Self help books can really be a hit or a miss.
Granted, some are amazing. I’ve read ones that have changed my life for the better. But many are filled with woo advice that has never actually been proven to work. These end up being more frustrating to read than genuinely helpful.
I’ve become a bit of a skeptic the past few years. I take most advice with a grain of salt, and generally take a lot of time to process things before putting it into action.
Admittedly, I’m naturally pessimistic. Constant joyful optimistic can grate on me, because it makes me wonder- what’s the catch?
For that reason, I should not enjoy Jacqueline Pirtle’s self help books. She’s everything I’m not (in my own biased by depression perspective). But damn it, I really really do.
In this post, I’m going to share my book review of her latest work, Life IS Beautiful. I’ll talk about the things I enjoyed the most, and give you some helpful tips on how you can find happiness in your own life.
This post contains affiliate links. That means that if you click a link and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. See my Privacy and Affiliate Disclaimer pages for more info.
Also, I am not a doctor or mental health professional. Just someone who has lived with depression and anxiety for many years who is passionate about sharing her experiences and tips for success. If you are in crisis call your doctor, then click here for some good mental health resources.
Who is Jacqueline Pirtle?
Jacqueline Pirtle is the mind behind FreakyHealer, and is an author, speaker, and a holistic practitioner. A constant sunshine seeker, she advocates for a mindful approach to happiness and parenting that I’ve found massively helpful.
She’s written 4 books about mindfulness, and finding your own joy and strength:
- 365 Days of Happiness
- Parenting Through the Eyes of Lollipops
- What It Means to BE a Woman
- Life IS Beautiful
(Click any of the links for more info)
You can also follow her on:
Life IS Beautiful book review
There were a lot of things I really enjoyed about this book! Here is a brief snippet of all my favorite nuggets of wisdom.
She talks about energy
“The essence of all- you and your life too- is a changeable matter and, actually, rather famous for its flexibility, changeability, and shift-ability— clarifying deeply that you are never stuck, even if it seems that way.” (JP, Life IS Beautiful)
This is something I’ve been exploring in my own mental health journey. There’s certainly evidence available that suggests that our brain is incredibly elastic. It might not seem like it, but with patience and effort, we can change the way we grow and think. Whether you call it energy, or neuroplasticity, or something else, it’s an interesting conversation to have.
6 steps to finding happiness
In Life IS Beautiful, she shares 6 steps to happiness- or creating a beautiful life, as she phrases it. I will only share the first few, but you can read the full book for more details.
- Step 1: Choose a beautiful life. This can pretty easily be misinterpreted, so let me share what my takeaway from this is. Personally, as someone who lives with depression, anxiety, and currently, a host of delightful pregnancy symptoms- I cannot choose how my brain and body choose to treat me. I didn’t pick to live with a mental illness. Why would someone? BUT. I think someone can choose to seek beauty and purpose in all the chaos life presents us.
- Step 2: Commit to a beautiful life. Even if, like me, you live with depression and anxiety, you can still take small steps daily to living a life that brings you joy. I will talk about that more in a coming section.
- Step 3: Practice a beautiful life. As with any coping strategy, you can’t just try something once, and say “That was BS! It didn’t work.” Healing in your mental health journey takes time. So, if you want to live a happier life, commit to it, and keep on fighting for it on a daily basis.
We’re on an incredible journey!
I love how she talks about the journey we’re on! “Your physical body, your host to make this wild ride of a life possible- a masterpiece living the energetically guided masterplan- by serving the physical journey that is put in motion by your energetic essence.” (JP, Life IS Beautiful)
Your energy and physical body combined are sending you on the ride of a lifetime. It might be filled with challenges. That’s true for many of us, myself included. But that doesn’t mean that life can’t ultimately be a very beautiful thing.
How you can find happiness in a dreadful year
After you check out Jacqueline’s latest book, Life IS Beautiful, I recommend implementing the following the 3 action steps.
Figure out what you want your life to look like
Everyone is different, and we’re not going to have the same goals. That’s perfectly okay. Much of happiness is a subjective experience. And by now you should all know my favorite Don Draper quote on the subject.
But it’s important to figure what the heck you want exactly. If you were to embrace the Life IS Beautiful principles that Pirtle shares, what would it look like for you?
Would you:
- Have more energy?
- More focus?
- More financial success?
- A better love life?
It might take some hard work (and heart work!) to really dig deep and figure out what you want out of life.
Come up with a plan
Once you’ve identified what you want to achieve, you need to figure out a way to make it happen. What’s really important for those of us living with depression and anxiety is to break it up in as many bite sized chunks as possible. Overwhelm will get you nowhere!
For instance, if you want to get in better shape, but have been largely bedridden due to depression or another condition, I do not recommend the goal of: I will run a marathon next month.
I mean, running a marathon is an amazing goal, but take it easy, sport. Start by saying, “Every day this week, I will get out of bed for 10 minutes a day (other than for showering, bathroom, getting food, etc.)” Once you master that, move on to the next step!
Eventually you will be able to reach whatever goal you set, but it can take a lot of time and dedication. So don’t give up!
Focus on things that matter to you
There are a lot of things that end up on our to-do lists that don’t really matter. Scrub the baseboards for the 3rd time this month. Anyone else guilty of that?
When you’re trying to get your goals on track, it’s important to have laser sharp focus. And sometimes that involves really honing your list of tasks until it more accurately reflects the things that truly matter to you.
Don’t waste energy on things that are making you unhappy, or outsource them if you can!
Life is beautiful- if you give it a chance
In short, I really loved this book like I loved all of hers. It’s full of small (and HUGE!) nuggets of hope in a year that invites nothing but pessimism and frustration.
Definitely check out Life IS Beautiful by Jacqueline Pirtle and feel a little bit sunnier!
What are your tried and true happiness tricks? I would love to hear about them in the comments. Also, make sure to share this post if you liked it!
Looks like great book to read. I will check it out. I need to find happiness in life.
Hey Swathi, I highly recommend it. Hopefully it helps! Thanks for reading 🙂
Thanks for sharing your review. This sounds like an amazing read.
Hey Tasheena, it was awesome! Thanks for reading 🙂
These steps to a better life, to a happier life seems to be easy to follow. Thanks for the review!
Hey Catalina, no problem! Thanks for reading 🙂
I love reading this and thank you so much for sharing with us I should follow these.
Hey Natalia, I’m glad you liked the post. Thanks for reading!
This sounds like a book we could all do with reading with everything that’s happened/happening this year! I do try to find the positives in everything and that helps me massively.
Hey Tara, for sure. It’s been such a hard year in a lot of ways. Hopefully this book inspires a lot of people. Thanks for reading!
That sounds like a great book. I’ve always loved reading books like that. I will have to check that out.
Hey Lynndee, let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!
The book as you described sounds amazing. This is an interesting book and I’m interested to give this a try. I’m not really a book reader but the information with this book is really important for everyone.
Hey Ruth, I think it could definitely help a lot of people, especially these days. Thanks for reading!
I’d love to give this a read. It sounds so motivational and would really help with the winter blues that I always experience.
Hope you’re keeping well, love!
Hey Nyx, thanks! I really enjoyed it. Definitely taking a social media break today but trying to hang in there! Take care, buddy!
I love reading books for well being. She sounds like a great author.
Hey Nikki, she is, and a lovely person! Thanks for reading 🙂
This book Life is Happiness caught my interest. I will definitely check this book out. And I am so glad to know more about Jacqueline Pirtle.
Hey Dennis, she is definitely a talented writer and thinker. Enjoy the book, and thanks for reading!
I need to check out this book. Sounds like it would be a great read, especially for this year.
Hey Heather, I think the world could use it right now too! Thanks for reading 🙂
Life Is Happiness sounds like a wonderful read. I think your advice on starting with small and manageable goals is perfect.
Hey Beth, I’m glad you think so! Hopefully a lot of people find it helpful. Thanks for reading!
I just love books like this, they’re truly inspirational and can help with shifting your mind as well as life towards happiness. Glad that you shared this, and I can’t wait to try to read it as soon as I can buy it.
Hey Brandy, definitely check it out when you can. Thanks for reading!
She sounds like a great author! I’m always so impressed by people who can always find a silver lining, as I’m more naturally inclined to pessimism.
Hey Jamie, I feel the same way! It’s a very impressive trait to me, especially these days. Thanks for reading!
I am going to have to check out this book. I’m kinda like you, I don’t really pay much attention to self help books but goodness, I feel I need them sometimes (and then think of course they won’t be any help). This book sounds really great, thank you for sharing!
Hey Robyn, check it out there. Her style is very infectious! Thanks for reading 🙂
Life is Happiness looks like a great read. I am going to have to get a copy for myself. Would make a great gift this season too!
Hey Melissa, it would definitely be a great gift. Enjoy, and thanks for reading!
Love this. Very well said….find those positives where you can!
Hey Chantel, thanks! It’s always good to be positive if you can manage it. Take care!
I have to admit I find the same with self-help books so it always good to find a review of one and know if it worth giving a bit of a closer look and time. Thank you.
Hey Sarah, no problem at all! Thanks for reading 🙂
This does sound like a book I need to read! I do always try to stay happy since it’s less energy.
Hey Amber, in a lot of ways it is less energy. You’re right! Thanks for reading!
You’re so right in that self help books are hit or miss. This sounds like a good one though.
Hey Bre, I definitely enjoyed it! Thanks for reading 🙂
I’m just the opposite – the eternal optimist. I can’t wait to check out this book – thanks for the lead! Great article!
Hey Lisa, that’s great that you are an optimist! It’s a great trait to have. Enjoy the book 🙂
Lovely article. I especially loved the section about the 6 steps to finding happiness!
Hey there Ghanashyam, thanks so much! I appreciate it.
She seems really an amazing writer and can deliver it to the reader. I’m going to check this book. Thank you for sharing!
Hey Franco, definitely check it out. Thanks for reading!