Review: The Diary of an American Au Pair

It's been a while since I completely finished a book. At first I had a hard time reading this one—not knowing why I was reading it until the end. It seemed as though there were little purpose for the book the whole time I was reading until about the last 20 pages.

But it was one of the "finding yourself" novels that most women can associate with.

"The Diary of an American Au Pair" was originally published by Marjorie Leet Ford under the title "Do Try to Speak as We Do."

It's understandable why they changed the name to something more attractive to the chic lit crowd.—although in the beginning the novel didn't seem to suit the traditional chic lit being a but more stodgy than most.

In the end, however, more and more details are told by the nanny Melissa, who the story is based around.

Melissa moves to England to be a nanny to escape a relationship with her fiance Tedward, who we know at once is not her top pick. Her new family's mother is dreadfully uptight, giving Melissa a hard time about everything and using niceties to get her to agree to do more work than she had originally agreed upon for less pay.

In the beginning Melissa finds everyone she comes in contact with her against her, but as time goes on, she makes friends with another nanny as well as some extended family, making life a bit more tolerable. But as she's having such difficulty as a nanny. She begins sending letters home to San Francisco, which are published.

When things become unbearable to Melissa in the end, the children tell her they understand if she leaves, but they have been thankful for her. She takes a sabbatical to think: Should she marry Tedward? What does she do about her English suitor Simon? Should she stay or take the full-time offer back home as a writer?

Sometimes getting away from your life, regardless of how nonsensical, can be what you need to determine the trajectory of your life—and at that moment being a nanny in a foreign land is what she needs to move on in life.

Worth the read.

No excuses—it’s time to create!

By Tiffany Young

For anyone looking for a swift kick in the butt to get started on their novel, painting or any other endeavor, “The War of Art—Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles” by Steven Pressfield delivers.

The book is broken into three books, with the first focusing on resistance. Resistance, Pressfield says, comes down to anything—good or bad—keeping you from your opus (More on finding your opus when I write my review of Thomas Moore’s “A Life at Work”—excellent!).

Many forms of resistance have appeared throughout my life: procrastination, rationalization, fear—Check!
Book two focuses on the professional aspect of creating. The number one rule, it seems, is showing up. You’ve probably heard it before, but that’s what separates the writers from non-writers—writing! Imagine that. Ever met someone that says they’re a writer, but when asked what they’ve written, they haven’t actually started?

Book three is where the book moves from reasons why you may not create and setting yourself up for creative success to persuading the reader that they were made to create and that artworks are from another realm.

This both takes some pressure off the artist, while adding to it at the same time. Relief comes when the realization hits that it’s not even our piece of art being rendered—there are muses or angels or whatever you’d like to call them whispering what to do next—hence screenwriters who say they don’t develop their plots, they just appear as scenes flashing in their mind.

The scary part, however, is in Pressfield’s final pages, “You shame the angels who watch over you and the Almighty, who created you and only you with your unique gifts, for the sole purpose of nudging the human race one millimeter farther along on its path back to God.”

Pressfield essentially tells us we are robbing humanity of something great if we are not contributing to society with our God-given gifts—Wow! I take it back … a kick in the butt would feel better.

Though this book leans toward the spiritually driven, I’d suggest it to anyone struggling with productivity in their unique talents.

Don’t worry about some long, boring book; Pressfield keeps it to 163 pages—most of them incomplete. When he’s finished with one point, he moves on to a new page and a new point with quick and poignant stories to motivate.

Starbuck's: More than a cup of Joe?

By Tiffany Young

If "It's Not About the Coffee," then Starbucks is about the people according to this book by Howard Behar. Behar, a one-time executive at Starbuck's tells about how the coffee empire's focus is not just about serving the best coffee, but about serving its customers and employers.

While this book is not as good as "How Starbucks Saved My Life," it's a decent book that tells corporate leaders how they should conduct business. It was no competition really, so it's unfair to compare, but the similarity in names makes me compelled to do so anyway. In one, you've got a likable guy fired from his big corporate job slogging coffees at customers all day in a place only slightly more upscale than McD's. In the other, you've got someone who doesn't give away much of his personality. You get the idea Behar has character, but you're not really sure if that's just his view of himself—in other words, you don't get to know him very well.

All that being said, Behar does give 10 principles, which if followed, would make an impact in companies all over:

1. Know Who You Are: Wear One Hat

This chapter has the reader clarify what really matters to them. Behar found out furniture wasn't his true love, but building relationships was.

2. Know Why You’re Here: Do It Because It’s Right, Not Because It’s Right for Your Resume

In this chapter, the reader is encouraged to find a job that they want and will work for them rather than trying to figure out how to move up the ladder.

3. Think Independently: The Person Who Sweeps the Floor Should Choose the Broom

Here managers are encouraged to let those who are doing the work make some decisions in how it's done.

4. Build Trust: Care, like You Really Mean It

This one is obvious, but often ignored. People expect you to actually care, not just say you do.

5. Listen for the Truth: The Walls Talk

This chapter deals a bit with what might be called intuition—listening to that gut feeling when you're all alone and things aren't busy.

6. Be Accountable: Only the Truth Sounds like the Truth

Here the reader is encouraged to acknowledge when they have done something wrong and not sweep problems under the rug.

7. Take Action: Think Like a Person of Action, and Act like a Person of Thought

Sometimes it's just time to act—when it's time to try something even though every single detail may not be worked out yet.

8. Face Challenge: We Are Human Beings First

Everything doesn't come down to money and laws—sometimes it's better to think and act like a person who has feelings.

9. Practice Leadership: The Big Noise and the Still, Small Voice

When success comes it's harder to listen to that underlying voice, but it's a necessity to continuing success.

10. Dare to Dream: Say "Yes," the Most Powerful Word in the World

It's easier to say no than yes, but saying yes can make dreams come true. Try saying yes to great opportunities.

From Michael Gates Gill's story, you do get the idea that Starbucks follows these principles or his work there would never have inspired to write his story telling of how working at Starbucks changed his life.

If you have time, why not read both?

Lessons from the "The Fifth Agreement"

By Tiffany Young
The Fifth Agreement by don Miguel and don Jose Ruiz is an addition to The Four Agreements book published by the same father/son duo. Based on principals of The Toltec, the book shares principles that can turn ones thoughts from Hell to Heaven. The original four principals are:
1. Be impeccable with your word.
2. Don't take anything personally.
3. Don't make assumptions.
4. Always do your best.
The fifth agreement that was added in this book is "Be skeptical, but learn to listen." I think this is a good addition to the original four, because it reminds us that what others are telling us may not be true—they may just be a reflection of what they believe to be true. I find this in my own life at times, where someone tells me something and then I assume all sorts of things from there. It's difficult to keep these things to ourselves, so e use others as sounding boards, which is fine if they are skeptical, but few of us are leading us to believe and pass on the lies that may be told. None of this has to be done on purpose or with evil intent to cause harm. Therefore, these little lessons put to use in our daily lives can be important. At the end of the book the reader is asked to make the world, your surroundings a better place—not necessarily by doing something outrageous, but something very courageous. To use our words to build better dreams and to create a Heavenly place. I found the authors' wisdom to be helpful. Let me know if you find the same.

Thumbs up for "A Weekend with Mr. Darcy"

By Tiffany Young

This sweet novel should be on any Jane Austen fan's list of books to read. I realize their are some die-hard fans that may think it's an affront to the author to do spin-offs of her work, but this lovely read is inspired by Austen's novels, rather than trying to rewrite them as works such as "Clueless" attempted to do.

A Weekend with Mr. Darcy, by Victoria Connelly is set in England, partly in Jane Austen's hometown. Book lovers meet for a weekend conference to enjoy, what seems to them, will be a relaxing, enjoyable weekend, but becomes a bit more of a romantic whirlwind for the two heroines in the novel.

Katherine Roberts, an Austen specialist, is done with lying, cheating men and just wants to get away when she meets Warwick, a handsome man that wants to get close to her, but forgets to to tell her a minor detail that she may think is more important that he share than he thinks.

Robyn Love, a romantic who has been dating a very unromantic fellow for years, tries escaping for a nice, quiet weekend only to be followed by her boyfriend whom she's trying to get rid of. When she meets someone who may be Mr. Right, will she be able to let Mr. Wrong go once and for all? Or will she let guilt keep her stuck in a rut "'Til death do us part?"

Find out by purchasing the novel at www.victoriaconnelly.com.