Stress Down & Lift Up

Renee Wiggins
Xlibris Corporation (2007)
ISBN 9781425752309
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (11/07)

I knew this was going to be an excellent book when I turned the page and read this:  “Life is like a box of chocolates.  You never know what you will get.  Chocolate candy filled with gooey insides reflects a fragile person.  Chocolate candy filled with nuts reflects a person hardened by the stressors in life.  Chocolate candy filled with cherries reflects a person always cheerful.  Which one are you?”  This book is like a box of chocolates because once I started reading it I did not stop until I finished the whole thing!!!

As a person who has gone through a divorce, turned around a struggling not-for-profit, started a business and herniated a disc (I am sure Renee Wiggins would have a lot of insight into that injury!), all in the last year, I am the perfect candidate for this book.  The author looks at the things that stress a person out, and talks about what you can do to begin to heal.  She has created a 30-day plan that includes one stress-free activity everyday.  This way you can try them all, use variety in dealing with the stress in your life and see what resonates with you.  The reader does not have to be familiar with the types of relaxation techniques as she explains them (i.e., Day 14:  What is Yoga?)

“Day 26: This too shall pass” was my favorite day as Renee discusses dealing with the past.  She writes:  “A minute, an hour, a day, is a missed opportunity, when you are busy focusing on the past.  The past, I cannot change, the present, I can change.  The future is the potential of what I can change.  Stress Down and Lift Up. The past is only temporary, if you let it go.”  I plan to post this on my bathroom mirror to remind myself to stop obsessing about the past.  I am going to start my thirty days tomorrow and am really looking forward to giving myself this treat for the month.

I highly recommend “Stress Down & Lift Up” to anyone who is struggling with their lives.  I plan to add it to my Christmas gift list for most of my friends who are all very stressed out.  The book is beautifully written and very uplifting.

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