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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
All ages can find inspiration in Start Here, March 20, 2010
This review is from: Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are (Paperback)
I found the book Do Hard Things by brothers Alex & Brett Harris while browsing through our local Christian bookstore, and I immediately thought of my oldest son. Just entering adolescence, he was starting to experience the pressures of being like "everyone else" and I feared him falling in with kids who were content with fulfilling society's generally low expectations of how typical teenagers act. I bought him the book, and we read through it together. Although he was only in 5th grade when we read the book, it led to some good discussions and exposed him to boys who were not afraid to go against the crowd and not just take the "easy route" through adolescence.
Building on Do Hard Things and their highly popular blog [...], the twins have just released their companion book Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are. It is meant to help young people move from inspiration to action through concrete steps as well as stories and testimonials from real-life teens who have "done hard things" and seen their own lives blessed as they have blessed others.
It intrigued me that, even though the book was written for a much (much) younger audience than myself, I found myself nodding, underlining, and rereading passages as I discovered both advice and insight that directly relates to my own life, right here and right now. For example, the first part of the book concentrates on figuring out where you should start in doing "hard things." This chapter, I feel, was packed full of wisdom. One pearl that I think is often overlooked is that doing something "big" for God doesn't have to be "big" according to society's standards. They say:"Doing hard things doesn't mean being preoccupied with something bigger, different, and more exciting all the time. It means being ready and willing to obey, not matter how big, small, or hard it might be." They go on to say, "If we say we want to do hard things for God, but we're not pursuing excellence where He has placed us (at home, at school, and at work), it's likely that we're really more interested in getting glory for ourselves than in getting glory for Him."
Wow, how true is that?
The other chapter that really made an impact on me was Chapter 4: Side Effects May Occur. Here they offer frank and practical advice on how to handle the changes that come when you choose to do hard things. As a writer (although not nearly as accomplished as these boys), I often struggle with how to handle affirmations I do receive. I want to think I'm a humble person, but when someone says they love something I've written, I have to admit that it makes me feel really, really good. So what do you do with that? Alex and Brett have a great answer, with some help from the words of a brave, amazing woman: "Like every gift from God, affirmation is something we can recognize and enjoy as long as we remember its source. Holocaust survivor and author Corrie ten Boom is quoted as saying, "When people come up and give me a compliment--'Corrie, that was a good talk,' or `Corrie, you were so brave,' I take each remark as if it were a flower. At the end of each day I lift up the bouquet of flowers I have gathered throughout the day and say, `Here you are, Lord, it is all yours.' "
Among the other topics this solid little book tackles are:
* How to create a plan for your idea or project
* How to raise money
* How to manage your time
* How to keep doing hard things from actually distracting you from God
* How to keep going when the going gets tough
* How to move against the crowd--and why
* How to keep from falling back into your old ways
The book concludes with a list of 100 "hard things" teens have done that were submitted to [...], which is an incredible resource to get kids thinking about what options they have for doing something good for others (and for God). There are also discussion questions that could be used with a small group or book club.
Although a relatively small book, all 137 pages of Start Here were written with purpose and intention, delivering an abundance of inspiration and practical guidance on how to shatter the "Myth of Adolescence" by moving from complacency to action for God. I highly recommend this not only to teens or those who work with young people, but to "post-adolescents" (like me) as well. The wisdom these brothers share in this book is ageless as well as timeless.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The First Step to a Life of Significance, March 20, 2010
This review is from: Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are (Paperback)
In their first book, Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations, twin authors Alex and Brett Ross set out to prove to teens (and the world) that being exceptional doesn't have an age requirement. The book called teens to a life of high expectations NOW. Too often, they say, teens are not expected to do anything or be anything and they live down to those expectations. The book is revolutionary and timely. In this follow-up, the Ross twins - younger brothers of Joshua Harris of Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters fame - provide real world examples of how to do those hard things, providing testimonials and giving ideas on how each teen reader - really, any reader - can find their God given purpose.
It is exceptional that these two brothers have not only become best selling authors, but also speakers through their Rebelution tours, which serve to set out the high expectation cry for teens and their parents and ministry leaders everywhere. As I wrote that sentence I had to fight to not show my bias proving that I too have low expectations for teens and am therefor part of the problem. Why shouldn't teens be authors and speakers? Is it really more beneficial for a teen to read a book written by older people? (The same people that admit that they don't understand teens?) Is it odd that teens who have a message should share that message with other teens? Women's ministers are generally women, right? Married Couple counselors are generally married successfully. Low expectations for teens abound.
As such, I cannot recommend this book (and their previous book) more highly. The church must find a way to break the cycle of low expectations - ministers and parents and teens. The book is easy to read, full of interesting stories and more importantly, full of information on how to do hard things. This book is the first step to a life of significance.
This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful manual for all who desire to be part of "The Rebelution", March 18, 2010
This review is from: Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are (Paperback)
It all began with a blog that reflected the hearts of, then 16 yr. old twin brothers, Alex & Brett Harris who issued a challenge to teenagers to rise above mediocrity and selfish living. Coining the new word "rebelutionary" which is the combination of the words rebellion and revolution, their desire was to spark a "teenage rebellion against low expectations."
The movement exploded with their first book "Do Hard Things". Teenagers and adults alike were challenged to move out of their comfort zones and refocus their lives on doing "hard things" that glorify God and help others. I have not had the pleasure of reading their first book but testimonials lend proof that it has been life-changing for many.
The Harris brothers are now back, at the age of 21, with a follow up manual "Start Here." They begin by explaining that being a "rebelutionary" means "committing to doing even ordinary things extraordinarily well." They state that by being faithful to the ordinary, God prepares us for the extraordinary. I couldn't agree with them more.
One of the things that I loved about this book is that they begin by examining the very important question of why we should do the hard things. By answering the question of "why" before "where" or "what" the reader is given an opportunity to see things through the lens of Scripture. This results in doing "hard things" not just for the sake of doing them but in direct obedience to God.
The authors' spiritual perspective sets the tone for the entire book. "When we think or talk about doing hard things, it's easy to think only about the big stuff. If we assume that being a "rebelutionary" means fighting slavery, digging wells in Africa, running a political campaign, or writing a book, then it is hard to know where to begin. But if our goal is to glorify God--to point other people to Him and show more of what He can do then our first priority is to be faithful with what He's already given us to do, not embark on a big new adventure."
The book goes on to share many personal accounts from young people that prove the authors' point. Some helped a stranger or family member, or befriended the lonely or oppressed, others collected items like shoes or clothing because they saw the plight of another person. All found that as they obeyed God in the small things that His bigger purpose unfolded and glorified Him in ways they had never dreamed.
I find it encouraging and exhilarating to know that there are a growing number of youth rising up with the sole purpose of glorifying God by being faithful with what they've already been given. They are also challenging others to do the same by providing practical ways of living a life that is abandoned to God's purpose.
Our society repeatedly sends the message that success and satisfaction are measured in terms of obtaining more and engaging in selfish activities. The Harris brothers have wisely empowered their readers with the greater truth that it is more blessed to give than to receive and that obedience to small but hard things can reap great spiritual rewards that transform lives and glorify God.
I can't recommend "Start Here" highly enough. It seems that the best place to start would be reading "Do The Hard Things." Both of these books have been written by teens for teens but contain biblical truths that readers of any age need to hear.
Get the book and get started right where you are.
This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
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