Book Review: A Promised Land by Barack Obama

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Book: A Promised Land

Author: President Barack Obama

Format: Audiobook

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟(5 Stars)

I enjoyed reading A Promised Land, but I think it was a bit too detailed. As a scholar in public policy, President Obama describes and explains the reasoning behind his policies during his administration. At times, there is a unique balance between boring facts about very important decisions and the "tea" about his relationship with Michelle and how he dealt with members of Congress and other politicians.

I listened to the audiobook version of A Promised Land, so I was entertained when President Obama mimicked how some of the individuals spoke. I was very tickled when he changes his voice to sound like Mitch M. Some of the things that he shared were mentioned in Michelle's book, but I liked how transparent he is in this text. 

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President Obama uses profanity. Can I use this fact as a justification for my usage?! Just asking. 😼 

Also, President Obama's confirmation that his relationship with Michelle is as normal as it can be, especially with her saying that he could "sleep on the couch since the White House had so many." The emotion and humor that he uses as he reads the text continuously engages the reader.

I am excited about reading the second volume. What tea will he share in the second volume? I am here for it.

I wonder who would like to purchase the Deluxe Signed Addition. It's only about $775. 😁 

Guest Post: The Irrational Fear Cure - The Imperative to Protect Children from Survival Mode Syndrome by Teri Smith - Pickens

The Irrational Fear Cure

The Imperative to Protect Children from Survival Mode Syndrome

By Teri Smith-Pickens

The most significant take away from my book The Irrational Fear Cure is the imperative to protect future generations of children from living permanently in the fear-based system of Survival Mode.

Besides Survival Mode Syndrome’s symptoms of chronic anxiety, mood instability, poor self-esteem, memory deficits, poor sleep habits, issues with trust and faith, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, etc., these children will not only learn habits to keep chronic anxiety at bay but living in this Mode will wreak the most havoc on their health. Over time, they will develop the highest number of cases of allergies, cancer or autoimmune illnesses, due to the stress created by the brain and the body always needing to respond to a sense of “danger” that is irrational. This wreaks havoc on the body’s immune system, is a deadly enemy to achieving success, and causes Spiritual paralysis.

Today most adults use the term “Survival Mode” loosely, concluding that something is wrong with their thinking and their behavior, especially, the part that is fear-based. However, the process of entry into Survival Mode starts soon after birth with the young child’s under-developed brain where they do not have the capacity to understand the context of most of the things that happen to them. Things like corporal punishment, being exposed to media and other adult-rated issues, sex abuse, the threats of siblings, parents yelling or being impatient when stressed when the child misbehaves, etc. 

During this early period of childhood, many of children’s day-to-day experiences are interpreted by their “primitive” brain as potentially dangerous – even ones that are not! This is why they need adult intervention to PREVENT their primitive brain from becoming frozen in a “protective posture” even when there is NO imminent threat or danger. 

The term “irrational” describes feeling fear and experiencing the physical and psychological responses to it but there is no imminent threat, no real danger. This can result in the child entering and staying permanently in Survival Mode, having all the symptoms of Survival Mode Syndrome.

Why the children? Take a look at the increased incidences of school-aged children having ADHD, ADD, chronic anxiety, behavior issues, and being prescribed medication. About 80 percent of children who need medication for ADHD still need it as teenagers.

Estimates on the number of children diagnosed with ADHD in the U.S. have changed over the years. Per a 2014 CDC study:

In 2003, 7.8 percent of children were ever diagnosed with ADHD

In 2007: 9.5 percent

In 2011: 11 percent

Related conditions:

• Nearly two-thirds of children with ADHD have at least one other condition.

• 51.5 percent of children with ADHD have behavioral or conduct problems

• 32.7 percent have anxiety problems

The Irrational Fear Cure

PRAISE:

“The Fear Cure helps readers face their irrational fears, including pandemics or other natural disasters, live in the present, let God worry about tomorrow, live each day as if it is the last, and make prayers and meditation their daily routine. The spiritual undertones in the book help readers understand the power of faith and how fear ceases to exist where there is faith.” - Mamta Madhavan, Readers’ Favorite

“The author offered true insight and deep exploration of a range of timely and urgent issues. The narrative was deeply and thoughtfully researched, and I appreciated the author’s genuine, authentic tone throughout the manuscript. The narrative held my interest throughout, and I liked the real-life examples the author used to illustrate different problems and principles discussed in the chapters. The writing is clear and engaging, and there is good depth to the subject matter, appropriate for a book in this genre.” - Courtney Watson, Editor, Gatekeeper Press

“I can honestly say my life has changed after reading The Fear Cure. It’s like being born again; it is releasing the child that is inside you without sin, without fear. You are able to love, forgive, understand and to surrender because the innocence is there. The grass is greener, the lights brighter, the sun is shining, the trees are taller, and the air is crisp. I have found my serenity. God, what a beautiful feeling.” - Alberto Colon, HCCC, Kearny, NJ

About the Book

Purchase the Irrational Fear Cure!

A needed prescription for our irrational fears

The Irrational Fear Cure is a radical yet visionary book that serves as a blueprint for achieving personal and societal well-being. It is a timely resource for a world living in the age of a global pandemic.

Author Teri Smith-Pickens, a mental health practitioner, interviewed more than 200 people to help them to better understand where their fears and anxieties come from. She shares these stories throughout the book, highlighting how many people are living in survival mode stemming from trauma in childhood, and as adults, who now use obsessive compulsive behaviors to fill voids they feel on the inside.

She outlines what happens to a mind already filled with irrational fears and chronic anxiety when it encounters the rational fear of a pandemic. By unmasking the truth behind these addictions, she gives a deeper understanding of the fears we all face and how to cure them.

About the Author

Teri Smith-Pickens is an award-winning and best-selling author and speaker, in addition to her work as a mental health practitioner and coach. She has inspired and transformed many lives through her coaching, speaking, and media appearances. In 2007, Teri had a supernatural revelation that changed the course of her life, giving her unerring courage to confront important, controversial mental health issues in children’s lives and the society at large, giving birth to her book, The Fear Cure in Four Miraculous Steps.

Author’s Website: www.thefearcure.com 

Author’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/teri-pickens-b9387a13/

Author’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/fushia18/ 

Author’s Twitter: www.twitter.com/TeriPickens 

Author’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/centerforeducationandhealing/

Author’s Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/teri_pickens/

Author’s YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCp1eKtZdi37ZfFDjZsK9drQ

BOOKING INFO: Nicole Ballengee, nicole@prbythebook.com