Wrecked Book Review by Guest Blogger Eileen Knowles

Eileen Muldowney Knowles

I am thrilled to be here today!  Swirl Girl and I have never met in person, in fact, we only just recently met online.   We are both members of the same book launch team, a team picked by Jeff Goins to help spread the word about his new book, WRECKED.

The fact that Michelle is on this team too, tells me something significant about her.  It tells me that we must share a common belief and passion.  This one:

You can’t make a difference and you can’t experience growth by sitting comfortably on the couch.  Difference makers do.  Difference makers get their hands dirty.

Jeff’s new book is about making the brave choices.  It’s about “listening to that still, small voice whispering, ‘Life is not about you.’” He reminds the reader that, “in order to experience the ultimate satisfaction, you must embrace the hard things. You must commit.”

WRECKED is a book that will make you think.  It will challenge you.  It will make you uncomfortable.  But, just as Jeff shares so well with the readers, that’s the best place for us to be.

“Ask people who have radically changed their lives, and they will tell you the best decisions they made were when they were uncomfortable.”

Living and breathing a wrecked life is about “stepping into the pain and discovering fulfillment in the most unlikely places.”

In his book, Jeff takes you to these places and the longer you journey with him through the stories and ideas he shares, the more inspired you become.

WRECKED hits the shelves on August 1st.  If you will wait to buy the book until it releases, Jeff is generously offering over $150 worth of free gifts.  You can check out all the details and sign up for this great deal HERE.

It’s time to get WRECKED.

“Once you’ve tasted a life that isn’t all about you, it can wreck you.”
From Wrecked, by Jeff Goins

About Eileen

Eileen Knowles is a small town Arizona girl who studied English at The University of Arizona a long, long time ago. She now lives in small town North Carolina with her husband, Roger, their eight-year old son, and one quirky dog named Bisbee. When she is not working part-time loving on animals at the local animal hospital, she thoroughly enjoys drinking coffee, running, playing Scrabble, leading Women’s Bible Study at her church, and writing about how cool it is to journey through life with Jesus holding her hand.

I’m Getting Wrecked!

Last week I was given the distinct honor of joining the Launch Team for Wrecked by author and blogger Jeff Goins.

Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams into your Comfortable World

What is Wrecked all about?

Wrecked is about the life we are afraid to live. It’s about radical sacrifice and selfless service–how we find purpose in the midst of pain. It’s a look at how we discover fulfillment in the least likely of places. It’s about living like we mean it. It’s a guide to growing up and giving your life away, helping you live in the tension between the next adventure and the daily mundane.

This book is for us–a generation intent on pursuing our life’s work in a way that leaves us without regrets.

Author Jeff Goins shares his own experience of struggling as a missionary and 20-something who understands the call to live radically while dealing with the everyday responsibilities of life. Wrecked is a manifesto for a generation dissatisfied with the status quo and wanting to make a difference.

I’ll post a review later this week. In the meantime, click here so you can learn more about the book, read an excerpt, sign up for free giveaways, and ensure you’re notified of the release date.

Check out the Wrecked trailer:

 

Hitting the Reset Button . . . . .

So on July I started the 31-Day Reset Challenge with Rosetta Thurman, creator of The Happy Black Woman. I’m a Woman, I’m Black, and I’m all about the Happy so I’m excited to do this challenge! According to Thurman’s website, the challenge is designed for “Anyone who wants to manifest a change in their life, design a more fulfilling existence, make room for new possibilities or simply gain more clarity about their path to happiness and success. This challenge will especially be of benefit to you if you’ve felt stuck or in a rut during the last year.”

Needless to say, 2011 didn’t rank as one of my Top Ten best years because I was definitely stuck. Sometimes, whether you like it or not, life decides to smack you all upside the head (I believe the politically correct term is “blind side.” Same difference – and definitely the same effect. I’m just saying.).

The event that blindsided me left me stuck, yet I’m happy to say that I’ve recovered and I’m no longer reeling and rocking. Now, instead of being in a rut as a result of being blindsided by Life, I’m agreeing with the assertion that Life Goes On. I’m on a mission to keep it moving and this 31-Day Reset is just the ticket to propel me forward.

Day 1 of the challenge required us to pick a journal to write in, decide on a mantra,  and select a personal theme song. Because I’m now navigating some very pivotal areas of my life (more on that in later posts), my mantra for the 31-Day Reset is this:

“I am not afraid. I was born to do this!”

~Joan of Arc

My personal “theme song” is “I’m Every Woman” by the imitable Chaka Kahn. This song has run in the background of my head from the first time I heard it. It’s so much of part of me that when I find myself in difficult situations, I often say to myself, “I’m every woman; it’s all in me” to give myself an extra boost of courage.

This reset could not have come at a better time, because I’m afforded some much-needed down time as I wait for my dissertation proposal to undergo review. Each day I’ll try to post some tidbit from the 31-Day Reset Challenge. If you’re interested in jumping in on the fun, sign up here while there’s still time to take the challenge for free.

Want to do the 31-Day Reset Challenge vicariously through me? Then stay tuned for updates! Follow me on Twitter on @ASwirlGirl or on Facebook at The Swirl World.

Join in the fray: What areas of your life need a “reset?” What practical steps are you taking to “reset” your life?