains contentment even when the surrounding world is chaotic and unstable and sad and filled with life's great challenges.
However, "Life's Messy, Live Happy" never quite gets there. Instead, much of "Life's Messy, Live Happy" feels like, at least to me, condescending one-note advice giving that's turned outward instead of inward. It too often feels like "Bob," a consummate adviser who never quite fully grasps his own advice. There's a "fake it til' you make it" mentality here that can certainly work in some life circumstances, but it also speaks much of her own privilege and it just plain doesn't always work AND, perhaps most important, is woefully lacking in humanity.
I'm thrilled when people resonate with a book. There's no doubt there will be others who proclaim here the kernels of wisdom they take from "Life's Messy, Live Happy" and for that I'm grateful. We all need different tools to guide us along our life journeys and while one may not work for me others will find it extraordinarily meaningful.
All I can do is share my own experiences. For me, "Life's Messy, Live Happy" projects teachings that I find unhealthy and, perhaps, this is why I'm much more passionate than usual in my critique of the book. As someone who has lived in the worlds of prosperity and new thought-styled philosophy, I've sought to explore different and more meaningful ways of manifesting my own successes, positive self-talk, and ways of getting through life's hardest times.
Despite everything, I do essentially agree with the very fundamental message here - when life gets messy, it is still possible to survive and thrive.
Do you remember that short-lived television series called "Bob?" It starred Jason Alexander as Bob Patterson, a popular motivational speaker whose own life never quite lived up to his teachings.
I thought about "Bob" a lot while reading "Life's Messy, Live Happy," a book that seems to find its inspiration across a philosophical Grand Canyon of sorts with pieces of prosperity thinking/theology, A Course in Miracles ("Nothing but Love is Real" came to mind again and again), and a host of others as Wakeman shares story after story about her own life and how she used shifts in thinking and in her own language to right her own course and get herself back on the right path.
At the core of "Life's Messy, Live Happy" is Wakeman herself, an arguably successful business owner, mother, and community member who has experienced business success amidst having also experienced a variety of life challenges including financial losses, divorces, the pandemic, and family stressors among others.
The problem, at least for me, is that at no point in "Life's Messy, Live Happy" did I ever actually feel Wakeman's happiness or, for that matter, contentment. As we get toward book's end, she begins to identify finding herself in a meaningful community and happy parenting but a good majority of "Life's Messy, Live Happy" finds Wakeman mired in the muck and simply changing her attitude to get through it all.
First off, there's very little in "Life's Messy, Live Happy" that is actually new in the spectrum of self-help. It's not new material. There aren't really any new insights. There's no new research, in fact no communicated "facts" at all, indicating validation for this material. Quite often, "Life's Messy, Live Happy" reads like "I do this. It works for me. You should do this. If you don't, you're stupid and going to stay stuck." No, she doesn't say these things literally, but it's the prosperity theology bones in this literary structure basically saying you determine your own outcome. While I certainly agree that attitude matters, self-talk matters, and we can impact our experiences by changing these things, an awful lot of "Life's Messy, Live Happy" feels more like a control freak grabbing for control in difficult circumstances than someone actually healing themselves through a different approach to difficult circumstances.
I wanted to love "Life's Messy, Live Happy" and I fully expected to do so. However, the book often felt to me like a self-help guru's condescending lectures on everything I'm doing wrong followed by overly simplistic fixes promising miracles without any evidence. Wakeman herself acknowledges that her own life was mired in muck while she was writing this book, less than two years ago, largely a result of multiple losses and financial uncertainties that were pandemic related.
"Life's Messy, Live Happy" comes off as condescending, arrogant, and narcissistic.
For example, Wakeman has a chapter here based upon reframing situations with the word "given," an approach that encourages a change in perspective and self-talk. However, what I found interesting was that Wakeman's approach was to apply this technique toward employees uncertain and uneasy about returning to the office during a still raging pandemic. So, she basically applies her technique outside herself by encouraging these employees to say "Given I want to keep my job and I'm required to return to the office, how can I...."
What a complete jerk.
She never once goes internal and says "Given my employees are concerned about returning to the work setting amidst a pandemic, how can I as their leader better support them?"
In fact, nearly every example Wakeman provides finds the core problem outside herself. Relationship failures? It was the men. Business failures? It was the circumstances or the employees or the pandemic.
There's a story involving Wakeman's sister receiving an organ transplant that Wakeman quite literally says "I got her..." I half pictured Wakeman herself in the operating room doing the surgery. However, the crux of the story is that the sister didn't really express gratitude for her sister and family's support and, in fact, seemingly rebelled against the experience. Wakeman's "woke" moment seems to involve that she was "giving" too much to her sister and giving help that wasn't being asked for.
For the record, that's not giving. That's called being a control freak.
I would argue that there are healthy teachings in "Life's Messy, Live Happy" but that, perhaps, Wakeman isn't yet far enough away from the muck to have written them with clarity and fullness of meaning. Rather than being inspired by "Life's Messy, Live Happy," I often found myself troubled by it and even outright depressed by Wakeman's stories of surviving life's messiness by changing her self-talk and choosing a different attitude but never really exploring the roots of how that muck and mire developed in the first place. She starts to get there in exploring a common factor in her two divorces, yet she seems to always return to overly simplified catch phrases rather than digging deeper.
There's an obvious goodness to Wakeman, a fact evidenced by a 30-year friend who wanted Wakeman by her side in her final days with cancer and by Wakeman's ability to maintain financial success even through a variety of hardships. I really wanted "Life's Messy, Live Happy" to more deeply explore the foundation of these successes because I can't help but think that's where we'd find the answers to how one maintains contentment even when the surrounding world is chaotic and unstable and sad and filled with life's great challenges.
However, "Life's Messy, Live Happy" never quite gets there. Instead, much of "Life's Messy, Live Happy" feels like, at least to me, condescending one-note advice giving that's turned outward instead of inward. It too often feels like "Bob," a consummate adviser who never quite fully grasps his own advice. There's a "fake it til' you make it" mentality here that can certainly work in some life circumstances, but it also speaks much of her own privilege and it just plain doesn't always work AND, perhaps most important, is woefully lacking in humanity.
I'm thrilled when people resonate with a book. There's no doubt there will be others who proclaim here the kernels of wisdom they take from "Life's Messy, Live Happy" and for that I'm grateful. We all need different tools to guide us along our life journeys and while one may not work for me others will find it extraordinarily meaningful.
All I can do is share my own experiences. For me, "Life's Messy, Live Happy" projects teachings that I find unhealthy and, perhaps, this is why I'm much more passionate than usual in my critique of the book. As someone who has lived in the worlds of prosperity and new thought-styled philosophy, I've sought to explore different and more meaningful ways of manifesting my own successes, positive self-talk, and ways of getting through life's hardest times.
Despite everything, I do essentially agree with the very fundamental message here - when life gets messy, it is still possible to survive and thrive.
March 9, 2022
Learn how to view life differently to boost daily happiness, says author Cy Wakeman -- mother, business owner -- with examples from her own life. Let go of focusing on the past and the future and focus on today, she adds, while sharing helpful practices and real stories from others learning to be happy in their messy lives. I found this book to be incredibly helpful in my own efforts to life a more contented life, with gratitude underpinning it all. Out March 29.
Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
#lifesmessylivehappy #cywakeman #stmartinspress #netgalley
Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
#lifesmessylivehappy #cywakeman #stmartinspress #netgalley
Want to read
April 8, 2022DNF. Unfortunately, this was a book I started multiple times but could just not get into. I do read a lot of personal development books in general, and this one just felt a bit lacking in the nuances of daily life. I appreciate having the opportunity to read this book, it was just not a good fit for me as a reader. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted review copy.
December 9, 2024
A reassuring read. I feel this book will of much help for the middle aged and above. The book is meant for older adults.
If you are in your mid twenties and thirties, you will gain the most out of this book.
Unresolved issues, midlife crises, stress, anxiety, professional and personal issues: this book will help you reflect and understand how you can tackle them with the best possible approach available to you.
Such a refreshing read. It indeed made me calm and relaxed after having read the book.
If you are in your mid twenties and thirties, you will gain the most out of this book.
Unresolved issues, midlife crises, stress, anxiety, professional and personal issues: this book will help you reflect and understand how you can tackle them with the best possible approach available to you.
Such a refreshing read. It indeed made me calm and relaxed after having read the book.
March 16, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review a copy of this book. I'm sad to say I am not the audience for this book. The idea is one I can totally get behind. However, this book came off really holier than thou and as if you can just think your way out of poor mental health. I liked some of the strategies for changing your mindset, but by the end I just could not stand this lady. I'm sure she's great in person but this book wasn't for me.
February 28, 2022
What I loved about Cy Wakeman's autobiographical self-help book, LIFE'S MESSY, LIVE HAPPY is her willingness to air her dirty laundry of two divorces, raising four boys (at times eight boys when counting step-children), homelessness, and thriving as a successful businesswoman. Some people would keep certain things hidden, masked if you will, to only show their highlight reel. Not Wakeman.
The other great thing about her personality is that she acknowledges where she is privileged. At times, perhaps she wasn't. When her first long-term relationship ended, she called to her father for help. She wanted to go back home. (I've done that - twice.) But her father rejected her which caused years of distance and walls between them. She went to live by a lake in a tent and would shower at her office. Wakeman isn't resentful. She loved her time at the water which is an image that repeats throughout her life. The more recent anecdotes have her living out the COVID-19 pandemic at her house in Mexico on the oceanfront. From a tent to multiple houses and appearing on television's Say Yes to the Dress.
To be honest, when I read the title, I expected a vapid self-help book from someone with so much privilege and no sense of "the real world" that it would a quick read leaving me unmoved. I am happy to be wrong. Though there are parts I believe an editor should have suggested cutting out, like an entire chapter in italics of a letter the author wrote to one of her sons. It's lengthy and offers nothing to the reading. It may have been cathartic for Wakeman to write it, but even in non-fiction every component has to be relevant. This chapter simply wasn't.
There's more memoir than advice. According to research, (I was listening to an episode of Science Vs podcast embedded), people remember personal anecdotes better than statistics. Wakeman could have approached this book with globs of data and science about mindfulness, self-care, trauma and abuse, and divorce; she didn't. She opted for very detailed, sometimes repetitive, personal stories. They make an impact. They give a reader something to then tell a friend or client when recommending this book.
LIFE'S MESSY, LIVE HAPPY is a book that I allowed to germinate as I took almost a month to read it. Wakeman breaks down what it is that people want from other people: to be chosen. This is often engrained in girls. She clearly wants people who are at the stage of looking for partners (life or business) to learn from her mistakes and lessons. Maybe you're searching for a job. Wakeman wants you to consider that your idea of a "dream" job doesn't have to be what society defines as successful like a corner office with underlings or being internet famous. The position that's truly the best for YOU and can accommodate your needs and your goals. She wants that to be a place that allows you to grow and welcomes your talent.
Okay, that's often easy as a dream than reality. How many of us end up in dead end jobs for the paycheck? I'd say 99% of friends. Yet a few do find their ways to what seems like their "dream" jobs only to find that they have no time for themselves, their families, they're exhausted, they need to be "on" all the time, emails never end, and what was a dream ends up a big disappointment. Dead end and low on the ladder in a warehouse or one of the big dogs with a New York salary? LIFE'S MESSY asks you to figure out your needs.
The chapter "Love Big and Let Go" features an incredible story of Wakeman's time as a social worker when an African father was going through the death of his six-year-old daughter. I want you to read that! The TL;dr is that people view death in very different ways. In this father's culture, he wasn't groomed to be sobbing, wailing, and depressed. He saw dying young as a bit of a blessing because someone so young has not had the time to see the injustices and violence of the world. She was just a little girl riding her bike and loving life.
Wakeman's themes run through a variety of what it is to be human: forgiveness, vulnerability, living with anger and resentment, ending and beginnings, grief, growth, and acceptance. She pretty much covers the Serenity Prayer but with her own words.
Summary:
Cy Wakeman's memoir/self-help book, Life's Messy, Live Happy: Things Don't Have to be Perfect for You to be Content is one I recommend. It will not be relatable to everyone -- as noted, she checks her privilege -- yet, I believe that her heartful stories can inspire anyone. If you like Brené Brown, you'll like this.
The other great thing about her personality is that she acknowledges where she is privileged. At times, perhaps she wasn't. When her first long-term relationship ended, she called to her father for help. She wanted to go back home. (I've done that - twice.) But her father rejected her which caused years of distance and walls between them. She went to live by a lake in a tent and would shower at her office. Wakeman isn't resentful. She loved her time at the water which is an image that repeats throughout her life. The more recent anecdotes have her living out the COVID-19 pandemic at her house in Mexico on the oceanfront. From a tent to multiple houses and appearing on television's Say Yes to the Dress.
"No success, no achievement, no compliment or accolade will heal old wounds or bestow a sense of being worthy. Knowing that you are enough is an inner game. It comes from accepting yourself fully, from being your own source of love and abundance."
To be honest, when I read the title, I expected a vapid self-help book from someone with so much privilege and no sense of "the real world" that it would a quick read leaving me unmoved. I am happy to be wrong. Though there are parts I believe an editor should have suggested cutting out, like an entire chapter in italics of a letter the author wrote to one of her sons. It's lengthy and offers nothing to the reading. It may have been cathartic for Wakeman to write it, but even in non-fiction every component has to be relevant. This chapter simply wasn't.
There's more memoir than advice. According to research, (I was listening to an episode of Science Vs podcast embedded), people remember personal anecdotes better than statistics. Wakeman could have approached this book with globs of data and science about mindfulness, self-care, trauma and abuse, and divorce; she didn't. She opted for very detailed, sometimes repetitive, personal stories. They make an impact. They give a reader something to then tell a friend or client when recommending this book.
LIFE'S MESSY, LIVE HAPPY is a book that I allowed to germinate as I took almost a month to read it. Wakeman breaks down what it is that people want from other people: to be chosen. This is often engrained in girls. She clearly wants people who are at the stage of looking for partners (life or business) to learn from her mistakes and lessons. Maybe you're searching for a job. Wakeman wants you to consider that your idea of a "dream" job doesn't have to be what society defines as successful like a corner office with underlings or being internet famous. The position that's truly the best for YOU and can accommodate your needs and your goals. She wants that to be a place that allows you to grow and welcomes your talent.
Okay, that's often easy as a dream than reality. How many of us end up in dead end jobs for the paycheck? I'd say 99% of friends. Yet a few do find their ways to what seems like their "dream" jobs only to find that they have no time for themselves, their families, they're exhausted, they need to be "on" all the time, emails never end, and what was a dream ends up a big disappointment. Dead end and low on the ladder in a warehouse or one of the big dogs with a New York salary? LIFE'S MESSY asks you to figure out your needs.
The chapter "Love Big and Let Go" features an incredible story of Wakeman's time as a social worker when an African father was going through the death of his six-year-old daughter. I want you to read that! The TL;dr is that people view death in very different ways. In this father's culture, he wasn't groomed to be sobbing, wailing, and depressed. He saw dying young as a bit of a blessing because someone so young has not had the time to see the injustices and violence of the world. She was just a little girl riding her bike and loving life.
Wakeman's themes run through a variety of what it is to be human: forgiveness, vulnerability, living with anger and resentment, ending and beginnings, grief, growth, and acceptance. She pretty much covers the Serenity Prayer but with her own words.
Summary:
Cy Wakeman's memoir/self-help book, Life's Messy, Live Happy: Things Don't Have to be Perfect for You to be Content is one I recommend. It will not be relatable to everyone -- as noted, she checks her privilege -- yet, I believe that her heartful stories can inspire anyone. If you like Brené Brown, you'll like this.
March 28, 2022
This is a bit different self-help book and I like it. Rather than trying to make life less messy, Wakeman offers strategies to help us walk through the messiness of life more skillfully. She shares ideas and strategies she has developed through her own deeply personal work and her work with clients. She says the most important life lesson she has discovered is that you can be happy even when your life is a mess. (119/2702)
Some of Wakeman's ideas will be familiar to those who have read other self-help books. Keeping a gratitude journal, for example, is a well known beneficial habit. But Wakeman adds her unconventional wisdom to the practice. She writes about transcending duality, refusing to label experiences good or bad. She suggests rejoicing in all of each day and she provides thought provoking questions to go deep into reflection on daily events and actions.
I like her teaching on the philosophy of “and” rather than “or.” I really appreciate her teaching on fear (false events appear real) and reality. Her distinction between self-soothing and self-care is insightful. She gives us questions to ask about our motives for forgiveness, taking us through her own process. And that is just some of the wisdom she shares.
The second half of the book is more personal reflection, exploring thoughts and sharing her experiences on forgiveness, apology, making amends, death, self advocacy, wading into a mess deeply enough to get answers, and more.
This is a good self-help book, born out of Wakeman's experiences. She provides good teaching and practical suggestions for carrying out that teaching. This is a good book to read when life is a mess. You won't be given any promises that this book will cure the mess. Rather, you'll receive teaching born from experience on how to live best in that mess.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
Some of Wakeman's ideas will be familiar to those who have read other self-help books. Keeping a gratitude journal, for example, is a well known beneficial habit. But Wakeman adds her unconventional wisdom to the practice. She writes about transcending duality, refusing to label experiences good or bad. She suggests rejoicing in all of each day and she provides thought provoking questions to go deep into reflection on daily events and actions.
I like her teaching on the philosophy of “and” rather than “or.” I really appreciate her teaching on fear (false events appear real) and reality. Her distinction between self-soothing and self-care is insightful. She gives us questions to ask about our motives for forgiveness, taking us through her own process. And that is just some of the wisdom she shares.
The second half of the book is more personal reflection, exploring thoughts and sharing her experiences on forgiveness, apology, making amends, death, self advocacy, wading into a mess deeply enough to get answers, and more.
This is a good self-help book, born out of Wakeman's experiences. She provides good teaching and practical suggestions for carrying out that teaching. This is a good book to read when life is a mess. You won't be given any promises that this book will cure the mess. Rather, you'll receive teaching born from experience on how to live best in that mess.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
March 8, 2022
I won this book in a Good Reads giveaway. Thank you!
I am not one to read self-help books because the few that I have tried were either too confusing, filled with 'fluff', too scientific and boring. I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. However, am I glad that I had a chance to read it. It's written in a way that is relatable and easily comprehensible. I liked that the author didn't sound like a pompous ass doling out 'life changing' advice. Nope. Cy Wakeman is humble and readily admits to mistakes she has made, and doesn't try to paint her life as 'picture perfect' just because she writes self-help books. These are the types of people that I would rather listen to..........the ones that can admit they f*cked up, f*cked up again, and eventually learned from their mistakes and how to work through them. These are the types of people that even when life was throwing sh*t at them every which way, they managed to muddle through each experience and walk away stronger, albeit a bit bruised. LOL. This book was a fun and enjoyable read. It had my attention right from the start and had me having those 'aha!' and 'ooohh yeah!' moments/thoughts in every chapter. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting some insight on the messiness of life and how to improve some of the ways we think and how we perceive 'negative' situations.
I am not one to read self-help books because the few that I have tried were either too confusing, filled with 'fluff', too scientific and boring. I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. However, am I glad that I had a chance to read it. It's written in a way that is relatable and easily comprehensible. I liked that the author didn't sound like a pompous ass doling out 'life changing' advice. Nope. Cy Wakeman is humble and readily admits to mistakes she has made, and doesn't try to paint her life as 'picture perfect' just because she writes self-help books. These are the types of people that I would rather listen to..........the ones that can admit they f*cked up, f*cked up again, and eventually learned from their mistakes and how to work through them. These are the types of people that even when life was throwing sh*t at them every which way, they managed to muddle through each experience and walk away stronger, albeit a bit bruised. LOL. This book was a fun and enjoyable read. It had my attention right from the start and had me having those 'aha!' and 'ooohh yeah!' moments/thoughts in every chapter. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting some insight on the messiness of life and how to improve some of the ways we think and how we perceive 'negative' situations.
July 23, 2022
The messages were fine. Prioritize yourself. Find completeness in you. Reframe your thoughts. Even when everything is messy there are lessons and opportunities to be happy. My rating of 2 isn't because of the messages. It is because she retells stories in other chapters, sometimes back to back, as if they were new topics. It is like a conversation with a narcissist they just want to keep telling about themselves and they will tell the same story reframing each time for ways they were a victim or hero.
There is a strange letter to her son... which seemed less like a chapter and more like a public appogy or listing of all the ways the author's committed wrongs were justified to herself. She told us how to apologize and how to accept apologies you never get... but her letter sounds more like the criticisms she rights about her father's treatment and lack of apology. I wonder if her son was writing her out of his life as he read that chapter... or getting the apology he needed to move on with the relationship.
Her chapter on death and acceptance offered unique perspective that I hadn't really thought about. But her message about "practice dying" is dangerous. There are reports out there that many actual suicides were "practice", calls for help, wanting to get to the brink the author refers to in her experience when she almost drowned. Practice by society isn't considered corpse pose in yoga. Practice is scary and should not be advocated for.
There is a strange letter to her son... which seemed less like a chapter and more like a public appogy or listing of all the ways the author's committed wrongs were justified to herself. She told us how to apologize and how to accept apologies you never get... but her letter sounds more like the criticisms she rights about her father's treatment and lack of apology. I wonder if her son was writing her out of his life as he read that chapter... or getting the apology he needed to move on with the relationship.
Her chapter on death and acceptance offered unique perspective that I hadn't really thought about. But her message about "practice dying" is dangerous. There are reports out there that many actual suicides were "practice", calls for help, wanting to get to the brink the author refers to in her experience when she almost drowned. Practice by society isn't considered corpse pose in yoga. Practice is scary and should not be advocated for.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2021
The message behind this book I think is an important one to hear and is right in the title. The idea that you can only be happy if you have everything under control is a pretty pervasive one and also sets people up for failure. The truth is you can be happy even if things in your life are somewhat messy. The book set out to make the case for why that is so, and how you can achieve it. I think it is important to note that this book is more based on the author's personal experience than science. If you are looking for data-driven writing, look to another book. If you are looking for a personal story used to set out how messy happiness can be achieved this is a good title for you. The part of the book I find the most interesting was about the use of language, basically, how are you taking to yourself when challenges arise.
I received an ARC copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. This is my honest review.
I received an ARC copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. This is my honest review.
November 1, 2021
“You don’t have to be perfect to be content.” The main takeaway from this book is so simple and important. I learned so much reading this and highly recommend it. Great points and easy to understand. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.
March 10, 2022
I almost put this book down soon after I started it. The author spends a lot of time in the beginning of the book telling the reader of her accomplishments and successes; it came across as very self-aggrandizing. and really got under my skin.
After deciding to give the author the benefit of the doubt (perhaps this was her way of saying even hugely successful people have messy lives), I read further. The more I read, I came to appreciate that she was showing herself in a very open and vulnerable way, detailing her failures and mistakes and sharing what she learned from them. This was true even when the story portrayed her in a very negative light. There's something about that "here I am, warts and all" honesty that must be admired.
Is this ground-breaking material? No. But I still found it to be worth the read.
My thanks to St. Martin's Press for allowing me access to an e-ARC of this book (scheduled for publication 3/29/22) via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.
After deciding to give the author the benefit of the doubt (perhaps this was her way of saying even hugely successful people have messy lives), I read further. The more I read, I came to appreciate that she was showing herself in a very open and vulnerable way, detailing her failures and mistakes and sharing what she learned from them. This was true even when the story portrayed her in a very negative light. There's something about that "here I am, warts and all" honesty that must be admired.
Is this ground-breaking material? No. But I still found it to be worth the read.
My thanks to St. Martin's Press for allowing me access to an e-ARC of this book (scheduled for publication 3/29/22) via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.
March 29, 2022
I wanted to love this book, but I found it just ok. The author shares some useful tips for improving your mindset, but given the title of the book, I was disappointed that I didn’t sense much happiness from her. The book comes across as more memoir than self-help, and I didn’t resonate with the author as much as I would have liked. I do think she has learned from her mistakes, at least somewhat, but her assurances of how much she has learned and how peaceful, loving, and content she is now didn’t quite ring true. Perhaps it was just her writing style, but it seemed like she still has a lot of bitterness and resentment.
The author shared some instructive stories about gratitude, worthiness, and forgiveness, and I loved her story about making snow angels with her brother. While I didn’t love the book, I didn’t feel like I’d wasted time reading it.
I was provided an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.
The author shared some instructive stories about gratitude, worthiness, and forgiveness, and I loved her story about making snow angels with her brother. While I didn’t love the book, I didn’t feel like I’d wasted time reading it.
I was provided an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.
Read
December 19, 2022Life's Messy, Live Happy is about taking life in stride. Author Cy Wakeman shares many anecdotes from her life that have helped her face hardships and come out on the other side. I liked the focus on gratitude and generosity as well as identifying the simple things in life to be grounded in the moment and recognizing that nothing can change those facts.
I read a lot of non-fiction and, personally, the writing style did not resonate with me so much. Content wise, books like Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking by Jon Acuff and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson are powerful reads that cover some similar topics as this book, and align better with my personal taste, However, Life's Messy, Live Happy definitely has a place and time. It just wasn't for me.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
I read a lot of non-fiction and, personally, the writing style did not resonate with me so much. Content wise, books like Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking by Jon Acuff and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson are powerful reads that cover some similar topics as this book, and align better with my personal taste, However, Life's Messy, Live Happy definitely has a place and time. It just wasn't for me.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 26, 2022
The author of Life’s Messy Live Happy uses her own life experiences to show how reframing our self-talk will make us healthier and happier.
The book reads more like a memoir with some common pop psychology thrown in than a true step-by-step self-help guide. The author has gone through some stuff. I get it. Hasn’t everyone?
I’m not sure if blaming everything bad on someone else, as the author does, is necessarily the heathiest perspective. What if something you are doing is to blame? Wouldn’t it be better to recognize it and correct it than continuing to face pain again and again?
Overall, Life’s Messy Live Happy didn’t seem as well organized or useful as other self-help books I’ve read. 2 stars.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
The book reads more like a memoir with some common pop psychology thrown in than a true step-by-step self-help guide. The author has gone through some stuff. I get it. Hasn’t everyone?
I’m not sure if blaming everything bad on someone else, as the author does, is necessarily the heathiest perspective. What if something you are doing is to blame? Wouldn’t it be better to recognize it and correct it than continuing to face pain again and again?
Overall, Life’s Messy Live Happy didn’t seem as well organized or useful as other self-help books I’ve read. 2 stars.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
April 24, 2022
Cy Wakeman's books have changed my management style, how I view my job, how I can be a better employee, and even how I think about the way I live my life. I love her tips, philosophy and challenges.
This book, unfortunately fell short for me. I enjoyed the first part, but a lot of this was self revelation and life stories that didn't translate to me today. It made me aware of how she became the person she is today, a lot of focus on ended marriages and her mindset before during and after. It seemed more of a personal story that she needed to write for herself, than anything that needed to be read by others.
This book, unfortunately fell short for me. I enjoyed the first part, but a lot of this was self revelation and life stories that didn't translate to me today. It made me aware of how she became the person she is today, a lot of focus on ended marriages and her mindset before during and after. It seemed more of a personal story that she needed to write for herself, than anything that needed to be read by others.
May 23, 2022
Some helpful ideas, but, the author read the book, and truthfully, totally awful, she pretty much speaks in broken halting sentences, awful! Also have trouble getting advice from someone about marriage difficulties and she has had two as she calls not failed marriages but life experience relationships. Baloney!!! Yeah yeah life is messy, but just believing in ourselves and doing better is pretty simple advice. My twelve year old could figure that out. Take a hike Cy, by the water somewhere and heal thyself with peace and pelicans, happy horseshit!!!
July 25, 2023
In Life’s Messy, Live Happy, Cy Wakeman teaches readers how to find happiness and learning to be content no matter what we face in life. She explained how she had a messy life. She made some bad choices when she was in her 20s. She was dating the wrong type of guy. She got involved in drugs, alcohol, and wanted him to love her. In school, she was determined to get straight A’s and being the teacher’s pet and wanted to be perfect. He ended up cheating on her with her best friend and she struggled with leaving him. Each time he would become more demanding. A counselor ended up helping her on the road to recovery and she found healing.
She shared how her best friend died from stage four breast cancer. She met her at a Behavioral Health center and they became fast friends for over 30 years. She explained how they relied on gratitude and tried to focus on being present in the moment. She revealed key principles she used to create a gratitude practice. Some these included, “acknowledge impermanence, if not grateful for, then grateful while, develop mental flexibility, stay curious, just to name a few. She teaches readers how to learn to breathe, learning to feel your emotions, become generous, and asking questions.
One of the most powerful lessons in the book was the key word, “given”. This can assist us in reframe our thinking and our obstacles. It helped us to see the potential and to witness how it could be. We can stop focusing on why something can’t happen. This provide people a way to rethink about what they are thinking about and to see the possibilities. This will become a powerful tool for us to use to happily enjoy the moment.
In the book, she opened up about how she struggled in her marriage. She faced money problems when her consulting company went out of business. She lost lucrative contracts and should have written up cancellation policies. Her husband felt betrayed and her also invested in her dream. It led to conflicts in their marriage. After 23 years of marriage, he wanted to get a divorce. He almost died 5 years before that when he fell into a pool and hit his head and she saved him. He chose to leave her and his four sons. She explained her experiences with her two marriages. She also shared how her husband was also having multiple affairs. She revealed in the book how she dealt with the changes and how she found clarity.
I would recommend this impactful book to anyone who is seeking happiness and contentment and they are tired of feeling stressed out. I immensely loved how principles she enclosed in this book and how she was very open in sharing how she had to learn to happy going through difficult life changes. I liked how she explained how we can all learn to recover from self-abandonment and to give ourselves compassion and not be too hard on ourselves. She covered a wide range of topics and how she discovered her own happiness. Her story is a very relatable story for readers to connect with.
"I received this book free from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press for my honest review.”
She shared how her best friend died from stage four breast cancer. She met her at a Behavioral Health center and they became fast friends for over 30 years. She explained how they relied on gratitude and tried to focus on being present in the moment. She revealed key principles she used to create a gratitude practice. Some these included, “acknowledge impermanence, if not grateful for, then grateful while, develop mental flexibility, stay curious, just to name a few. She teaches readers how to learn to breathe, learning to feel your emotions, become generous, and asking questions.
One of the most powerful lessons in the book was the key word, “given”. This can assist us in reframe our thinking and our obstacles. It helped us to see the potential and to witness how it could be. We can stop focusing on why something can’t happen. This provide people a way to rethink about what they are thinking about and to see the possibilities. This will become a powerful tool for us to use to happily enjoy the moment.
In the book, she opened up about how she struggled in her marriage. She faced money problems when her consulting company went out of business. She lost lucrative contracts and should have written up cancellation policies. Her husband felt betrayed and her also invested in her dream. It led to conflicts in their marriage. After 23 years of marriage, he wanted to get a divorce. He almost died 5 years before that when he fell into a pool and hit his head and she saved him. He chose to leave her and his four sons. She explained her experiences with her two marriages. She also shared how her husband was also having multiple affairs. She revealed in the book how she dealt with the changes and how she found clarity.
I would recommend this impactful book to anyone who is seeking happiness and contentment and they are tired of feeling stressed out. I immensely loved how principles she enclosed in this book and how she was very open in sharing how she had to learn to happy going through difficult life changes. I liked how she explained how we can all learn to recover from self-abandonment and to give ourselves compassion and not be too hard on ourselves. She covered a wide range of topics and how she discovered her own happiness. Her story is a very relatable story for readers to connect with.
"I received this book free from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press for my honest review.”
March 30, 2022
This is half self-help and half autobiography. Cy Wakeman opens up to the reader about her life to show she knows how messy life is.
Life’s Messy, Live Happy Cy Wakeman is about dramatically changing the level of happiness you feel in your daily life, by learning to disconnect happiness from external forces and stop worrying about the future. a business owner, mother, and community member Wakeman has lived her philosophy and achieved happiness in her messy life. Including daily practices and true stories, Wakeman is open about her life and shares it with the readers. This helps the reader understand how her philosophy came about and how it works.
I liked that there is no ignoring of pain and magical getting over trauma. Wakeman tells us how she slowly got through things in her life and shares those methods so we can do the same. She also reminds us trauma, pain, and sadness are a natural part of life, and you can not get rid of them completely. Instead, she deals with how one copes and builds on their experiences to be stronger and happier.
There are many helpful practices but the book is also an autobiography and I feel like it was more therapeutic for the author. Readers understand that she isn't some rich woman in a high rise looking down at them. Instead, they see that she had experienced the same things they have. Plus, it's nice to feel a part of Wakeman's healing.
This is a more “jolly” self-help. Wakeman takes darkness into light and encourages readers to do the same.
I received an ARC from the publisher; all opinions are my own.
March 31, 2022
An Autobiographical Self Help Book
The title of this book says it all. Life isn’t perfect. If you focus on how terrible things are they won’t get better, and you will be miserable. In addition to giving ideas for how to move from focusing on the past and future and how your life is going wrong, the author offers suggestions on how to frame your thinking to move on and accept that things are not going to be perfect, but you can enjoy life anyway.
The first half of the book gives suggestions for how to reorient your thinking like keeping a gratitude journal and the power of ‘and’ rather than ‘or.’ I found the latter concept particularly helpful. When we see things only one way, using ‘or’, we see ourselves as victims of our circumstances. Using ‘and’ is more inclusive. Sure things seem terrible, but that’s not all that’s happening.
The second half of the book is based on the author’s personal experiences. Clearly she has had some difficult problems to deal with and has come out as a successful business person, mother, and author. I thought it was helpful to include autobiographical material to illustrate her philosophy, but I came away feeling that she wasn’t as happy as the title led me to expect.
This is a useful book. If you’re suffering with life’s issues you may find it helpful.
I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.
The title of this book says it all. Life isn’t perfect. If you focus on how terrible things are they won’t get better, and you will be miserable. In addition to giving ideas for how to move from focusing on the past and future and how your life is going wrong, the author offers suggestions on how to frame your thinking to move on and accept that things are not going to be perfect, but you can enjoy life anyway.
The first half of the book gives suggestions for how to reorient your thinking like keeping a gratitude journal and the power of ‘and’ rather than ‘or.’ I found the latter concept particularly helpful. When we see things only one way, using ‘or’, we see ourselves as victims of our circumstances. Using ‘and’ is more inclusive. Sure things seem terrible, but that’s not all that’s happening.
The second half of the book is based on the author’s personal experiences. Clearly she has had some difficult problems to deal with and has come out as a successful business person, mother, and author. I thought it was helpful to include autobiographical material to illustrate her philosophy, but I came away feeling that she wasn’t as happy as the title led me to expect.
This is a useful book. If you’re suffering with life’s issues you may find it helpful.
I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.
July 24, 2023
I didn't read the hardcover, I listened to the audiobook but that's not a format choice.
A friend of mine posted a little facebook reel of Wakeman talking and I liked it so much I went looking for her book.
I enjoyed listening to this book but as I was listening, I couldn't help but come to the conclusion that Wakeman's personal life is an absolute MESS. So, every once in a while she'd say some really cool bit of advice that sounded perfect but in the back of my head I was like "Naw, man, if that's YOUR advice, I should probably do the opposite."
Wakeman is charismatic. She is intelligent and a good writer. It seems that before this book she mostly wrote about work life rather than personal life so I might go read one of her other books sometime in the future because I really do like her "voice". But I'm not sure if her work books are going to be great either because her whole business is telling other people how to do business so like... could she run a company that creates actual products? Her whole existence is kind of meta, so i'm not sure it's 100% relevant to my little life.
Anyway, it was an interesting book to read.
A friend of mine posted a little facebook reel of Wakeman talking and I liked it so much I went looking for her book.
I enjoyed listening to this book but as I was listening, I couldn't help but come to the conclusion that Wakeman's personal life is an absolute MESS. So, every once in a while she'd say some really cool bit of advice that sounded perfect but in the back of my head I was like "Naw, man, if that's YOUR advice, I should probably do the opposite."
Wakeman is charismatic. She is intelligent and a good writer. It seems that before this book she mostly wrote about work life rather than personal life so I might go read one of her other books sometime in the future because I really do like her "voice". But I'm not sure if her work books are going to be great either because her whole business is telling other people how to do business so like... could she run a company that creates actual products? Her whole existence is kind of meta, so i'm not sure it's 100% relevant to my little life.
Anyway, it was an interesting book to read.
March 5, 2022
As I've gotten older and further into my thirties, I've found self-help-ish books aren't always my jam. I get tired of the fluffy quotes and toxic positivity they teem with. Y'all, that is not what this book is, and I'm so grateful for that. This is a book about the realities of life. This book acknowledges that sometimes life can be real tough, but that doesn't mean you can't still get through and find happiness. With that, happiness isn't a generic "thing" rather it's something you have to explore understand for yourself. The section I liked the most was one on the words we choose and how these simple choices can make a world of difference. Overall, this was a spin on navigating life that was authentic and real in a space that can often be anything but this. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this March 2022 release!
February 26, 2023
In "Life's Messy, Live Happy," Cy Wakeman has shown a truly vulnerable side of someone who many believe "has it all together". She shares a journey, mostly through a year during Covid, where her life because very messy. She walks the reader (listener) through the year, sharing not only what occurred, but her thought processes as she made major life decisions. Sharing thought processes is often the key many teachers fail to share. It is relatively easy to share what happened, but the thought processes, in all of their messy form, is where the real work is accomplished. It is clear that her leadership values are present in her thinking, but the book is not heavy in leadership strategy. It is heavy in personal strategy to get through a messy life and choosing to be content. Thank you, Cy, for sharing this very personal time.
March 26, 2022
First off I'm a speed reader but with this book I took my time to read - almost a month. It was worth the time to absorb her message and it came at the right time. Living in the present is hard to do and we all find ourselves beating ourselves up over the mistakes - large and small - that we have made. Cy Wakeman is no different and she shares her mistakes with the reader instead of tossing out sound bites. Because everyone's life is messy and we are able to change our perception - live in the moment and know that you are enough. After reading Life's Messy, Live Happy I came away with a lighter spirit and hope.
My thanks to the publisher, St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
My thanks to the publisher, St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
April 13, 2022
Make room on your shelf for “Life’s Messy, Be Happy!” This wonderful new book from Cy Wakeman is filled with the author’s personal, real life experiences; the gifts received, the lessons learned, and confirmation that no matter how difficult, how messy, life can be, Love wins. The courage and vulnerability with which the author shares the stories of her life, and how each of us can transcend, grow and evolve from our own experiences is remarkable. The teachings of this book will become a “must read” for any of my inner circle and friends as they pass through the inevitable, difficult and messy times of life. Stronger, more resilient and better able to live in the happiness, joy and purpose that is our birthright.
April 16, 2022
I didn't finish this book. I expect a self-help book to have a warm, friendly tone, as if the author was talking directly to me. Instead I felt like I was sitting in a business meeting being held in a big auditorium. I had a difficult time relating to the author who is a successful business owner. For instance, when she discussed self-care versus self-soothing, she found a way to focus on self-care. Since the water nurtures her, she's going to build her dream house in the view of the ocean in Baja where she can create self-care strategies. Was she trying to impress me? There were a few bits of advice about dealing with life's challenges that I hadn't read before, but the vast majority was similar to advice provided in other self help books.
March 12, 2024
I liked this book and found myself drawn into the author's autobiographical stories sprinkled throughout this self-help book. Her main theme is about reframing thoughts and she gives many examples, including changing the words you choose to use ("and" instead of "or" to expand options and feel less stuck). I was moved by her chapters on death - and the stories she told about her best friend who recently died after a long battle with cancer - and about her divorces. If I had one wish, I would love the author to write a full memoir of her marriages - there was so much good stuff there - stories to tell, lessons learned.
April 20, 2024
I really wanted to like this book. In fact, I tried to keep reading long after it was obvious that I did not like this book. Basically, the entire book boils down to "When you're miserable, stop being miserable": advice which is both aggravating and unhelpful. I'm not saying that Wakeman has had a lot of challenges in her life and that she didn't overcome them, but I do think that her approach has more to do with her make-up than any helpful advice. If you're a glass half-full kind of person, you may enjoy this. Otherwise, it will probably give you anxiety because, according to Wakeman, you're not doing the right things to be happy.
March 29, 2022
𝘈 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.
𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭!
Powerful, easy to read and practical. With daily practices and real stories, this book will help you change your perspective and energy levels. A great tool for those who are looking for success in both your personal and work life.
Thank you St. Martin's Press for this gifted copy.
𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘕𝘰𝘯-𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘱, 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴.
https://www.instagram.com/booksandcof...
𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭!
Powerful, easy to read and practical. With daily practices and real stories, this book will help you change your perspective and energy levels. A great tool for those who are looking for success in both your personal and work life.
Thank you St. Martin's Press for this gifted copy.
𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘕𝘰𝘯-𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘱, 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴.
https://www.instagram.com/booksandcof...
January 13, 2025
Life’s Messy, Live Happy by Cy Wakeman did not impress me as much as I had hoped it would. She spends a major part of the book talking about the failings in her life. She shares nothing new that would help. Basically it’s a suck it up and do whatever makes you happy and to heck with everyone around you and make sure you have the privilege to be able to move to a beach somewhere to do what makes you happy. This is not a book I would recommend.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews