Book Review: Grace, Not Perfection

Hello all! If you recall from last year, one of my New Year's Resolutions was to read one book per week ... that didn't last long, but it did help me adopt the belief that if I find a book I really like, to buck up and take my time to read it.

 

This fall and early winter all I wanted to read was Grace, Not Perfection by Emily Ley, and after the holidays, I bought it on e-book and finished it in a week. It is a pretty quick read, but it is just as transformational. It is all about moving past this idea of perfection, over-planning, and worrying and embracing a life of beautiful chaos and doing so with confidence and poise. Truly a great read for anyone out there, but I thought I would use Emily Ley's concepts and thoughts as inspiration for today's post.

Emily has so many great, quotable pieces in her book, but what I took from it is that we need to live in the moment and be appreciative for what season of life we are in. I think that now a lot of us in the younger generation (15-25ish) are constantly looking for that next thing or to get on to that ultimate goal at whatever cost. This means picking work over family, studying over laughing with friends, being on our phone over visiting our grandparents .. basically anything that we can do that will help elevate us in our career. (I am 100% guilty too).

But, while reading Emily's words and convictions it really reminds you that you are exactly where you need to be to get to where you are going! We don't know what the future holds or where work and family will actually take us, but because of that we need to be satisfied in knowing that this moment is what is right.

I'll be very honest with you all throughout college, I was constantly wishing I was somewhere else in life; married to my now-fiance, working full-time, living in a big city, "thirty, flirty and thriving" ... etc. and because of that I never stopped to make any true real memories with my friends, I was constantly working towards that next goal, that next A, or that next great compliment from a boss. I missed out on so much because I was so anxious about what was to come in the future, that I wanted to prepare in every way possible. Now, I do not regret anything about my college experience because it brought me to this point, however I wish I had been able to read Emily's words a little bit sooner and embrace my college years and those moments.

One of the last thoughts she shares in the book, which is highly appropriate, is:

"One day we'll add up all our seasons - the Joyous ones,
the heart-wrenching ones, the momentous, average, and
peaceful ones. When we do we'll have a rich life story."

- Emily Ley, Grace, Not Perfection

And I truly think that this is what sums up college in a nutshell. College can be the craziest, scariest, most fun, and most frustrating time in our lives, but when you put all of those moments together, they give you the best, most transformational years of your life. So love and enjoy this season of life you are in (or about to be in) both the breakdowns at 2am and the celebrations at 2am because you will look back on both in years to come with fondness and appreciation. 

enjoy the chase,

skylar

Book Review: Hope For the Flowers

Hi everyone! Today I wanted to do a book review for you all about a really transformative book in my life.

As you may recall from my "Keeping your New Year's Resolutions in College" post, one of my New Year's Resolutions was to read one non-school book a week. Well ... my resolution didn't exactly stick, however in January I did read four books, so I started with the best intentions!

Anyways, one of the books I read was Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus. This was a gift to me from a really great mentor and its one of those reads that you really need to think about once you've finished reading it. This story was copyrighted in 1972, so it comes from a time of free thinking and transformation, which is why I think it is relevant to you all and this blog.

The story involves two caterpillars who are on the quest for what they think is something great. This greatness is also being pursued by a million other caterpillars in the world. They have no idea what is at the top of the climb, but think it must be something awesome if all of the other caterpillars are trying to get to it too.

Essentially, the point of the story (in my opinion, you may have another once you read it) is that following what everyone else does and pursuing a path that is common isn't always the best for you. As high schoolers and college students, we are constantly inundated with pressure to follow what everyone else does and choose the 'cookie-cutter' path. In this book, once the caterpillars break out of the normal path, they find a much more exciting and fulfilling life.

So, while everyone else may be choosing one path towards college, graduate school, or career. Make sure you choose a path that is going to provide you the most fulfilling life! Talk with your trusted resources and find the path that is just meant for you and your success! It may not be the easiest route and you may feel alone in your pursuit of it, but just know that by following what you want to do, you are truly creating your own future, which is amazing!

Here is a link to where you can buy Hope for the Flowers. It is a quick read, but can really help you through your next transformation if you let it!

Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy this time with your family and friends, while celebrating the lives of those who we've lost. Happy Memorial Day!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

Book Review: Getting from College to Career

Hi everyone! So, this year one of my New Year's Resolutions is to read one non-school book a week. Because of this, I thought it would be a great addition to the blog to do Book Reviews on the books that I find and think would be useful or applicable to students and parents in the college search process and for college students who are looking for career help.

The first book I wanted to review is Getting from College to Career: Your Essential Guide to Succeeding in the Real World by Lindsey Pollak and you can buy it here. I came across it through a search on Pinterest for professional development books for myself and I am so happy I got it. I read the whole thing in the middle of last semester in about a week. It is a quick, easy, and enjoyable read with lots of great information that I think anyone can benefit from, no matter where they are in their career search.

All of the chapters are broken up based on different aspects of the career search, from determining a career, to networking and marketing yourself, to preparing for interviews. This set up works really well because after you've read it through once, when you need pointers or suggestions on one aspect of the job search, you can go to that chapter in the book and find all you need! She also answers a lot of the questions on some etiquette things like professional e-mailing and how to dress for interviews, that vary by subject/topic.

Another amazing thing about the set up of the book and her writing is that she includes these sections called "Make this work for you." In this little section, she gives you a challenge to incorporate her suggestion into what you need for your career search. This is great because it gives you the chance to stop reading and reflect by thinking 'Okay, how am I going to make this work for me?' There are a lot of inspiring suggestions that can help you think about your search in a way you hadn't before.

Lindsey Pollak also offers really great starting points for all of her ideas and concepts. She lists in these sections different organizations you could contact, job and internship search websites, places where you can find mentors or extra experience ... it is difficult not to have many different ideas floating in your head as you read through the book.

Overall Review: I definitely recommend this book to anyone just starting their career search or anyone who is wanting to do more to help boost their career opportunities in the future. This would make a great gift to a new college graduate or to your career-minded high school student. This book is useful whether you have a technical degree, a two-year or four-year degree, or just have a high school education. For myself, I obviously know what I want to do with my career, but this book was still incredibly helpful with different ideas for networking and how I can incorporate the different experiences I've had over the years into my resume and cover letter. I think that not only does Lindsey Pollak give great suggestions and ideas, but she also provides really funny anecdotes and her own experiences to help make the book more real for the reader. Without a doubt, anyone can find something in this book that will be useful for them and their career journey!! Definitely go buy this book ... you won't regret it!

If you all have any suggestions on books that you have found helpful in your college or career search, I would love to hear about them; so comment below or tweet me and I will look into them! I hope you all have a great weekend!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

 Pollak, Lindsey. Getting from College to Career: Your Essential Guide to Succeeding in the Real World. Revised ed. New York: Harper Business, 2012. Print.