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980 reviews for:
Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living
Shauna Niequist
3.69 AVERAGE
980 reviews for:
Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living
Shauna Niequist
3.69 AVERAGE
I did like this book and really agree with and loved the concept. I did find it hard to stay invested and it took me awhile to get through it. I adore the author and she had great stories and thoughts. I personally feel like the point was made early on in the book, and while the stories were interesting, it did feel a bit like it dragged on since I already knew what the author was trying to convey.
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
I LOVED reading it! I want to share one of my favorite excerpts from the book & hope to share with anyone who made need it: "One of the traditions of this place is that when you see kayakers in the water paddling by from the nearby camp, no matter what, you stop & throw candy to them. Because it's fun. Because it's a sweet tradition. Because it makes people happy. If you knew me ten years ago, you'd say, that kind of thing is SO Shauna. But to be honest, I don't know if you'd say that about me the last couple years. One afternoon, the kayakers crossed in front of the dock while a million other things were happening. Two large boats were docking, a sailboat, & a few paddle boarders were trying not to get in the way. All at the same time, in a small space. But the man who was in charge of it all, our host - the one who was responsible for everyone, stopped what he was doing & sprinted down the dock to get candy. I had a little panic attack, because what he was doing seemed irresponsible. He threw candy, in the middle of it. Over & over, handful after handful. And everything was fine. As I watched from the deck I put my head down & I began to sob. Because I use to throw candy, right in the middle of it all. I use to no matter what. Then I became the kind of person who threw candy as long as nothing else was going on, at approved times. And then I got so wrapped up in being responsible that it was never the right time to throw candy. Then, the worst thing: I became the kind of person who made fun of candy-throwers...What a loss - for me, my family, & laughter & silliness we missed out on because I was busy being busy. I'm done with that kind of responsible. I don't want to get to the end of my life & look back and realize that the best thing about me was I was organized. I want to look back & remember all the times I threw candy, even when it didn't make sense. Especially when it didn't make sense. And that's why I'm throwing candy every chance I get." This my friends is what I want us to think about! I hope when I take women on hikes, play with my dogs, or go on trips with my Husband I know that it's about 'throwing candy'.
Perfectly Written
I have longed to put my feelings and thoughts and emotions and gosh so much of this very book into words and here it is! I felt all of this so hard so deeply. It was gently worded and something I'm glad I read and absorbed into my soul. I hope that anyone needing a nudge to find their soul, meaning, to read this and truly take it in. It will change you for the good, for the simpler, for the better.
I have longed to put my feelings and thoughts and emotions and gosh so much of this very book into words and here it is! I felt all of this so hard so deeply. It was gently worded and something I'm glad I read and absorbed into my soul. I hope that anyone needing a nudge to find their soul, meaning, to read this and truly take it in. It will change you for the good, for the simpler, for the better.
reflective
medium-paced
I wanted to like this book and share with you the incredible clarity that I have gained from this book. The message was certainly worth remembering in our everyday life. Being present in the life of the people you love over being seen as perfect to the world is a powerful message. While reading this book, I captured a number of quotes I will share in the future. I suppose the two favorite quotes are:
§ “But this is what I’ve learned the hard way: what people think about you means nothing in comparison to what you believe about yourself.”
§ The "no" I said today is making room for "yes"
So what is this book about. We have a busy, super motivated, woman that learns she is trading the relationship with her husband and children for the love and affection of strangers. As I said, it's a good message and I really wanted to like the book. However, I got lost in the flow and the story.
§ “But this is what I’ve learned the hard way: what people think about you means nothing in comparison to what you believe about yourself.”
§ The "no" I said today is making room for "yes"
So what is this book about. We have a busy, super motivated, woman that learns she is trading the relationship with her husband and children for the love and affection of strangers. As I said, it's a good message and I really wanted to like the book. However, I got lost in the flow and the story.
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
While this book was a little theocentric and christocentric for me, I liked certain points she made. I'm not really sure that I enjoyed all of, as much of it I had heard before. But then again, having some of these things repeated to me is part of what helps me along my journey. There is no magic answer to changing things in your life except to change them...and I have found that you have to do that consciously and consistently. I have been working on this bit by bit and I have to be okay with that pace due to constraints. The thing that I find frustrating is that all of these kinds of books come from such a place of privilege, white privilege even, but most often it is not acknowledged. (I couldn't finish Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love" because of this.) Niequist's book slides easily into that category. She does talk about self-acceptance in spite of others' opinions, which she gets a lot of apparently, since she is in the public eye as a writer. I can see how this would make it even harder. I read a few reviews at one point while I was listening to this, and many of them lambasted her for not being Christocentric *enough*. Huh...that doesn't seem Christian to me. But then, it is a review.
I don't think I will read anything else by Niequistt, as it isn't a good fit for me, but she is a writer and she did mention how Lake Michigan brought her calm and that she is a water person. I could relate to that strongly.
I don't think I will read anything else by Niequistt, as it isn't a good fit for me, but she is a writer and she did mention how Lake Michigan brought her calm and that she is a water person. I could relate to that strongly.