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LifeLines
Join Melissa Bernstein, Co-Founder of the wildly successful toy company Melissa & Doug, on a journey to triumph over anxiety, depression, and despair―a story she hopes will help others find their path to meaning and inner peace. Now, more than ever, Melissa's message is needed by others, and her promise to all who journey with her is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Who would ever guess that Melissa Bernstein, happily-married mother of 6, creator of over 5,000 toys which have sold over a billion dollars, begins many days the same way far too many others do, wondering if she'll make it to tomorrow? Melissa shows us that when darkness descends, and it seems there's no escape, there actually is a way out, there actually is hope, and there actually is a path that can lead to meaning and purpose.
Melissa takes us on her path through depression, revealing how her "lifelines" transformed despair into a beacon of hope. Filled with prose, gorgeous photography, and many of Melissa's verses that express her struggles and breakthroughs, LifeLines is committed to helping others who are "stuck" develop a plan for themselves to survive and thrive.
A book of struggle and salvation, connection and community, LifeLines is a framework for people seeking to understand their emotional lives and to develop their own path to self-discovery and inner transformation.
Who would ever guess that Melissa Bernstein, happily-married mother of 6, creator of over 5,000 toys which have sold over a billion dollars, begins many days the same way far too many others do, wondering if she'll make it to tomorrow? Melissa shows us that when darkness descends, and it seems there's no escape, there actually is a way out, there actually is hope, and there actually is a path that can lead to meaning and purpose.
Melissa takes us on her path through depression, revealing how her "lifelines" transformed despair into a beacon of hope. Filled with prose, gorgeous photography, and many of Melissa's verses that express her struggles and breakthroughs, LifeLines is committed to helping others who are "stuck" develop a plan for themselves to survive and thrive.
A book of struggle and salvation, connection and community, LifeLines is a framework for people seeking to understand their emotional lives and to develop their own path to self-discovery and inner transformation.
637 pages, Hardcover
Published March 16, 2021
86 people are currently reading
793 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Bernstein
1 book32 followersMelissa Bernstein, mother of six, married 30 years, and founder of toy company Melissa & Doug, has struggled with existential anxiety and depression throughout her life. Although her toys have touched millions of children, Melissa longs to connect with people in a more direct and personal way. She reveals her journey in LIFELINES, her first book, which she wrote to help others who are also suffering. Melissa’s mission is to help other seekers on their journey inward so they too can transform darkness into light. Join the LifeLines community at LifeLines.com.
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March 17, 2021
Melissa Bernstein, the creative genius and co-founder of Melissa & Doug Toy Company, has bared her soul in her upcoming book, LifeLines. (Available March 16th, pre-order today!) She has been struggling with existential depression and anxiety her entire life. She was denying her despair, hiding it from the world and suppressing her overwhelmingly negative feelings and thoughts that were leading her to the brink of self destruction. In LifeLines, An inspirational journey from profound darkness to radiant light, Melissa opens up and shares all that she has experienced, the challenges she has faced, and her hopes for the future. Hundreds of rhyming verses included before and after each chapter, written by Melissa, beginning in early childhood and continuing through now, reveal her inner most feelings, biggest worries, and deepest thoughts, from very dark to increasingly positive and hopeful. The beautiful book also includes volumes/chapters that speak to topics that have profound meaning for her; Creativity, Loneliness, Martyrdom and Perfectionism. She shares personal stories and recollections of her thoughts at different times throughout her life, often based on childhood journal entries. Also, printed in the book, are artful photographs of nature, something incredibly important to Melissa, as nature provides her great solace on difficult days and every day.
These immensely personal pages of self expression give us some understanding of the struggles Melissa has had with existential depression and anxiety, and celebrate the light she has found to continue living with a purpose. I highly recommend this book for everyone… anyone who feels or has felt depressed, anxious, or who knows someone who struggles, and anyone who is a partisan of self awareness, self expression, and the journey inward. Self acceptance and greater understanding of others leads to more kindness, and LifeLines provides valuable insight from someone who has traveled a road to greater understanding of self and experienced all the feels.
In addition to Melissa’s book, she, along with her husband, Doug, and the Lifelines team, have developed an exciting, and unique interactive ecosystem and warm community that lives at lifelines.com. Here, with Melissa’s personal journey as a framework, you can create your own personal profile and embark on an inward journey to self understanding. There is a virtual hike with stops along the way to leave your personal baggage behind, collect nuggets of wisdom and participate in activities that encourage mindfulness. There are also opportunities to connect with others, experience nature and attend experiential workshops, all at no cost. Lifelines.com ensures that You Are Not Alone and it is well worth visiting. If you decide to stop in at Lifelines.com, please leave a comment here letting me know your thoughts! Visit Book Nation by Jen for the full review and Q & A with Melissa. https://booknationbyjen.com
These immensely personal pages of self expression give us some understanding of the struggles Melissa has had with existential depression and anxiety, and celebrate the light she has found to continue living with a purpose. I highly recommend this book for everyone… anyone who feels or has felt depressed, anxious, or who knows someone who struggles, and anyone who is a partisan of self awareness, self expression, and the journey inward. Self acceptance and greater understanding of others leads to more kindness, and LifeLines provides valuable insight from someone who has traveled a road to greater understanding of self and experienced all the feels.
In addition to Melissa’s book, she, along with her husband, Doug, and the Lifelines team, have developed an exciting, and unique interactive ecosystem and warm community that lives at lifelines.com. Here, with Melissa’s personal journey as a framework, you can create your own personal profile and embark on an inward journey to self understanding. There is a virtual hike with stops along the way to leave your personal baggage behind, collect nuggets of wisdom and participate in activities that encourage mindfulness. There are also opportunities to connect with others, experience nature and attend experiential workshops, all at no cost. Lifelines.com ensures that You Are Not Alone and it is well worth visiting. If you decide to stop in at Lifelines.com, please leave a comment here letting me know your thoughts! Visit Book Nation by Jen for the full review and Q & A with Melissa. https://booknationbyjen.com
February 1, 2021
Today I save a life
Although it was my very own
Which won't serve a greater purpose
Till I rescue lives unknown
Melissa Bernstein, owner of the 450 million dollar toy company Melissa and Doug, has bravely wrote a book of her life journey through existential depression and anxiety. What she hopes this beautiful book will do, is to allow others to take a journey with her, and find their own, inspiration, healing, and lifelines.
The book is part symphony of prose, part her journey. This is not your everyday How to Get Through Depression book, or How I Got Through Depression. The book is her journey through her own art and deepest expression. It’s how she got through, by coming through her own realizations and insights, then expressing them authentically, and then finally, the lifeline of wanting to give the gift to others of finding their own expression. What’s completely different about this book, is that Melissa wants to take a journey with you. There are two growing communities right now, working to create their own authenticity, sacred spaces, and communities. There are the igniters, those committed to helping others see the beauty of this book, and are committed to their own communal inner work together, to access its gifts and share them. I have been committed to being and Igniter, and have joined her Igniter community. Then there are the seekers. Those who seek healing, and are joining working groups with her to find their own lifelines. This is what is saving her life, and maybe more lives than that. It’s her new passion. To Ignite others to Seek and find their own lifelines.
The book itself is beautiful. The cover is beautiful, the photography is beautiful, the prose is beautiful, the words are beautiful. The journey is painful – but beautiful. Its also infused with hope, and creativity. To Melissa, lifelines are reveling in nature’s beauty, savoring food and conversation, art and creativity, delighting in others.
I have been thinking lately about choosing life, choosing hope, choosing happiness, and sustaining those choices. Melissa’s book and journey makes a stand that its possible. Not just possible, but essential to freedom. She begins with the idea of insights, reflectivity, and realizations, deepens that with connections of art and joy, and ends with the question of how to sustain the feeling. How to live when the storms come. She quotes, “In order to move forward, I needed to live in my heart experiencing life, while reframing the story in my head to one of possibility.”
We each possess a gift
Birthed deep inside us from the start
Though unwrapping it requires
Utter presence in the heart
For the key to life is learning
How to sow our precious seed
Into genuine expression
That sustains the love we need
When we are thankful for the blessings
Present every single day
All that gratitude bestowed
Attracts more miracles our way
Keep on going
Don’t look back
And lift your head up high
Share the Truth
Of who you are
And feel love’s passion unify
Don’t lament
What might have been
Or prior yearnings left behind
But stay present
In this moment
With the joy now yours to find
Love has been here waiting
To receive with open arms
We just haven’t paused to greet it
Chasing folly and its charms
We must cultivate our gardens
To grow vibrantly alive
Then disperse the fertile seeds we’ve sown
And to help the world to thrive
Do the work you most believe in
And believe in what you do
The rest will ring in harmony
At one with all that’s true
Although it was my very own
Which won't serve a greater purpose
Till I rescue lives unknown
Melissa Bernstein, owner of the 450 million dollar toy company Melissa and Doug, has bravely wrote a book of her life journey through existential depression and anxiety. What she hopes this beautiful book will do, is to allow others to take a journey with her, and find their own, inspiration, healing, and lifelines.
The book is part symphony of prose, part her journey. This is not your everyday How to Get Through Depression book, or How I Got Through Depression. The book is her journey through her own art and deepest expression. It’s how she got through, by coming through her own realizations and insights, then expressing them authentically, and then finally, the lifeline of wanting to give the gift to others of finding their own expression. What’s completely different about this book, is that Melissa wants to take a journey with you. There are two growing communities right now, working to create their own authenticity, sacred spaces, and communities. There are the igniters, those committed to helping others see the beauty of this book, and are committed to their own communal inner work together, to access its gifts and share them. I have been committed to being and Igniter, and have joined her Igniter community. Then there are the seekers. Those who seek healing, and are joining working groups with her to find their own lifelines. This is what is saving her life, and maybe more lives than that. It’s her new passion. To Ignite others to Seek and find their own lifelines.
The book itself is beautiful. The cover is beautiful, the photography is beautiful, the prose is beautiful, the words are beautiful. The journey is painful – but beautiful. Its also infused with hope, and creativity. To Melissa, lifelines are reveling in nature’s beauty, savoring food and conversation, art and creativity, delighting in others.
I have been thinking lately about choosing life, choosing hope, choosing happiness, and sustaining those choices. Melissa’s book and journey makes a stand that its possible. Not just possible, but essential to freedom. She begins with the idea of insights, reflectivity, and realizations, deepens that with connections of art and joy, and ends with the question of how to sustain the feeling. How to live when the storms come. She quotes, “In order to move forward, I needed to live in my heart experiencing life, while reframing the story in my head to one of possibility.”
We each possess a gift
Birthed deep inside us from the start
Though unwrapping it requires
Utter presence in the heart
For the key to life is learning
How to sow our precious seed
Into genuine expression
That sustains the love we need
When we are thankful for the blessings
Present every single day
All that gratitude bestowed
Attracts more miracles our way
Keep on going
Don’t look back
And lift your head up high
Share the Truth
Of who you are
And feel love’s passion unify
Don’t lament
What might have been
Or prior yearnings left behind
But stay present
In this moment
With the joy now yours to find
Love has been here waiting
To receive with open arms
We just haven’t paused to greet it
Chasing folly and its charms
We must cultivate our gardens
To grow vibrantly alive
Then disperse the fertile seeds we’ve sown
And to help the world to thrive
Do the work you most believe in
And believe in what you do
The rest will ring in harmony
At one with all that’s true
February 1, 2021
My life has been filled with books that have shaped me into who I am today; stories that have transcended my way of thinking, filled my life with magic and inspired me to continue on. Yet, until LifeLines, I had never come across a piece of writing able to meet me where I am in the way this one has. A book so open and willing to acknowledge the dual reality of life being both incredibly hard and incredibly beautiful, that I felt as if I was finding pieces of myself scattered throughout the pages.
LifeLines in itself is simply stunning - the structure alone is unlike any novel I have read - separated into volumes, each containing both traditional prose and verse. These verses are ones Bernstein has been collecting and hiding away from the rest of the world her entire life, until now. They’re deep and weighty, uplifting and warm. Heartbreaking and beautiful, light and dark. In totality, it is a collection of the things we are all desperate to say, but often too afraid to. It’s the deepest insecurities, most painful truths, sacred moments of vulnerability and unrequited understanding.
Most people are too scared to show up as their true selves. We are conditioned our entire lives to be quiet, to be small, to be whatever society deems is ok -- this too was Bernstein’s overwhelming reality for the majority of her life, but is no longer. Bernstein describes this transition from dark to light as one where “the inner cry of her soul ‘to be seen’ was becoming deafening” and she was no longer willing to lurk in the shadows living a lie. It isn’t that Bernstein is no longer experiencing the “dark” parts of life, it’s that she has learned how to live alongside them. She states she had to “accept life and myself as a combination of joy and pain plus darkness and light, catalyzing to forge my entirety of being and all creation surging forth from within.” A statement so in tune with the amount of strength, reflection and understanding of self that fills each page.
“My salvation was birthed directly from my curse” is a line I found myself mulling over for days after finishing, and stayed with me throughout the entire book. One of Bernstein’s most important lifelines is her ability to create. A lifeline she herself claims to be “forged entirely from darkness and pain, not light and joy.” This lifeline was born through what has brought her the most pain, yet has also led to healing, and where she finds herself today. This part of Bernstein’s journey is one I believe many people will find themselves holding on to, I know I will.
Even in the moments I felt the furthest away or least connected to Bernstein’s personal experiences, there was not a second where the emotional connection was severed. I found myself holding my breath through the darkest moments, slowly smiling through the ones that felt like a glimmer of light and fully crying through the “liberation” volume. And this is the true beauty of LifeLines; Bernstein's ability to connect, to make you feel seen and to bring you into her world of searching is something so beautiful and meaningful I truly will never be able to explain. Through sharing her lifelines, Bernstein is extending one to all of us as well. A physical, concrete reminder that you are never alone. And that your voice belongs to you.
“We will never truly love until we banish those perceptions that indoctrinate the mind and leave us bound by misconceptions”
LifeLines in itself is simply stunning - the structure alone is unlike any novel I have read - separated into volumes, each containing both traditional prose and verse. These verses are ones Bernstein has been collecting and hiding away from the rest of the world her entire life, until now. They’re deep and weighty, uplifting and warm. Heartbreaking and beautiful, light and dark. In totality, it is a collection of the things we are all desperate to say, but often too afraid to. It’s the deepest insecurities, most painful truths, sacred moments of vulnerability and unrequited understanding.
Most people are too scared to show up as their true selves. We are conditioned our entire lives to be quiet, to be small, to be whatever society deems is ok -- this too was Bernstein’s overwhelming reality for the majority of her life, but is no longer. Bernstein describes this transition from dark to light as one where “the inner cry of her soul ‘to be seen’ was becoming deafening” and she was no longer willing to lurk in the shadows living a lie. It isn’t that Bernstein is no longer experiencing the “dark” parts of life, it’s that she has learned how to live alongside them. She states she had to “accept life and myself as a combination of joy and pain plus darkness and light, catalyzing to forge my entirety of being and all creation surging forth from within.” A statement so in tune with the amount of strength, reflection and understanding of self that fills each page.
“My salvation was birthed directly from my curse” is a line I found myself mulling over for days after finishing, and stayed with me throughout the entire book. One of Bernstein’s most important lifelines is her ability to create. A lifeline she herself claims to be “forged entirely from darkness and pain, not light and joy.” This lifeline was born through what has brought her the most pain, yet has also led to healing, and where she finds herself today. This part of Bernstein’s journey is one I believe many people will find themselves holding on to, I know I will.
Even in the moments I felt the furthest away or least connected to Bernstein’s personal experiences, there was not a second where the emotional connection was severed. I found myself holding my breath through the darkest moments, slowly smiling through the ones that felt like a glimmer of light and fully crying through the “liberation” volume. And this is the true beauty of LifeLines; Bernstein's ability to connect, to make you feel seen and to bring you into her world of searching is something so beautiful and meaningful I truly will never be able to explain. Through sharing her lifelines, Bernstein is extending one to all of us as well. A physical, concrete reminder that you are never alone. And that your voice belongs to you.
“We will never truly love until we banish those perceptions that indoctrinate the mind and leave us bound by misconceptions”
February 13, 2021
It takes tremendous courage for Melissa to share with others her innermost thoughts, feelings and emotions. LifeLines are about ongoing struggles in finding peace and happiness, both in external as well as internal life. They do, however, transport you into a place where you feel support and find hope. They guide you towards finding that spark to become, undeniably, your ultimate Best Self.
January 24, 2021
All-in-all, this book was beautifully crafted with a mix of descriptive prose, poetry and photography. Each chapter begins with a prose description of a particular phase in the author's life, followed by "lifelines" -- short poems that capture the author's feelings from that time. Interspersed are lovely photographs of various natural subjects. The author lays bare her innermost thoughts, both through her prose and her poetry. I think the book will certainly appeal to many readers, particularly those who share the over sensitivities that Bernstein so aptly describes. Many people seem to need to find a label to attach to their array of symptoms, proclivities, etc. In Bernstein's case, she latches onto research by Kazimierz Dabrowski into highly creative/gifted people suffering from existential depression. Dabrowski finds these people had excessive levels of reactivity in their central nervous systems -- he called these "over-excitabilities" (OEs). These tendencies put the sufferer at greater risk of developing neuroses and other mental health disorders. Dabrowski, a Polish Catholic, was writing at roughly the same time as Irvin Yalom (American born of immigrant Russian/Polish Jewish parents) wrote extensively about it beginning in the 1970s. Arguably, Yalom is the better known of the two psychiatrists.
There were many times, while reading the book, where I simply felt sad that the author had never sought out a good therapist, but instead stayed buried inside her own negativity and judgment of the world around her. A perfectionist (her attempt to control everything in her life), she was quick to write off any so-called friends who didn't response with the compassion she expected.
She describes her realization "at a very young age" that everyone dies and that "there was no inherent meaning or value to life." In spite of finding no meaning in life, she harshly judged others for failing to understand "the ephemeral nature of existence" and condemned them for "flitting around without a care in the world." If life had no meaning for Bernstein, why would/should it matter how anyone spent their time between birth and death? She hated the human body with its smells and noises. As a result, the author spent endless amounts of time trying to control all aspects of her life, searching for who knows what -- even she had no clue for what she searched.
Eventually, Bernstein realizes that she has a choice regarding the attitude she can adopt towards life. She recognizes that she had a tendency to "over-analyze and intellectualize ... enmeshed in negative thought patterns." She acknowledged that she spent 50 years "wallowing in self-pity." She recognizes that existential depression, as such, cannot be cured but can be managed.
The saddest part about Bernstein's life, as she herself recognizes, is that she spent so much of it (50+ years) suffering. I find it a bit odd that never once does she speak of the benefit of finding a good therapist! Certainly, a book about healing from an orthopedic injury, a chronic physical disease, etc. would entail seeking out professional expertise. Had Bernstein done so, she likely would have discovered viable ways to relieve her suffering.
I'd rate this book a 3.5, but unfortunately that is not an option given the rating system. It's a solid book, well written and unique in its format with prose interspersed with poetry. And the photography is beautiful. It's a bit too "victimy" for me. It doesn't seem like the author's expectations are a two-way street. Bernstein expects sensitivity to her sensitivities, but nowhere does she make allowances for the fact that most people are simply not like her. Frankly, it reminds me a bit of the news stories about college professors who have been required to tell students ahead of time about disturbing material to be presented in class and to set up a special adjoining classroom with teddy bears and hot chocolate. Seriously, life is tough and the sooner people realize that the better off they will be. That said, yes, it's important to be sensitive to the needs of others. But when life happens, don't crucify people.
There were many times, while reading the book, where I simply felt sad that the author had never sought out a good therapist, but instead stayed buried inside her own negativity and judgment of the world around her. A perfectionist (her attempt to control everything in her life), she was quick to write off any so-called friends who didn't response with the compassion she expected.
She describes her realization "at a very young age" that everyone dies and that "there was no inherent meaning or value to life." In spite of finding no meaning in life, she harshly judged others for failing to understand "the ephemeral nature of existence" and condemned them for "flitting around without a care in the world." If life had no meaning for Bernstein, why would/should it matter how anyone spent their time between birth and death? She hated the human body with its smells and noises. As a result, the author spent endless amounts of time trying to control all aspects of her life, searching for who knows what -- even she had no clue for what she searched.
Eventually, Bernstein realizes that she has a choice regarding the attitude she can adopt towards life. She recognizes that she had a tendency to "over-analyze and intellectualize ... enmeshed in negative thought patterns." She acknowledged that she spent 50 years "wallowing in self-pity." She recognizes that existential depression, as such, cannot be cured but can be managed.
The saddest part about Bernstein's life, as she herself recognizes, is that she spent so much of it (50+ years) suffering. I find it a bit odd that never once does she speak of the benefit of finding a good therapist! Certainly, a book about healing from an orthopedic injury, a chronic physical disease, etc. would entail seeking out professional expertise. Had Bernstein done so, she likely would have discovered viable ways to relieve her suffering.
I'd rate this book a 3.5, but unfortunately that is not an option given the rating system. It's a solid book, well written and unique in its format with prose interspersed with poetry. And the photography is beautiful. It's a bit too "victimy" for me. It doesn't seem like the author's expectations are a two-way street. Bernstein expects sensitivity to her sensitivities, but nowhere does she make allowances for the fact that most people are simply not like her. Frankly, it reminds me a bit of the news stories about college professors who have been required to tell students ahead of time about disturbing material to be presented in class and to set up a special adjoining classroom with teddy bears and hot chocolate. Seriously, life is tough and the sooner people realize that the better off they will be. That said, yes, it's important to be sensitive to the needs of others. But when life happens, don't crucify people.
February 10, 2021
My favorite part of this book are the verses, or LifeLines. I find that at the end of a long day, I can open up the book to the end of any section of the book, and read a LifeLine that helps me feel safe, sane or inspired. The LifeLines are set against beautiful, colored photos (Note: This book is best experienced in print), which provide visual inspiration to go alongside the written words. And as Melissa explains, these LifeLines aren't poerty requiring higher-level thought to interpret and decipher. They are clear, simplified translations of her deepest fears, insights and unanswered questions -- I love that I can turn to any verse and immediately see if it resonates with me, without having to involve my "head" too much to decipher.
I also like the themes Melissa touches on in the book - some that resonated particularly strongly with me were perfectionism, nature, the futile race, creativity and presence. I can honestly say that I'm more in touch with some of my creative pursuits, and how nature serves as a lifeline for me, as a result of reading this book. I'm more apt to pause on a walk around a nearby pond, and observe the ripples, because I'm more aware of how nature grounds me.
Here's a LifeLine that's currently inspiring me!
With no intent to rush
We can revel in the hush
That arises when we stay
In the promise of today
I also like the themes Melissa touches on in the book - some that resonated particularly strongly with me were perfectionism, nature, the futile race, creativity and presence. I can honestly say that I'm more in touch with some of my creative pursuits, and how nature serves as a lifeline for me, as a result of reading this book. I'm more apt to pause on a walk around a nearby pond, and observe the ripples, because I'm more aware of how nature grounds me.
Here's a LifeLine that's currently inspiring me!
With no intent to rush
We can revel in the hush
That arises when we stay
In the promise of today
Read
February 18, 2021These immensely personal pages of self-expression give us some understanding of the struggles Melissa has had with existential depression and anxiety and celebrate the light she has found to continue living with a purpose. LIFELINES provides valuable insight from someone who has traveled the road to greater understanding of self and experienced all the feels.
Read our full review and a Q&A with the author here:
https://booktrib.com/2021/02/18/co-fo...
Read our full review and a Q&A with the author here:
https://booktrib.com/2021/02/18/co-fo...
February 16, 2021
This book has provided me with a transformational experience that I am still going through. I started it unsure of what to expect, but as I turn each page and dive deeper into the material I find myself exploring areas within that I never knew I could go to or needed to go to. I recommend this book to everyone and anyone looking to explore their self and find a deeper purpose and meaning.
February 15, 2021
Melissa’s book is a special gift to me after a very difficult year shared by the suffering of so many others. It reflects ,in many ways, the teachings of Eckhart Tolle which have awakened me to the reality of life here on Earth. The lifeline poems are especially helpful and inspiring. Thank you so much
February 6, 2021
An incredibly passionate and authentic look into one’s own self to find light and purpose in this beautiful and sometimes painful journey of life. I love opening to a random page and I always seem to land on the poem or lesson that I need most at that time. Grateful that Melissa has highlighted and embraced starting conversations around mental health and creativity. Thank you.
February 16, 2021
Wow! Want to explore the thoughts and feelings of an incredibly successful person? THIS is the book for you. By the way, it's NOT a roadmap to starting and building an incredible toy business. It IS a walk through the torment and eventual road to salvation for Melissa Bernstein, co-founder of the toy company Melissa & Doug. I came away realizing that my own inner journey was something I needed to initiate, and I'm walking that path now. This book was brave and honest. Read it. It will change you forever.
February 20, 2021
Lifelines
This book arrived in my life against a backdrop of the recent loss of both parents coupled with the inability to witness their last rites or visit my family in India. I found the first part of the book too painful to bear and had to put it aside for a few weeks.
I picked it up again once I had found some solace in my heart and proceeded to read it through. Melisa’s words had me enthralled as I went through all her emotions as if they were happening to me. I followed her through her insecurities, perfectionism, compulsive and self-destructive behaviors, which spiraled her to the nadir of anguish only to rise again, to a deep understanding of her own soul. I watched her emerge from the depths of despair, to rise with dint of determination—ultimately to a liberation of spirit. But Melissa did not stop there. Though relieved of many an emotional burden and misconception she does not just stop and enjoy her own inner victory. She reaches out instead to all who may be suffering a similar plight, to provide lifelines, to help speed their journey out of misery and into self-realization.
Melissa’s deep understanding of her own emotions, her ability to express them clearly in prose as well as unembellished, unaffected poetry, gives us a moment-to-moment candid account of her inner evolution from self-destructive practices to self-healing.
As a primary care physician, Melissa’s analysis of her maladies: existential depression as well as over excitabilities held intrigue for me. They piqued my interest to read up further about these issues. I found they are mostly a corollary of extremely intelligence and hence found commonly in the gifted child which Melissa obviously was. Melissa was writing verses from the tender age of two, about her existential despondency. The over excitability meant she read much more into any situation than her nongifted peers could. Her articulate account of what went on in her brain helps me understand my patients better. I used to take pride in being empathetic and giving a patient ear to patients. But Melissa’s words have given me a new sensitivity toward the innermost feelings of people with over excitabilities or existential depression.
As a person born and raised in India, imbued with eastern spirituality, I find Melissa to be a truly spiritual person or a seer like the sages of yore. Her consciousness seems to encompass all of nature, identifying with a falling leaf, a lonely shell, or an ocean wave as if they were extensions of herself.
Her use of nature photography as a backdrop for her verses has great esthetic appeal. The writing often spans a page that is half dark and half light as if to show the two sides to the situations we endure through life.
In summary, Melissa’s book is a many-splendored gem that will brighten the lives of readers.
Nilima
This book arrived in my life against a backdrop of the recent loss of both parents coupled with the inability to witness their last rites or visit my family in India. I found the first part of the book too painful to bear and had to put it aside for a few weeks.
I picked it up again once I had found some solace in my heart and proceeded to read it through. Melisa’s words had me enthralled as I went through all her emotions as if they were happening to me. I followed her through her insecurities, perfectionism, compulsive and self-destructive behaviors, which spiraled her to the nadir of anguish only to rise again, to a deep understanding of her own soul. I watched her emerge from the depths of despair, to rise with dint of determination—ultimately to a liberation of spirit. But Melissa did not stop there. Though relieved of many an emotional burden and misconception she does not just stop and enjoy her own inner victory. She reaches out instead to all who may be suffering a similar plight, to provide lifelines, to help speed their journey out of misery and into self-realization.
Melissa’s deep understanding of her own emotions, her ability to express them clearly in prose as well as unembellished, unaffected poetry, gives us a moment-to-moment candid account of her inner evolution from self-destructive practices to self-healing.
As a primary care physician, Melissa’s analysis of her maladies: existential depression as well as over excitabilities held intrigue for me. They piqued my interest to read up further about these issues. I found they are mostly a corollary of extremely intelligence and hence found commonly in the gifted child which Melissa obviously was. Melissa was writing verses from the tender age of two, about her existential despondency. The over excitability meant she read much more into any situation than her nongifted peers could. Her articulate account of what went on in her brain helps me understand my patients better. I used to take pride in being empathetic and giving a patient ear to patients. But Melissa’s words have given me a new sensitivity toward the innermost feelings of people with over excitabilities or existential depression.
As a person born and raised in India, imbued with eastern spirituality, I find Melissa to be a truly spiritual person or a seer like the sages of yore. Her consciousness seems to encompass all of nature, identifying with a falling leaf, a lonely shell, or an ocean wave as if they were extensions of herself.
Her use of nature photography as a backdrop for her verses has great esthetic appeal. The writing often spans a page that is half dark and half light as if to show the two sides to the situations we endure through life.
In summary, Melissa’s book is a many-splendored gem that will brighten the lives of readers.
Nilima
February 13, 2021
Life Lines is a Life giving and Life changing book. The author’s story told in such an honest, vulnerable and powerful way gives courage and hope to many people who struggled with over sensitivities and unhealthy coping mechanisms such as perfectionism, addictions and isolation . As a human living on this chaotic world and as a mental care clinician who has the privilege to support others, I recommend this book with all my heart - for it’s compelling message of emerging from darkness into light and for the verses /life-lines that serve as brilliantly simple and powerful hands to hold on to when we feel like we are drawing in disappear. Please read and share.
Loredana Trandu, LPC
Loredana Trandu, LPC
February 14, 2021
There is so much to love about LifeLines, but what I appreciate most is that everyone will resonate with it in some shape or form. The different volumes (Creativity, Loneliness, Nature, Powerlessness, Perfectionism and Martyrdom, The Futile Race, Hypocrisy and Duality, Curiosity and Possibility, Presence, and Liberation) cover such a myriad of emotions and experiences that serve as a beautiful reminder that none of us are alone (truly!). There is genuinely something to get out of this book no matter who you are, where you come from, or what you have been through. Not only is it beautiful visually, but Melissa's words and her prose are even more beautiful. This is a must read, and it is something that I know I will continue coming back to for years and years to come, because there is a page in it for anything I could possibly be going through or feeling. There are endless favorite lines to choose from, but the one most special to me is "A great novel isn't written/ Without drafts strewn on the floor/ Or a landscape formulated/ Without paint splattered before..." I have found myself reciting this line ever since I first read it in order to remind myself that I won't get everything right on the first try, nor do I need to. Thank you, Melissa!
February 12, 2021
If I needed to use just one word about this amazing book it would be "Inspirational". Through the written word Melissa leads us through her vulnerability and her journey in life and shows that there is a path to the "light at the end of the tunnel" by finding your own "Lifelines". The pages of my book are filled with post-its detailing words I found heartfelt, inspiring, sad and jaw-dropping as they resonated with me. So many verses, with one in particular, made me just go "YES". Thank you Melissa for this amazing book.
February 13, 2021
This book is a gift - Melissa's vulnerability is magic, her words are stunning, and every inch of the page drips with love. You can tell that so much thought and dedication went into this creation. It's also a book that you can pick up and turn to anytime. Or, I sometimes read this in the morning or at night. Whenever you read it, it's always the perfect time, because no matter what you'll experience inner peace. Thank you Melissa XX
February 16, 2021
A beautiful book, well written. Melissa is courageous for putting herself out there, and the purpose is to connect with others who are experiencing a similar level of existential angst. I imagine many lonely, tortured souls will find this book a light in the darkness. And hopefully enough of a light to guide them out of the darkness and let their light shine for everyone! I have referred back to the verses in the book to continue to inspire me, as I walk this journey. Glad to know that someone else has walked it, too.
February 14, 2021
The verses in this book are a brilliant design tool for better thinking; they are memorable and catchy, just what I needed to update my old, worn-out thoughts. Melissa is a beautiful and powerful teacher.
February 19, 2021
As someone who has dealt with my own loneliness, anxiety, and depression over the years, I can very much relate to Melissa's words. I am also a lover of quotes and poems so loved the way the book flows. I would highly recommend this book to anyone out there on their journey through self-discovery (aka, all of us).
February 16, 2021
Until our sense of self
Moves from the mind into the heart
We will never find connection
And remain our lives apart
Melissa's words pulled me into her darkest, most desperate feelings as she described decades spent suffocating under the weight of her own thoughts. Searching constantly for meaning and finally discovering that the only way "out" is a hard journey inward, she shares her story and her LifeLines, the verses she has written on her path to self-acceptance and equanimity. The book is beautiful and moving, filled with striking photos of nature paired with Melissa's prose and poetry as she unapologetically shares her whole self with the world.
Moves from the mind into the heart
We will never find connection
And remain our lives apart
Melissa's words pulled me into her darkest, most desperate feelings as she described decades spent suffocating under the weight of her own thoughts. Searching constantly for meaning and finally discovering that the only way "out" is a hard journey inward, she shares her story and her LifeLines, the verses she has written on her path to self-acceptance and equanimity. The book is beautiful and moving, filled with striking photos of nature paired with Melissa's prose and poetry as she unapologetically shares her whole self with the world.
February 4, 2021
Beautiful and inspiring story that takes us from the deepest grounds of despair to a shining glimpse of hope. Melissa is so vulnerable talking about her experience that it really makes the reader connect with her story and find his or her own moments of quirkiness, desolation and also salvation. Her verses read as something you could read to a child, but the depth of emotion in them is disarming. After reading this book, you really want to run and find your own lifelines and then ask your loved ones for theirs so that you can support them better. I especially enjoy her ideas on creativity, on creating from the heart and embracing her failures. Thanks Melissa for sharing your beautiful story!
February 18, 2021
Reading the verses in LifeLines truly makes me feel heard and not alone. Melissa's story relates to so many out there, her beautiful words and verses are thought-provoking and extremely inspiring. I really resonate with so much in there and feel comforted and hopeful, thank you Melissa for your courage :)
January 30, 2021
I related so much to her mental health struggles and greatly appreciated the revelations she shared. I highly recommend this book.
April 21, 2021
Read for a book club. Very depressing and disappointing. Basically, moral of the story, don’t be a judgmental jerk! The author is very successful and has everything but is still unhappy because she cannot control other people. Seems like an upper class problem to me. The solution she provided was to focus on the small joys in life and don’t try to control everyone else. Seems obvious, but I guess some people need to pay to learn that. Don’t recommend this book in general unless you want to hear an aristocratic white CEO complain about how she is too smart and rich for her own good.
February 17, 2021
In LifeLines, Melissa Bernstein opens up about her life using photography, poetry, and prose. She has found success in life by every exterior measure: She has been married to the same spouse for 30 years, has six children, and has gained great wealth from her toy business. But on the inside, she suffers from anxiety and depression.
Melissa has finally learned to deal with her life-long existential depression and, starting with this book, is reaching out to others who may be experiencing the same.
I do not share Melissa’s affliction. But I found value in reading LifeLines just the same. When I read on pages 435-436 how Melissa is a careful listener, that struck a chord with me. I value being a good listener. It’s not an easy job. At that point in the book, I began to feel sympathy for Melissa and her struggles.
Up to that point, I had a hard time reading this book. The prose is often frustratingly pillowy and mystical. I wanted more detail in her stories. The poetry is, by Melissa’s own admission, sophomoric. But changing the book to fit my expectations would be the same as Melissa changing her image of herself to fit her friends’ expectations. That happens in two unhappy episodes in LifeLines, and I did not want it to happen a third time, not in my personal interaction with this book and, by extension, with Melissa.
By way of full disclosure, I received a free, advance copy of LifeLines so I could write a review. If I did not think this was a worthwhile book, I would have declined to write a review. LifeLines is thought-provoking, and I am glad I read it.
Melissa has finally learned to deal with her life-long existential depression and, starting with this book, is reaching out to others who may be experiencing the same.
I do not share Melissa’s affliction. But I found value in reading LifeLines just the same. When I read on pages 435-436 how Melissa is a careful listener, that struck a chord with me. I value being a good listener. It’s not an easy job. At that point in the book, I began to feel sympathy for Melissa and her struggles.
Up to that point, I had a hard time reading this book. The prose is often frustratingly pillowy and mystical. I wanted more detail in her stories. The poetry is, by Melissa’s own admission, sophomoric. But changing the book to fit my expectations would be the same as Melissa changing her image of herself to fit her friends’ expectations. That happens in two unhappy episodes in LifeLines, and I did not want it to happen a third time, not in my personal interaction with this book and, by extension, with Melissa.
By way of full disclosure, I received a free, advance copy of LifeLines so I could write a review. If I did not think this was a worthwhile book, I would have declined to write a review. LifeLines is thought-provoking, and I am glad I read it.
February 14, 2021
This book could not be coming at a more opportune time in the world, when our inner lives have become more magnified through all the issues surrounding the pandemic.
This is a tale of a brave human being who, through her own “dark night of the soul,” has created a place for people in all walks of life to recognize themselves at various points in their own lives..
There is so much beauty in the poetry which Melissa has channelled through her journey and which expresses vividly the scope, breadth, and depth of her life thus far.
Lifelines demonstrates the purpose behind all our experience, as tools from which we can learn and thrive.
This book will teach, as well as support others in their own quests for meaning and would be an inspired gift for anyone.
This is a tale of a brave human being who, through her own “dark night of the soul,” has created a place for people in all walks of life to recognize themselves at various points in their own lives..
There is so much beauty in the poetry which Melissa has channelled through her journey and which expresses vividly the scope, breadth, and depth of her life thus far.
Lifelines demonstrates the purpose behind all our experience, as tools from which we can learn and thrive.
This book will teach, as well as support others in their own quests for meaning and would be an inspired gift for anyone.
February 15, 2021
I highly recommend this book and believe Melissa’s message of finding her true self is one that will resonate with so many readers. LifeLines is a vulnerable and heart-wrenching compilation of Melissa’s innermost thoughts and feelings, stunning photography and her own poetry collection. Reading the book left me feeling connected with her story, as I was able to identify parts of myself with the experiences she so bravely shared. Even though I’ve read LifeLines in its entirety, I find that I continue to pick it up just to reread a few paragraphs or a page of poetry - this is a book that will definitely be read again and again!
February 19, 2021
Melissa Bernstein, through her memoir and her poetry (or verses), courageously tells the story of her lifelong struggle with depression. At the heart of this book is her compassion. Bernstein is genuinely reaching out a hand to assure anyone who may be depressed or who feels out of place in the world that they are not alone. In this way, the book is a wonderful resource, and spark of inspiration, for so many who are struggling, or may know someone who is.
February 22, 2021
Everyone's life isn't as perfect as people portray them to be. Even though Melissa Bernstein founded a million-dollar toy company, she went through immense anxiety and depression. She takes us on her journey of dealing with pain and shares her learnings. Each page of the book is colorful and unique. By reading about Melissa's life, I had a chance to reflect on my own life and wrestle with topics I hadn't really given a lot of thought to. The book is powerful as it helped me deal with some things I had been avoiding.
Hope you get a chance to read it!
Hope you get a chance to read it!
February 15, 2021
Lifelines is a beautiful book, both in terms of its written content, and its visual aesthetic. Melissa, the author, is refreshingly vulnerable and able to communicate existentialism in easily digestible and relatable language. Her verses are a reminder that we should, and need to, embrace the practices in our lives that are life-giving and soul-fillings, regardless of what the outside world thinks. Her book has been an incredible source of inspiration and self-reflection for me, especially in regard to what it means to be creative, and to create in a world with uncertain meaning and purpose.
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