Be A Better You by Inte and Chiara Alfonso | A Book Review

It's been a while since my last post. April had been a very busy month both at work and in my personal life. I went to South Korea. It's been a while also since the last time I got to travel abroad. I'd say, it's one of the most memorable trips ever. There were a  lot of things I got to do and experiences that are bound to help me face whatever challenges ahead. The best thing is I got to be the best version of myself again. 

Be a Better You is a book I won in Goodreads. It 's a self-help book in finding yourself, being a better version of yourself and how to be just better in whatever aspect of your life. The things written here are not new. I'm sure, you've heard and read them already but what's different is it's given in small and very practical doses. No lengthy explanations or examples, plus really really cool artworks for each nugget of wisdom. 

I think the most important nugget of wisdom that I want to share from the book is about loving one's self. I know I don't think I love myself enough. I have to remind myself that putting myself first is not wrong and loving myself is not being selfish. I think the author also agrees that this is the most important thing because he put it in the very first part of the book. It's first and foremost and above all else, because if you love yourself, then you are secure and confident in everything you do. You're sure of yourself that you don't have to feel jealous or envious of others' success or fortune. You'll feel happy for them instead. I say that I don't love myself enough because I have self-esteem issues. I grew up so shy and so unsure of myself. Being bullied didn't help too. I felt like I was an easy target for ridicule and insults. I don't know why. I mostly keep to myself. I have friends but only later in life did I really get to understand what real friends are. Real friends make you feel better about yourself. They help you be better and accept you no matter who you are. There are no conditions. They love you for all the good and the faults and through the happy days and the difficult ones. That's why, I don't exactly spend much on material things but rather on experiences. I wanted to be enriched by traveling and meeting new people. Reading helps a lot too. Clothes and jewelry does not make a person but kindness, humility, integrity and respect for others do. So, here is the quote:

Therefore the most important thing about love is that you love yourself. Why is it important to love yourself, because once you love yourself you know what love is and then you know how to love others. 

To love yourself is to learn to be happy with yourself and let the inner energy within yourself shine and radiate out. 

Like the above quote says, if you are happy, you mostly likely want people around you to be happy. Misery loves company. If you are miserable, almost often, you would want people around you to be miserable as well. Most of the time, more miserable than you are. That's why some people would try so hard to pull people down with them because they are so unhappy. Seeing people happy is an eyesore to them.

Be a Better You is a very concise and easy to read book. It's very handy and very practical. It doesn't talk of very technical concepts. It is a very good guide to living everyday life and how to be a better person each day. Lastly, I do agree with what the author says about having things to live by, mainly principles to follow. This is very basic and as you try to follow each principle everyday, it will be so ingrained in you that it would be second-nature. 

So, with that said, I give this book 3.5 paper cranes. Why paper cranes? Because the cover is that of an origami crane. I know of a story wherein if you make a thousand paper cranes, whatever you wish for will come true. I think this story also symbolizes what this book stands for. That if you practice to be better everyday, then nothing is going to stop you from achieving your goals, reaching your dreams and be the best of what you can be. No one becomes a champion overnight. Constant practice is the key. Practice makes perfect. Everything good and fulfilling comes with hard work.

Thanks again, Inte and Chiara Alfonso and Goodreads for the book.  

Overcoming Shyness by Erik Myers | A Book Review

Happy Easter everyone! For those who do not celebrate or commemorate the Holy Week, I hope you had a good weekend. My Holy Week was spent binge watching shows on Netflix. Finally, I started on watching those shows that everyone talked about so much on Instagram and on social media. I started watching Outlander because I got so curious and I actually liked it though. I thought it was slow going at first, but then it became really good. It picked up its pace and I'm loving Claire. She's very smart and very quick-thinking especially in very stressful and life-and-death situations where the only thing that saved her were her wits. I also watched Riverdale. I kept seeing trailers and ads about the series but simply chose to ignore them. Last week, my curiosity got the best of me and I succumb. Well, last week I decided was a week of relaxation. I even took time off from my online work. I was supposed to write my book reviews but I also decided against it and ended up getting pulled into the chaotic world of Riverdale. I actually didn't know that the series was an adaptation or based on the Archie comics characters. I really enjoyed it. I love Jughead's character and I didn't know he was Cody of the Zack and Cody twins of the Disney show "Suite Life on Deck." I just love Jughead and Betty's team up. I'm looking forward to watching the latest episodes. Yes, I got caught up on Riverdale and will have to continue binge watching Outlander.

Since I'm on the know now on Outlander and Riverdale, I also need to admit that I have to really catch up on my reading and reviews. Honestly, I think I have about more than 10 reviews to write. I'm thinking of writing one post for those short stories that I've read. One reason I've been putting off writing reviews for them is because I don't know how to fill a whole page. The stories were too short to come up with more than five sentences about them. So, that's one plan I have to really get on to also. Then, plan the rest of the week so I can at least write one review everyday after I do my online work. Sounds good enough, right?

I'm reviewing this book which I got through Instagram in April of last year. Yes, I know. I am so ashamed to admit that I just read the book January of this year. Finally, I found the time to write a review about it. So, this book is about overcoming shyness, as obvious as the title. It's a self-help book. When the author messaged me on Instragram asking me if I wanted to read and review his book, I thought that he saw right through me. How did he know that I was shy as a kid or at times I'm still stricken with low self-esteem? It was a bit of a mystery to me and I didn't mean that in a wrong way. I realized, after reading this book, it may just be a case of "simply takes one to know one" or it's just the simple fact that he read my book reviews and saw the honesty and objectivity in them and would like to hear what I say about his book. 

If this book came out when I was in high school or college, this would have been more helpful to me. At this point in my life right now, I could say that I've pretty much overcome my being shy. Yes, I think. Most of the time, my not talking to people is more of being more focused on my personal issues rather than being shy. It's more of wanting to be alone, bordering on indifference, to contemplate on my life than actually being afraid of stepping up and meeting new people. But time and time again, I'm asked to momentarily forget about my own cares and talk to strangers, especially those that need help. I guess, maturity, confidence and being sure of one's self come together. The experiences I had helped me become confident and sure of myself and not afraid anymore of what other people may think. 

In a way, when this book found its way to me, it felt like fate in some sort. It's because for the past years, I don't know for how long, but I've been struggling with a lot of personal issues. I'm wondering if I've actually progressed or digressed. Meaning, instead of going forward and achieving things, did I instead fell so far down and worst off than when I first started. Reading this book sort of confirmed that I've actually come quite a long way. The years were not wasted at all. From that very shy girl, I've grown into a confident woman. I could say, I have various experiences and I guess, those have helped me find strength in times when I really need to hold on to something. I may not consciously know it but those experiences have somehow contributed to some hidden reserve of strength I could tap into when everything else has been exhausted. Truly, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. 

Reading this book had me agreeing to it all. Yes, that. Bold red check on that. Correct, et cetera. All very true. It's very straightforward and easy to follow. The hardest is just taking the very first step. Knowing that this book might not be written for me, because I'm not shy anymore is a great thing. Being able to relate to it first-hand is also a good thing because the fears and all the feelings that the author felt while he was struggling with his shyness were exactly what I've felt and have battled with for years before I was able to overcome this challenge. What I like reading about this was that it was written in a way like the author was just telling a story. He wasn't writing this as someone preaching on a pulpit but rather someone humble and bold enough to share his own experiences. The author, like everyone else, battled with this challenge and what he did that helped him through it might be just what might help others who are going through the same thing. 

In a nutshell, this book only says three things. Overcoming shyness is forgetting what other people think, breaking out of your comfort zone and be unapologetically you. Everything starts with the proper mindset-- how you see things. It's forgetting what other people think. Knowing who you are, what you want and what you don't want. You should know yourself better. People can think all they want, as long as you know who you are, what your priorities are and your values, and as long as you're not stepping on anyone's toes, you're good. Your dreams and your aspirations are what will make you break out of your comfort zone. And this is very true. I have exactly done that and those great experiences I've mentioned earlier happened to me outside of my comfort zone. When I broke out of my comfort zone, I also broke out of my fears and my shyness. But it wasn't a one-time thing for me. It happened gradually. It also helped to be around people who are confident and very encouraging. I think one of the factors that  have helped me overcome my shyness was being friends with people who are so confident that you can't help but feel confident and beautiful too. These people saw me for my strengths and I started seeing myself that way too. And I guess, that's what true friendship is, you share the joys and the good things, encourage each other. I learned to live in the moment and not worry about what people may think, as long as I know I'm not crossing lines and hurting people. I've learned to enjoy my moments and not feel guilty about them because I have earned them rightfully. I have toiled and worked hard and enjoying the fruits of my labor is my prize. Don't feel guilty for sometimes indulging yourself, as long as it's just clean fun and not illegal. My guilty pleasure is travelling and food. Looking back, I don't feel guilty not having bought a house or any real estate. I spent what I've worked for on experiences. I didn't have a lot growing up and I have a lot of things I wanted to experience, so when it came time that I can afford them, I tried them and I'm not sorry because those experiences have made me a better and confident person. I invested in experiences because I needed to improve my self-esteem. I have to get rid of my fixations, my feeling of lack and my feeling of inadequacy by seeing the world and experiencing it. Travelling had broaden my horizons and have made me more tolerant when it comes to people. Being exposed to different cultures and stories, I have become less judgemental and have nurtured less preconceived biases of the people I meet. Each one has his/her story and not all of us have nice, princess stories or happy stories to tell. Horror stories contain good lessons too. And oftentimes, you realize that there are people worse off than you, which is not really empowering but makes you appreciate the things that you have and be kinder to people.

I give this book 4/5 cages. Overcoming shyness is like breaking out of a cage. It's liberating and empowering. It's not easy and it's not instant nor it happens overnight, but all you need to do is just start with the first step and then things will just start to seem not as hard as they appear to be. It's also a process. I, for one, is a work-in-progress. From time to time, bouts of insecurity and low self-esteem plague me. Honestly, I have been told a lot of times that I am ignorant, dumb and does not know any better and I have been tempted to go back to those people and shove back their tongues into their big mouths but I didn't, because they were exactly those things they called me. Those words were only said because they wanted to feel good about themselves, though at my expense. I honestly hope wherever they are, they are happy so they wouldn't have to hurt people to feel good about themselves. Believe me, I have heard a lot of insults thrown at me just because these people assume they have figured me out and also because I refuse to kiss their asses. And not kissing asses is, I guess, one more proof that I have overcome my shyness and bold enough to stand my ground, even if more or less, it lead me to where I am now. Well, no regrets. At least, I would be proud to say I have always been honest to myself. If I can't be, then all this work of overcoming shyness or whatnot, may just be all futile. Still, it all boils down to not giving a care about what other people think. I always say, "Whatever makes you happy sweetheart," with full on sarcasm. Let them think what they want if it makes them sleep better at night. Just remember, you know yourself and you should be kinder to yourself. 

Getting out of your comfort zone is when the real magic happens in your life. Yes, it can be painful and uncomfortable at times, but it's like getting into a cold shower. When you finally take the plunge, the water stings for a few seconds, but then you get used to it and actually start to like it. Then afterwards, you feel awake and refreshed.

- Erik Myers, Overcoming Shyness - 

Thank you again, Erik Myers for the book copy. 

Situation Momedy: A Very Special Episode in Toddlerdom by Jenna Van Oy | A Book Review

I got this book from Library Thing.  I signed up for this because the word "Momedy" got me at first glance. I wanted to read something hilarious.

This book is about Jenna Van Oy's real life experiences raising two toddlers. Her story is a riot. I am not a mom yet, but I can relate to her stories because I have three nephews and one niece and I have seen them grow up. I used to live with my two nephews so I have first-hand experiences to some or most of the author's adventures and misadventures with manipulating yet cute toddlers. What I specially remember was how sweet, funny and cute they were. Especially Kuya, the eldest of my nephews. He would pick flowers growing outside the church and give them to us girls--my mom, his mom, me and another lady who happens to sit on the same row with us. The lady was so surprised when she got the flower. We explained to her that he gives flowers to all girls. Isn't he the sweetest?

I really enjoyed this book and has learned a lot from it. I am confident that I would be able to use the advice from the author on how to raise kids, especially toddlers in a way as to help them discover things on their own yet guide them to become persons of good character. What I like about this book is it's not claiming to be an absolute or the correct way to raise kids. In fact, the author encourages every parent to raise their kids the best way they know they can.What this book aims is to help parents realize that they are not alone in their struggle in raising their kids to be good and productive future citizens. The author also reminds every parent to find humor in all the unlikely situations with their little devils. Treasure these moments for time flies fast and then they will soon be on their own. Toddlerdom is the best of the formative years of these young ones. The best time to inculcate values and shape their characters. The best time to be involved in their growth.

I give this book 4/5 diapers. This is the funniest and most engrossing self-help book I have ever read and I am not even the direct market for this book as I don't have kids yet. I am looking forward to reading the rest of Jenna Van Oy's books. Her humor is just so natural and putting them into writing just translates smoothly. The humor was not lost in translation.  

My kids tend to be the problem and the solution to my rough days. They're the cause of my chaos as well as the cure. Isn't that wonderfully oxymoronic?

- Jenna Van Oy, Situation Momedy: A Very Special Episode in Toddlerdom -