On Thriving
Harnessing Joy Through Life's Great Labors
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
A renowned doula shares powerful lessons on healing and thriving through the murky seasons of life in this moving, intimate guide to deeper self-awareness and radical joy.
“This book is a beacon of resilience. . . . A must-read for anyone committed to growth.”—Erica Chidi Cohen, author of Nurture
We’ve all been there: We take a pause, look at our lives, and desire more—more from our relationships, more from our wellness journeys, maybe simply more from ourselves. For some, it might be more fun, more peace, more exploration—but what does it take to get to the other side of living in survival mode? In On Thriving, Brandi Sellerz-Jackson helps us wade through what she calls the four great labors of our lives—labors that she’s had to overcome and that she has led many clients through.
Drawing from her experiences as a doula and intimate storytelling from her own life, Sellerz-Jackson guides us through the many phases of these great labors—labors that we can get stuck in, stunting our ability to thrive. Across age, gender, economic status, or background, we all move through the great labor of our relationships, our mental health, grief and loss, and the feeling of being othered. Sellerz-Jackson doesn’t shy away from the pitfalls of these labors but rather challenges us to actively remain present within them and ask ourselves: What do I need to thrive in the space I’m currently in? In On Thriving, you’ll come to recognize the survival tools you’ve picked up along the way and exchange them for thriving tools and “rich-uals.” You’ll commit to no longer making a home out of chaos and rediscovering sanctuary within yourself.
Comparing our thriving to that of plant life, Sellerz-Jackson simplifies the complicated—and oftentimes overwhelming—journey as we attempt to grow in an inhospitable environment. With insightful and vulnerable storytelling, she invites a deep, soul-stirring investigation of our past and present to gather all that we need to thrive right where we are, right now.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Postpartum doula Sellerz-Jackson sets out to remind readers that "you already have everything you need to thrive" in her haphazard debut. Mixing self-help and memoir, she contends that life is defined by "four great labors": relationships, mental health, grief, and being "othered." Readers can move from "simply surviving to thriving" in each realm by trusting "your intuition, your body, and the teacher within" and embracing "the bizarre beauty of letting go" of life's uncontrollable variables. Specific strategies include breathwork to boost mental health, and creating a healthy bedtime routine to help navigate structural inequalities, because "rest your birthright." Sellerz mines her experience as a postpartum doula throughout, offering an especially astute discussion of the "post-birth grief" that results after one reaches a goal (whether it be giving birth or landing a dream job) and mourns "all that was lost in the process." Unfortunately, structural flaws abound: stories about the author's childhood, marriage, and experiences of systemic racism are intimate but so rambling that they crowd out the encouraging lessons she tries to draw from them, and the frequent use of "plant symbolism" often falls flat. (Of a philodendron with "long winding roots spill out of her pot," Sellerz-Jackson muses, "what if we all dared not only to reach for the sun but to take up space while doing so?"). Enthusiasm isn't enough to save this scattered outing.
