Published by Your Nickel's Worth Publishing
Review by Leslie Vermeer
$15.95 978-1-927756-53-9
Allan Kehler wants you to find your joy.
At a more down-to-earth level Kehler — a Saskatoon-based counsellor and speaker — wants to help people manage their stress. But more than that, he wants us to start really living. To that end, his timely new book Goodbye Stress, Hello Life! succeeds in delivering insights and strategies anyone can use to make changes in their lives and embrace their full humanity.
Almost everyone can use some help dealing with stress. So many of us feel an excess of tension or anxiety in our lives, whether from workplace conflict, relationship troubles, money problems or some other source. Kehler starts his book by explaining what stress is and unpacking some myths surrounding stress. Turns out humans actually need some stress to thrive. But too much stress hurts us at physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual levels, and we don't always recognize our own pain. Kehler then introduces a variety of tools with which to manage stress and offers stress-management tips that are easy to use — easy but surprisingly effective.
Some of the topics Kehler explores include understanding emotions, recognizing people and settings that generate negative stress, finding and maintaining personal balance and assembling a kit of life tools. He also creates connections among these topics, so that readers can feel, think and act in ways that preserve mental wellness and personal strength. Much of Kehler's information is communicated in anecdotes and parables drawn from his colleagues, his clients and his own study of personal well- being. His voice is friendly and his tone is personable, making the book pleasantly readable.
Goodbye Stress, Hello Life! may appear small but in fact it's exactly the right size if you're looking to make big life changes. The bite-sized sections encourage you to read slowly, not race through the information, and you'll want to return to Kehler's gentle lessons whenever you need to refresh or reset. The book also contains helpful information for people looking to reach out to others in distress, and underscores the author's major themes of communication and compassion.
No matter who you are or what you do, you're sure to find value in this book. Your joy — your purpose, your life — is just waiting for you to find it.
This book is available at your local bookstore or from www.skbooks.com
