I am a big fan of “Flip or Flop” so I was excited to read this. It is inspiring. However, I could’ve done without the little bit of swearing. The overI am a big fan of “Flip or Flop” so I was excited to read this. It is inspiring. However, I could’ve done without the little bit of swearing. The overall takeaway—have a strong mindset and bet on yourself. Tarek is persistent in trying to get what he wants out of life and he is a hard worker. The translation of his name was so fitting. I have loved all of the house transformations he has done over the years. I have watched his series over and over again for inspiration as we have started flipping our own houses.
I have gained more respect for all that he has accomplished having read this. He suffered a lot and always got back up again. It’s unfortunate that his marriage fell apart amidst medical traumas and their HGTV whirlwind. Honestly, I was expecting more of a mention of his ex-wife Christina and their relationship and all her years of support. It seemed like they genuinely cared for each other.
I enjoyed learning about his upbringing with immigrant parents who made a better life possible for their family. I always wondered if he really was good with math or if it was just for show. What a great talent, especially in the flipping business. I had no idea he had so many physical ailments to overcome. Two cancers and severe back problems. Things could have been different had he been given the right medications. It’s sad how lost and depressed he became at times. Purpose in life is everything. I love how he makes his ADHD work for him instead of against him—it is his source of energy. He turns the negative into positive in life and business. I admire that he has integrity. He wanted to work with people with good moral values. He also makes houses safe first and takes care of the important issues on the inside before putting in the finishes for buyers.
I would agree with Tarek about the need for patience in real estate investing. The learning phase is time consuming. Being patient is one of the hardest parts for me. As much as I enjoyed this book, part of me was disappointed because I wanted a literal step-by-step guide on how to flip houses from start to finish. He started with nothing and he’s still going strong. Come on Tarek, it’s your next book.
I have to say in “Flip or Flop” they make his friend, Pete, look like such a dope. It sounds like in reality he is very smart. He is good with math and investing as well. I think Tarek redeemed him for me. I liked his part of the story concerning his parents’ divorce. He was a good son as he helped tutor his mother in math so she could pass an exam to become a teacher. So sweet.
Tarek has definitely gained wisdom through the years. I love that he started reconnecting with his kids, specifically his daughter. He said she had become his best friend and was always encouraging him. It is very sweet and refreshing.
“Strong foundation thinkers are people who engage the world with attitudes in the second list, these people tend to be happier at work, enjoy better health, and have more influence in the world than people who blame external forces for their problems.”
“Know who you are and what you stand for, you respect yourself, you recognize your need to have other people in your life and you’re able to connect with those people in ways that are good for you and good for them.” ...more
Laidback read. I’ve always thought Reba to be a genuine person, what you see is what you get. She is uplifting, down-to-earth, and seemingly genuinelyLaidback read. I’ve always thought Reba to be a genuine person, what you see is what you get. She is uplifting, down-to-earth, and seemingly genuinely grateful. Her book gives those same warm fuzzy feelings. She is absolutely a woman of faith, which was refreshing. She relies on God, always consistent with her relationship with the Lord.
In this book she includes a music playlist and some recipes. She had me at fried avocado slices! Yum.
I was not aware that she has her own clothing line. I thought it was funny when she mentioned how at the first fashion show she attended they asked who her favorite designer was and she answered “Levi’s.” That’s awesome! A true country girl.
Reba’s advice—Take calculated risks—“Rodeo can be dangerous, but it can also be downright exhilarating. The same is true of life. If you’ve put in the time to learn and practice, have a little faith in yourself, take control of the reins, and go have some fun.”
“That’s one of the keys to life— you’ve got to find the balance between giving it your all and filling yourself back up.”
“Life’s Too short not to have a good time. Whether you’re riding high or down on the dirt, hold on to your sense of humor and look for the fun in all situations.”
“You need three things in life to succeed: a backbone, a wishbone, and a funny bone.”...more
Optimism is a strong foundation. For some people, it takes more of a conscious effort to build it. I am naturally more optimistic than pessimistic andOptimism is a strong foundation. For some people, it takes more of a conscious effort to build it. I am naturally more optimistic than pessimistic and it has made a big difference in my life. I prefer to look at the bright side than wallow in the pit of despair. I like to surround myself with positive people and we lift each other up. When we envision something for ourselves we have to be our biggest believer. It’s easier to give up than to keep picking yourself up and moving forward to a better life…the life you want. You have to ask yourself what is worth the effort? This book demonstrates some ups-and-downs that come from searching and activating your purpose every single day. No one is going to work for your dreams harder than you will. Dreams without action are only a wish. It’s about how realistic optimism, relentless individuality, and dreams can create a new path where there wasn’t one before.
I liked that the author encouraged giving back, in creative ways, to others through our successes. She mentioned a “Give Gala” that focused on acts of service instead of monetary gifts: hand-lettering lessons, cooking meals for a family, babysitting so the parents can have a night out, a princess unicorn birthday party on their farm, family photos…and on and on.
The author’s family scandal would be a shock and it could easily destroy someone’s spirit. They chose to forget themselves and go to work. They didn’t lose heart or sit around feeling sorry for themselves. They acknowledged the things they still had in life–things that were more important than what was taken from them–their family. “When you experience something you can’t control, you will amaze yourself with what you can achieve when you have to.” “You can make an active decision to write your own story. We are not what has happened to us. We are the story we write from it. We can write stories of fear, or we can write stories of possibility.”
We can make plans but until we start to execute them, we will not achieve the success we envision. We “develop in the process, not the planning.” Our failures help us to improve upon our plans, sometimes making it better than we could have imagined. “Failures are not indications of self-worth or your experience level.” “Instead of being paralyzed by uncertainty, you’re energized by possibility.”
“Most times when I see businesses fail, it’s not because of a lack of resources; it’s because of a lack of being resourceful.”
“Don’t put perception over purpose.”
“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” ...more
This was a good reminder to live intentionally. It’s about what it means to be alive and present in one’s life. To love and enjoy in the present for hThis was a good reminder to live intentionally. It’s about what it means to be alive and present in one’s life. To love and enjoy in the present for happiness to thrive. Our health and relationships are what matter most in the end. I think most people want happiness to play a major role in their lives and sometimes it is a struggle to find it or maintain it. The author engaged with six elders 87 and older to learn from them and their experiences. He expected some depression and misery. It was evident at times but for the most part they had upbeat messages. “With them, I had to give up the idea that I knew about life. It was a humbling experience, but also an energizing one. Being a student—letting go of your ego—is like sitting for a banquet at the best restaurant you’ll ever visit.” “Each of the six elders practiced happiness differently, some more habitually than others.” I thought this phrase was interesting–“practice happiness.”
When we are young, the future is so far away, and you don’t know what will happen to you and the world. You have more responsibilities working and raising kids, anxieties about work, marital strains, money worries, time conflicts, day-to-day stress. The older you get the less worry you have about certain things in life. For instance, if you have grown children you no longer have to support them financially. You retire from work and take up hobbies or choose work you enjoy. Youth might draw back in horror at the short time horizon elders know they have, but for elders, this shortened horizon enriches the enjoyment of the now. As we age we may start to realize we have false needs that are more like wants.
The most successful among the elders engage in pleasurable activities, maintain a certain amount of optimism, and stick with those relationships that are emotionally nurturing. An expert on aging warns that "social isolation kills," so staying involved with friends and loved ones is a key to boosting one's morale and remaining invested in the future. It’s “…possible people simply lose interest in certain kinds of social contact as they get older, instead applying their energies to people and relationships they find more meaningful.” I count myself fortunate that I was raised to be confident in myself and to choose genuine friends.
Obviously, they all had hardships in life yet as they aged they remembered more of the good times. They had suffered loss, whether it was use of their body or loss of loved ones. “Severe memory loss is a horrible thing, and we rightly fear it, but selective forgetting can be the better part of wisdom.” They learned to wipe away petty distractions and had a deliberate reduction of ego centeredness. “Wisdom leads to better decision-making and more realistic expectations, less disappointment when things don’t work out.” Their values changed as they got older. One was that they became more selective about how they spent their time, and whom they spent it with. Another was that they became less self concerned, and more aware of being part of a larger whole. Instead of being lonely, they valued having time alone for contemplation. “A different way to think about old age: not as a period of decline but as a High point, when people transcend material concerns and focus instead on what’s really valuable.”
Fred: “Here was a lesson in giving up the myth of control. If you believe you are in control of your life, steering it in a course of your choosing, then old age is an affront, because it is a destination you didn’t choose. But if you think of life instead as an improvisation in response to the stream of events coming at you—that is, a response to the world as it is—then old age is more another chapter in a long-running story.”
I had a hard time respecting Fred because he has six children with different women and doesn’t care for them, didn’t even raise them. Considering his grateful attitude, I would have thought he would have treated them better.
“Age had a way of turning disappointment into new discovery.” They did not fear death, they accepted it as part of life’s journey. Death gives everything its value–limited time makes moments in life more precious.
“… we can choose to live in the things that warm us—in love, humor, passion, empathy, a supportive arm—not because they make life easy, but because they do the most for us when life is hard.” ...more
Incredible. Heartwarming. Hopeful. Inspirational. This is a truly remarkable story about Saroo’s life. SPOILERS ahead—He suffered the hardest challengIncredible. Heartwarming. Hopeful. Inspirational. This is a truly remarkable story about Saroo’s life. SPOILERS ahead—He suffered the hardest challenge of his life at only 5 years old as he got separated from his family in India. His father abandoned them, left his mother for another woman, and never supported them afterwards. They lived in a poverty-stricken neighborhood. His mother worked for a construction company as a physical laborer transporting rocks. It was not enough money to put food in their mouths. Saroo and his older brothers ultimately resorted to begging for money at local markets, railways, and neighborhoods. Saroo even had a responsibility to care for his younger sister while his mother and brothers were away working. Heartbreaking.
One night his oldest brother, Guddu, took him with him to a train station and Saroo slept on a bench while his brother left him to find work…and never returned. Saroo ended up on a moving train searching for his brother and got lost. I cannot imagine the horror of this situation as an adult, let alone as a child. Saroo takes the reader through his emotions and the urgent learning process that even at such a young age he realized was essential to survive starvation, homelessness and human predators. He somehow survived in Calcutta—one of the most dangerous cities in the world with crushing poverty, with no help from adults. The horrors he witnessed would give anyone nightmares. He kept taking trains desperately trying to find his way back home. He always held hope that he would one day make his way back. I was amazed at all of his memories from his young age at 4-5 years old.
He was fortunate to have been adopted by loving parents and he made it a point to acknowledge that. They were “very affectionate, right from the start… making [him] feel safe, secure, loved, and above all, wanted.” Specifically, you can feel the admiration he has for both of his mothers. They were exemplary in their own way. He emphasized the importance of the compassion shown to him by his adoptive parents after this tragic loss of his biological family.
He adjusted to his new comfortable life in Tasmania—Australia. He searched for his home in India for 25 years and his diligence paid off. It’s amazing that Google Earth is taken for granted nowadays when back then it was a Godsend for Saroo. His reunion with his family was incredible. He learned of what happened to Guddu that fateful night. He recognized the good that had come from horrific circumstances. His mother was able to afford for his younger siblings to go to school for an education and had better work because of it. He had opportunities in Australia that he never would have had in India.
Despite this heartbreaking tragedy in his life, the overall feeling is one of enormous gratitude. It makes you appreciate all you have in your own life.
Saroo: “My experiences have undoubtedly shaped who I am today, providing me with an unshakable faith in the importance of family— however it is formed.”
The movie is so moving. The kid who played Saroo was impressive. I didn't like the drama with his adopted brother. In the book he is close to him and they both appreciate their parents. Inspiring all over again....more
This was quite the adventure for these two sibling sycamore seeds—say that three times fast. This book was first supposed to be a Steven Spielberg creThis was quite the adventure for these two sibling sycamore seeds—say that three times fast. This book was first supposed to be a Steven Spielberg creation but that movie plan was ruined by the pandemic. It is a telling of the history of earth as they witness big events and survive against all odds. It was sweet. Brother and sister, Merwin and Louise, were brave and loving, supporting each other through it all. They loved their momma sycamore and “left the nest” by forces out of their control. It was a perilous journey with meteors, volcanoes, dinosaurs, and sea creatures. I liked the illustrations but they did not captivate me the way his other books did.
Not only were their trees but other wildlife played a part…like the mushrooms. On top of the soil they seem small yet they are part of a vast underground system with millions of miles of tiny fibers connecting all the roots of the trees in the forest like an endless river of knowledge. “Wood-wide-web.” Something I learned was that in real life puffer fish create beautiful, complicated designs in the sand like an artist in the ocean. I had no idea.
I liked following these seeds take their natural course in the life cycle. They had personality differences—Merwin played it safe and he was more of a protector. Louise had her eyes wide open taking in the world around her—she was a dreamer. They wanted the best in life. Amidst the loss and grief there was joy to be had. The feeling gives hope for our world in the end.
Mother tree “Let your sister dream…Dreaming is important.” ...more
I am in awe of people who have musical talent, especially from a young age. At age 4 Yo Yo Ma was playing Bach on the cello—WOW! He makes connections I am in awe of people who have musical talent, especially from a young age. At age 4 Yo Yo Ma was playing Bach on the cello—WOW! He makes connections through music. We need more messengers of peace in this way. He has even played for presidents of the United States. His performance at the border is inspiring.
Interesting facts: He was born in France to Chinese parents.
He translated classical sounds into hip-hop movements.
His cello is made from parts from all over the world, so interesting.
Bach’s solo cello suites were lost for 200 years. ...more
Once again this adorable little owl is exploring and enjoying life with his friends in the great outdoors. This story shows that sharing what you loveOnce again this adorable little owl is exploring and enjoying life with his friends in the great outdoors. This story shows that sharing what you love deepens your love for those things by sharing it—shimmering stars, fireflies, wondering about mysteries in the forest. My youngest daughter and I thought this series was so cute....more
Kids can learn about nature by following this little owl, even I learned something new. I didn’t know that dragonflies could fly backwards. Wow. I likKids can learn about nature by following this little owl, even I learned something new. I didn’t know that dragonflies could fly backwards. Wow. I liked how different sounds were heard in the night in comparison to the day. It’s a cute story to show the many habitats of different animals, which ones are nocturnal or diurnal. These sweet animal friends are sharing what they love about nature with each other—a rainbow in the day and the moon at night along with stars glittering in the dark sky. ...more
This is the most adorable little owl flittering about exploring. He loves the night forest. He spends time with other creatures of the night enjoying This is the most adorable little owl flittering about exploring. He loves the night forest. He spends time with other creatures of the night enjoying nature and each other’s company. He asks questions like how night ends and learns how his friends live differently than owls do. This story encourages curiosity and wonder....more
Another wonderful picture book. I love this little Asian boy learning to love himself with great men in his life—an encouraging father and grandfatherAnother wonderful picture book. I love this little Asian boy learning to love himself with great men in his life—an encouraging father and grandfather. He has a sweet relationship with his little brother too, reading books to him and playing together.
In this family, they have eyes that rise to the skies and speak to the stars, eyes that gaze into the distance like they’re looking at the world through lenses of time. The voices of ancestors whisper in [grandpa’s] ear, speaking in lilting languages of rice patties, climbing mountains, like stairways to the sky. Sharing and celebrating who they are.
The illustrations are gorgeous with vibrant colors. My 9 year old daughter said her favorite picture was the superboy standing on top of a planet with a dragon in the stars as a constellation. Beautiful. ...more
This book “PUMPED” me up. I know, I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I grew up watching Arnold Schwarzenegger movies and still today I am entertained This book “PUMPED” me up. I know, I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I grew up watching Arnold Schwarzenegger movies and still today I am entertained by this towering Austrian man. He has a big personality and he has led an interesting life. Obviously he has made some glaring mistakes over the years, unfortunately made public in the spotlight, but he has owned it. He openly accepts responsibility for it and has learned from his mistakes. He comes across as genuine. I admire so many things about him.
He is incredibly motivating. It seems like he is personally speaking to you. I listened to some of the audiobook as well which is fun because he narrates it in his very distinct accent. You feel like you are there sitting with him. “I’m recording in my little home studio. If you hear my little pig, Schnelly, going oink oink oink, just bare with me.” Anytime he writes “That’s fantastic” I hear his accent. I love it. I recently watched his “Arnold” documentary on Netflix and was captivated by it. He has been underestimated so many times and it became his advantage. People assumed he was all brawn and no brains. Wrong. I am impressed by his intelligence. He researched to gain the knowledge he needed to be successful. He was smart with his money at a young age and it’s surprising because a LOT of celebrities live a life of consumption and go broke and you wonder how when they’ve made millions of dollars. He is relatable as he started out with barely anything and yet he knew he wanted to be. Every time he had a dream in life he went after it…with HARD work. The man seems to have boundless energy. “Too many of us struggle to disconnect from our self-pity and connect to our purpose.”
I appreciate that he acknowledges all of the people that helped him achieve his dreams along the way and he is a big advocate of giving back. Lift others up along the way. A little humility goes a long way. He has a lot of goodwill he is spreading about.
There is so much negativity and pessimism out in the world, including people doubting you, so this was refreshing. It is tragic to accept where you are in life when you are unhappy about it. Don’t play the victim. “Only you can create the life you want for yourself—no one is going to do it for you.” Believe in yourself. He is so optimistic. If you are in need of a little bit of encouragement and wanting to light a fire underneath you, this will do the trick. So inspiring–it’s fantastic.
Excerpts:
Tools: “They involve knowing where you want to go and how you’re going to get there, as well as having the willingness to do the work and the ability to communicate to the people you care about that the journey you want to bring them on is worth the effort. They include the capacity to shift gears when the journey hits a roadblock, and the ability to keep an open mind and learn from your surroundings to find new ways through.”
Random: I got stuck on reading about his workout for his calves “A thousand pounds on the calf raise machine for dozens of reps.” Did he seriously just say 1000 pounds?!
“When you stick to your guns. Good things can happen for you and all the people you care about at a level that others never thought possible.”
He is a self proclaimed lunatic. “My risk tolerance for big goals and new challenges is sky high. Everything I do, I do big.
I slightly disagree when he said working your [butt] off is the only thing that works 100 percent of the time for 100 percent of the things worth achieving.” Maybe eventually it is true. The only reason it doesn’t work 100 percent of the time is because other people make choices that affect you and disrupt your dream. What matters is you pick yourself back up and start building your dream up again. “When it comes to achieving your vision, it isn’t failure you have to worry about, it’s giving up.”
“Curiosity is the first thing that dies within someone who is raised to think the world is what it is and there’s nothing they can do about it.” “…curiosity has been a superpower for me. It’s magnetic.” ...more
This is a beautiful picture book. It teaches children about the importance of accepting and celebrating our uniqueness. I love this little Asian girl This is a beautiful picture book. It teaches children about the importance of accepting and celebrating our uniqueness. I love this little Asian girl growing up and realizing who she is and embracing it. She has strong loving women in her life passing down their traditions, culture, and most importantly, helping her develop self-love. She notices their similarities with their eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea…they crinkle into crescent moons. We all have our own beauty. As a mother, I love the message in this story.
Her relationship with her little sister was so sweet. Her little sister would wait impatiently for her to return home from school so they could play together. The illustrations are beautiful too.
Eyes can speak out emotions: “When mama tucks me in at night, her eyes tell me I’m a miracle.” Grandma’s eyes filled with stories and she sees all the way into my heart even though her eyesight is poor. ...more
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