As a mama bear, I must be courageous for my three little warriors. It took a while, however, before I could activate my courage. Why? Because I had to face years of fears related to cultural shame, family guilt, inner criticism caused by oppressive patriarchal rules, and ancestral traumas. I even wrote a warm and witty memoir to capture my journey. I love sharing my stories and teaching my Courage Kit® framework to adults and kids. Fun fact: At age 8, I was a book presenter on the PBS series Reading Rainbow!
I love the way Sarah Menkedick draws from her experience as a first-time mom and researcher of mothers suffering from perinatal conditions and institutional racism to illustrate the ways living a fear-based life has become normalized in American motherhood. I was encouraged to read her candid discussion about the paralyzing anxieties new moms face while trying to meet unrealistic societal expectations.
I appreciated her keep-it-real speak regarding mothers’ feelings of anguish that go beyond the category of “postpartum depression” in the years that follow childbirth. This book really helped me feel less alone, especially as a mom from a historically marginalized background. I regained some hope that one day I too can reclaim my identities (those that are outside of motherhood) without fears cramping my flow.
A groundbreaking exposé and diagnosis of the silent epidemic of fear afflicting new mothers, and a candid, feminist deep dive into the culture, science, history, and psychology of contemporary motherhood
Anxiety among mothers is a growing but largely unrecognized crisis. In the transition to motherhood and the years that follow, countless women suffer from overwhelming feelings of fear, grief, and obsession that do not fit neatly within the outmoded category of “postpartum depression.” These women soon discover that there is precious little support or time for their care, even as expectations about what mothers should do and be continue to…
I loved the way Karen Kleinman used her expertise as a maternal mental health expert to elaborate on the embarrassing thoughts and fears that new and expecting mothers experience during their fourth trimesters. I laughed out loud when I saw her creative cartoons that debunk common stigmas and limiting mindsets related to mothering.
One of topics that I really resonated with include the idea that moms are supposed to quickly bounce back from childbirth on all levels. She reminded me how absurd it is for society to deem that it’s not OK for moms to take breaks and ask for help! Her stories helped me exercise more self-compassion. I also felt empowered to try out her exercises to confront complex fear-based thoughts about my own capacity as a mom.
Over 90 percent of new mothers will have scary, intrusive thoughts about their baby and themselves. What if I drop him? What if I snap and hurt my baby? Mothering is so hard-I don't know if I really want to do this anymore. Gosh, I'm so terrible for thinking that! Yet for too many mothers, those thoughts remain secret, hidden away in a place of shame that can quickly grow into anxiety, postpartum depression, and even self-harm. But here's the good news: you CAN feel better!Author Karen Kleiman-coauthor of the seminal book This Isn't What I Expected and founder of…
Gifts from a Challenging Childhood
by
Jan Bergstrom,
Learn to understand and work with your childhood wounds. Do you feel like old wounds or trauma from your childhood keep showing up today? Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed with what to do about it and where to start? If so, this book will help you travel down a path…
I loved learning about psychotherapist Sue Patton Thoele’s personal journey and anecdotes of other women (including moms) who found the courage to become their most authentic selves. It blew my mind to know that so many women like myself were also facing daily internal battles with self-limiting fears influenced by patriarchal norms.
Thoele hit the nail on the head when it came to naming some of those sneaky fear-based mindsets and behaviors that were embedded in my own motherhood experience, e.g., devaluing beliefs and self-sabotaging patterns. By the end of the book, I felt motivated to implement a courageous way of living. I walked away with affirmations that were geared towards transforming my subconscious fears into self-love.
Do you often find yourself meeting the wants of others at the expense of your own needs? THE COURAGE TO BE YOURSELF provides necessary tools to help you transform your fears into the courage to express your own authentic identity. By sharing her own journey and the journey of other women, Sue Patton Thoele will help you to learn how to set boundaries, change self-defeating behaviour patterns, communicate effectively and, most importantly, become a loving and tolerant friend to yourself.
I loved how Dr. Lissa Rankin focused on how fear (in all its devious forms) shows up in life. I learned all about her methodology for calling in courage and the physiological impacts of fear on the human body (this was especially enlightening as I was accepting my ever-changing postpartum body).
I also appreciated Rankin’s advice to readers about courage not being a “one-size-fits-all” approach. I felt reassured that I can customize my courage-cultivating journey however I like. I was able to take away her “prescription for courage,” which included concrete steps to reframe scary thoughts and a few meditations to do during stressful moments.
Not many people in the medical world are talking about how being afraid can make us sick-but the truth is that fear, left untreated, becomes a serious risk factor for conditions from heart disease to diabetes to cancer. Now Lissa Rankin, M.D., explains why we need to heal ourselves from the fear that puts our health at risk and robs our lives of joy-and shows us how fear can ultimately cure us by opening our eyes to all that needs healing in our lives. Drawing on peer-reviewed studies and powerful true stories, The Fear Cure presents a breakthrough understanding of…
Gifts from a Challenging Childhood
by
Jan Bergstrom,
Learn to understand and work with your childhood wounds. Do you feel like old wounds or trauma from your childhood keep showing up today? Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed with what to do about it and where to start? If so, this book will help you travel down a path…
I loved the way Karen Maezen Miller drew from her practices as a Zen Buddhist priest and a first-time mom to illustrate how ordinary maternal tasks can turn into enriching bits of spiritual wisdom. I felt so seen as a mom via her acknowledgements of the nitty gritty personal trials that new moms go through.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that difficult mom moments can actually be opportunities for moments of peace—ingredients for getting some comfort and encouragement on days when it can feel so hard. I loved the reminder that there’s no linear path in motherhood and felt inspired to address my mama-related discouragements in real time.
Combining humor, honesty, and plainspoken advice, Momma Zen distills the doubts and frustrations of motherhood into vignettes of Zen wisdom
Drawing on her experience as a first-time mother and her years of Zen meditation and study, Karen Miller explores how the daily challenges of parenthood can become the most profound spiritual journey of our lives. Her compelling and wise memoir follows the timeline of early motherhood from pregnancy through toddlerhood. Momma Zen takes readers on a transformative journey, charting a mother's growth beyond naive expectations and disorientation to finding fulfillment in ordinary tasks, developing greater self-awareness and acceptance—to the gradual…
This is a self-help memoir that tells the uplifting story of a mother of three who joined forces with a supreme warrior goddess named Durga to activate her courage to overcome deep-rooted fears and find fulfillment. With the support of Durga, Liu shares how she went from being a scared mom-to-be to birthing three children, building a business, disrupting ancestral patterns of self-sacrifice, and embracing her authentic self.
Liu presents a Courage Kit framework that will give readers tools and interactive exercises to 1) activate their limitless energy within, 2) align with their needs, 3) alleviate stressors, and 4) act with conviction towards their dreams. It also shares personal insights on how to navigate the trials of parenthood, unemployment, entrepreneurship, and healing intergenerational traumas.
