I’m too tall, not smart enough, too quiet, too loud (yep, at the same time), a corporate banker moonlighting as a yoga teacher & wellness coach, and just, well different from my family and friends. For a while there, the voices inside my head dictated whom I hung out with, what activities I became involved with, and my general mood and attitude towards life (for a while it was blue). At that time I was unable to recognise that this was just my Mean Girl, who was a never-ending source of negativity, self-deprecating talk and fear based rationalisations.
So I was lucky when I became friends with the Melissa Ambrosini, the best-selling author of Mastering Your Mean Girl who was able to show me that I was more than the voices in my head. Melissa has certainly had a positive influence on my life, and has penned an inspiring, upbeat guide, with practical plans for people young and old to smash limiting beliefs and instead achieve their goals so that they too can live a kick-ass life.
Firstly, it’s not just another self-help book. In fact what compels me to recommend it to you for your children, (both girls and boys*) is that it reads more like a sister or confidant journal. Melissa writes with conviction based on her relatable negative experiences, including panic attacks and an eating disorder and how she has conquered these with actionable steps. *Note – the tone and cover of the book may be girly but the message holds true no matter you child’s age or gender.
Melissa challenges her readers to take ownership and action of the negative emotions they may be experiencing. Emphasising that only once they love themselves and believe themselves to be worthy of love, success, happiness, etc. than they will obtain these. Chapters are cleverly interspaced with templates and space to share their story and build it into a smash-hit like Melissa, as well as guided meditations and other wellness hacks. These are supported by her website which is choc full of info on these topics.
The book comes in paperback, kindle and an audio format. I would recommend the paperback because I found that I have bookmarked, written notes on pages, and often go back and reread sections again. However, for children perhaps an audio book would be the way to go. For those who are on long drives, say back to Boarding School, this is the perfect way to spend the car trip, as having a parent be able to share their relatable experiences alongside Melissa may yield even more benefits.
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