J.M. NORTHUP

Courage: Find Your Fire and Ignite Action in Your Life by Glenda Benevides
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Empowering Though Sometimes Muddled

I found this book to be positive and empowering. However, I struggled with it because often the message was muddled. For example, at one point, the author writes: “Freedom is not present if you say ‘no.'” Then, she goes on to contradict herself with, “I also learned that part of aligning with myself was saying ‘no.'” and “My resolution was to stop saying ‘yes’ to things that weren’t empowering to my body, mind, or spirit – just because I felt that someone needed me.” Finally, I felt she reached her true meaning when she stated, “I can say ‘yes’ to me and ‘no’ to unhealthy situations and people, and then send them off with light.”

The author does a great job of offering encouragement for the reader to reflect on themselves to discover who they are and what they need for a more fulfilling life. Much of what she says is common sense, but often the things humans tend to sabotage in their lives. Her suggestions for questions and ways to annotate answers for the reader to see more clearly are appropriate though the author’s credentials are never presented. I believe this book is an expression of kindness; one’s sharing of what helped the author to grow in hopes of helping the reader and not a clinical self-help text.

There were things that resonated with me as I’m certain things will with you. I liked and fully agreed with the author that one’s reality is based on their choices. However, the ambiguity of “the flow” often left me questioning…

Though this has a strong female empowerment message and leans towards “the goddess” of self, it is suitable for men. The message is universal.

If you’d like a charming personal read with some relatable anecdotes, then I recommend this book for you. It is an inspirational text and does a great job reminding the reader that they are neither alone nor worthless. We all deserve goodness and respect.

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