We KNOW that our life is short and precious, and yet, we spend most of our time feeling miserable about ourselves.
We’ve been conditioned to hide our true feelings, our very essence from everyone, including ourselves.
We think that we CAN’T love ourselves.
The truth is that we CAN; we just don’t know HOW to do it.
I believe that our main purpose in life is to learn about ourselves, and then share what we’ve learned with others.
We each have a responsibility to define and pursue our own version of a meaningful and fulfilling life through a continuous process of learning to love, accept, and trust ourselves.
SoulQuest is a series of prompts and exercises designed to shift your perspective on how you think and feel about yourself, and shows you how to create simple habits that nurture your spirit.
I am by no means saying “Do things my way.” What I’m hoping to accomplish is to help you trust yourself enough to do things YOUR way.
Ultimately, I want you to stop beating yourself the hell up, because… How’s that working for ya?
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
SoulQuest: Your Journey of Self Discovery is a series of prompts and exercises designed to shift your perspective on how you think and feel about yourself. It shows you how to create simple habits that nurture your spirit.
Veneta Shepherd states early on that they are not a therapist. The information and the exercises they’ve gathered are based on personal experience and research. Since a medical expert didn’t write the book, it appeared less clinical and more personal. I found myself tuning in to their words instead of zoning out. Which, we all know, we’ve done in the presence of a white coat issuing their opinion on certain matters.
SoulQuest: Your Journey of Self Discovery covered multiple areas, such as self-love, fears, the importance of watching what you consume, and forgiveness. In each section, prompts (in blue-bolded text) ask you to complete different tasks. For instance, list your accomplishments (especially the small ones). Write down five things you are grateful for in the last 24 hours. Pick your favorite body part and shower it with love all day long. Write down your fears. Give up eating high-carb foods for 30 days and assess how your body feels. For carb lovers like myself, giving up carbs will be a real test of strength.
Each exercise will prove easy for some and hard for others; therefore, everyone will find some aspect of the book that pertains to their lifestyle and life goals.
There were many affirmations in the book that stood out for me. “Your spirit, your SOUL is MUCH more powerful than your fears could ever be.” “Self love is not about perfection. We are not meant to be perfect. We are meant to love, and learn and grow and share.” And, “When you can allow yourself to BE vulnerable, you also allow yourself to FEEL your inner strength RISING.”
SoulQuest: Your Journey of Self Discovery offers you, the reader, the tools to achieve self-love: the most important love of all. They clearly state that self love is not narcissism. “Narcissist demands to be the center of EVERYTHING, requires constant proof of love and loyalty, and their need is NEVER satisfied.” Self-love is the opposite. “Self love is compassionate, generous, forgiving, honest, and unconditional.”
When we truly love ourselves, we are then capable of loving others. The writer states, “BEGINNING the process of self love is not as complicated as you might think.” While some may disagree, there’s no harm in trying the exercises highlighted in blue. Remember, there is no such thing as perfect. If you stumble in the process, don’t give up on yourself. Try, try again. Praise your accomplishments, no matter the size. Be kind to yourself. Take responsibility for your OWN happiness and keep reminding yourself you are strong, brave, and deserve happiness.
Finally, the writer has created a FREE workbook to guide you along your journey. The link is provided on page 3.
I recommend every reader of my review to take a chance on the self-help book. We all deserve love – from others and (most importantly) from ourselves.
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Meet the Author
I am the oldest of seven, Mom to five (three on the autism spectrum), and Grandma to four (so far). I became a second degree Black Belt at age 51, a widow at age 62, and published my first book at age 66, my second at 68. I treat myself to popcorn every night, and laughter is my love language.
