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Changing Course Gracefully: A Strategic Guide to Building Foundational Self-Trust
What exactly is the PARQS Method? For readers unfamiliar with the concept, the acronym represents preferences, awareness, right action, questions, and self-acceptance. This book traces one woman’s lived experience applying the method as a practical framework for personal growth. Rather than drifting through life on autopilot, she learns to engage more intentionally with her choices. That shift unfolds alongside extensive travel, with journeys through Cambodia, Thailand, Russia, and other destinations serving as both backdrop and catalyst. Along the way, she enters into honest, often probing conversations with herself about what she truly wants. The insights that emerge are thoughtful, relatable, and potentially transformative for readers navigating similar questions.
Changing Course Gracefully: A Strategic Guide to Building Foundational Self-Trust by Elaina Kelly Smith is a work of nonfiction that comfortably resides within the self-help genre while also functioning as a reflective travel narrative. The blend feels organic rather than forced, grounding abstract ideas in lived experience.
Smith begins by acknowledging a sense of disconnection from her own agency. Life felt directed by habit rather than intention. Through the combined practices of travel and the PARQS Method, she gradually examines the gaps in her inner life. Each step invites deeper self-awareness. The goal is not radical upheaval, but clarity. Stress softens. Calm becomes accessible. Direction starts to feel earned rather than imposed.
Exposure to other cultures plays a meaningful role in this evolution. Observing how people live elsewhere sharpens Smith’s understanding of what aligns with her own values. She invites readers to undertake a similar process, offering a structured and approachable path for self-examination. While few will replicate her exact journey, the method she outlines is adaptable. Used thoughtfully, it can help readers clarify their own priorities and move toward a life that feels more authentic, grounded, and purposeful.
What ultimately distinguishes this book is the warmth of Smith’s voice. Her prose is clear without being clinical. She writes as a trusted companion rather than an authority figure. Anecdotes feel intimate. Reflections feel earned. The result is a guide that soothes as much as it instructs, offering readers not just a method, but a sense of reassurance along the way.
Pages: 129 | ASIN : B0G9D8MQL5
The Crucible Principle
The Crucible Principle follows Jackson Cade, a high-powered leader whose world collapses when a corporate crisis exposes not only cracks in the company he built but cracks in his own life. The story tracks his forced sabbatical, his exile in the woods, and his painful unraveling as he confronts the distance he has created with his family, the weight of buried failures, and the truth that leadership means nothing if a man is falling apart inside. Through conversations with mentors, memories that cut deep, and a growing list of words he has avoided for years, the book traces his path from blindness to honesty. It shows how adversity becomes the place where identity is stripped down and rebuilt.
I found myself pulled into the emotional tension more than I expected. The writing is clean and vivid, and the scenes feel authentic. I liked how the author blends storytelling with lessons without turning it into a lecture. The words carry emotional weight. Some passages lingered in my mind, especially the moments with his daughter. They felt real and tender and a little painful. The interactions in the lodge worked well, too. They had a slow rhythm that made me lean in. At times, the metaphors came on a bit thick, yet the honesty in them still made me feel something.
I also appreciated how the book handles the idea of failure. It doesn’t glamorize it. It doesn’t soften it. It lets the reader sit in it. I could feel the ache of regret, the pressure of ego, and the slow, stubborn work of self-reflection. The pacing dips here and there, but the emotional payoff stays strong. The writing avoids jargon, which makes the lessons easy to absorb.
The Crucible Principle is a story I would recommend to leaders, parents, high achievers, and anyone who feels stretched thin and quietly afraid. It is a good fit for readers who want a mix of story and soul searching, wrapped in language that feels simple and relatable. It reminds you that purpose grows in hard places and that the fire you fear may be the thing that saves you. If you liked the raw self-reckoning and emotional grit of The Leader’s Journey, you’ll find The Crucible Principle just as compelling and well worth your time.
Pages: 110 | ASIN : B0G1JC75F7
Creciendo Juntas: Narrativas de Empoderamiento de las Mujeres
Leí Creciendo Juntas y me encontré con una antología que une las voces de quince mujeres que exploran sus luchas, sus pérdidas, sus revelaciones y la forma en que reconstruyen sus mundos. Desde duelos profundos hasta despertares personales, cada autora narra su vida con una honestidad que no se esconde y con una fuerza que se siente desde el prólogo, donde se plantea que estas historias son pequeñas revoluciones que parten de lo cotidiano y avanzan hasta el alma misma.
Mientras avanzaba, sentí que el libro me hablaba desde muchos lugares a la vez. Hay textos que duelen y otros que despiertan una chispa de esperanza que llega cuando menos lo esperas. Me sorprendió la forma tan sencilla en la que varias autoras expresan emociones complejas. Nada se siente disfrazado. Todo es directo y sin ruido. A veces la vulnerabilidad me golpeó de lleno y tuve que detenerme porque una idea se quedaba dando vueltas en mi mente. Otras veces solté una sonrisa porque reconocí en sus palabras la terquedad de seguir adelante a pesar de todo.
También me gustó cómo cambia el ritmo entre historias. Unas hablan con suavidad. Otras cortan como si todavía ardiera la herida que cuentan. Esa mezcla crea una lectura que no se puede vivir de forma plana. Me llevó de la mano por caminos inesperados y me hizo pensar en las veces que yo también he tenido que romper algo en mí para poder construir algo nuevo. No todo me identificó, claro, pero sí sentí respeto por cada historia que se compartió con tanta apertura. El libro no pretende complacer ni adornar. Más bien se siente como un espacio donde la verdad tiene permiso de ocupar todo el cuarto.
Al terminarlo pensé en quién podría disfrutarlo más. Creo que sería ideal para mujeres que atraviesan cambios grandes y buscan un espejo donde verse sin filtros. También para quienes disfrutan de historias reales que no siguen un molde y que nacen desde el deseo de entender la propia vida. Yo lo recomendaría sin dudarlo. Es un libro que acompaña, que sacude y que, de alguna forma, invita a crecer con calma y con valentía.
Pages: 211 | ASIN : B0DHV7MT4L
Our Soul’s Lens
Unveiled: A Journey to Soul Realization is part memoir, part spiritual roadmap, and part therapeutic manual that weaves together personal stories, neuroscience, energy work, and metaphysical exploration into one cohesive, soul-centered narrative. Why was this an important book for you to write?
In my trauma practice, I work to help people realize what happened to them was not arbitrary but happened for a reason and has meaning. This was the reason for writing this book as well. We can learn from meaning and create new meaning. This is a powerful function of Unveiled.
I appreciated the neuroscience you incorporated into this book rather than just presenting spiritual information; the combination makes it easier to trust the process. Did you find anything in your research for this book that surprised you?
No, I this is basic to trauma therapists. Trauma therapy evolved with the simultaneous evolution of neuroimaging; thus, the practices being developed could be visually measured and understood, accounting for rapid brain changing therapies we do not see in mental health nor addiction.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Placebo as both miraculous and as what we can do with deliberate meaning change. I discuss our need for evidence and Placebo studies provide that in dramatic and stunning ways. The Self-Healing approaches take that idea of what is possible and plug in applications that are amazing. Of course, this book’s goal is to see through our Soul’s lens and Soul connection is perhaps the pinnacle moment in this text.
How has your experience in the mental health field helped you develop this process for healing and awakening?
Yes, my practice and my ascension evolved as one, energetically and that was amazing. My clients presented things I need to learn, not only as a trauma practitioner but as a spiritual practitioner as well. It was and still is an amazing synergy.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | Threads
Have you struggled with letting go of past trauma or understanding why certain things have happened in your life? Have you ever considered a spiritual approach to healing? Or have you never even considered the existence of a soul? In Unveiled, licensed Creative Arts Therapist Herb Cohen challenges and guides our discernment about connecting to our soul and using that connection to better grasp the events of our lives.
With almost forty years of experience working with mental health, addiction, and trauma, Herb pondered the questions he repeatedly asked his clients and condensed years of informed practice into a concise approach to his process.
In this book, you will contemplate:
How separateness impacts our world
What role “awareness” plays in our lives
Why we see the world through certain lenses
How to connect to your soul and be guided by the essence of who you are
How to surrender to self-heal
The goal of this book is to take you on a spiritual journey from trauma or atrocity to one of love and bliss.
Sacred Celebrations: Designing Rituals to Navigate Life’s Milestone Transitions
Sacred Celebrations is a warm and soulful guide to marking life’s transitions with intention and love. Elizabeth Barbour weaves stories from her own life with practical teachings about rituals, ceremonies, and the ways we gather around beginnings and endings. The book moves through birth, marriage, loss, illness, and the everyday moments that often slip by. It shows how rituals can help us slow down, breathe, and feel anchored in a world that moves too fast. Her stories are tender and sometimes raw, and they shine a light on the human need for connection during joyful and difficult times.
Barbour’s writing carries an honesty that caught me off guard, and I kept pausing just to sit with her words. The scene where she describes her mother’s final days was emotional. I felt the weight of that love and conflict. I also laughed at simpler moments, like the chaos of celebrations that go sideways or the small joys tucked into everyday rituals. Her style is comforting. It’s like listening to a friend who has lived a lot and is willing to tell the truth about how messy life can be. I appreciated how she took rituals out of the realm of “big spiritual practices” and grounded them in regular life. This made the whole idea feel doable for anyone.
What struck me most was how gentle her guidance felt. She never pushes. She invites. The book nudged me to look at my own transitions, even the quiet ones I usually gloss over, and I found myself thinking about the moments I rushed through without honoring how they shaped me. Some parts made me emotional because they stirred up memories I didn’t expect to revisit. Other parts lit me up with curiosity. I kept thinking about how simple actions, like a walk to a creek or lighting a candle, can shift the way we move through the world. The book feels both practical and mystical in a way that surprised me. I kept underlining sentences and dog-ear pages.
I would recommend Sacred Celebrations to people who crave meaning in their routines, anyone moving through a major transition, and those who want to deepen their emotional or spiritual life without anything too complicated. It’s also a lovely fit for caregivers, coaches, therapists, ministers, or anyone who holds space for others. The book feels like a soft place to land, and it left me wanting to create more intentional moments in my own life.
Pages: 252 | ISBN : 0972468692
True Empowerment
Girl Grit: Savage Not Average is a blazing manifesto that exposes the wounds society inflicts on women and rebuilds them into fierce, unshakable self-worth. What moment or experience first sparked the fire that became Girl Grit?
In August of 2022, I was on vacation in Florida, swimming in a pool by myself, when the idea very suddenly hit me all at once. I came home, put pen to paper, and finished my first book GIRL GRIT: SAVAGE NOT AVERAGE in 5 months.
You write with such raw honesty. Were there parts of your story that were hardest to include or share publicly?
Yes and no. I am a mask-off author. True to my nature, I believe in authenticity and the realness of life. The good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s time we are hit with the truth as a society instead of sweeping real problems under the rug while wearing the façade of our ancestors. We will grow and evolve as a society when we face our problems head-on. As an author, I was never going to transform someone’s life overnight by writing about candy canes and gumdrops; I was going to do it through raw honesty, authenticity, and vulnerability were necessary.
The book moves from pain to power. How did you decide where to draw the line between vulnerability and empowerment?
Vulnerability and empowerment go hand in hand. You cannot access one without the other. Willing to be vulnerable is where true empowerment lies. We diminish our empowerment when we hide behind facades, suppress emotions, and refuse to solve problems head-on. People also usually go the route of drinking, drugs, or other addictions. I wasn’t about to go down those dark paths; I was going to take pain and truly turn it into power in an authentic and meaningful way.
If readers take only one message from Girl Grit, what do you hope it is?
Don’t be afraid of what anyone else thinks of you. Live your life authentically and heal others by refusing to put on the show of being perfect and infallible.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
In Girl Grit, Dr. Elinsky passionately challenges and dismantles restrictive gender roles, asserting that they limit our potential as women and undermine our purpose as equal human beings. As an expert in gender relationship dynamics, Dr. Elinsky draws on extensive research to critically examine the very fabric of our social conditioning. She urges, “It is time to wise up, rise up, and ascend to your highest potential.” Celebrating the worthiness and grandeur of women’s capacities, Girl Grit will elevate you to unimaginable heights.
Finally, Dr. Elinsky advises, “Do not read this book unless you are ready to revolutionize your life as you know it.” Learn what it means to become a fire woman and unleash your regal authority into the world. Girl Grit will set your self-esteem on fire.
Unveiled, A Journey to Soul Realization
Herb Cohen’s Unveiled: A Journey to Soul Realization is part memoir, part spiritual roadmap, and part therapeutic manual. It weaves together personal stories, neuroscience, energy work, and metaphysical exploration into one cohesive, soul-centered narrative. The book begins with Cohen’s background as a trauma therapist and gradually unfolds into a layered study of consciousness, ego, and the soul. Through detailed examples from his practice, he connects emotional pain and trauma to spiritual evolution. He invites readers to step beyond intellectual understanding and instead experience transformation through awareness, energy, and love. The book blends science and spirituality, often questioning what we believe to be possible while presenting exercises for emotional healing and personal awakening.
The writing has a rhythm that’s equal parts therapy session and spiritual transmission. Cohen’s approach is brave, at times raw, and occasionally unconventional. He doesn’t shy away from merging clinical insight with mystical belief, and that tension between grounded psychology and ethereal spirituality makes the book compelling. I found myself pulled in by his metaphors, especially his “rancid food” analogy for emotional pain. It’s simple and unforgettable. The science sections can get dense, yet they serve a purpose. They anchor the spiritual claims in something familiar, and that balance keeps the material from floating too far into abstraction.
What struck me most, though, was that Cohen’s idea of “unveiling” isn’t only about peeling back old layers over time, but about reaching a single, electrifying moment when the soul is revealed in its fullness. Through his Flow technique and compassionate guidance, he describes how the shift happens all at once, the veil lifts, and in that instant, everything feels wide open, limitless, and vividly alive. It’s not a slow climb toward realization but a sudden, breathtaking recognition of who we truly are. That moment, he says, is available to anyone willing to surrender and allow Flow to move through them, and reading his account made me feel the rush of that possibility.
The book ranges from trauma recovery to near-death experiences, from energy work to quantum consciousness. At times, it reads more like a collection of awakenings. Cohen’s voice carries humility and warmth, and his belief in human potential feels genuine. The way he talks about awareness, about simply noticing, resonated with me. There’s a sense of relief in his words, a reminder that maybe we don’t need to fix ourselves as much as we need to see ourselves clearly.
I’d recommend this book to anyone standing at the edge of their own transformation, therapists, healers, or anyone who’s tired of looping through the same pain and wants to see meaning in it. It’s not light reading. It asks you to think, to feel, and to let go of what you think you know. But if you’re ready for that kind of journey, Unveiled offers a heartfelt and practical guide to becoming whole.
Pages: 158 | ASIN : B0FJYMJFY8
You Can Thrive
Sociomom is a raw and gut-wrenching memoir about surviving a childhood dominated by abuse, manipulation, and the long road toward emotional healing. Why was this an important book for you to write?
It was important to me to author this book not to share my story, but to illustrate that no matter what your past is, where you come from or what your current circumstances are, you can overcome and thrive.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
There are several:
- You are not alone in your struggles.
- If you want something different and better in your life you have to try different and better options to heal.
- No matter how hard you try, you can not and are not meant to do it on your own.
- There is no one size fits all approach but you have to lean into physical, mental and spiritual health options to move forward.
- Overcoming trauma and mental health challenges is a journey not a destination.
What was the most challenging part of writing your memoir, and what was the most rewarding?
The most challenging part was having to relive my journey and put all of my “stuff” out there for the world to see.
The most rewarding was the validations from reviews and other feedback how the book has helped others be seen and be inspired to move forward in their journey.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
It is never too late, and you are not too broken to move forward and change your path to healing.
Author Links: Website | GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook | Tik Tok | YouTube | LikedIn
LITERARY TITAN 