Remember this one? – The Art of Extreme Self-Care

Some of you may not realize that I am an American married to a Canadian and living in Ontario, Canada. This isn’t about that, exactly, except to say that my “subtitle” today (Sans Limites) comes from one of the perks of living here. Dual-Language. In Canada, we speak English and/or French. Everything that’s made and sold in Canada is labeled with both English and French. The shampoo bottles get pretty crowded, as you might imagine. But today, I’m talking about the BBQ potato chips I bought for my husband. They’re Super-Duper BBQ-y… without limits… or, in French, sans limites. Long story short, eh? 😉

Cheryl Richardson‘s The Art of Extreme Self-Care is also sans limites. I borrowed it from the library, years ago. Then I bought a copy for my oldest daughter who was going through some tough stuff and like many women, was plowing through without thought to what it was doing to her physically or emotionally. She loved it and asked me if I’d read it. I said I had, years before. She suggested I get a copy and keep it, which I did. By this time, it was tough times for me, too.

Richardson has set up this beautiful little book (just over 100 pages) by month. Her subtitle is “Transform your life one month at a time” and if you follow this “guide” book, you will! It’s filled with exercises, resources and pretty drawings and illustrations. It’s simple but not easy. It’s a gem. So is Richardson.

If you’ve followed her on Facebook  you will find that she is working through some tough times of her own. Her beloved 10-yr-old cat died recently… and boy, I can relate. You may remember my post about our cats: HERE. She also lost a dear friend, as did the Coaching Community  (Debbie Ford) and has a live reading of her newest book (Waking Up in Winter by Cheryl Richardson) where she shares a journal entry about her last visit with Debbie before she passed.

Once again, we are touched by Death, as I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. The longer I share on this blog, the more certain subjects come up again and again.

But this book… this little book… is so packed full of information and resources, it really could be… if you were not a book lover like me… the ONLY self-help book you’ll ever need. That’s how excellent it is!

I’m starting it again in January and let me share the focus of that chapter… just to get you excited: Deprivation.

What? You’ll wonder…

I should have told you it’s about ENDING the cycle of deprivation. You think it’s not relevent for you? I thought so, too… until I remembered that in the 50+ years I’ve been on earth… I’ve never owned a house… never paid off a car… or had a savings account I could fall back on. Oh, and let’s talk about the ’emotional’ deprivation… the times I put myself in harm’s way… didn’t take care of myself… etc. etc. etc.

I DESERVE BETTER. So, guess what? About five years ago, just after I’d read this book the first time… my husband found the very vehicle I’ve wanted for years. It’s nothing fancy. It’s an SUV … minky brown… the year I wanted (2006) because the newer models are sharp-edged. This one is round and soft-edged. And we bought it. And it’s now paid off. And I’m going to drive her (yes, it’s a her! And maybe one day I’ll talk more about my Ruby. Okay, yes, she has a name. Doesn’t every car? LOL) until she gives up the ghost. I love that car! Now… to be clear… I *do* know she’s a “thing” and not a person… but it is (truly) what she represents. A large, safe vehicle that lifts me up (literally and figuratively). You understand what I mean.

So, grab this book and do the self-help boogie, my friends. It’s a keeper.