E.S.P.

In this debut how-to guide, a life coach/writing instructor shares her healing journey and self-care practices, by which readers can hear and heed their own inner voices.

For Payne, “Hiding within the folds of a broken marriage kept me from looking at the brokenness I held within and kept me from hearing the true desires of my heart.” In 2010, after finally asking her husband of 19 years to leave, Payne experienced a visitation from her dead grandmother, who led her to an “ethereal elevator” from which Payne stepped out, “thriving in my life in every way.” After acting on this vision to become a writing instructor and life coach, Payne discusses the importance of “standing firm for yourself” and being guided by intuition. She touches on the science behind self-care, describing the mind/body benefits of meditation, for example, and how “your innate need to be self-filled will give you a healthy sense of self and, in turn, bring you to a more meaningful and sustainable way of serving others.” She recommends having “sacred circles” of friends and family for support, acknowledging that she herself hadn’t shown her true self to her ex-husband. Payne takes readers through a series of statements to analyze current belief systems and to take “bridging action” to reframe perspectives, many focused on becoming more open to taking steps toward her recommended self-care practices, which include meditation, journaling, and committing to good sleep, relaxation time, and communing with nature. Payne, in her debut, offers a relatable personal story with admirably honest admissions about her own blind spots and flaws. In several other real-world examples, she also draws on client experiences to showcase how one can only be truly “response-able” in life if one is “self-full.” While her book contains the same kind of mindfulness advice that can be found in similar books, Payne’s gently guiding tone and her array of useful tips—such as 10 specific routes into journaling—will be particularly helpful to those just starting out in the search into self.

Inspiring workbook on fostering a more authentic, joyful life.