Don’t let the title mislead you, this is not a book about being glad when you are not and being fake with your feelings in life.  I was happy to discover that Glad No Matter What discusses real, raw feelings and ways of expressing your emotions authentically.  The author, SARK, is a very creative, inspiring woman who is honest about who she is, what she has been through, and the challenges she still has today.  She actually handwrites every word in each of her books, which are filled with color and cute drawings that make them interesting and fun to read.  She gives many examples of her experiences and does not try to portray herself as being perfect or happy 100% of the time.  She tries to convey that even though she may be teaching and writing about being glad, more often, she feels equal to you as the reader and believes in the importance of your willingness to shift your perspective and outlook on each situation.  She shares methods and tools for transitioning your self-destructive patterns and learning to live a life that allows you to find the glad parts in as many things as you can.  She illustrates the importance of allowing yourself to experience all types of emotions without feeling guilty about having the ones that we have been taught to consider ‘bad’ such as anger or jealously.  All of our emotions are valid and if they are allowed to be expressed in a healthy way rather than trying to cover them up, you will be able to feel them and release them more easily.

There are so many life changing ideas and messages provided in this book that I think everyone should have the opportunity to hear.   Without giving too much away, I wanted to share some quotes that really had an impact on me and hopefully will inspire you to read the book yourself and discover the ways it may impact you!

“Its not selfish to care for yourself and as a result you actually are able to care for others even more.”

“Be open to change and try to find gifts within your losses.”

“We all have the opportunity to take something that previously hurt us and turn it into a gift for someone else.”

“It does not take a long time to feel.  It takes a lot longer to resist feeling.”

“Realize that suffering comes from comparing.  How it was to how it is now.”

***If you are interested in learning more about the author and her other books check out her website Planet SARK:  http://www.planetsark.com***