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moonbeam4's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
aespeckh's review against another edition
5.0
I'm in the process of opting out of my life-long religious expression and into I don't know what and wow did this book hit home, especially the parts about how growing in good ways can still disrupt important relationships. Thank you so much to Cait for writing it!
jilliebeanreads's review against another edition
3.0
“Adventures in Opting Out” by Cait Flanders is a great little guide to help those who are on their path to living an intentional life. It’s a self-help book for those, like me, who choose a different path.
Over the past decade, Cait has opted out of a lot of things. Pot. Alcohol. Spending. Owning "stuff." And, most recently, home ownership.
Now she's on a mission to be a nomad and to not have a "home." At least for as long as it works for her.
Sorry if this is a spoiler alert...
Following are my big takeaways from this book:
You can, too!
Cait's goal in writing this book isn’t to show you discreet steps in how to opt out. Instead, she hopes her story serves as inspiration that it’s possible to change for your life, too.
Have a sense of wonder
She learns about having a “seventh sense” from one of her hiking friends. Essentially, we need to look at things differently, with a unique perspective. We should be more mindful of our surroundings, and live more in the moment.
Say yes
When it comes to opting out, it’s about creating space so we can say yes to the right things. So there’s room for what brings us joy. So we can do more of what we find valuable.
Find your people
The more we opt out and determine our values, the more people we’ll find who share similar values. But we have to look for them. Cait encourages us be open and make space for new, healthy people to enter our world.
Know when we’re out of alignment
It's good to take time to reflect on what’s important. The COVID pandemic has helped many of us get quiet and listen to our inner voice. Especially the one that says when something is no longer serving us.
Let go
If we’re on the way to living our best life, we have to let go of our past self. And we’ve got to be willing to stand out (and perhaps stand alone) on our journey.
"Hike your own hike"
This is a popular saying that means we should live an intentional life. We should not follow or copy anyone else’s. Instead, we should listen to our bodies. And do what’s right for us. This is an act of self-love and confidence.
Become self-aware
“It’s safe to say the experience of opting out is a process of becoming more self-aware,” Cait says. “To be self-aware, you have to know what you’re doing and how you feel about it. And if you don’t feel good about it, you have to make a practice out of trying to realign with what feels right for you. By opting out of one thing, you’re opting into yourself.”
I didn’t really think of my life in terms as “opting out.” But that’s exactly what I’ve done since my early 20’s. I love being different and doing the unexpected. It brings me joy!
How I've opted out:
I moved away from home in my 20’s. I traveled significantly. I bought a home on my own (without a man). I got married fairly late. I moved to the beach. I left the corporate world, and started a business. I had a kid late. I got sober. I went vegan. And I met some of my closest friends on the internet because we share similar values.
Overall this is a good book. It has a hiking metaphor throughout. I just wish it was less repetitive and much shorter.
Thank you to Little, Brown Spark for an electronic copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Over the past decade, Cait has opted out of a lot of things. Pot. Alcohol. Spending. Owning "stuff." And, most recently, home ownership.
Now she's on a mission to be a nomad and to not have a "home." At least for as long as it works for her.
Sorry if this is a spoiler alert...
Following are my big takeaways from this book:
You can, too!
Cait's goal in writing this book isn’t to show you discreet steps in how to opt out. Instead, she hopes her story serves as inspiration that it’s possible to change for your life, too.
Have a sense of wonder
She learns about having a “seventh sense” from one of her hiking friends. Essentially, we need to look at things differently, with a unique perspective. We should be more mindful of our surroundings, and live more in the moment.
Say yes
When it comes to opting out, it’s about creating space so we can say yes to the right things. So there’s room for what brings us joy. So we can do more of what we find valuable.
Find your people
The more we opt out and determine our values, the more people we’ll find who share similar values. But we have to look for them. Cait encourages us be open and make space for new, healthy people to enter our world.
Know when we’re out of alignment
It's good to take time to reflect on what’s important. The COVID pandemic has helped many of us get quiet and listen to our inner voice. Especially the one that says when something is no longer serving us.
Let go
If we’re on the way to living our best life, we have to let go of our past self. And we’ve got to be willing to stand out (and perhaps stand alone) on our journey.
"Hike your own hike"
This is a popular saying that means we should live an intentional life. We should not follow or copy anyone else’s. Instead, we should listen to our bodies. And do what’s right for us. This is an act of self-love and confidence.
Become self-aware
“It’s safe to say the experience of opting out is a process of becoming more self-aware,” Cait says. “To be self-aware, you have to know what you’re doing and how you feel about it. And if you don’t feel good about it, you have to make a practice out of trying to realign with what feels right for you. By opting out of one thing, you’re opting into yourself.”
I didn’t really think of my life in terms as “opting out.” But that’s exactly what I’ve done since my early 20’s. I love being different and doing the unexpected. It brings me joy!
How I've opted out:
I moved away from home in my 20’s. I traveled significantly. I bought a home on my own (without a man). I got married fairly late. I moved to the beach. I left the corporate world, and started a business. I had a kid late. I got sober. I went vegan. And I met some of my closest friends on the internet because we share similar values.
Overall this is a good book. It has a hiking metaphor throughout. I just wish it was less repetitive and much shorter.
Thank you to Little, Brown Spark for an electronic copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
heloeez's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
2.0
Dear God, if you're out there can you rustle up a little divine intervention to stop Cait Flanders' eternal torture of her central metaphor? What did that metaphor ever do to anyone? Sure, it was trite even from jump, but it doesn't deserve this. Have mercy; put it out of its misery.