Months ago, I decided to be a book reviewer for Thomas Nelson. I was accepted as a book reviewer, got really excited about it, went to the website and chose my first book to review: Beautiful Mess, a story about the life and times of country singing group, Diamond Rio. Why I chose this book, I will never know. I just got so excited that I was a new book reviewer for Thomas Nelson that I clicked on the book and wala, a few days later, it was there on my doorstep in a brown paper package tied up with string. I began reading it, but I just didn't care- I was like that girl in A Chorus Line who sang about Mr. Karp's acting class- I dug right down to the bottom of my soul to see what I had inside... I tried...But. I. Felt. Nothingggg....
But I had to keep reading, because I was a reviewer for Thomas Nelson and what would Thomas Nelson think? So I did. Slowly. Then I got this e-mail from Tom and it said something like this: "...normally you cannot choose a second book to review until your first book is reviewed, proven by your provision of two URL's where your reviews of that book may be found...BUT we are having an exception...a special deal...this book: Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham- is about to be released and we want our reviewers to read this book, if they want to, and post their reviews all on the same day, the day the book hits the street...SO, if you want to bypass the current book you are working on and read this book, you may do that NOW."
And I thought, here's my chance. I can table this Beautiful Mess and Find my Strongest Life and get on with the reviewing. I clicked on the special offer. When the book arrived, I looked at the cover, at Marcus there on the cover, and I thought, what is this guy gonna know about what women do differently to find their strongest life. Suddenly, I found myself thinking, if I read this it is sure to turn my life into a Beautiful Mess. So, I went back to reading about Diamond Rio. The musicians' biographies in there began to interest me. After a few nights, guilt plagued me, because I knew I had a deadline on the Find Your Strongest Life review. I figured I had to read it or get a bad reputation with Tom and the gang. So I did. And let me tell you something, Marcus Buckingham does know a lot about what the happiest and most successful women do differently. In fact, his book, First Break All the Rules, Now Discover Your Strengths, has taken the corporate world by storm. He says: quit trying to turn your weaknesses into strengths. Identify your strengths, focus on them, duplicate the situations in your life that feed them and you will find your strongest life. The way he explains it makes a good deal of sense.
I didn't get the book read in time to post the review on the release date. I still haven't posted the review. This isn't the review. So, I don't know if I am in or out with Thomas Nelson, but I plan to put the review up and then put one up for Beautiful Mess and see what becomes of me. I feel terrible that I missed the deadline. I want to succeed at being a reviewer for Thomas Nelson. I'm never late for work (at my new job, that is), but meeting deadlines does seem to be a weakness. Marcus says I should not focus on that or I will amplify it. So. I will move on to an area that I am not sure is a strength or weakness. I'll let the people decide.
I cleaned my kitchen up until it was spotless. I put all the recycling in the bin out in the garage and shredded the junk mail that was strewn across the counters. I scrubbed with Clorox Clean-Up and threw away unneeded debris. I put every small appliance in a cupboard to free up space and create clean lines (this is decorator talk). The whole time I was working around this one thing:
...a perfectly good wad of unused Kleenex. I don't know where the wad came from, but it was clearly unused. I could not bring myself to throw the wad away. But where should one put a wad of unused Kleenex? It doesn't belong on the kitchen counter. It doesn't fit nicely back into the Kleenex box. It would get dirty in my purse. It would end up going through the wash and rinse cycle if I put it in my pocket. A perfectly clean kitchen with clean lines and a wad of unused Kleenex on the counter create tension. Don't worry- Ziah, the bonsai, is in the living room.
Anyway. Is it a strength or a weakness to not be able to throw away a perfectly decent, unused wad of Kleenex?
15 comments:
LOL. You crack me up, both with the books and the kleenex. Sometimes book reviews stress me a bit too, as I watch my time ticking away or I've over committed on reviews.
And I totally relate to the kleenex thingy.
I think I would have used it as toilet paper.
But I would not throw it awau either!
I could never do book reviews, I can't force myself to read a book I don't like right away, deadline or no deadline!
So, what happened with Diamond Rio? I liked them. I don't think an English teacher could be a book reviewer. I can see it now--I would read the books to make deadline (fun) and skip the paper grading (not so fun) and miss the 9 week deadline!
I'd save the kleenex, too. I'm thinking they would end up in my winter coat pocket!
I feel like I am hanging here. Are you still doing book reviews? And what did you do with the Klenex? You are a mess girl. I meant that in a good way. :)
oooh, a book reviewer, how interesting! I'd love to do that... only I can't even seem to read books to review on my blog. They are just piling up around me.
The kleenex... my mom always washed the tissue and it winds up in the dryer. It makes me laugh eery time.
Heidi,
Knowing me I would have tossed that tissue. It takes me too much time to decide on certain things and before I realize it, I've been staring at something for days.
Finish your first book, review it and then do the next one. You'll be OK. Don't beat yourself up over it.
Love and Hugs ~ Kat
Egads, Thomas will be so disappointed. giggle. I had a heard time finishing one of my books before too, but I muddled through it. Usually I pick books I feel like I would enjoy.
Regarding the tissues, they would hang around my house until it got on my nerves so bad, I would throw them away.
Well, my grandma always has a tissue tucked up her sleeve. You could try that.
And, um, if you come over to my house and help me tackle my kitchen, I'll see if I can come up with another suggestion for your wad of Kleenex. *grin*
I vote TP along with J...and is Booher even the least bit Dutch? Perhaps we have all rubbed off on you!
Wahahahaha! I'm cracking up over here and breathing a sigh of relief because I have had a book from Tom sitting on my coffee table for many weeks just waiting for me to read it and review it! I've been feeling like such a failure but now I know I have more time! LOL.
I have read Now Discover Your Strengths and I LOVED it. It was the first book God used to begin to show me how He wired me. I am amazed at how accurate it is. Like the strength of not being able to throw away a perfectly good wadded up kleenex that has never been used. :)
That strength is called Input. I know all about it because it's my strongest strength. Here is a snippet of the description.
You are inquisitive, you collect things... (includes information)
...At the time of storing it's often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful. With possible uses in mind, you don't feel comfortable throwing things away.
So there you have it!
Aw what a sweet comment you left on my blog. I would love to move to Michigan and be your neighbor, except for the cold. I don't do cold. I have family that I love dearly in Michigan so see it's not as far fetched as it sounds. Just as soon as that global warming kicks in, I'm there!
So glad you had a nice lunch with your bloggy buddies today.
Catch ya later!
i need to read that book. i have recently been thinking that i need to quit focusing on "doing better" with all my (many many many) weaknesses, accept that they will always be weaknesses, and stop letting them get in the way of my working with my strengths. otherwise life is just frustrating.
i have a hard time throwing away unused tissues, too. i usually sort of wedge them into the box in such a way as to enable the next user-of-tissue-box to see that, while they have escaped from the box, they are perfectly good and useful. of course if b is the next user-of-tissue-box, he probably pulls them out & throws them away.
and sometimes if i don't feel i need a whole tissue i will just use half-a-one and stick the other half back in the box...
Pressure, just lots of pressure! I am going to go concentrate on my strengths and leave that very hard decision up to you!!!! Glad to meet you yesterday too! See you in the bookstore and other places hopefully!
Haha! You're funny.
You know, Kelly does that book review and told me about it. WHAT A GREAT IDEA I THOUGHT! Free Books! Then I can read them and even have a give away.
I went to the web site and then started to think.
Uh Oh..I'm the kind of person that has days that the only thing I can think of to say is the date. Hmmm. I decided "Not now". Now, for some reason, I want to do it again.
I am SO far behind on reading blogs. No motivation lately. Nope. Not one bit.
If you want to know who Mr Dunderbak's is, you need to go back a few of my posts and read "Two Truths and a Lie" and then the one after that called....um called.....um, something like The Truth revealed.
ANyway, trying to get back in the mode. Maybe my next post will have something more exciting than the day of the week...then again...maybe it won't!
(OK, I admit it...pity party....I miss the fire dept SO much)
Que Sara, Sara...
have a great day!
Reading Consider Your Strengths was a turning point for me. I finally understood myself and my husband! Input is one of my top five too!
You asked about IEW. Yes, I'm deeply involved. The classes run for 30 or 32 weeks. I work for/with the experienced teacher and we have 130 students. She does the direct teaching, I do the paper prep work and some of the grading.
Have a great weekend!
Post a Comment