Sometimes you get handed the right thing at just the right time in life--Jordan Lee Dooley’s debut book Own Your Everyday is one of those things for me. I’ve been in a time of major transition after graduating college and trying to figure out my place in the world. I’ve listened to Jordan’s podcast, The SHE Podcast, since it launched and followed her for several years. Her words of encouragement have helped me along this journey already, but I didn’t expect the impact this book would have. When I first joined the launch team for this book, I expected to read and promote a good book (of course)--not a book that spoke exactly to where I am right now and who I am right now. But that’s what I ended up doing.
Own Your Everyday is filled with personal anecdotes that can seem disjointed at first, but as you continue reading, Jordan connects each story to her points so artfully that you can’t help but admire the way she looks at her past experiences. Instead of seeing obstacles in her life as setbacks, she is able to acknowledge them for the growing points they were. Touching on topics such as outside pressure, un-met expectations, and discouragement, her words are applicable to almost any season of life the reader could be experiencing.
Although I resonated with many of the stories she told, her experience with her Nana really hit home for me. I was surprised, in fact, that her story could be so incredibly similar to my own. Without revealing too much of her own story, we both experienced losing our Nanas our first year of college (and it seems to have shaped us both in similar ways.) As I read about her thoughts on this specific experience, especially her teenage reluctance to be the caretaker (it’s true, it’s hard to see someone who is supposed to take care of you become the one who needs care), I went through all those feelings all over again. As she reminisced on the lessons her Nana taught her, I reminisced on mine. This may not have been something Jordan intended when writing this specific story, but oh how it did impact me.
The style of this book is very conversational. It’s been described by many as “feeling like a coffee shop girl talk,” and I would agree with that. From advice about purpose and planning to thoughts on freedom, envy, and vulnerability, this book has a little bit of it all. If you have anyone--a mom, sister, daughter, friend, anyone--who needs encouragement (or just a little push) at this point in life, I would recommend Own Your Everyday. I feel blessed to have read it and learned from it, and plan to come back to it throughout my life. Gift it to a graduate during this time of transition or a friend who needs it. You won’t regret it.
This review has been cross-posted to my main blog, Gwenith J.
