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Thursday, September 29, 2016

I Dare You!

"Before I started my Year of Firsts, I was stuck ... But, as I discovered during the year, it's the smallest changes that eventually change everything:  They got me "unstuck". They brought the life back into my life. And they also made me realize something incredibly important:  Firsts don't have to be big, dramatic, and risky to recharge and reinvent your life. By just trying small things, you begin to see the world around you with fresh, child's eyes ... Firsts are the antidote for being stuck."

In I Dare Me, Lu Ann Cahn chronicles her year of trying one new thing every single day; and she does it in a way that's joyful, entertaining, and inspiring. By the end of the book, I wanted to make a list of Firsts and try a bunch of new things, too. Maybe not an entire year of them, but still...  Cahn's Firsts ranged from participating in a Polar Bear Plunge, eating Ethiopian food, climbing a tree, teaching a class, riding a mechanical bull, and baking a cake. She tried exciting things, scary things, easy, fun things, and things that challenged her and helped her to grow. And it changed her life. I loved her humor, and her tips and advice on new things to try, and all the wonderful quotes she includes throughout this book. It's a great weekend read!
"My hope is I Dare Me dares you! I want you to look at your world with new eyes, to make your own list of Firsts, to stop waiting for someone to rescue you from whatever you can't control and to rescue yourself with something new every day. That's how your life starts to change, one First at a time ... My world opened up and is still evolving today as a result of my Year of Firsts. It's my greatest hope that you find a similar spark somewhere in these pages, something that lights a fire under you to make this not just a life, but your best life. I dare you."
Happy Reading!


Similar read:  My Year With Eleanor by Noelle Hancock

12 comments:

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    1. It's a great read. And the nice thing is you can skip around in it and only read the parts that interest you the most if you want to.

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  2. I'm adding this to my fall reading list. It sounds like something I could really use about now.

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    1. It's a good one. She definitely inspired me to try new things and and put more firsts in my life.

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  3. It does sound inspiring. I'm not sure I could think of that many things I wanted to try--so I would love to see more of what was on her list!

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    1. Her list includes crazy stunts and small, simple firsts... and she also offers other suggestions that you could try in her book, which was nice.

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  4. I agree with the others. This sounds like such an inspiring and delightful book. I don't know if I could come up with something new to do every day, but maybe the book would give me ideas. Haha

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    1. Cahn does come up with some strange ones, but a lot of easy ones, too. What I liked most is how she got me thinking about what I'd like to try. It's a fun read.

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  5. I like the idea of this book--I don't necessarily follow her example rigorously, but occasionally I will set out to do something I've never done, just because! Sounds like a fun read.

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    1. I'm with you...I like to try new things throughout the year, but I doubt I could manage one a day. Still, she's inspired me to make a list of things I've never yet done but have always wanted to...and I'm going to see how many I can do in the next year. :)

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  6. Just added this one to my TBR! I really liked My Year with Eleanor and this book sounds like a great companion.

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    1. It is! By the time you're done reading it you have a list of firsts you want to try yourself. :)

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