Living Your Joy: A Practical Guide to Happiness (Hardcover)

by Suzanne Falter-Barns (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Falter-Burns strikes an encouraging but realistic tone in this down-to-earth self-help manual aimed at people struggling with doubts about pursuing their dream, whether it's writing a screenplay or creating kiln-fired glass jewelry. Instead of new-agey cheerleading, the author, who lived "the hand-to-mouth existence of a happy, impoverished artist" until her late 30s, offers instructive tools for dealing with the time, money and energy deficits that interfere with achieving big goals. She insists that people have more time than they think they do, and provides advice on structuring and protecting that time as well as ways to avoid wasting precious minutes that can otherwise be devoted to working towards the dream. Her list of "Thirty Guaranteed Time-savers," for example, includes tips like primping less, screening calls and holding breakfast instead of lunch meetings. She advises on how to create a workspace, choose the right "day gig" and avoid habits that suck energy (e.g. compulsive shopping, drinking and even perfectionism). In chapters entitled "When to Leap...and When Not to Leap," "How to Keep Your Job and Live Your Dream at the Same Time" and "How to Live with Financial Insecurity," Falter-Burns weighs the pros and cons of the slow, safe transition towards a dream versus a more impetuous plunge into the freelance life. Aspiring artists, writers and entrepreneurs will find basic and creative tips in this succinct motivational guide.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
Praise for Suzanne Falter-Barns
and How Much Joy Can You Stand?

?Filled with straight talk, lighthearted humor, and a wealth of practical advice.?
?CHERYL RICHARDSON
Author of Take Time for Your Life

?Use this book as your joy mentor! It elegantly shows how to let go of suffering and accept joy.?
?SARK
Author of Transformation Soup

?Joy is everywhere around us. Suzanne Falter-Barns teaches each of us to reach out and grab some.?
?LAURIE BETH JONES
Author of Jesus CEO
and Grow Something Besides Old

?The ultimate handyman?s special for unblocking creative juices.?
?DR. ROBERT AKERET
Author of Tales from a Traveling Couch

?How Much Joy Can You Stand? helps us to see that we all have passion and inspiration and creativity and genius residing inside us. [Falter-Barns?s] book teaches us how to coax it out and live a truly joyful, lively existence!?
?BARRIE GILLIES
Senior Editor, Fitness

?You?ll come away from this book experience with renewed optimism, a greater understanding of how big you?re willing to be, and a good sense of how to actually live from your greater, you-based self!?
?PENNEY PEIRCE
Author of The Intuitive Way:
A Guide to Living from Inner Wisdom
-- Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1 edition (September 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345439171
• ISBN-13: 978-0345439178
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #677,424 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond The Usual and Into the Application, November 30, 2003

By	Julie Jordan Scott "Writer, Life Coach - Owne... (Bakersfield, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

One of the most exceptionally valuable aspects of this book is its clear, concise, simple to follow guidelines for how to move beyond TALKING about how SOMEDAY you will live your joy..... it goes into LIVING your joy right here right now by following this step and that step and the other step... clearly, concisely AND ALSO with signature Suzanne Falter-Barnes style.

Its kind of like getting down to the brass tacks of the situation... actually getting the fingers-- the palms -- the fists into the fingerpaints and just going for it in whatever way you can right here right now and then getting up tomorrow and doing the same thing so that in two weeks, two months, two years from now you will be LIVING your joy... rather than two weeks, two months, two years you would have been still TALKING about someday.....

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Things Do Come in Small Packages, April 11, 2006

By	Susan Reynolds (Loudoun County VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Even before you get to the meat of the book you'll likely notice the delightful size, perfect for tucking into your bag as you're heading off to who knows where.

And when you get the opportunity to open it up there are golden nuggets on every page. There's nothing fake or sugary about the advice given and Suzanne avoids sounding like a re-run of cheerleader camp or wearer of rose-colored glasses.

Her warm conversational style and easy delivery make the material in the book an encouraging gift to the reader. And both author and content contributed to its spot on my recomended reading at http://susanreynolds.blogs.com/

? 2006 Susan Reynolds

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW, November 30, 2003

By	Shirley Priscilla Johnson "Author/Reviewer -... (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Do you thirst to turn your dreams into reality? Is your heart crying to release the creative ability inside of you but you just are not aware of how to begin? If your answer is yes to these questions "Living Your Joy" is the book for you.

Suzanne Falter-Barns takes a hard look at what is stopping us from forging forward to make our dreams a reality, you might not like what you find there.
She points out how we must make the decision to work to remove the road blocks that are stopping our dream, be it lack of time, lack of finances, or any of the numerous excuses we use that hinder us.
Do you realize what clutter can do to you emotionally or what part it can play in hindering you from moving ahead? Interesting!
Ouch! The finger points inward as perhaps our own errors are exposed! Quite an eye-opener!

Take heart however, the author gives you ways to overcome these road blocks and a listing of resources are available for your use, given after most chapters that will aid you in your quest to succeed. Bravo!
The book is chock full of pointers, ideas and down to earth advice that you can impart in your own life to help bring your dream to fulfillment.

All in all a real character building book that will make you take a good look at why you have not succeeded with your dream and how you can make it a reality.