This deeply engaging book will help you discover the unique shape of your life by asking yourself questions. Then, with the help of the Comfort Queen, you will discover how to reorient your life around your own desires and needs rather than around time-management tricks. A Comfort Queen rules her own life. She treats herself with the same kindness and respect as she does the people she loves. She has a healthy sense of humor about herself. Rest, self-nurturing, and harmony are her imperial rights. She keeps her eye on the unfolding path of her life and lives by what she treasures. Or at least she tries.
A Comfort Queen also knows that "balance" is not a realistic goal for realistic women. Having the perfect home, the perfect relationship, and enough quality time with your children and friends is a magazine article, not a life. Jennifer Louden and her Comfort Queen know that real life isn't about balance; it's about meaning!
Jennifer Louden, the best-selling author of The Woman's Comfort Book and The Woman's Retreat Book -- pioneering books on self-nurturing for women -- shows you realistic and fun ways to go inside yourself and create the rich, fulfilling, and sometimes slightly askew life that fits you.
Forget the life of perfect balance--according to the fairy godmother of self-nurturing, Jennifer Louden, it only exists in magazine articles. Instead of emphasizing balance in The Comfort Queen's Guide to Life, Louden shows readers how to get a life of meaning. In a flight of whimsy, Louden decided to write this book as if she were talking to her "inner feminine voice"--the wisecracking "Comfort Queen," who sounds like an honorary member of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Each of the book's chapters--which have titles such as "Mindful Listening," "Glass Half Full," and "Fierce Desire"--include the Queen's tell-it-like-it-is lessons. When she's having a self-doubting spiritual crisis, Louden turns to the Comfort Queen, who helps Louden ask herself (and the readers) the right questions. Like the Sufi poet Rumi once said: it is not the answers that offer a life of meaning, it is living the questions. Louden's understanding of this truth has resulted in a humble, tea-cozy book of questions with just a few lumps of sugary advice. The only real downside to this book is that its integrity is weakened by the simultaneous launch of a complete line of cute "Comfort Queen" products. --Gail Hudson
From Publishers Weekly
Fans of Louden's immensely popular previous title, The Comfort Book, will undoubtedly flock to her cheery new tome, which she likens to a "spiritual life planner," though some may find it unoriginal and imitative of such books as Simple Abundance. Yet another voice urging women to find balance and to "listen, learn and surrender to where life wants to lead," Louden mixes observations about her own life with affecting vignettes shared by other women. Based on following one's inner voice, her philosophy is influenced by Buddhist concepts and the work of creativity gurus currently in vogue, such as Julia Cameron. Louden derives inspiration from her muse--an imposing, bejeweled apparition dubbed the Comfort Queen--and encourages the reader to find a similar entity within herself. Among her well-expressed, if not fresh, insights: discipline is grounded in self-nurture, not self-denial; addictions and certain substances provide "shadow comforts." Although the device of the sometimes humorous, advice-bearing Comfort Queen comes to feel contrived, as though she is straining to entertain, readers may find value in the gently posed, reflective questions aimed at helping women discern their true selves. The 85 two-color illustrations by Cleo Papanikolas make the book an appealing gift; these images, along with some of Louden's inspirations, will be marketed on stationery, journals and other merchandise by major companies, including American Greetings and Papel. Agent, Barbara Moulton. 7-city author tour. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Jennifer Louden is the best-selling author of The Woman's Comfort Book, The Couple's Comfort Book, The Pregnant Woman's Comfort Book, The Woman's Retreat Book, and Comfort Secrets for Busy Women. She is both a personal coach and social commentator, who has taken the concept of "comfort" and self-care, and made these essential concepts irresistible and essential to women around the world. Jennifer is a cultural visionary, harnessing her extraordinary ability to recognize women's comfort as both a fundamental need and an innate desire.
As women's roles and voices have evolved, so has Jennifer's mission, transforming from a well-read self-help author to a cultural leader and life guide, inspiring women to develop their own recipe for emotional, physical, spiritual and work-life balance. With Jennifer's prompting, women are encouraged to find their personal truths, to explore and unearth their purposes in life, purposes that resonate most authentically with their innate wisdom, creating the truest comfort of all.
Jennifer's books have been translated into nine languages and have been bestsellers in both Germany and the U.S, reaching hundreds of thousands of women. Jennifer has taught her lively workshops and delivered her humorous and motivational keynotes across the U.S., Canada, and Europe at hospitals, women's health centers, corporations, and universities. She has created and led innovative women's retreats since 1992, from the Omega retreat center to the wilds of Canada to corporate retreats. She is also a certified coach, and graduated from Newfield Network's program.
Jennifer has been featured in major publications and regularly shares her voice with an enthusiastic national audience. Her media appearances have included the Oprah Show, Later Today, as well as MS-NBC, CNN, and Fit TV. Articles about her work have appeared in Glamour, Shape, People, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Self, New Woman, Ladies Home Journal, Yoga Journal, Health, InStyle, and Parents, as well as many local papers.
Jennifer's name has become synonymous with comfort and the multi-minding woman. Recognizing the genuineness of Jennifer's vision and the depth at which people have bonded with her message, major forward-thinking companies - from Proctor & Gamble to Martha Stewart's Omnimedia - have seen the value of utilizing Jennifer as spokesperson, editor, or purveyor of truth, and always as an embodiment of authenticity.
Jennifer lives on an island in Puget Sound with her husband, cinematographer Christopher Mosio, and their daughter, Lillian.
This review is from: The Comfort Queen's Guide to Life: Create All That You Need with Just What You've Got (Hardcover)
In Jennifer Louden's latest book, The Comfort Queen's Guide to Life, Louden goes beyond the concept of balance straight to the heart of living the good life, La Dolce Vita, from the inside out. Although Louden gives suggestions for pampering the mind, body and spirit, and asks us to do away with self-imposed obstacles, she reaches down into the heart of the matter: building a quality life from the essence of who we are instead of externally "rearranging the furniture" in the hope that it will create genuine contentment. Louden adds sass, humor, wisdom and a dose of self-love for a wonderful dialogue on living in harmony with our essential Self! Enjoy!
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This review is from: The Comfort Queen's Guide to Life: Create All That You Need with Just What You've Got (Hardcover)
I frankly bought this book because of the title. What true chick can resist a book with the phrase 'Comfort Queen' in it! I was delighted to discover that this book is what I needed at this point in my life. Struggling with the typical challenges of life (husband, child, job, home) I had forgotten the person I was in my early 20's. This book reminded me to honor myself, to nuture myself and to enjoy myself. It made me become my own girlfriend again.
After reading this book, I began to journal again. This book ends each chapter with an exercise that is perfect platform for one or more journal entries. When you buy this book, also buy some cool pens and a notebook so that you have a place for the thoughts, insights, feelings and memories that that will pour out of your as you read the text.
I love Jennifer Louden's style in this book. Her companion and muse is the Comfort Queen, a magical being who travels and comforts Louden on her journey. This book is rich with stories and and quotes that you can relate to. Make time for this book and in doing so you'll make time for yourself (you may end up like me and popping in a Scooby Doo tape for your 3-year-old so that you can read! Such is life.) And when you are through reading the book, buy a copy for your friend, sister and/or mother! (Keep your copy for yourself!)
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This review is from: The Comfort Queen's Guide to Life: Create All That You Need with Just What You've Got (Hardcover)
Jennifer Louden has done it again. In my mind, this book isthree things in one: a story, a journal of a woman's search forself-understanding and a guide. The story is about this incredibly insightful "Comfort Queen" who knows how to walk the line between tough questions and nuturing support. The journal is of Jennifer's own experiences, told in short, well-written vignettes. You can feel yourself questioning the same issues and wanting the same cup of tea in the garden. But the guide is the key. We all can follow our lives. But how do you actively participate in life? How do you make decisions that are good for you when time is of such short supply? The Comfort Queen has "Living the Questions" sections scattered throughout. That's where you can stop to ask yourself, what do I really want and what action can I take. And, with lots of examples and suggestions, you can answer it. This book has been a real boost for my journey...
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