Books and Life competition.Win 100 HBD and a secret surprise

in GEMSlast year (edited)

First edition of my yearly Books and Life contest. 2023 edition

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The idea of starting this post first appeared in my head when I was thinking to donate some HBD to a charity of my choice , to @papilloncharity, as a way of finally giving back to the Hive community. I have a 600 HBD budget from which 100 HBD will go to charity and 500 HBD will be given to the competitors.

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I felt that I wanted to create a contest about the things I loved the most: books and real life stories. I love it when a person shares with me parts of their soul, their struggles. I admire and value authenticity and real vulnerability coming from a place of maturity, not victimhood or attention seeking.

The requirements for this contest:

  1. Write in the comment section below the title and the author of a book that changed your perspective on life in a specific situation. Explain why and give me context of your life in that moment. Tell me where you are now because of reading that book. Write 1 short quote at the end of the written comment from this book that you love.

  2. Limit yourself to maximum 800 words.

This contest has a second twist: you have the choice to create a separate post on your profile where you can write a longer story about this. Mention me and I will read it. Please only mention me if you write a long post.

The second twist is optional but I will handpick the best long post as well and I will have a surprise for that person! I know that somewhere, out there, someone with great talent is waiting to be discovered. Just like I was years ago when I started blogging on Hive and there were a couple of valuable members who contributed to my visibility: @vincentnijman ( amongst my very first followers! I remember he gave me some hive to help me out!) , @meesterboom, @galenkp, @abh12345, @tarazkp. They all deserve my big hug! I was also supported by big communities like @ocd, @gems, @proofofbrain, @hivebookclub, @alienarthive, @thoughtfulpostoftheday, @onchainart, @photographylovers and so many more. Big hugs to them too!

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Contest starts today and it will end in 7 days. Results will be announced 7 days after the ending of the contest.

Prizes:

The best stories will receive 100 HBD each. I will select the 5 best stories from the comments.

The surprise for the best long post...I will keep it undisclosed, that's the point of a surprise😅

Now I will share my choice of the book. It is Alfred Lansing - Endurance, Shackleton's Incredible Voyage. It is the first 3 hour long book review I have made on my Youtube channel and I was just starting my book review journey.

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I was living in a place without internet so I had to stream from my phone and use my mobile data. It was a difficult start as I was in a sad situation in my personal life caught in an unhealthy relationship and a difficult place to stay mentally. I had mornings when I really had to motivate myself to get out of bed or even shower. Going in nature, painting, swimming and books literally maintained my sanity. The story of Shackleton inspired me to search in my depths and overcome my situation by discovering my inner strenght. It did not happen immediately, but even today when I think of this book I gain strenght. I am now living in a better place, where I am happy, safe and away from any drama. I know that no one will harm me in here, no one will put me down or bully me and that I can have peace.No one will kick me out of here. I am now happy and safe. And this book has a role in the grand scheme of things.

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My favourite quote:“No matter what the odds, a man does not pin his last hope for survival on something and then expect that it will fail.”

It is survive or die when life puts you down. Getting up is the only choice, even if some days it felt like there would be no end of it.

Looking forward to read great life stories and hear about inspiring books. I want my soul to be touched by your post! Just be sincere and be yourself.

❤I must add that I feel so happy to be finally able to give something back to Hive because this platform gives so much to me. ❤

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This is really an amazing opportunity that you created for us all to reminisce and think about the books that changed our lives. I would not be able to choose only one book, I must name at least 2 books, even though I know that you asked for only one!

The first book that I must name that had a tremendous influence on my life was the first time I read Albert Camus’ The Outsider/Stranger. It is strange how some books can change the course of your life. I remember the day the lecturer mentioned the books of Camus in Art studies. Thinking about it now seems like a movie, I could not wait to get to the library that was just outside of the classroom, across the “Rooiplein” (it has some connections to the red square…), but I digress. I took out a series of books by Camus, The Myth of Sysiphus, The Plague, and then obviously The Outsider/Stranger. But I also took out the book Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre. In that month, I drenched myself in existential literature, experiencing a side of literature that I never knew existed. At that stage, my reading was for leisure, consisting mostly of Stephen King books. Within a single half-hour lecture, the course of my life was changed.

I read Camus’ The Outsider/Stranger three or four times over the course of ten years. Each time I gained something new from it, each time changing my perspective on life. Someone once said that you cannot read the same book twice, nor can you step in the same river twice. This is so true as every time you read a book, or experience something in your life, it changes your perspective, even if only by a little. When you go back to the same book, you bring something different to it, but you also expect to gain something different in return. Different elements will become important, different things will pop out this time around.

Camus’ The Outsider/Stranger also rings true for the second book that changed my life in a radical way, the work of the ancient Pyrrhonian sceptic, Sextus Empiricus. He wrote the Pyrrhonian Outlines, a handbook of sorts detailing the various tenets and “tools” of the Pyrrhonists. For them, and what changed my life, our very disposition in life should be one of always seeking, always looking, never holding opinions in such a rigid way as to never change them. Going even further, we should “return” to everyday life without holding extra beliefs about everyday life. Their example is that if I expect (believe) honey to be sweet, and it is not, I would be feeling disappointed or mad. But if I did not have that extra layer of belief, I would not be left disappointed, life would just be, and I would experience life as it is given to me. This profound disposition, or way of life, changed everything I do in life.

I read the Pyrrhonian Outlines in my first year doing my master’s thesis, four years after I read Camus’ The Outsider/Stranger. I re-read Camus’ work, with the Pyrrhonian lifestyle in mind, and I could see so many similarities. I always wonder what books famous writers read. I wonder if Camus read anything of Pyrrho, or Michel de Montaigne who wrote a very famous essay on Pyrrhonism.

What is strange to me is the happenstance nature of being exposed to these books. I sat in on a lecture where the titles of these books were mentioned. When I did my master’s thesis, I perchance saw a few books on Pyrrhonism at the library. If I had not seen that shelve, I would not have been exposed to Pyrrhonism.

All of this led to me doing my PhD now. Even though I am not doing it on either of these two books, without them I would not have done my PhD. Neither would I be the philosopher/thinker/author I am now. Nor would I be leading my life in the way I am doing it now.

To end off, here is a quote from The Outsider/Stranger:

And I, too, felt ready to start life all over again. It was as if that great rush of anger had washed me clean, emptied me of hope, and, gazing up at the dark sky spangled with its signs and stars, for the first time, the first, I laid my heart open to the benign indifference of the universe. To feel it so like myself, indeed, so brotherly, made me realize that I’d been happy, and that I was happy still.


Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity to think about the books that shaped our lives! I might take up the challenge and write a longer piece too!

Hey! Taking the chance to get drenched in existential literature is quite a challenge! I think that it can be both enlightening and scary. Because wondering about existence itself, how and if it serves a higher purpose, has always fascinated the sensitive souls .

our very disposition in life should be one of always seeking, always looking, never holding opinions in such a rigid way as to never change them

This was a great lesson from your second book and I think it is the recipe for peace. Holding an idea about how a thing should be is a sure pill for disappointment. This does not mean not to have an idea but the flexibility of holding that idea should be helping us and not hinder us. In the end we want to feel peace in life. And feeling peace is not always the same with being right all the time. I liked the choices that you showed me in here , you have made me curious about your PhD I am wondering what did you pick to study. Your writing is superb, I can sniff and feel the millions of book pages what have washed your eyes :) It was a delight to read you and thank you for the entry. If you feel you desire to also make a long post make sure you mention and leave me a link, I would not want to miss it!

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I took up the challenge and wrote a kind of going down memory lane of all of the books. It was very interesting to think about a book (which then culminated in a series of books) that changed my life. Thank you so much for the opportunity.

Yes for sure, some of the existential writers write so well it makes you question your own existence in some ways.

I am currently finishing up my PhD on philosophical counselling and African philosophy. Not totally relevant but also not too irrelevant. As I noted in the longer post and in the comment, it is funny how two or three books (and the context around them) that totally changed my life, allowing me to do my PhD in this field.

Thanks again, and keep well!

In France we have to read in school , all the books of all these french authors.
So many deep and beautiful books.
i dont know if they are all translated but it always feels good to read some of them.

I have heard that people who can read it in the original French say it is so much better. I am jealous of you! I think a lot of it is translated, but some of it remain untranslated, which is so sad for us who cannot read French.

We are losing the french language , slowly , that is why i write poetry , to keep it alive in my heart.

That is happening to most languages, to be honest. My own home language, Afrikaans, is also fading away as most parents choose to educate their children in English. Such a shame.

Poetry is such a strong vehicle to keep languages alive, so keep on writing.

❤️ I will reply to this at greater length at a later time. This is super-generous from you, a life changing amount for some people out (t)here. Big hug 😘

Yes Vincent, I thought that I wanted for the prize to be consistent enough to actually allow people to "feel" they are getting something.
Hugs🤗😘

Thank you Mary ❤️

https://peakd.com/hive-148441/@opidia/a-book-can-change-your-life--entering-a-booktiful-contest

Le serpent cosmic

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This book helped me discover that modern naturopathy (I am a naturopath and osteopath ) is none other than a parallel path in the search for God, for oneself and the other.
through health and mental and physical balance in connection with life.
Shamanism brings together existential and sacred questions.
It implores ignorance to emerge from its bestial and insipid shackles and to immerse itself in the infinite journey of the stars...but not just any way.
Right after i read that book, for some karmic reasons
I was invited to different shamanic sessions.

Sessions which I admit, with hindsight, opened up more questions in me
But not in a spectacular way. My natural visions have always been linked because everything is the same thing.
As in hermetism, what is inside is also outside.
What's cold is also hot
The big desire and the little desire arise from the same source.
the laws are the same for everyone and for everything.
But I humbly agreed to participate...i was curious and ignorant.
Their violence and power took me by surprise
The embrace of a hungry audience
too many shamans, too many looks, too many practices.
I saw the snakes dancing in the smoke of fatigue
They blurred the tracks of friendly evenings
Because shamanic plants liberate and imprison.

What an interesting topic: shamanism and DNA! I think it must have felt amazing to be able to speak with the author about the book! Indeed I also believe that we are all connected and that all man's quests are in fact a search for the divine. Thank you for your entry!

A search for the divine indeed.
My pleasure to bring that book and subject.
Thank you for the opportunity🌺

Dear Mary, congratulations of winning the contest & thank you for deciding to generously share 600 HBD. It is definitely not a small amount & surely will mean a lot to some of us here.
Anyway, I like the initiative & the instructions of the contest cause I have read some number of books that really made an impact on me & made my life change. It is even hard to choose the one that made such a significant impact that I remember cause it passed a lot of time & than other outer numerous stimulus kept on influencing me...
I would dare to mention the book Swami Vivekananda: Vedanta. Vedanta means "Truth". Swami never was writing. He was only talking wisdom. Channelizing. His disciples were writing down the lessons.
I remember how while I was reading this book, it was momentarily erasing all of mine mind constructions which made me behave in certain ways, it was erasing my firm beliefs of how the life in this world functions & I was feeling instantly lighter & enlightened. I remember I felt bliss & euphoria. I felt like this book is reprogramming my brain like it was really a computer & I'm installing a new system program on it. I also remember that some pages were so difficult to read & comprehend that I need to read them multiple times to really understand what I'm reading. But also, nevertheless, how difficult some pages were, as a whole the book was so light & came into me so easy. After that my view on this physical reality was never the same & I was interacting differently with everything.
At the moment I got that book in my hands, I was seeking for the Truth, like I always am. That is the reason why the book came into my hands. Cause I was yearning for it! If I remember correctly, I was kind of lost before I got the book. I was in the moment of change. Now, years after I read it, I believe I am on my spiritual path where I do not stick too hard to any object or desire. I try to observe myself in the interaction with the rest of the physical world around my body, seeing the true self captured in my body, being conscious of passing of time & all physical things. Being conscious of my everlasting & everchanging Soul which came into this dimension only as a temporarily user who will pass into other dimensions when the time comes.
A quote from the book:
Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves and every part of your body be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone.

Thank you for appreciating the opportunity and for your entry, very inspiring book!

May I also write & post to longer separated post about any other book or books or this comment is enough for the contest?

You can also do a separate post if you wish and leave me a link to it in the comments😊

OK, about the same book or I can choose some other?

It would be nice to choose another one 🙂

Even better! I have some great up my sleeve! 😀

@creativemary Thanks for this opportunity, you are blessed 🥰 here is my entry.

The Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer.

Her heart raced as a speed of light at the spike of her thoughts,
Her thoughts are like hays that went haywire at a snap of a finger,
She deemed herself fit to keep herself fit under her feet but instead,she felt gradually washed away by the whirring of her obnoxious imaginations.

You know Jerry now? yeah! that guy we met in a conference at Abuja,are you aware he tied the knot with someone last week?
Waoooh! you don't mean it?
Congratulations to him! he deserves it anyways....she said,wearing a facade gesture,smiling gleamy.
Did i just say he deserved it?
Jerry! that surly human, who would have opted in for a death sentence of marriage with such a guy? i pity the poor lady........

It's all in her head; her sizeable loaden head,
It is in her mind; there's a hell of a traffic there.
No word passes through it freely without thorough scrutinization,
She's always at the edge to counter every sentiments, perspectives,morals and judgements of someone or something negatively...
She's guarded by a world of negativity than positivity all because, of her early exposure to things (stuffs) that shouldn't had met the eye of a kid.
Unhealthy upbringing?
Obscene societal influence?
Incest?
She was a prey of all.
And,this was her situation!

Long before now,she was the queenpin of blame - passing,
Perhaps,that'll at least help in extinguishing the flame of her hostile mind and towards others,
But,who heals from a wound without caring and tending for it?
Who scarecrow at a scar and expect a spontaneous vanish?
She knew she need to heal from her pain,
She knew she had to face her fears with fierceness,
She knew she had to say farewell to her long overdue allies of ;
Self pity,
Self victimization,
Self destruction,
And that, she did.....
And this is my story!

Therefore,there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,who walk not after the dictate of the flesh but,after the spirit. (Romans 8:1)

I knew i needed lot of help,i mean lot of it...... of which I know no one could render without tagging a price to it so,i asked freely from He who give liberally without asking for anything in return.
I ask God!

Bit by bit,
Step by step,
One day at a time,
I reclaimed all the days the cankerworms,locusts and the caterpillars have eaten.
I knew for sure the damage that has became of me took years so likewise will my healing,i wasn't in a rush.
Was it difficult? yeah! it was.
Was it impossible? Nay! but,midway it almost pans to be.

He called me defected and defeated, No!......that's not me....
He told me I'm unworthy,Jesus did not came for that either.
You're destroyed beyond any repair, guess what? Jesus has the capability and dexterity to make something out of nothing (The feeding of the thousands with five loaves of breads and two fishes)
"I released myself unto Him and He made known His will for my life.

"My past may explain why I'm suffering,but i shouldn't use it as an excuse to stay in bondage"....
I'm not trying to run away from that hard to nod or sad reality neither am i attempting to make out excuse to justify or dignify the situation.
Nay! I wouldn't do that,i wasn't built or made to cower at every roaring lion.
"Every precious things had their moment of testing; test of fire in order to become what will see as impeccable beauty".
Many saw the beauty in my attitudes but i saw the beauties of my thoughts...
There the change happened,
And there my story overturned.

I became intentional about the thoughts that i think,if they're worthy of my pondering,i accommodated them,if they are not,i trashed them.
I became mindful of other people's feeling,as if they could see through my thoughts.
I mediated more on God's words more than others and mine; an empty place is a space,i gave no rooms for further lies of Satan and his cohorts.
I started to have control over my thoughts,
I literally got a new mindset about everything.

Where am i now?
I'm in a place of growth haven't outgrown the ill of my dark days,
Haven't taken all the prescribed dosages for the healing of my heart and mind.
I'm writing this piece from a stance of gratitude that i laid my hands on that book that year and gave it my utmost attention while digesting all i needed to have a renewed mind.
Indeed, there is a battle ongoing in every minds, it takes intentional actions to subdue it and claim victory.
I was victorious, you too can be!

"You can not have a positive life with a negative mind"...

Thank you for your entry!

I was reading "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho, when I did a language summer camp in Bulgaria when I still was a student. Our teacher gave as the book in Bulgarian translation and we had to read it back then and discuss it in class. Reading books in a foreign language is a life changer, because it really helps you learn a language in a natural way. You encounter so many new words and phrases, some you can understand from context others you have to look up in the dictionary and there was no internet dictionary at that time. Reading a book can therefore be both fun and educational.

We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.

Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Beautiful quote! Thank you for your entry🤗

The alchemist is one of the best book !

My choice of book is "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho.

This is the story of a shepherd boy, Santiago who had a dream. The dream was about a treasure located in the pyramid of Egypt. He was determined to get to the pyramid and get the treasure.

In his journey to the pyramid, he faced a myriad of challenges. In each of such experiences, he was resilient. It got to a point that he wanted to return home. He got motivated by the words of a king; "when you pursue your calling, the universe will work with you to make it happen." He realized that the two options before him are succumbing to fear or taking risks. He decided to take risks against finding comfort in fears.

He faced multiple obstacles. He learned to commune with nature and speak its language. This made him aware that there is life everywhere and that life would guide him to his treasure. At the final lap of his tortuous journey to the pyramid, he was kidnapped and threatened to be killed with his alchemist companion by tribal warriors. He was left with an option to transform into wind and he was able to recall all the wisdoms he gathered along the journey and went deeply into conversation with the wind, the sun and the power of the universe to help. Haven learned how to speak universal language and penetrate the spiritual realm, the universe helped him. It happened because he believed it could happen and the universe helped him achieve it. He arrived at a dune, where he believed that the treasure was. He dug and found nothing. Some wanderers came to rob him and after telling them about his mission, one of the wanderers told him of how he had a dream about a treasure in an abandoned church in Spain but wasn't foolish to crisscross the world because of a mere dream. Santiago believed that that's the location of the treasure and went back to the church where the journey began and found the treasure.

I read this book in my first year in University. In my third year, I had an experience where the book helped me to overcome some setbacks and get going. I lost my dad a few months earlier and going through with my education was becoming difficult.

Acquiring a degree was my dream. In order to achieve this, I had to face the risk just like Santiago faced his. There was a day that I was penniless and I decided to go and work for two days in a construction site. My job was to carry bricks from a distance of some meters to the point where they are being laid. I never did such work but I decided to stand up to my challenges. After doing the work and getting paid the first day, I developed severe fatigue and sickness and I spent more than 90% of the money on medication to get well.

I nearly gave up but I remember how Santiago faced obstacles and he overcame them because he believed it was possible to do so. I went to the site after recovering and this time around, I didn't spend the proceeds on medication. I faced my fear of dropping out of school squarely and I conquered it. I drew strength from the journey of Santiago that was filled with a mirage of challenges.

I graduated from university and getting a job became a problem. Since then till present, the book helps me look beyond my comfort zone at the course of my life journey.

My favorite quote is as follows;

"Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which most people give up. It’s the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one ‘dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.’"

Each step that I take in life, I learn lessons and believe that things may be getting difficult as I get closer to my dream. I dare not give up at this point.

I once farmed in order to raise some capital to go into investment but I was robbed of the money. I nearly broke down but I was convinced that I was close to my dream.

This has helped me and still helps me to break bounds and actualize my dreams. I commune with the universe about my desires and I believe that the universe would help to actualize them.

I can see why the loss of your father made you want to succeed so much in life. You surely proved to be resilient by always getting up after each setback, just like the hero from your chosen book. I enjoyed reading, thank you for your entry!

Glad to hear that you are in a safe place and gained so much from books. This is a lovely idea 😍

Thank you!🤗 Please share and reblog this post so that many people would hear about it and have a chance to participate🤗

The Book I wished I read in my early life.

I grew up in a family where talking about money is not a frequent topic, and most especially being a girl child is not a topic I was expected to contribute even when they brought it up. My parent's idea, like most people, was for me to get a good grade in my degree and then get a good job. Only for me to realize, after graduation, that how to make money isn't taught in schools. We were only trained on how to become an employee and even in a struggling economy like my country, jobs are very hard to come by.

I grew up being told that the love of money is the root of all evil. When in reality, the lack of money is the root of evil. People talk about the business owners in my immediate environment who seem to be very interested in money as if they were manipulative people.

But I was always curious as to why we had to struggle for money all the time and while I was studying hard to get a good grade I was also curious about the business world. I have always loved to make my own money right from when I was little even though I was not fortunate enough to get the right money education at the early stage of my life. For this, making my money last a while longer was always a challenge, I wanted so much to make more money and live a financially free life but I just never knew where to turn to learn the basics as most people around me were as well struggling with the same money problem like myself.

I remember when I made the first biggest money of my life, $33k during my industrial training service immediately after my diploma. I wanted to reinvest the money badly but I had no idea of how to go about it to make my money work for me while I go back to complete my college education.

Eventually, I spent it on the cause of my studies. If I had known what I know now, I would have invested it and then gone back to school while I used the proceeds from my investment to support the money I was getting from my parents.

After my graduation, I was back to square one, with no money, looking for a job, and struggling financially.

One day, a friend of mine, now my husband, while we were talking about going into a business, sent me an online copy of a book that would answer all my money-related questions, from the basics to the most important money lessons everyone should know.

He sent me an online copy of Rich Dad, Poor Dad and told me to read it since he sensed I was a business and invested-oriented individual.

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In Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Author Robert T. Kiyosaki took me on an incredible journey of comparing all the important money lessons he was taught from the two fathers in his life and offering his own great wealth-creating experience that opened my eyes and answered almost all my life-long money-related questions.

By the time I was done reading this book and started applying the lessons, I began to see what I was doing wrong in terms of money. Most of his examples resonate with my story and financial life begins to take a meaningful shape. I'm not where I wanted to be when it comes to creating wealth for myself to gain financial freedom but right now I know that I'm heading in the right direction and above all I have the right knowledge about money and wealth creation to teach my son at an early age.

Below is my favorite quote from the book

"Because I had two influential fathers, I learned from both of them. I had
to think about each dad’s advice, and in doing so, I gained valuable insight
into the power and effect of one’s thoughts on one’s life. For example, one
Dad had a habit of saying, “I can’t afford it.” The other dad forbade those
words to be used. He insisted I ask, “How can I afford it?” One is a
statement, and the other is a question. One lets you off the hook, and the
other forces you to think. My soon-to-be-rich dad would explain that by
automatically saying the words “I can’t afford it,” your brain stops working.
By asking the question “How can I afford it?” your brain is put to work. He
did not mean that you should buy everything you want. He was fanatical
about exercising your mind, the most powerful computer in the world."

This is indeed a powerful book and despite the passing of the years its principles are still valid today. I think that learning how to invest our money is a lesson that should be taught in school . It is never too late though and we can always choose how we want to live our lives later by doing the right things now. I thank you for your entry!

This is indeed a powerful book and despite the passing of the years, its principles are still valid today.

I think the teaching of the book will still be very valuable to future generations, especially the way the school system is currently designed.!LUV

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Hey. So I did make an entry, about two days ago. It was a long post entry titled Playing the Right Cards. Here's a brief summary on it. 👇🏽


I found a particular user here on Hive to quite promising, but his demeanour on the articles of other people was quite concerning. He had been berated a lot by many people and even threatened by downvotes to do better than just "Nice post." I learned more about him by digging afterwards, of course. What I found was interesting.

He was a pretty nice guy with good content about his work and life with his lovely family. What more I found is that he came on here without an onboarder. That made more sense as to why he "didn't know better." Then I thought to enlighten him, but I had to do it in a much different way from what others had tried.

I had to learn more about him a little more and figure out a palatable way to talk with him and let him see the importance of being much more expressive than spam comments. Then I wrote him.

What I did isn't something that people would normally do, and myself as well. I did it, however, because i deemed it worth a try. He received and acknowledged it.

Weeks afterwards, he made a post about everything and how different things have been for him, thanking me as well. And when I check him and his activity, I realised that he had been doing much better indeed.

How to Win Friends and Influence People was were I drew the techniques I applied in discussing the issue with him. I understood that criticism is very ineffective, and that appreciation works way better, among other things.

"Any fool can criticise—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving." This is one of the many quotes in that book by Dale Carnegie that reminds me.


There's more depth to this in the long post, of course. I hope you find time to check it out.

Hey! It is very nice to see that there are people who will take the time to guide new users on this platform. Yes, any fool can criticize and most of them will. I remember the days when I was quick to criticize and I cringe. But I learned a lot since then and I am continously improving. Criticizing is the worst one can do as it does not solve the issue and it also hurts the dignity of the other. In fact the book of Dale Carnegie is like a second bible that most people should read again and again. The book is gold when it comes to figuring out how to extract the best out of any human interaction. You did well in not assuming anything. It is easy to cast the blame instead of trying to find out the reasons behind someone's behaviour. I feel that when it comes to giving a feedback one can always learn and improve in regards on how to do it in order to avoid hurting someone's feelings. Dealing with people the right way when they do wrong is an art. Thank you for your entry!

This is absolutely beautful, thoughtful, and very kind of you. I think it is an interesting contest, and there will be fascinating stories to read. Like you, I am all about heart in context.

I have a question, though. I need some clarity on how to making an entry. I get that one can simply make a comment here. What if someone chooses to make a post about it—regarding this contest—and then share the link right here, would that count as an entry to compete for a share in the 500 HBD prize pool? Or that would only count for "the surprise for the best long post?"

I look forward to enjoying this contest and reading beautful stories. You have a heart of gold for doing this.

Hello! You can post a comment here. And if you make a separate longer post just mention me or leave in the comment a link towards the post. You can do both, it depends on you🤗 please share and reblog the post so many people could find out and participate, looking forward for your entry🤗

That was a rapid response. Thanks for clearing that up.

Have a great Sunday!

Thank you, you too!

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Thank you🤗 Please share and reblog so more people will be able to participate in the contest🤗

Omg, what a great contest! I love writing and I have a book like the one you describe, too bad I found this post a little late and I've been busy, well, I still want to participate, where I live it hasn't officially been 7 days (it's 10:25 p.m.), I hope you like my story, it's very personal, I think even if I don't qualify to participate, it's worth sharing. 😊


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The book that has impacted my life the most so far on a personal level is "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle, because when I read it I was experiencing a very dark moment in my life, I was suffering from depression and strong anxiety (derived from a lot of stress, unfair family problems and judging myself heavily) that made me have severe panic attacks that did not allow me to eat well, I suffocated, vomited, trembled, had nightmares, cried almost every day and intrusive thoughts abounded in my head. The book was recommended to me by a therapist that I used to talk to on my cell phone for 1 hour every Thursday (if I remember correctly), for which I will always be grateful. The reason for him recommending this book to me is that the depression and anxiety I was suffering from turned into an existential crisis, I was questioning everything and I even suspect after reading the book and informing myself, that it was possibly a spiritual awakening because of the intensity of it all.

The Power of Now is considered a spiritual self-help book, in which Eckhart Tolle speaks frankly and tells us about the hard life experience that made him wake up spiritually, venture and want to help others to focus on the present moment to stop suffering, because according to his experience and philosophy, in the now there is no problem and peace is found. Initially, I was afraid to read the book because I had many things in my head and I was afraid that it would make me feel bad and end up confusing me more, but I said to myself "if this reading ends up being too much for me, I know that somehow I can cope with it and I will find something else to help me". I always had faith that I would move forward and thank God I was not alone in the process.

When I started reading the book I was very surprised, how enlightening! I nervously read the pages, all the information, although I received it with grace, left me in a state of deep reflection, but at the same time it undoubtedly fell like a ring to my finger because the book answered all the existential questions that I had been asking to myself! Tolle's experience turned out to have similarities with mine and I even put into practice several exercises that he suggests there, exercises that helped me a lot to not overthink, stay calm and manage my anxiety. This book undoubtedly was a key piece in my healing, it gave me a lot of peace, it gave me answers, it gave me hope and it gave me a safe place to come back to when I feel lost.

It sounds like a wonderful book, doesn't it? I love it, but I feel the responsibility to clarify that since it is a book that deals with existential and spiritual topics, it can be difficult to digest or understand for those who are not open to these topics or are "ignorant" of this type of subject matter, I know this because I have met people who struggle to understand these topics and specifically find it difficult to be in the present moment, which leads to frustration. For me this book was ideal for the situation I was in, it was as if it had been sent to me from heaven (literally), so I will be eternally grateful to him and Dr. Juan (the therapist who recommended it to me).

I'm happy to share with you that I'm currently doing very well, my depression is gone and hasn't come back, my intense anxiety is also gone, I only get small anxieties from time to time and my life is going well, with some problems and difficulties like any other life, but no complaints. The book taught me very well how to keep calm in the storm and even made me into someone who can be a great support for others, someone resilient who can be trusted, like right now I'm the one who takes care of my mom while she is going through an illness (she is healing very well), which I must say makes me feel very proud.

I don't know if you have read this wonderful book dear @creativemary, if you haven't I feel that you would like it. One of my favorite quotes from it is a very simple, but powerful one:

"Life is now. There is no other moment that exists" - Eckhart Tolle.


(I hope I have written everything well, English is not my first language, but I think I'm good with it hehe 🧐)

You are good with your english! I believe that talking with a therapist during those dark times of your life helped you a lot. The book is not for everyone for sure as it can only has significant impact for those who are open to receive its message. I remember having to read this book 3 times in order to truly understand the message. I think that if I would read it now I would still discover new things.
Often it can be a book the thing that gives us hope in moments of despair. It seems to be mundane , but only someone who has been through dark times can understand the glimmer of light brought by the right book being read at the right time.
Thank you for your entry!

At first, we want to thank you for this wonderful open-hearted gesture, Lady Mary.
I remember all of the chats that we had in the past, and I am very glad to see that you are now safe and free. At periods in our lives, we get kicked in the face, and that Shackleton quote is very powerful. Your take on it as well, as it is indeed a solid truth, that getting up is the only choice. I want to add a bit to it, dust yourself off and get going again.

You have tagged some great names here on hive, that helped many of us and even if they were attacked at times, they have remained solid, and such is the way to be. Such is life, is my favorite saying, so we can only learn and move on.
May it be that the sun will light your road and that all darknesses will fade away from your memories. All freedom, love and happiness to you.

Thank you kindly once again !LUV

Zac and Marian.

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Hey🤗It is my honour to be able to give back 🤗 I never forget my humble beginnings and the people that supported me along the way, you being one of them.

Please share and reblog this post so we could reach as many people and allow them to be discovered as well🤗


I admire your dedication and your heart my friend.It is indeed a privilege to give back and we are trying to do that with the @combination account.

Shared the post straight after my original comment and have a super Sunday!

!PIZZA and !LUV

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And Can I tag you instead in the comment section of my entry to this contest to mange my word count????Hello @creativemary, do we have to stop exactly at 800?

*pardon me, I always have this kind of hardship with word count lol

Hey! There are plenty of free word count apps on Google, you will find one😊

Please tag me only if you also write a longer post on your personal blog as well. Besides this it is enough to write in the comments as I required, I will read them! Looking forward for your entry, please share and reblog the post so more will be able to participate🤗

What is your definition of longer post, I mean the word count for a longer post?, this is needed for me to know what to do ?? @creativemary

On your personal post which will be on your blog you can make it as long as you want. But please try to not write a novel😅

On the comment section the maximum is 800 words.

Good luck!

I am making a personal blog post, does the 800 word count also apply to the blog post ?

No, the longer post should exceed 800 words but not be so big that it is too much to read. Good luck!

Am not a fan of very long pieces. Can I still tag you in a blog post if it doesn't meet the criteria? It won't be an entry though, but I think you've given me the opportunity to reflect

Sure! Looking forward to a long post!

Ahaha yeah, i just did 980 words I think 😀

I have read it, it is very good, thank you🤗

Thanks 😊

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Berserk by Kentaro Miura. Berserk is a story about a character who puts on a badass, cool and tough ,,mask'' on despite suffering insane trauma and having the worst possible life. He tries to avoid getting close to other people because in the past it ended REALLY badly and he is afraid that history will repeat itself. A story about friendship, love, betrayal and revenge. Despite living the worst life main character keeps on struggling with seemingly impossible challenges. Berserk thought me many lessons. To chase my dreams. To cherish what I have because I might lose it all. To believe in myself and my chosen path. To remember that no matter what your circumstance are someone else is in even worse situation. It gave me the courage to pursue my passions: My art, let's plays and blogging here on Hive. In real life my life was no where near as bad as that of main character of Berserk. With that being said like him I also have barely any friends. The only family member I still have is my mother. For me it is really hard to interact with people and I rarely let anyone close to myself. But at the same time at times I feel lonely. I chose to do what makes me happy in life. Being an artist or a blogger definitely is not the most common or most profitable paths of life. At times I have doubts of myself and my art because I have little luck selling it. I gifted way more art pieces than I sold and I still have a mountain of unsold pieces. But despite this I keep on struggling and hoping that future will be brighter.

He died doing what he wanted, no matter what Right? I bet he was Happy.

Is it similar to the movie "the fly" ?

Sorry but I don't think that I have seen that movie.

I meant ..The butterfly effect :)

I see. I don't think that it is very similar.

Great entry, thank you🤗

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Bianca Sparacino's "The Strength in Our Scars" changed my perspective on pain and betrayal, self-reflection, growth, forgiveness, and healing.
In "The Strength In Our Scars" Bianca Sparacino wrote about the complexity of human emotions, self-growth, and the transformative power of pain experienced in life.

When I read the book, I was going through a phase of betrayal, pain, and loneliness. Reading the book was like getting a hug from a friend. It was like a friend speaking right to your ears and telling you that even though everything looked sucky at the moment, sooner or later you will be okay, and you will get through it. It taught me that healing takes time, but no matter how long it takes, The important thing is to not punish ourselves. The entire book reminded me that I am worthy of all the love and care I give to people around me.

I am in a better place emotionally, I have heard from the book, that I have learned that healing and growth come from embracing vulnerability and acknowledging the weight of my emotions. I have also learned that every tragedy or painful experience in life has valuable lessons to uncover.
We can transform our pain into a catalyst for growth, nourishing our souls and embracing the better versions of ourselves by actively seeking wisdom in every tragedy or painful experience in life.

This book has taught me to forgive myself and others for the pain caused because forgiving levels to emotional healing, which allows me to let go of grudges and resentments.
Loving myself is an instrument for boosting self-esteem and nurturing self-worth. Engaging in self-reflection and inspection is a key that helps us recognize recurring patterns and unlock potential for growth and transformation.

You guard yourself against sadness, not realizing that you have closed yourself off to all of the happiness the world is trying to give to you. Stay open; it is how the light gets in.

Thank you for your entry!

Thank you so much for hosting this contest ma’am

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Great, thank you! Please share and reblog so more people will have the chance to find out about the contest and be discovered🤗

Oh wow
This is something really interesting and cool.

I have a question here, I have a book which I can write about but that isn't in English, can I still write about it or is there any language barrier when it comes to telling about the book and the author

Regards

Hello! It is ok, as long as this is the book that you want to talk about, as long as you write about it in english it's okay. Good luck and please share and repost this contest so more people will have a chance to be discovered🤗

This is a wonderful initiative.

Thank you, share and reblog so more people would join and be discovered🤗

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

Author : Cal Newport

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Deep Work matters to change the Perspective in life
“Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” is a best-selling book by Professor Cal Newport. In this book, the author discusses how to do the best work with skills. According to him deep concentration is required to perform a task properly. That is, while working, tasks should be completed efficiently by focusing.

The book is mainly divided into 2 parts. In the first part, the author shows how the best results can be obtained with deep work. In its second part, the author explains exactly how to do deep work and how to implement this practice in all activities of life.

Basically, this book will change the reader's perspective on work productivity. By reading this book a reader is able to get ahead in the workplace by improving his efficiency and punctuality. Which helps to increase a person's confidence and prowess.

BOOK ANALYSIS
Analyzing the book I have noted a total of Five important points. They are described below :-

  • What Deep Work is
    Deep Work means performing a specific task efficiently without giving any attention to anything else while doing it. By doing a task in this way one can make maximum use of their mental abilities. This increases their work efficiency and creates sustainability. According to the author, people's ability to do deep work is disappearing nowadays. As a result, the demand for human skills is increasing day by day. So those who are used to do deep work are able to achieve great success in their personal life.

  • Why Deep Work Valuable
    Maximum results can be achieved in a given time through deep work. Because deep work can be done with more concentration at a given time without any interruption. It basically revolves around one task. Multitasking reduces the value of work. To get complete success in a task it is necessary to complete it on time. Moreover, many people leave some remaining tasks for later while working. This basically reduces their performance towards the task and hinders it from being completed efficiently. This damages both work productivity and worker efficiency.

  • Four Principles of Deep Work
    In analyzing Deep Work, the author focuses on 4 principles. They are –

  1. A task must be done with deep attention.
  2. Boredom has to be embraced while doing certain tasks.
  3. Avoid using social media while working.
  4. Work efficiently without doing shallow work unnecessarily.
  • Routines to make Deep Work a habit
    The author wrote in his book, the key to creating habit of deep work is to create a daily routine suitable for deep concentration to work in the corporate life. As a result, work can be done normally without exerting any extra effort on oneself. Maybe creating a routine is difficult to maintain. But once it is mastered, it will be possible to complete all tasks efficiently and work productivity will increase. A person has to keep an eye on his efficiency, punctuality, discipline and technique in creating a routine.

  • The Roosevelt Method
    In order to work productively, the author encourages readers to follow the method of former US President Roosevelt. In this case, among the daily tasks, one has to find a specific task which is more important than the other tasks. Then set a timer on their phone, computer or watch to fix specific deadlines for that task. It should be kept within sight so that the work can be completed within the specified time. This method is basically taken from Roosevelt's tactics of studying.

THE STATE OF MY LIFE WHEN I READ IT
I was very messy in my personal life. I had no daily routine. As a result I could not complete any work properly. At times I suffered from frustration with my lifestyle. I was not happy physically and emotionally. Also family members were not happy with me. I felt like a burden on society.

MY CURRENT STATE AFTER READING THIS BOOK
My elder brother suggested me to read this book after seeing the state of my personal life. I always preferred his advice. So I read this book completely. After reading the book I took a little break from my messy life. I created a daily routine by timing myself. In order not to waste my time and to complete my tasks properly, I used a yearly diary to record daily tasks the day before. Then I slowly built up my potential. Currently I am in final year of my education and have secured first class in results. Again, before entering the workplace in the future, I am developing several skills that will give me some advantages in the workplace. All in all, reading the book "Deep Work" I discovered a new me, which was much needed for my successful life.

  • Short Quote from this book that I love most

To learn hard things quickly, you must focus intensely without distraction. To learn, in other words, is an act of deep work.

I have not read this book yet but it sounds very interesting! I like the Roosevelt Method as it is very simple.

I admire that you kept a daily diary to monitor your progress. Often when we procrastinate we fail to notice because we have no record of daily achievements. Once it is put down on paper we can't run from responsability anymore.

I am glad that you have read in the comments other book recommendations, I think that it matters to leave a competition more enrinched than you were when you entered and I have seen many good books dropped in the comments.

to learn is an act of deep work

Yes!

Thank you for your entry🤗

Thank you so much for your appreciation ma'am 🥰

Nice to know your past history on Hive. Thank you @creativemary for organizing such a wonderful contest. I learned a lot by reading all the book reviews from the comment section. So I also tried to review one of my life changing book in the previous comment ☝️ Hope you and other readers will like the review.

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Glad to hear that you have come out of your messy life and started a new disciplined life.

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Yes I did it! Thanks for stopping by friend.

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Yes , focus is so very important and patience

Yes you're right. Thanks for stopping by !PIZZA

Great! Thank you🤗

Wow! This is super impressive ma’am, you are a good person.


Do you just read a book and it screams your story? More like the author took a peek into our life and actually wrote the book? this was how I felt the moment I read THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING A FUCK by Mark Manson.

Before reading the book I had struggled with inferiority complex for years and it steamed
from my body size.
You walk into a room and you’ll be able to single-handedly pick me as the skinniest in the room. Did I get body-shamed? Yes, a lot even by my own friends as they kept asking me where all the food I ate went. I was called a broom, a toothpick, the Letter “I” and any other word that describes being thin.

Each time I was reminded of how thin I was my self confidence shrunk, it shrunk to a point that I had none left.

I was pushed to take some appetite booster drugs so I could eat and add weight.

I would literally run away from whatever would land me in the spotlight as I hated everyone’s attention on me. I felt so inferior, I was smart, yes but carrying myself gracefully was a problem. I hated pictures as I appeared too skinny in them, I wore big clothes to hide my size.

This went on for years until a member in my church asked for me to be her bridesmaid and I bluntly said No, this was supposed to be a title every girl would jump at but I said No. What was my reason? I told her I would make a bad bridesmaid, I would disappoint her and would ruin her wedding pictures.

While I narrated all these dumb things to her a pastor friend was eavesdropping and after everything he asked I followed him to the church library and there he handed me this book without saying a word. I got home and started reading it.

Every word I read from this book struck a chord in my heart, the more I read the book the more something in me was awakened and the feeling could be likened to adrenaline pumping. I wasn’t in a hurry to read the book as I wanted to take it slow to fully grasp what the author had to say.

From that day I began to see myself and life differently. The book had built my self-confidence drastically as I began to love my body size and not give a hoot about what others said. On my journey of recovering my self-confidence, I had little triggers here and there, triggers that wanted to take me back to square one but I found a way of replacing the negative comments people said concerning my size.
Every negative word equals to a “don’t give a shit” comeback in my mind. It was working for me. I kept growing my self-confidence and after so much hard work what people said didn’t matter to me anymore as I rocked my body size with all pride and dignity, I mean “Skinny girls rock yeah?”. I started doing things that I would usually shy away from. I was so proud of myself and I couldn’t have been more grateful to the man that handed me the book. Right now whenever I hear anyone struggling with low self-esteem I always recommend this book to them and just like Mark said; The key to a good life is not giving a fuck about more; it’s giving a fuck about less, giving a fuck about only what is true and immediate and important.

It is important to not care about what other people think and to put your own peace of mind first for sure.

This is very beautiful. I know of the people you've mentioned above. They are interesting individuals whose post always resonate with me. I'll publish a post on this. Thank you 😊.

Looking forward to your story!

Hehe, thank you 😊.

OMG I am so lucky to have found this and re-bloging right away so others can benefit as well. Thanks Alot @creativemary

My Storyline

Book tittle: The Ultimate Life
Author: Jim Stovall

This book is practically about a young man who inherited his billionaire's grandfather's wealth and got the another great Gift as a wedding tip passed on to him by his late grandfather. The journals and DVD videos where about his grandfather's life experience and struggles including some advices on how to as well succeed in his marriage being a good husband. It was emotional and a heart lifting experience for him and as well the chauffeur who got to share this story. The information changed his perspective towards life.

At the point of stumbling into this book was a very tragedic moment for me as I was struggling with life and all emotions tied up together. I had a 1-year program and I was promised to get help with a house that I needn't worry about a roof over my head but the day of my arrival I couldn't reach out to my friend and was stranded since the money I was left with could only go for two days paying for hotel. What will happen to me if I use my last money for hotel and she still doesn't get back to me in an unfamiliar state? Long ago my family helped her when she was having issues at home and got chased away from where she once called a home by her stepfather, so I really trusted her when she said she was really going to help me stay with her for the one year I needed.

This situation was very critical for me as I was meant to commence my internship in 2 weeks time and yet the person that led me to relocating refused to pick up my calls nor respond to my messages. I'd arrived in the late night hours on a Friday and was stranded that I had to Lodge for the night. On Saturday morning knowing my payment for the hotel was going to expired by 12:00 noon I decided to step out early in the morning trying to come up with a solution when I bumped into a young lady who was actually in a hurry going for hiking. Her greeting was friendly so i asked her if I could join her and she was okay with it. This led us to practically going together and joining others along the line. From there we started talking throughout our hiking hours and got to know each other within a short period of time. With everything being communicated, she offered to help me for at least some days while I try to get help/solution. (I dropped tears after hearing her say I could stay with her)

When I got to her house I sighted this book titled "The ultimate life" I asked her if she is through with it and she replied "No, not yet" I didn't want to think too much about my situationship so I decided to pick up the book to read keeping myself busy with some storyline for a distraction. How sad? I finished the book in less than a week. So quick right? Yeah I did finished it.

What got to me so much from this book was not the fact that the young man inherited such a wealth from his billionaire grandfather, but the fact that his billionaire grandfather had to pass through hell to get to the position he was known for. (After every struggle) It made me understood that the situation I was passing through at that moment which got me so scared crying throughout that Friday night with no hope of help was some sort of experience to make me stronger and wiser. (In terms of putting my trust in people 100%, and having to take off a journey without having enough funds with me) Never again.

Another thing that got to me so much is about the writer and how he narrated the story and became a successful man. Seeing how successful he later became as he was just a chauffeur as of then encouraged me. Who would have thought he will write a book that will forever be remembered? I understood right then that the stage of life I was in was just a phase I was going to get through. I understood no matter the situation be it a difficulty or rosy, I needn't worried because everything will fall into places. I learnt the knowledge of process (Not a day job)

Quote

Problems can only be avoided by exercising good judgment. Good judgment can only be gained by experiencing life’s problems.

This is a beautiful story and has so much to learn from, the situation you found yourself was heart breaking, did she finally connected back to you or you never heard from her again at all at, how could she have done such thing to you knowing you never knew any family or person in that city, she is something else 😯😲, thank God for a help from whom you never knew at all at all.

She got back to me after 2 months and by then I'd already gotten a place. She said her phone went bad but that was not the case. Another excuse was she didn't inform her mom. The thing is she didn't owe me anything and I didn't blame her anyways. let's say I got lucky :)

Thank God for providing a substitute for your safety at that critical time, good luck.

Thanks Alot ma'am 🤍

Beautiful entry and what a life saving encounter you had with that lady hiking, thank you for your entry🤗

Oh yeah, and I am really grateful for such an opportunity. She saved my life. Thanks Alot 😊🤍

What a wonderful initiative! Your decision to give back to the Hive community through the Books and Life annual competition is truly heartwarming. The emphasis on sharing authentic, soul-stirring stories is a beautiful way to celebrate the transformative power of literature. Thank you for creating a space where genuine experiences and perspectives can shine.

I would love to check those your reviews on Youtube, and you look pretty too😀




Here is my story.

I still remember how lost I felt before I started my diploma program a while back. I was wandering through life without much sense of purpose or direction. Hard as I tried to chart my own course, I just felt confused and doubtful about which way to go.

Eventually I started talking to my therapist about this. She could see I needed something more to anchor me. One day she hands me this book - "Finding God's Purpose for Your Life" by Joyce Meyer. I'll admit I was skeptical at first when I started reading it. But Meyer's approach really clicked with me.

The idea that stuck out was that I didn't need to stress about finding my one "lightning bolt" purpose. Instead, it was about putting one foot in front of the other, trusting that God guides us to where we need to be if we walk hand-in-hand with Him. That lesson lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. It freed me up to take chances on new paths without worrying if each little choice was some ultimate destiny thing.

I can't say I have everything mapped out now. But leaning into that faith has this way of untangling all the uncertainty. Bit by bit, things feel more clear. More meaning seeps through. So I just keep on, opening myself to God lighting the way ahead. Because as Meyer put it, “If we are willing to do what God asks us to do, we will end up where He wants us to be.” And right now, that feels right where I should be.

Thank you for your entry, God always directs our path that is a certainty for me as well🤗

Trusting in God's guidance is indeed comforting. 🙏

God and love always win ❤️

very important

Yes, share and reblog!

This is so so good just like you I have also received some goodies from hive and am also thinking of what I will do for them just to say thank you for the good work you people are doing in a global scale I so much appreciate your time and kind gesture in bring this offer and rewards to all hiveans who is willing to participate in the context.
THANKS YOU VERY MUCH

You are actually making me fall in love with reading books. I’m so glad to know that you have gained so much from reading books
Nice one!

Thank you!

There is a difference between being poor and being broke. Broke is temporary. Poor is eternal.

Sometime back my uncle called me and asked me how my financial world was going and i mentioned bad, I explained how things were with me and he recommended this book titled Rich Dad Poor Dad to me.

Source

After going through the book I found out a lot of errors and one of them was proper planning and taking risk, during thay time i spent money on only food and nice places, I didn't think i was gonna go broken.

Though i was very young aside then so i wasn't really scared of anything since i have my parents to give me sometimes, but after reading the book i realized that all rich dad ever wanted was to make them business owners and not staffs why poor dad had same thought like my dad.

I also learnt that one of the reasons my family was giving me was because they wanted me to complete school and get a job that'll pay me, get married and have kids hense putting and keeping me in the rat race.

The rat race is a race where the poor gets to go to school, get a job and work for pay when they get fired they repeat the process, I didn't want that so i changed my way of thinking and started planning hard.

The world is a tough place and trust me only the wise and strong survives the weak get used, i became mentally strong after reading that book now i can proudly make financial decisions without being affected by any errors.

A great book! Thank you for your entry🤗

It's an honor to be part of such lovely contest.

This book has changed the life of many.
Education in 2023 comes from many sources and its beautiful.

There is always the one who shows and the one who sees

This particular book is a very powerful tool to fight the poverty mentality and needs to be marketed again to the common man.

One of the earliest books that greatly impacted my life was a religious book, 'Battlefield of the Mind' by the Preacher Joyce Meyer.

I had just finished high school and was about entering college. That book was my philosophy and still is to this day through the trails and tribulations entering adulthood. I've battled health issues, financial ruin, job loss, heartbreak(s) and my dad has been bed ridden with stroke for 5 years now. It can be overwhelming sometimes, but I always turn to the mindset this book shaped my head with.

My favourite quote is "Your mind can either be a Junkyard or a Treasure Chest, you alone have the power to decide what it is".

Thanks for making me reflect on this. I'd write a longer post if should I muster up the energy

Thank you for this entry, it seems Joyce Meyer is a very inspiring author, I have another entry with the same author, it makes me curious.

first of all, great contest, and i will take part in both sub-contests let's say. I will upload the post during the next 2 days though, note that there might be similarities with what i am about to write now so you may find it a bit boring!

The book that changed my life and still helps me a lot consciously and unconsciously, which is why i consider it life-changing, is called The Art of Always Being Right by the one and only Arthur Schopenhauer.

Now this book is pretty much about the art of persuasive argumentation like a guide if you wish, with a collection of different debate formulas based on what Schopenhauer knew, saw and read. Note that we are talking about 1891, not 2023 something that makes the book even greater.

i received that book when i was 19-20 years old i think as a gift for my birthday. I have already read it at least 4-5 times and i always tend to forget something or earn something new. I have created bookmarks for parts that consider important and that i need to remind myself. In general, at first glance, it might seem as a book that it can help you gain the upper hand in debates which it can definitely help you with, but that's not only it.

When we are younger we tend to act mostly based on our emotions, can be manipulated way easier by others and in general can be here and there regarding our friends and family. This book helped me in so many different aspects that defined my life and keep doing so. Except for the fact that as i mentioned a while ago, i can win some debates a bit more easily and in general argue better than others i can also understand when others are trying to use these methods on me or us (as people).

I mentioned when i started this comment that this book is so much more than it seems and that is was written in 1891. The fascinating thing is that these different techniques that were used back then for the purpose of winning arguments and manipulating the masses are still happening today, exactly using the same techniques by many people like most politicians for example. I can pretty much identify some of these techniques when coming out of them and can easily understand what type of people are. The same applies to others as well but the point is that with the knowledge i received from this book i can understand when someone is trying to manipulate me and in general only thinking for himself and not let's say the common good for example.

Let me give you some examples that you might have faced in your lives as well:

  1. Make Your Opponent Angry: Even if you are completely right if someone manages to make you angry by provoking you even with false statements, you may end up with cloudy judgment and say something you don't mean. Even if you try to explain yourself in the eyes of the audience based on your impulse and how you reacted you will be deemed in the wrong, even if your opponent said countless illogical things before you.

  2. Interrupt: How common is it that you watch let's say a panel with 3-4 different candidates for the upcoming elections. Mostly they will interrupt each other and you may thing what the hell is wrong with these people. Sometimes the reason they are doing it, is not because they can't have a civilize talk, but when someone uses an argument that will most likely make them look bad in the eyes of the audience they will interrupt, dispute, and divert in order to avoid "defeat".

  3. Appeal to Authority: Ah this is one of my favorites and quite common as well. Except for the fact the people change the meaning or the words of an authority something that i can see to be commonly used by politicians is the following. Let's say that a statistical authority that is very well-known says that the income of the country has increased 20% in 2023. The political will use it for his benefit. At the same time though the same authority may have published another graph that shows that the actual income adding the inflation has dropped 25% in 2023. Do you see where i am getting at?

I will further analyze it in my post, but in conclusion, this book made me enhance my persuasive skills, appreciate the magnificence of philosophers, and realize that we people haven't changed as much as we like to believe or say and above everything made me develop critical thinking. Reading books can make us believe in ourselves, be more romantic, use our imagination, get out of stressful or toxic situations, start dreaming again and so on. That doesn't mean though that we won't fall victim to toxic behavior, lose our way, get manipulated etc etc. If we develop critical thinking, especially at a young age, we can manage not only to make our lives better but to make the whole world better even if that sounds like another utopia in some book. We would identify for instance people that are trying to manipulate us and cast them aside.

Thus, by developing critical thinking and all the above i mentioned, i managed to build relations with people who most likely will never betray me, and would be there for me, i managed to easily spot others that many want to harm me or my family and friends and in general, my life is a bit more relaxing, with more love and close to no toxicity around me!

i just hope if anyone reads the whole thing, to not tire or bore you!

Favorite quote: “there are very few who can think, but every man wants to have an opinion; and what remains but to take it ready-made from others, instead of forming opinions for himself?" Arthur Schopenhauer

Oh a classic author! I can understand why it has helped you, the skills that real life require are necessary to be mastered through acquiring critical thinking. Loved the quote! Thank you for your entry🤗

Thats quote is well'known and so true.
The world need thinkers not followers

thanks for stopping by!

I made a long post about this already but I'll be highlighting what I've already said about it there, here.



I've always loved the fact that I could be absolutely myself with fiction. That I could get immerse in the world so carefully crafted by the amazing imagination of others. And also because fiction, whether we believe it or not, plays a role in our reality.

IMG_20231214_225106.jpg

I read Cages by Peg Kehret when I was 11 years old. And the words that emanated from it still speak to me till now. It talks about the value of self-worth. It talks about the need not to despair when we don't get what we want or when someone else is chosen over us. It highlights the fact that because they are chosen doesn't make them any better than us, but it's just that this time round, they were the ones chosen and that's perfectly okay.

It talks about the need to take hold of the minute. To fully understand that every minute counts and that whatever step we take, or whatever things we plunge into in that minute, once it passes, it's gone. And we can't bring it back. It talks about the beauty in taking hold of every opportunity life presents to us.

I talked about, in my main post, about how all of these came true in my life a while back. How I had the rug pulled from under my feet when I wasn't given a role I was sure I would get and how I learned not to discredit myself because someone else was picked. I'm in a better place because I'm beginning to have a more profound understanding of Life, its ups and downs. And how we can make the best of it. By ourselves. For ourselves. Life is a process and we cannot always be perfect. But we're getting it together. Knit after knit. Step by step. Day after day.


A Quote from Peg Kehret's Cages

~This minute is passing. Take hold of it cause it's never coming back.~

Beautiful choice! I can see why this book has reached your soul and remained there as a precious memory! Thank you for your entry🤗

You're welcome. Hope you enjoy the longer post as well.🤗

I love the quote, we forgot too often to be in the moment.

This is so kind and beautiful of you to give back to the community that has supported you so far. God bless you for the contest too.



Here comes my review of a book that shaped my life up till this moment



It was already at the end of the year 2021, I was at home (my hometown) lying down on the long pouch when I started thinking of how the new year would be. It was just on the 29th of December I think, and the thought of how the year 2022 would be for me. Just like I used to do, I was busy scrolling through some statuses on my phone. Something about me is that I am never one who loves to read books or novels, even when I do, I only flip through a few pages and then close it back. But I saw a book online which caught my attention. I thought of reading something that day especially since I was so bored while thinking about my life. I was 27 years old then without any savings even though I was on Hive, I already spent a lot and did not have much on me to start the new year.

I decided to download the book (pdf) to keep me busy, not knowing something was about to change my mindset from that moment. I'd thought it would be one of those books I wouldn't complete but this turned out to be a different one entirely which also led me to buy more books the following year.



Screenshot_20231210_160102_Phoenix.jpg

The book is titled "The Richest Man in Babylon" by George Clason. Even though this book is an old book, there are great finance tips that changed my perspective.



That was how I began my journey into reading this book. I read the first chapter and the urge to keep reading on got me, I kept flipping page by page and was so engrossed that I didn't notice when the night was dark. The sound of the generator around 7 pm made me know it was night time. I was hungry but didn't stand up to go take my food because I started coming across some tips that made me decide my life at that point. It was then I didn't mind if my mates had gone far ahead of me because I realised that it is not too late to start something. You just have to begin somewhere and once you are determined, you will see a big result in the end. There is always light at the end of the tunnel.

I was forced to eat my meal and even when I finished, I resumed reading the book. I slept so late at midnight because of a book that was about to begin a new season in my life. It wasn't that I didn't know anything about savings or budgeting but I never took them seriously. Many times when I save, I would be tempted to spend and when there is an emergency need, I would start going out to borrow money from people that paying back would become hard on me.



This book changed my life entirely when I read a part that says: "A part of all I earn is mine to keep."

At that instant, I took a new jotter and wrote the phrase down as I made it a routine to say it every morning when I wake up so I could always remember when I earned from Hive. Hive was/is my source of income and it was easy for me to pay myself first with 10% of my income.

Aside from that, this quote stood out for me till today. A quote by Arkad who was the richest man in Babylon. He said, "Enjoy life while you are here. Do not overstrain or try to save too much. If one-tenth of all you earn is as much as you can comfortably keep, be content to keep this portion."

That was how I became eager and waiting for the new year to begin. The year finally came and my journey into savings has been a great impact and of help to me. It made things easier for me especially when my Grandma died in August as I was getting prepared for my National Youth Service Corps. I had to pause things and took from my savings to fund her funeral. I have two siblings in the university and it made things so easier to support them without lacking.



This phase of my life was so stress-free for me that I never relied on anyone for help financially but knowing how saving part of my income has been of great help and support to me. I wouldn't have had the thought of saving and being determined if I hadn't read that book and till now, it has been a habit to keep part of my income while letting it work for me too. Thanks to my big sister who also mentored me on how to start investing my money which I am living for a long term knowing how big my money would yield in the coming years.

Thank you for the opportunity 🙏 ❤️

A great book indeed, glad to see that it touched your life, thank you for your entry🤗

It's my pleasure 🙏 ☺️

This. Is my own story about a book that really helped me out.

I am the type that love reading novel a lot and the type that always caught my attention is action packed novel and suspense including crime fiction, atimes I will forget food just to finish the novel that am reading or I will be eating with one hand while the other one is holding a novel this started the moment I learn to read .

I have read many novels like nick Carter and James hardly chase this one is my favorite because it gives me what I need in terms of action,crime and suspense.
Titles like :the vulture is a patient bird,miss shawnway wave a wand, strictly for cash, you are dead without money, the dead stay dumb, the way the cookies crumble, what men do , hippie on the highway ,there is always a price tag,you are lonely when you are dead, you find him I,ll fix him.

This novels though fiction thought me many things about life which I can't easily forget,one is about trust
Sometimes it's easy to put our trust in someone at the end of it all we will be betrayed by that same person which can easily break our hearts another thing is that what we are anxiously pursuing can lead us into many trouble that we may regret in the future ,the ability of the agents assigned to each crime is something else.

THE NOVEL THAT MOVED ME
IT'S true that I love this a for mention novels but the one that truly shape me is the one written by a man named Steve Martin.
I collected this from a friend and kept it for a long time as it have to do with court room stage so I thought that it may not give me what I want so I dumped it and continue with the one that caught my fancy.
One day when I ran short of what to read I said let me give this book a try and I must say I hardly drop it because the action there compelled me to read on till the end.

The book is about a man who is wealthy and married many wife's something lead to the other and they all left him and tha man's name is Ben potter, unable to control his libido he falls in love with another lady called Talia.
Now Talia didn't love him truly from the heart 💜❤️ she was only after her wealth she tried all she could to see that Ben is out of the way so she can claim his money and houses when her plans failed she taught of another means to get this done.
So she cornived with a criminal whom she have as a boyfriend inorder to actualize her dream.
They plan on how to execute this .
And the best way is to kill Ben and make it look like suicide.
They later succeed in killing Ben .
Now the news somehow got out that Ben potter is dead and a hunt for the killer began as they leave no clue behind.
To get hold of the killer a detective was sent.
And he sure did his job in nailing the two culprits and brought them to book.

HOW THIS BOOK TOUCH ME

After reading this novel I totally changed what I want to pursue as a profession.

Initially I wanted to be an accountant in a banking sector but after going through this book I changed to becoming a detective because I was impressed by the way the agents assigned to the case quickly make their move ,the questions they ask the places they visited and how cautious they are about the people they spoke with.

The one that interest me most is how they always paid laptop attention to a suspect when interrogating him or her and that is how they caught Talia and her partner in crime.

I have applied for this so many times but got turned down because of one reason or the other but I will keep on pushing until I get to where I want to be because despite the time that have passed I still have that feeling in my mind.

As I can't easily forget this world c.d.d.d.d.s which means chronic dissociative dysfunctional dangling dick syndrome

which is what Ben potter is suffering that read to his death as he can't control himself over woman .
So to stay alive one need to have control over himself or herself and what he or she wish for in life.

THANKS FOR THIS CONTEXT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORT 🙏🌹

Wave Media

Thank you for your entry🤗

I appreciate thank you too🙏

Wow ..... this is big move to give so lot back , I hope soon we have here lot Book ideas up :)
I must go and read something fast :))

Hahaha yes read something extraordinary and then share!

I try :)) ... I must look what old books I have home :))

It must be a book that helped you in your life, to have that book in a special place in your soul.

Hello creativemary!

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I love this contest and I decided to create a long post on the topic, here is my entry @creativemary https://ecency.com/hive-148441/@beauty197/this-book-saved-my-life

The Bible! That is a book which is indeed a source of wisdom. Thank you for your story and for your entry🤗

Yes is a great book of wisdom that can help anyone

This is really an awesome contest that brings everyone together to participate in sharing amazing books that touches lives and am excited as well to share mine and participate.

<p dir="auto"><strong>My Entry <p dir="auto"><strong>Book title: No Excuses<br /> <strong>Author: Brian Tracy <p dir="auto">This book talks about self discipline where you have to believe in yourself in what you do without giving excuses and going through the book have really made impact in my life to never give up in what I do but to keep pushing for better days. <p dir="auto">Two years ago I wasn't myself because of the challenges I faced and this challenges surrounds the aim of achieving financial success. I graduated from school having the hope that I will use my certificate to secure a better job which I didn't then I had to gather money to start a business which also didn't work out and this made me feel like the world was against me as nothing was working fine until I reach out to a friend who advised me then introduce the book "No excuses" to me. <p dir="auto">This book was just like a complete version of what I was facing because the way I reason and how I see people around me tells me that I need to put an end to such taught especially when you see people who are your mate doing well in what they do regardless how big or small their achievement is. <p dir="auto">Self discipline is what will make that positive impact showcase and this requires consistent effort without giving up. Never blame anyone for your downfall because this is where most people pick their excuses from and it doesn't help. <p dir="auto">This book have made me also to realize that accepting responsibility is a major way of eradicating excuses and attracting success. I have learnt that when your self disciplined, you will never have the mindset to give up easily in what you do instead in keep on striving to eradicate your fears. <p dir="auto">It motivates you to have the mindset of doing something positive everyday no matter how little or challenging it might be and the truth is when you have no excuses there is no room for regrets. <pre><code> **Qoute** <blockquote> <p dir="auto">Success can be achieved through self discipline and self discipline requires patience

True pearls of wisdom! Taking ownership of a personal failure, financial, emotional or spiritual, is the first step towards maturity and self-growth. A good choice for a book! Thank you for your entry🤗

It's a pleasure sharing.

Self discipline is what will make that positive impact showcase and this requires consistent effort without giving up. Never blame anyone for your downfall because this is where most people pick their excuses from and it doesn't help.

This book have made me also to realize that accepting responsibility is a major way of eradicating excuses and attracting success. I have learnt that when your self disciplined, you will never have the mindset to give up easily in what you do instead in keep on striving to eradicate your fears.

It motivates you to have the mindset of doing something positive everyday no matter how little or challenging it might be and the truth is when you have no excuses there is no room for regrets.

FANTASTIC !

I'll go with:

The Brain That Changes Itself,

by Norman Doidge

The book is trying to summarize the (at the time) state of neuro-science.
It's separated into different anecdotes.
Considering the magnitude of knowledge it includes, it's an easy read.
It's mainly about the concept of 'neuro plasticity'.

The book changed my life in many ways...

At the time, I was chilling in a hippy village, for almost 9 weeks.
I spent my days sitting in the community tent, talking to people, playing chess, whittling and reading.
I never planned on staying there for a long time... It just happened.
I never planned on reading that book, I just stumbled upon it, in a 'free stuff' shelf.

I was in the perfect setting to let the contents 'sink in' and immediately apply some of the lessons it contained for me;
I had a lot of time to reflect on my life and all sorts of things, and this book gave me new tools to analyze behaviors and to understand how learning works in general.

I have since used this new set of tools to learn new things, condition myself differently, help others progress on their journey to improve themselves.

It has the power to change the way you see yourself and others.
One main message (though never explicitly stated within): You are not your thoughts.
You can change your thoughts, your patterns, your viewpoint.
It really helped me in many ways and still does.

EDIT: my favorite quote from the book:
"If you don't use it, you'll lose it"
It explains a critical concept of how neuronal networks (in the brain) work, but also (more broadly speaking) applies to skills and other things you have learned.


That was 244 words, but I feel like, I should do it more justice by dedicating a blog post to it. The above was off the cuff and I didn't really try to re-read it.
I think I might have written a post about it in the past, but I'd have to search...

I tried hosting a similar contest, with higher prize money even, and got very few participants. It can be frustrating.

I recommend you include tagging other people as condition.
Then again, even though my contest had only 1 single rule, people still disqualified themselves.
It all goes back to people not reading... but that is another debate...

Thanks for hosting the contest, I hope it goes well.
If you need a script (bot) to handle the replies, don't hesitate to contact me. I make tools for Hive.
Followed your account for good measure.

Well hello there! I am happy to hear that you also tried to open a contest similar with mine, I feel you. To be honest I was also surprised by the medium interest. I expected hundreds of entries because the prize is good. But maybe it is quite a challenge for people to try to summarize a book and make it a life changing one. Who knows. One thing is sure: reading a book might change your life if it happens at the right time. And I hope to be able in my humble attempt to encourage reading. For sure if you reblog maybe the word spreads out. I am not stopping as I have it dead set in my mind to have this contest every year.It is my way to give back. For sure change takes time, not everyone knows the power of a book.

I need your favourite quote at the end from this book in order to have this comment eligible. Loved the book choice🤗

Edited the comment and added a quote.
I had already reblogged the post.
Any other help I can offer is again: I can (probably) build any tool you might need.
If it's easy or could serve a future purpose that I like, I will do it for free.

Thank you very much, I will keep your help in mind and reach out in case of need, I appreciate your kind intention🤗

You are not your thoughts, i always loved this phrase.
We get caught up too easily in our pathetic narcissism

The attitudes displayed at home truly influence us! I like your choice, thank you for your post🤗

Thank you, too ma

Hi @creativemary, first of all, I'm delighted that this contest has allowed me to discover your account and all the articles you've shared here more or less recently ! I'm happy also to find here another person who has such a deep love of art and literature.

I've always been a voracious reader. At first, I thought it was going to be difficult to find a book to choose from all those that had passed through my hands. But I have to say that it took me no more than a minute's thought to work out which was the most special of all the books that had made a lasting impression on me. It was Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, a book that was an obvious choice. It's a classic for a good reason : it's simply brilliant in so many ways.



DSC_2194.JPG
Picture that I took just today in Paris

At the time I discovered this book in my parents' rather extensive bookshelves, I was 13 years old and going through a fairly acute phase of depression, due as much to family problems as to the questioning of early adolescence. I was asking myself all sorts of big metaphysical questions, and as reading is an activity that requires solitude, I also had a lot of time to ask myself these questions and continue these reflections.

The story, which you may already know, is about the Buendia family in an unnamed country in South America - probably the author's country of origin. We are at the dawn of modernity, which is moving from the cities towards the mountains and the remotest corners of the countryside. At one point, a child accompanies his grandfather to fetch native ice for refrigerating food. A few years later, the first fridges arrive.

As the title suggests, this family's story spans a century. So there are many generations in succession, with uncles, aunts and all the cousins crossing paths and having adventures. That alone is brilliant.

But what struck me most was the way time is stretched out, like concentric loops or circles on the water of time, intersecting at pivotal moments. Gabriel Garcia Marquez is also known as one of the leading authors of magic realism, a movement that brings magic into fiction. Strange and fantastic things happen over and over again, but we are still in a realistic setting and not in a fantasy or a fairytale. The story is so full and so full of events that I couldn't really tell you more here... or I'd go over the 800-word limit ^^ !

But let's go back to the context of my life when I read this book and what it changed in me. On the one hand, this was a very special moment in my life, because in this book I found answers to the very questions I was asking myself. But if that's all it took... To tell you the truth, I already knew that I loved books and stories, but this one in particular had a totally more powerful and lasting effect, the effects of which are still very much alive and well in me.

In fact, that's when I started writing, and since then I've been writing all kinds of texts, from short essays to poems, and more recently, several novels and short stories. In fact, I'm in the process of starting a new novel, and a few days before I came across your article, I was thinking about that book and thinking that I'd like to read it again... I didn't count, but I must have read it four or five times already !

Here's the mark this book has left on me, it's in a way the original book for me, the one that made me want to continue reading them of course, but more than that, to confront myself with the fact of writing them with all the pleasure and discipline that implies ! I plan to write a slightly longer article that will go into more detail about this particular story.

I can't thank you enough for this initiative, I think it has a very special meaning for me at this particular time to talk about this book. Thanks again and see you soon !

Oh, and here's the quote :

"Thus they continued to live in an elusive reality, momentarily held captive by words, but which would inevitably escape them without return once they forgot the very meaning of writing."

Omg this was a massive book for me as well! One of the most famous first lines in literature. I must have read it 100 times!!!!

Such a marvelous one ! I think after writing that, it made me want even more to read it again ! I haven't yet read everything else he wrote, but I've read a good portion of it ^^

I just found one my parents gave me when I was 24, for my bookshelf ....

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This is so precious 💚. I still don't get the virtual reading and books on Kindle even if it's practical... How do you leave a note on one of those ?!?

Oh I tried Kindle many times but it just doesn't work for me!!!

😅 Even a pdf is sometimes too hard for me haha !

I love pen and paper ...the unique writing , voice and face in human connections

How interesting would it be to read about the same book but from your perspective? Now that would be something🤩 1 book 10 different perspectives and moments in life when it was read...

I am delighted as well to know another voracious reader! Books are my daily snack lol.
This is a beautiful choice, I can see the talent of your writing! The moment in your life when this book dropped in your hands is quite a tough one. But I do not believe in coincidence and this contest dropping in front of your eyes at the present moment in your life....must also mean something, right? Thank you for your entry it was a joy to read🤗

Yes, it’s indeed always a pleasure to meet a fellow reader and artist :)

I do not believe in coincidence too, it’s not just the destiny but everything happens for a specific purpose of unveiling and understanding !

I’m glad you enjoyed 😊 and just to know, did you read it already ?

Have a lovely day ahead !

Yes I did. Thank you, have a great day too🤗

Amazing and i love it that it is french and you are in Paris :)

Very interesting topic, a book has a powerful way to make us realize the gift of health and awareness. AIDS is definetely a severe health issue. Thank you for your entry🤗

I enjoyed reading you and also the gratitude you express.

As for the contest, I try to participate, books have been part of my life.

Regards

Hey! Looking forward for your entry, there is still time to participate🙂

Have you ever read a book that changed your life? A book that inspired you to pursue your dreams, overcome your challenges, and make a difference in the world? For me, that book was “Gifted Hands” by Dr. Benjamin Carson, one of the most renowned and accomplished neurosurgeons in history.


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It all started when I stumbled upon the book "Gifted Hands" by Dr. Benjamin Carson in my locker during my high school days. Apparently, someone had mistaken my locker for theirs, or I was about to be framed for stealing. Whichever it was, I didn't give a damn. My eyes were simply glued to the book cover, and I kept staring at it. There was something enticing, and one thing I certainly can't tell made me decide to go through it.

But first, I had to find the owner of the book to ask if I could keep it for a few days, and they agreed. After getting the green light, I checked out the short notes about the author on the back page. I was really impressed, which made me even more excited to go through the pages and learn a lot.

Despite all the troubles he had to go through, ranging from living in a poor neighborhood without a father to poor academic performance, racism, and temper issues, Dr. Benjamin Carson didn't let all this define him. Instead, with the support of his mother, he continued to push through and achieve his dream of becoming a doctor.

He went on to become the first doctor to successfully separate Siamese twins joined at the back of the head in Johns Hopkins University Teaching Hospital, Baltimore, United States of America. Not only this, but he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, by President George W. Bush in 2008. He also wrote several bestselling books, including “Think Big,” “The Big Picture,” and “America the Beautiful,” that share his insights and perspectives on various topics such as education, faith, leadership, and patriotism.

The main message of "Gifted Hands" was clear: no matter where we come from, we can shape our futures if we work hard and don't give up.

The Impacts

"Gifted Hands" had a great impact on my academic life during my time in high school. At that time, I was dealing with a lot of problems. School was tough, and I didn't know what my future would be like. The idea of overcoming challenges and achieving something great seemed far away.

But reading this book made me gain some strength and gave me the reasoning that I can be whatever I choose to be, no matter whatever obstacle I face. Dr. Ben Carson was in a far worse situation, but he became renowned and successful. What about me, living in a very good house with parents that provide for all my needs? Is a simple academic challenge enough to prevent me from achieving my goals? Those were the questions that kept bothering my mind after I had read the book, and it made me give serious thought to my life.

It inspired me to work harder and made me believe that no situation can define a person's future. Our future lies in our hands; we create and paint our future ourselves. I became a better student in high school, and upon graduating, I still have the experience of Dr. Ben Carson in mind as I go through his biography from time to time. It is a source of inspiration for me when I am facing challenging situations.

I have learned not to give up on the first try and not to say it is impossible because everything is possible depending on how we see things. "Gifted Hands" changed my perspective on life. I used to give up easily on things, and my favorite words then were, "Can I do this?" But it's no longer so. Instead, when I face situations that are challenging, I say to myself, "You can do it, just like Dr. Ben Carson." I always remind myself that Dr. Ben Carson is human like me, and he is not an extraordinary being.

The philanthropic life of Dr. Ben Carson is something worthy of emulation. I have learned to give the little I have, and it makes me happy to do so. My favorite quote at the moment is "Your background doesn't determine your destiny; it's your attitude and actions that shape who you become," because Dr. Ben Carson has proven that this is true in all aspects.

"Gifted Hands” by Dr. Benjamin Carson is more than just a book. It is a story that shows how anyone can achieve their goals and dreams with hard work and faith. It is a story that changed my life.

What a beautiful story of achievement! I can see why it motivated you: if he could make it in life why wouldn't you? Thank you for your entry🤗

It is beautiful to be shown the right path, some people have this magic.

Norman Vincent Peale is indeed the father of positive thinking and he has a lot of resources in his books to help any person level up mentally. Thank you for your entry🤗

My pleasure @creativemary thank you for having me. I really love your initiative. Thank you for your comment.🌹🌹🌹

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to tell our story from the perspective of an inspiring book we have read.
This is the story of the book that touched my spirituality and will to endure and fight my battles.

BOOK: LEFT TO TELL (DISCOVERING GOD AMIDST THE RWANDA HOLOCAUST)
AUTHOR: IMMACULEE ILIBAGIZA

Immediately I figured that this book was about a young woman's struggle and the will of survival during the Rwanda genocide, this powerful memoir has in many ways shaped my perspective on my view of life and how to uphold whatever I believe in regardless of the situation.

The book is a story about the life and times of the Rwanda genocide where two tribes Ina country were at war with each other, the author with seven other women had to hide In a small tiny bathroom, cramped together for 91 days without food and water until they found a escape to a safety camp.

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Hence, my favorite quote by the author was when she stated that "I realized that my battle to survive this war would have to be fought inside of me" through this I have come to realize that, no matter who you are there are battles both conscious and unconscious that must be fought by you and you alone, and it literally affects all areas of life not just war. No one would interfere or understand the pain and torment you are going true. Just like the author, life was going smoothly, everywhere was calm, the tutsis and the Hutsis in Uganda lived as one although there were tribal differences, but once an opportunity came to pour out their hatred, it took a big turn and destroyed everything as if hate has been buried deep in them.

In the context of this quote in the book, she had to rely only on God to fight for her because she knew that if her faith was lost, she olwouldnt be able to survive. Thus, put my hope in God and focusing on him is the best way to eradicate fear from overpowering me. The three basic elements need to survive this world are faith, hope and courage which keep me mentally strong and spiritual calm.


The second paragraph says it all, just like the Bible that your faith can move mountain if you believe

This is so relatable because one thing I dread the most is inter tribal wars. Currently I live in a community different from my tribe in the same country. A place where segregation and nepotism takes place even if I have lived almost all my life here. One time I applied for a job I needed so badly considering the economic and financial situations were so poor. Can you imagine that all the indigenes were selected but I was left out. It was so painful because I thought since I was born her and have lived over 25 years they would take me as their own but reverse was the Case as I knew, I was left alone to face my fears.

Another instance, where this quote comes in to shape the perspective of my life I trying times was, when I got admission for my masters degree, I was so happy but this was cut short when I was diagnosed with fibroids couple with the severe symptoms of anemia, headaches, menorrhagia, abdominal pain and all. I was admitted and treated but that was the beginning of my journey of pain and struggles. I had the mindset to utilize my academic year for my benefit and have fun, but this health battle changed that perspective.

At first I accepted the humiliation, pain, segregation, having to put a hold on my life, having to miss important events, having to deal with the stress of been weak, fragile and pale. Just like the author found spirituality amidst the women who had almost lost hope, cramped in that tiny bathroom in what she believed in, as a catholic too I took that step Of faith to uphold my spirituality and not be afraid of it. Now, I meditate and reflect wholeheartedly, I don't question the situation or blame anyone. I am also of the belief that my battles can be worn silently by me alone if I want to survive the torment in the world where everyone is dealing with their issues, as I do not like to be a burden. Her story inspired me that no matter what I am facing, my faith and resilience is very important to uplift my soul from the bondage of fear.

It has indeed been different ever since, although I am not entirely free but its way better than before, the will to fight and not give in to failure, trusting in God for my health and healing while subscribing to heabs and natural healing has been a great deal. I HAVE FOUGHT, I AM STILL FIGHTING AND I WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT TILL MY BATTLES ARE OVER BECAUSE ONLY I WILL BE LEFT TO TELL THE STORY.

Oh wow , what a story! I wish you good health and thank you for your entry🤗

Thank you so much

Beautiful , your words really show how strong you are and peace with ourself and God is what matters ❤️

Thank you so much for your kind words

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