Raychelle Reviews: Fail Up ~ 20 Lessons on Building Success from Failure by Tavis Smiley

Fail Up really drives the message home that failure is one of the most important parts of the journey to success. Being persistent, learning from your mistakes, being reflective, and staying true to yourself at any costs are all critical to making progress. Tavis shares poignant and honest anecdotes about his life that we can all relate to. There were times as I read this book that I cringed at some of his "teachable moments". But, I learned how valuable those moments can be if you work to redeem yourself. My elementary school principal told me that life is 10% of what you make it and 90% of how you take it. That quote taught me that perception and attitude map out every man's journey. And this quote is teaching me to never ever give up:

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." ~Samuel Beckett

Well done.

A Big Announcement! At Least It Is for Me...

Those of you who regularly read Raychelle Writes know that I enjoy interviewing authors and artists. I love blogging about all things writing and hosting other writers. Oh, and I have a thing for children's books, so I write them, illustrate them, and review them, too. All and all, I see writing as a way to share what I am learning. It is cathartic and a true outlet for me.

There are many other subjects that I am passionate about and wellness is one of them. I am a certified personal trainer and I have a degree in the wellness and fitness field. For the last several years, I have been posting about health, fitness, and wellness on my other blog, Journeys Fitness. It has been said that we teach what we need to learn and I will admit that I am always on the quest for better and more balanced ways to live.

So, I am excited to announce my first project in the self-help genre! The Living Well: Taking Your Journey to a Balanced and Successful Life is a collection of original essays and published blog posts where I offer my take on success, conquering fears, atonement, finding your balance, setting goals, motivation, and happiness. My intention in writing this book is inspire each of us to consider our place in life, decide how to improve it, and then take action. My hope is that The Living Well becomes a resource for living which will be revisited as often as needed for years to come.

The Living Well is scheduled for release this summer. Stay tuned for other exciting news!

Keep your pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...

New Blog Post!

This is an excerpt from my blog Journeys Fitness entitled, "What Are You Afraid Of?". Take a look!

"Fear has been instrumental in setting your course whether your parents are alive or dead. Whether you grew up happy or sad, wealthy or poor. Whether you know it or not. Fear has developed your likes and dislikes, picked your friends, and raised your children. Fear has limited your potential, excluded possibilities, and controlled your choices." Rhonda Britten, author of Fearless Living: Live Without Excuses and Love Without Regret

Fear is a very common reaction to the unknown. It arises in us all when we feel that our security and safety are threatened. The unknown is daunting. We fear the repercussions of our failures and the burden of success. We focus on what we may lose as opposed to what we stand to gain. Fear is often the result of trauma (conscious and unconscious). But, fear is necessary to our individual and collective survival. Fear is the signal of danger that elicits a physical reaction referred to as "fight or flight". It is how we manage our fight or flight response that will determine the life or death of a project, business venture, relationship, or even ourselves and others. (You've gotta know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em...know when to walk away and know when to run!)

Read the entire post here:
http://www.journeysfit.blogspot.com

Keep your pen to the paper! Remember inspiration is everywhere...