Review of The Gift That I Can Give by Kathie Lee Gifford

Kids don't have to wait until they grow up to make the world a better place! The newest Kathie Lee Gifford book empowers children to find unique ways to make a difference in the lives of those around them.

The Gift That I Can Give is a heartwarming story that shows how all children can do something today to make a positive impact on others. From simply being kind to giving a loved one an extra-big hug to cheering for a friend, this story will inspire children with countless ways to show God's love. They'll want to read it again and again.

The Gift That I Can Give:

• highlights big gifts and points them back to God, like the ability to sing, play sports, and dance
• encourages quieter gifts as well, like encouragement, empathy, gratitude, kindness, and sharing God's love
• is a great bedtime story, grandparent story, or encouraging story to a child who is struggling.

Kathie Lee is a trusted voice who feels like a friend for countless people. With her strong faith, enthusiasm, and playful writing, she appeals to young hearts and encourages them with the message that no one is too young or too small to share their gift with others.

Book Links

Goodreads * Amazon * BN

(affiliate link included)

**My thoughts**
I was drawn to the book right away because of the absolutely darling little girl on the cover who looks just like one of the little ones I used to watch every week pre-pandemic. All of the children and all of the illustrations are absolutely darling.

The little girl knows that God has given her a special gift and she is trying to figure out what that gift might be. Through rhyming verse, she suggests different ways that she might be able to share this gift with others, and I would say that all of them qualify. So this book is teaching kids how to spread God's love every single day.

It really is a super sweet book that I recommend adding to your bookshelf.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Intentional: How to Live, Love, Work and Play Meaningfully by David Amerland

 

The last couple of years have been quite stressful for all of us. And a lot of us are looking to lead more intentional and purposeful lives as a way to help relieve some of that stress. Author David Amerland is here to tell us how in his new book Intentional: How to Live, Love, Work and Play Meaningfully. He's also sharing an excerpt with us and his writing routine. Be sure to check out the tour for even more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!

Live your life the way you want to. Manage stress better. Be more resilient and enjoy meaningful relationships and better health. We all want that. Such life leads to better choices, better jobs, loving romantic partners, more rewarding careers and decisions that are fully aligned with our aims.

What stops us from getting all that is the complexity of our brain and the complicated way in which the external world comes together. The misalignment between the internal states we experience and the external circumstances we encounter often leads to confusion, a lack of clarity in our thinking and actions that are not consistent with our professed values.

Intentional is a gameplan. It helps us connect the pieces of our mind to the pieces of our life. It shows us how to map what we feel to what has caused those feelings, understand what affects us and what effects it has on us and determine what we want, why we want it and what we need to do to get it.

When we know what to do, we know how to behave. When we know how to behave we know how to act. When we know how to act, we know how to live. Our actions, each day, become our lives. Drawn from the latest research from the fields of neuroscience, behavioral and social psychology and evolutionary anthropology, Intentional shows you how to add meaning to your actions and lead a meaningful, happier, more fulfilling life on your terms.

Read an excerpt:

Whether we realize it or not, we all feel the need for this kind of guidance that gives us a deep sense of purpose. Because we are born physically helpless we have evolved to latch onto and work hard to understand our immediate environment and the people around us. This makes us, as we grow older, intensely pro-social. At the same time it provides us with a ready-made set of expectations, rules and guidelines to guide our behavior that arise from the collective behavior of those around us.

That behavior is the culture we experience and the traditions we abide by. The problem with this is that rather than defining for ourselves what is important to us we accept that which is given to us. That which is given to us is rarely what we want, but it can very easily become what we settle for.

Settling is an evolutionary-programmed trait. Let me explain: Life is hard. It really is. Even if we happen to have the extraordinary luck to be born into a very rich family whose legacy gives us everything we need to live comfortably for the rest of our life, maintaining that fortune and navigating through life is going to be fraught with risks, traps and constant upheavals.

We need other people. Other people need us. That is a truth. But the reasons for this mutual need are usually contradictory or, at the very least, sufficiently at odds with each other to make trust an issue and turn cooperation into a risk-assessment exercise.

Buy links
Amazon * Website

(affiliate link included)

Your writing routine

One of the most frequent questions I receive, as a writer, is on how I write. I am always surprised by that. Writing, like any other individual human activity, is very much an individual choice, at least as far as the ‘how’ is concerned.

Yet, I understand the curiosity. In asking the question any would-be writer and even those who don’t necessarily write a lot but either want to write or already do on occasion, seek to find an “aha!” moment for themselves. Something that will inspire them and also perhaps help them be more consistent in their writing.

With this in mind I have looked at how I write in a more critical manner and what I present here has been structured in a way that will help you get the most value out of it. The writing of a book, any book, is a massive enterprise whose complexity is belied by the ability of a writer to write.

As an example in a different context consider how a painter pulls up a canvas, draws some charcoal lines on it and then proceeds to paint van Gogh’s “The Starry Night”, Constable’s “The Hay Wain” or Picasso’s “Guernica”. If you’d asked them how they did it they may explain about charcoal drawings, shades, shadowing, perspective, the mixing of colors and the choice of brushes but really this is not how those paintings came about. Their artists thought passionately and deeply about something, they found a message that needed to be told and a medium which they could tell it.

It is no different for a book. Each book, fiction or non-fiction has an origin story. It has a message, which is to say it has an intent. The writing routine that’s established around it then is created so that the writer can accomplish two things: First and foremost, finish the book. And second, write the best book they possibly can. These two things have equal weight and there is a dynamic tension between them. A book that’s brilliantly written but loses its way and is never completed is useless. A completed book that’s badly written is a tragedy.

So, how do I do it? Bear in mind that each book I write is not only slightly different from the previous one but it has a fresh audience (with some overlaps) and a new-to-me subject. This means I don’t have a comfortable writing routine. It also means that I will need to research a lot and then make sure the research I come across is explained well enough to make sense to the lay reader.

To achieve all this I start with an idea. Google Semantic Search, for instance, demystified semantic search for online business owners and webmasters. The Sniper Mind showed how we can make better decisions under really challenging circumstances. Intentional: How to Live, Love, Work and Play Meaningfully, is a guide on how to behave so that life, work and play become both easier and more meaningful and we become more fulfilled and happier.

Once I have the idea I need to have a structure for my book, something that will help me put together the skeleton so that I know what each chapter does. That structure is provided by my research. I have always used Evernote to write my books. For each book I open up a new notebook and in it I put in all the research notes, ideas and suggestions that I have on it. I try, where possible, to tag them so that I can find them more easily and can group them, where necessary.

Once the preliminary research stage is finished I go through all the notes and research papers I have and group them. At that point their natural grouping provides a progression of sorts that becomes my skeleton chapter outline. Depending on the complexity of the subject, whether I need to conduct interviews or not, this is a process that can take up to eighteen months to complete.

I then start to write, this is a first draft and I use my chapter outline to guide me. I am aware that, at this stage, I will need to carry out a lot more research and more in-depth interviews. When I write I spend between two and three hours writing each day. I don’t look at what I have written before because I know it will distract me, instead I use my chapter notes to guide me, again.

I stop writing once the words I write stop making sense. I then break for a couple of hours where I play video games or watch the news or go over newsletters I subscribe to and then spend another hour or two writing. So, on average I will write solid for five hours each day. I always finish the day with an hour at the gym. During the pandemic this became impossible so I converted a room of my house to a home gym, with all the necessary equipment. Now there is never an excuse not to finish the day with exercise.

Revising what I’ve written is easier. I start from the beginning. Make notes when I am not certain what something means or if it doesn’t make as much sense to me when I read it as it did when I wrote it and I also rewrite any parts that appear easy to do so. Again, I work a five-hour day. The next day I rewrite and fix what needs re-writing and fixing using my notes from the day before. I then repeat the process for the next section of writing using the time I have allocated each day.

I used to spend a lot more time writing. In the past I used to spend eight-nine hours each day. I found out that I am just as productive with five and although I don’t get as much work covered as I did when I put in longer hours, what I do write is better and more powerful so the discipline to stick to a shorter writing day has improved the quality of what I write.

I never read non-fiction when I write because I tend to subconsciously copy the voice of the writer and forget my own. I always listen to music when I re-write, particularly the second and third drafts of a manuscript. My choice here is either The Scorpions or Imagine Dragons. Both groups make me feel more alive when I am tired.

And that is it. The sum total of the secret to my writing routine. Basically I begin with an idea, plan, flesh out the plan and then work to execute it. That’s it. I hope this helps.

David Amerland is a Chemical Engineer with an MSc. in quantum dynamics in laminar flow processes. He converted his knowledge of science and understanding of mathematics into a business writing career that's helped him demystify, for his readers, the complexity of subjects such as search engine optimization (SEO), search marketing, social media, decision-making, communication and personal development. The diversity of the subjects is held together by the underlying fundamental of human behavior and the way this is expressed online and offline. Intentional: How to Live, Love, Work and Play Meaningfully is the latest addition to a thread that explores what to do in order to thrive. A lifelong martial arts practitioner, David Amerland is found punching and kicking sparring dummies and punch bags when he's not behind his keyboard.


Email & Social Media Accounts

Reach David via email: davidamerland@gmail.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidAmerland

Medium: https://davidamerland.medium.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidamerland/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidAmerland/about

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_amerland/

Represented by The Knight Agency

David Amerland will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Read an exclusive excerpt from The Manual for Letting Go by Dr. Eman Yasin

 

The key to making any kind of major change in life is to change your brain. But it isn't always easy to do so. In The Manual for Letting Go, Dr. Eman Yasin tries to help us learn how to do so. Read an exclusive excerpt and then download your own copy. Be sure to follow the tour for more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!

We all have undesired addictions we want to let go of. We try and try, but end up failing again and again. But what if the only reason we are going in endless circles of failure is the method we use to let go? Imagine you have access to an effective manual full of mental and practical exercises, the manual that's gonna help you get rid of your bad habits. Who says we don't have one? Now we do . . .

It's the book that changes the chemical reactions in your brain by reprogramming it. It will cause you to let go of whatever harms you spontaneously, just like taking a course of medicine to let you eventually quit your bad habits effortlessly, and, most importantly, enjoyably. It works very effectively, as this book contains a real story for a specific method with defined exercises and calculated steps. The method has been applied to several people, and it cured them completely.

Read an exclusive excerpt:

Exercise requirements: 30 minutes with no interruption.

Exercise steps:

1. Think of something that completely contradicts your principles so that your first reaction to it will be, “Cannot, impossible, never!” Think of something like locking up your kids in a dark basement with mice, or worshiping an ant, or whatever. Just make sure to get that powerful “No” stored inside of you.

2. Imagine you are being asked about that thing that contradicts your principles (Do you lock your children in a dark basement with mice?) Answer in a loud voice, then watch yourself as you answer it with a, “No! Impossible! It is never going to happen!” Monitor your body language—your hands, your feet, your eyes, your face—and record these details in your imagination. Then record the “No!” strategy next.

3. Remember yourself in an old situation in which you used the “No!” strategy and where you said “No!” strongly, for example, as a reaction to your wife’s request to keep driving beyond the red traffic signal, or to disrespect your parents, or any situation you can see in your memory. Then remember the situation with all its details, including colors, smell, size, sound, and sensations, all while observing the four laws of imagination from Chapter 3.

4. Once again, watch yourself while you answer “No!” and monitor the language of your body—your hands, your feet, your eyes, your face—and record these details in your imagination. Then record the “No!” strategy next to them.

5. Think of your habit. Then say “No!” to it loudly, using the same strategy we just practiced, with the same strength and intensity.

6. Repeat the previous exercise as much as possible to link between the “No!” and your undesired addiction, so you will be able to say “No!” to it and “No!” with strength and firmness to all its smaller habits.

By repeating this exercise, you will learn to talk positively to yourself, which reinforces your belief in your ability to quit your undesired habit. It works to raise your morale and enthusiasm for quitting, and this enthusiasm will have a great impact in the process of quitting your undesired habit.

Follow the same method to record the “Yes!” strategy for your healthy, clean body, and to reinforce this identity that will replace the old, outdated identity.

At the end of these exercises, you must be clear with yourself, and ask: “Am I ready?” If the answer is no, read back to what we discussed previously, or reread the parts that you need to review.

If the answer is yes, all you have to do is to set the zero hour and make it the beginning time. It is preferable to choose a time that helps you break the daily routine, such as the summer vacation or while traveling to another country, in order to facilitate the process of breaking mental bonds between the triggering motivators and the process of your undesired addiction.

Buy links:

AMAZON.COM * AMAZON.CA * BOOKSHOP * INDIGO CHAPTERS * BARNES & NOBLE * BOOK DEPOSITORY * SMASHWORDS 

(Affiliate links included)

About the author:

Eman Yasin was born and raised in Amman, Jordan. She is the founder of the "smoker's friendship" technique, which helps smokers quit smoothly and happily. She is also the writer of the smoker's friend Arabic book, which was adopted by the Tobacco Control Club in WISE University, which is part of the Jordanian Universities Association, to combat smoking. Her career was built on a solid knowledge of self-development, project management (a valid PMP professional Project Manager since 2004), training, and professor assistance.

Connect with Dr. Eman Yasin

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/SadiqAlmodakhen

GOODREADS https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59121824-the-manuel-for-letting-go

Dr. Eman Yasin will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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