I received a free copy of Add More ~ing To Your Life: A Hip Guide To Happiness by Gabrielle Bernstein to conduct this book review. For details on my disclosure policy, please click here.

Add More ~ing to your life: A Hip Guide to Happiness provides readers with self coaching tools to discover their highest growth potential mentally, physically, and spiritually. With systematic, easy-to-follow steps, personal experiences and client anecdotes, Gabrielle captures the essence of personal growth for achieving a satisfied, healthy and happy life.

As a self help book, Add More ~ing to your life: A Hip Guide to Happiness is unique and comes as a great relief because it is not designed to be a quick fix solution to all our life problems. Gabrielle admits that her journey took at least four years and it required a daily commitment. She has outlined a well designed system to a more fulfilling and thoughtful lifestyle. Each chapter follows a formula:

1. Identifies the topic or issue
2. Provides relevant examples
3. Summarizes necessary steps to achieve goal
4. Guides us through the mental, physical and spiritual processes with concise instructions

Add More ~ing to your life: A Hip Guide to Happiness focuses on internal assessments, understanding our role with others, dealing with self acceptance and growth, and the challenges of maintenance and rediscovery. The chapters break down as follows:

• Chapter 1: Feeling-Dancing
• Chapter 2: Forgiving-Jumping rope
• Chapter 3: Balancing-Rebounding (trampoline)
• Chapter 4: Mirroring-Walking
• Chapter 5: Releasing-intenSati/cardio/aerobic dancing
• Chapter 6: Climbing-rock climbing/hiking
• Chapter 7: Stretching-yoga/pilates
• Chapter 8: Quantum Shifting-”physically out of your comfort zone” choice
• Chapter 9: Focusing-running/unicycling/golfing/shooting hoops/archery
• Chapter 10: Knowing-Meditating
• Chapter 11: Manifiesting-Outside moving
• Chapter 12: Adding-Any moving

At her website, Gabrielle links to her free iTunes Meditation walk throughs that are a great help in learning how to meditate effectively for each chapter. They are written in the book, but it’s soothing and encouraging to have her voice lead us through the steps. I really enjoyed how Gabrielle interwove light humor into very serious topics.

The idea of “just being” is illusive in the fast paced, technology driven society we are in today. “Life has become a constant search for outside stimuli with no road map inward.” (71) We have lost the skills as well as the ability to prioritize time to personally reflect and think–allowing this extremely personal journey to flourish leads to enlightening self discoveries. When looking to change, she provides tools that allow us movement without having to hit a rock bottom.

Highlights that resonated with me

1. Not to minimize your situation

“Though my past wounds may sound insignificant to someone who has experienced major trauma, they were deep enough for me to feel the need to run from them.” (63)

2. The significance of Forgiveness especially as a victim. At first, I was resistant to Gabrielle’s approach, but after a few days of thought, I really came to understand the effectiveness of letting go.

“See your part in the situation, whether it’s a literal action you’ve taken or merely the unwillingness to let go of the anger. The fearful ego tells us that by holding on to old resentments we protect ourselves from getting hurt again, or “falling.” The irony is that the release is in the fall.” (54)

3. The importance of challenging our negative thoughts with positive thoughts

“[L]earning to view life from an elevated, more positive perspective…you’ll learn to climb out of your ego and reach for the thoughts of your highest self…According to applied kinesiology, when you think higher thoughts, such as love, kindness and joy, your energy is stronger. Alternatively, when your thoughts are focused on lower level emotions, such as sadness, fear or anger, your energy is weakened.” (117-118)

4. At multiple times, Gabrielle reminds us not to dwell so much on the past or future

“When you start focusing on the future, you eventually get tripped up.” (142)

“The quantum shift requires an open mind and a deep desire to release the chains of the past.” (149)

“It’s not about what you did yesterday or what you plan to do tomorrow. It’s about what you do today.” (181)

5. We’re not alone

“When your energy is tuned into a positive vibration, you can have faith that you’re always being guided either toward your desires or to a detour that will bring you something better. Why waste any more time trying to navigate on your own?” (166)

6. The difference between praying and meditating really struck home.

“Praying is a time to ask and meditating is the time to listen.” (178)

My only dislike was the overuse of ~ing. I am accepting of repetition to a point, but there were times when ~ing was used too much and fell into the corny category. For instance, in chapter 7 on page 137, ~ing was used 20 times by itself or as part of an example.

I recommend reading all of Add More ~ing to your life: A Hip Guide to Happiness before tackling the 30 day Equations. When reading the book, I wanted to embark on multiple journeys right away. I was overwhelmed. How could I possibly fit these 30 day exercises into an already over scheduled day? Gabrielle provides the answer in Chapter 7:

Because I’ve taken myself through all of the ~ing Equations, I now use them interchangeable. Sometimes I’ll mix up the Equation daily and other times I’ll revisit a full-blown thirty-day journey to transform a specific area of my life.” (137)

I strongly believe that the use of terms are compatible with my personal beliefs. I associate the “Universe and Energy” with God and/or Jesus. When I pray, I am speaking to God and am free to use the Bible with meditations in seeking answers. Gabrielle provides a very thorough explanation of the process along with definitions for her commonly used words in the introduction, but I feel that it is worth illustrating my perspective here.

In conclusion, Gabrielle Bernstein offers a practical, simple Equation to face our personal barrier, “the ego,” in the most important areas of our lives. She offers innovative ways (through ~ing) to combine mind, body, and spirit by “rethinking, moving and receiving” for a complete journey in self discovery. I highly recommend reading Add More ~ing to your life: A Hip Guide to Happiness.

Lose The Diet: Transform Your Body By Connecting With Your Soul

• By Kathy Balland
• Published by Blissful Publications, LLC; 3116 S. Mill Avenue # 429
• Copyright (C) 2009
• ISBN: 978-0-9821831-0-6

Lose The Diet delves into the complexities of human emotion, connection and mental power that few people are willing to tackle when looking for a weight loss answer.

I often tell my clients that I can provide them with an exercise plan and give nutrition facts, but that 70% of their success is in the mind. Lose The Diet is filled with realistic advice and excellent “how to” exercises to begin the process of healing for successful long term weight loss.

“Most of us have lost connection–the connection with ourselves, our inner power, and with other people. When the body is treated as a separate system from our mind and our soul, then permanent weight change cannot occur.” (10)

Lose The Diet breaks down into six main components:

1. Chapter 1: Overview
2. Chapters 2-4: Food
3. Chapter 5: Stress
4. Chapter 6: Body
5. Chapters 7-9: Mind & Emotion
6. Chapters 10-12: Spirit/Inner Self/God

Food

Kathy briefly touches on the basics. The detail on sugar is due to it’s “temporary “fix” to fill the emptiness” (27) of the soul.

I disagree with the premise that calorie counting is unnecessary. This belief is based on an individual truly understanding the basics of nutrition. Foundations need to be built first to understand how food and it’s composition fuels the body. With the overload of “do this, don’t do that” quick fixes in our in society, the basics are lost. Without this knowledge, lack of nutrition will be a major obstacle in the weight loss journey.

Calorie counting makes people aware of what they are putting in their body and helps them formulate more questions about how their body is functioning. Initially, it’s important to understand the foundations of the mathematical aspect of eating. As you become educated in what the foods are, then the need of calorie counting becomes less necessary.

Good pointers that she shares in regards to food are:

• 30 to 90 days to reset taste sensation
• 15 second cravings
• Balance by choice
• My favorite mantra: Everything in moderation
• “Focus on quality, instead of food quantity.” (22)

Stress

In our high paced, go-go society, stress and lack of sleep are quickly overwhelming the majority of adults and children. Lose the Diet provides great tips for coping with stress in eating and in general. Kath shows how to create your own action plan by facing your unique stresses.

Body

The section on the body has one major flaw and I disagree with a couple points.

While she makes excellent points about resistance training, “keep in mind that muscles weighs more than fat” (102) is inaccurate. 1 lb of fat = 1 lb of muscle. The difference is in the density. Muscle is more dense, so it fills less space.

I disagree with weekly body measurements because just as the scale becomes an obsession, the inches become a new crutch. Feel the changes in your clothing. The changes in body fat loss and creation of muscle are occurring on a level we cannot see. Everyone’s body is different and a good rule of thumb is to weigh and complete measurements once a month, right after your period, first thing in the morning and naked.

I also disagree with the recommendation on how little to exercise. First of all, if overweight, it is imperative that exercise is regular and consistent. “Never train more than two times weekly” (100) and “[l]ess is more” (100) are statements that do not fit the body’s need to move. People are already doing less outside, moving daily in life, enjoying of parks, trails and our own neighborhoods.

The “[s]tudies have show that over time, working out two days per week (w/ a couple of days in between workouts) has the same benefit as working out three days per week” (100) does not make me comfortable. I need to know more about “these studies,” what their goals were, and what the expectation of benefits was in order to validate the claims. There are so many studies that can be used to refute or make a point.

We are made to move. Two times a week for 30 minute sessions is not enough exercise to lose weight or improve flexibility, cardiovascular and muscular strength. These sessions may be enough to maintain current health, but not to combat the changes in age, stress, eating, and daily habits that will continually challenge the body. This argument gives too many an excuse to “not really” have to exercise.

I do believe in moderation for exercise and I don’t think it’s too much to expect people to devote 3 to 4 hours of their 168 hours in a week to physical fitness. How those hours break up in a week is dependent on goals, likes, and time management.

Mind, Emotion, & Spirit

Lose The Diet shines in Chapters 7-12. The explanations of the mind-body connection and spiritual needs are focused and detailed. The Self Hypnosis Guide on page 140 questions you to find out why you feel, what happened in the past, and what unresolved emotions are inside. There are several exercises provided in this section to help you delve deep within for answers.

Everyone is unique. One exercise that is perfect for you may have no answers for the next person. The goal to succeed is the same: Find happiness in yourself and the rest will follow. Make health a priority and you will seek the knowledge foundation that will strengthen your food choices, exercise decisions, and mental connection to a healthy, long-term weight loss for a fit lifestyle. Kathy sums it up perfectly,

“…we do not need to deprive ourselves of entire food groups or even certain sweets or “fattening” foods that we love. It’s a matter of finding the natural balance that our bodies will automatically go to once we have resolved what is going on “inside” of us. At which time the “outside” will naturally be come balanced, without having to check the numbers on a scale or count calories.”

If you are battling internal emotions or feel you’ve come to a mental standstill, check out Lose The Diet: Transform Your Body By Connecting With Your Soul. You will not be disappointed.