Living a Charmed Life by Victoria Moran (Book Review)

Title: Living a Charmed Life: Your Guide to Finding Magic in Every Moment of Every Day
Author: Victoria Moran
Publisher/Publication Date: Harper Collins, April 2009


First sentence: Most of us waste a lot of time distrusting ourselves and discounting ourselves.

About the book: (from the book flap) Bestselling author Victoria Moran's Living a Charmed Life presents fifty action-inspiring essays that show us how to custom craft our very own blessed lives. Covering topics such as living richly, staying close to what makes you come alive, and being completely, utterly yourself, Moran emphasizes that this kind of happiness is possible for anyone of any age in any circumstance.

Living a charmed life is your birthright, one that you can start to claim as soon as you take to heart - and put into action - the practical and spiritual tips you'll find here. These lucky charms, honed from Victoria's own life experiences, will elevate your attitude, change the way you see yourself, and help you to improve every aspect of your life including your health, relationships, finances, and peace of mind - even in challenging times.

In this fresh, inspiring book, Victoria Moran gives you the tools and techniques you need to start living your own charmed life now.

My thoughts: Usually I don't like "self-help" books. I find them to be wordy, boring, and don't feel like I can actually use a lot of the information in them - whether it is because it doesn't apply to my season of life, something that is common sense that I already do, or just seems like a lot of drivel. This book, however, is truly a gem. There are 50 chapters-just a few pages each that - that could apply to me - my mom - my daughter - my best friend - very universal yet relevant.

My favorite was a chapter entitled "Expect the Best", where she tells a story about when she was 14 that she knew that she was going to meet the Beatles. She didn't just "want" to meet them - she "expected" to meet them - and she goes on to tell how she did (very cute story!) It reminded me of when I was a teenager and I applied to be in a Modern Miss pageant in my home state. Now, no one in my small town had ever heard of this pageant - but I just kept telling everyone - "they have to pick someone to be in it, why not me?" and that "someone has to win". Well, I was chosen and did win a trophy for Modern Miss Academic, though not the big title. I just knew that I was going to be there and win something.

The other incident I remember as a teen is applying for college. My dad had passed away my junior year of high school and the law had just been changed that SSI for dependents stopped at 18 - so I was not expecting any money from family or government for college. There was only one college that I applied to - Cornell College in Iowa. I didn't give a thought to the prospect that I would not be accepted or that I would not have the money to go. I guess you could say that I just Expected It. Not only was I accepted, but I received their top scholarship, as well as a scholarship from Pepsi Cola (my dad had worked for Frito Lay, a subsidiary) and a handful of smaller scholarships, that covered all my expenses.

This chapter in Living a Charmed Life made me wonder what happened to my expectations? Why as we grow up do we stop expecting the good things to happen to us? Why do we tend to look for the negative? The Lucky Charm at the end of this chapter is "Look at your schedule for the day ahead. For each task and appointment, hold the mental image of everything working out beautifully." I think this can be applied for both those small tasks and the life long ones (like raising children!)

This is a book that I believe I will keep on my nightstand - and when I need some positive reinforcement, I will pick it up and read a chapter and listen to those lucky charms!

About the author: Victoria Moran is an inspirational speaker, a certified life coach, and the author of ten books including The Love- Powered Diet; Lit from Within; Fat, Broke & Lonely No More; and the international bestseller Creating a Charmed Life. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications including Body + Soul, Natural Health, and Yoga Journal. Her blog, "Your Charmed Life," is published daily on BeliefNet.com. She lives a charmed life in New York City.

Living a Charmed Life
Publisher/Publication Date: Harper Collins, April 2009
ISBN: 978-0-06-164989-9
272 pages