The Gift of Fear – this book can save your life.

Not all my posts will be about books. I know it seems like it so far. But believe me! We’ll be travelling all over the self-help landscape.

It’s just that this one needs to be right on top of the list because — as the subtitle says — it’s about “Survival Signals That Protect Us From Violence“.

It’s called The Gift of Fear. And let me tell ya… it is a gift! Gavin De Becker  is an incredibly interesting person in his own right. Check out the website I linked to his name! He’s all about protection… and in this book, it shows.

You may say this is not “self-help”. Well, you’d be right, if my gauge were to only share stuff from the “self-help” bookshelf and/or genre. It’s not. You might have figured that out already.

And maybe this is as good a place as any to share my vision of this blog. I turn 59 in a month or so and my entire life has been filled with lessons learned, eschewed, and picked up and put in my heart for safe-keeping. I am a lifelong student of all-things human. Starting with myself, of course. Just as you are a student of yourself! And lemme tell ya… I’ve picked up all sorts of useful (and NOT useful) stuff that I want to share with you.

Who am I? As I say in my short biography… I am my own worst guru. And as such, I have gathered more information than I know what to do with. That’s where you come in. Just by being here!

My vision is to share everything I’ve found helpful to create a safe space and powerful online tool for self-help enthusiasts.

Now, back to this wonderful book. The Gift of Fear begins with a story. All I will say about it is that it gave me goosebumps and set the tone for the rest of the book. It was so powerful that I used it in a college orientation class where I was co-facilitating. I literally read the passage out loud. The students in our program had disabilities, so to me, it was even more important for them to pick up on the nuances and outright threat of the protagonist in the story. (Sadly, there are too many people who seek out those who are vulnerable. But I digress.) The entire book — but especially this passage — is so well written, it’s almost like a fiction thriller. Except it wasn’t fiction. And there are lessons to be carried throughout your life.

If you’ve ever wondered what you should do if you’re approached by a stranger, stalked or come face-to-face with violence, read this book. It is a life-changer!