Book Share: Don't Settle for Safe

Being that I am an avid reader and an author, one of my favorite apps on my phone is Scribd. I recently listened to Laila Ali’s podcast which featured Sarah Jakes Roberts. Click here to listen. The interview prompted me to quickly search for reviews on Sarah's latest book, “Don’t Settle for Safe: Embracing the Uncomfortable to Become Unstoppable”.

I follow Sarah on Instagram and I often read her blog posts, I've read many (if not all of her posts) so I thought I was going to be reading a book filled with information I already knew. On the contrary, the book was more than just a book informing me about why I need to step into my gift. Through her words, Sarah helped me to get a new step in my stride. She got me all the way together with her candid insights and references to her past. A flame has been reignited in a fire within me that had started to go out. Sometimes the battles we fight in life feel like they are customized for us. It isn’t until someone like Sarah comes along and is willing to open up and allow others to see that the life they live isn’t perfect either. I’ve come to learn that many times we overlook the fact that what truly connects us to others is our experiences. Many of which may have been painful. Like Sarah, have been married and I am a divorced mom of two. Though she is now remarried and is navigating through a new sector of her life, I found myself relating to her struggle of how to balance learning lessons from the past while letting go of it at the same time. Carving a path for your life isn’t easy when you strive to be a person that pleases others, being a “people pleaser” is a tough deficit that takes much self reflection and honesty to overcome. How do I know? I am a recovering “people pleaser” myself. For almost all of my life I struggled with how I would utter the word NO if I didn’t want to do something. The only people that would possibly attest to that statement are my sons. (Sorry guys! Telling y’all no is a piece of cake.) :-)

While listening to the narrator read parts of the book where Sarah exposed many of her weaknesses, I found myself nodding and wondering if she’d read my journal (which I’m not consistent about writing in). She definitely hit home when she began to speak on her fears and insecurities of stepping out and helping others when she didn’t feel qualified to do so. I’ve often felt the same hesitation. How can I help someone gain insight into having a better marriage when I’ m divorced? How do you start a fire in someone else when your own seems to be fizzling? Those are questions that I’ve asked myself many times, the answers are clear. Right now, I may not be the poster child for being a wife, but I can point someone in the direction to find the resources and tools they can use to become a better version of themselves. I may have a fizzling fire, but at least I’ve got a small fire crackling inside. Sarah’s book taught me that even though my whole puzzle of life isn’t put together, it doesn’t have to be in order to make moves. Just like we put a jigsaw puzzle together one piece at a time, I have to know that with each piece that is laid down, the picture will get clearer. Staring at the puzzle with all of the pieces scattered around me will never allow me to see a finished product. Instead of focusing on the whole picture, I will just focus on the next best thing I can do. With each step I take, I realize that I am closer to my goals. The deeper I got into finishing the book, the less I felt alone in this quest for greater. I am grateful to Sarah for not only sharing her truth, but for allowing us to see the pain along with the growth. Too many times, we see people in their glory. They seem to be all smiles, no rainy days, just in a space of total bliss. And, Sarah’s book is anything but a portrayal of a fabulous life. Her blog-like style of writing made me feel like I was sitting across from my long lost friend sipping a cup of my favorite latte at Starbucks. I recommend this book to anyone who finds themselves muddling through life. Comfort zones are great for a while, but if we ever want to grow then we have to realize that the space we have been occupying for so long can no longer accommodate us. If you're feeling stuck in life grab this book...you won't be disappointed.