I have always loved Rachel’s powerful writing and Live Love Now channels her compelling voice into encouraging everyone who reads it.
Wanting to lend concrete support, and get the important soul-building message of her book out to as many as possible, I pre-ordered her book a few months ago, and got an invite to be part of her launch party! The book officially launched on 28 April, and I was chuffed to receive my hardcopy from Books Depository about a week ago.
Rachel reminds us that curating an inauthentic self is damaging and stressful, especially to young people who are trying to establish their identity and find their purpose.
Teens (and we ourselves, many times) feel it’s necessary to project an enhanced or filtered version of themselves to the world in hopes of social acceptance, even if that image doesn’t truly align with their values, interests, or strengths.
Curating an inauthentic self is damaging and stressful for anyone, especially to young people who are trying to establish their core identity and find their purpose.
– Live Love Now by Rachel Macy Stafford
The book encourages adults in the lives of young people (you could be a sunday school teacher, an aunt, a grandmother) to speak light into their lives, instead of dimming their light. As the book advocates, I have practiced saying “You are a delight. You are a delight to me. You are a delightful child.” to my children. They are indeed powerful words.
It was interesting for me to read about how children in the U.S. are not immune to severe academic pressure, on top of the age-old American high school need to be athletic and popular. So I found the book’s advice so relevant to us in Singapore, who are often chasing the mirage of academic success.
We desperately need the reminders mentioned in the book, to step aside from blocking the light from our children such that their inner light rapidly dims. Rather, we should lead them to finding a refuge (and the True Refuge of their Soul) rather than stand in their way.
Helping them find physical places of refuge in the home and being their place of refuge can help them in untold ways as they build an inner armour against the false messages that the world will constantly throw at them. Indeed, I want my children to be strong in the things they believe in, yet kind and compassionate to all.
Rachel’s book also reminds us that caring for our own soul, being here now, as well as loving life itself, is so important. Rachel herself is no stranger to depression, and she has taken the courageous step of talking about how far stress and depression had pushed her in recent years, just so that more people can be helped. We need to fight against stigma, advocate more open conversations, and have an understanding attitude towards the importance of caring for one’s mental health, and not hesitating to seek medical and professional help from the get-go.
Most importantly, even as the volatile world rages around us in the throes of Covid-19, we must remember to find an anchor for ourselves. Rachel is a believer of Christ and her life is built on solid rock. So whilst the book is not overtly Christian, her genuine faith in God shines through as she gives testimony to the many occurrences of divine intervention in her life, and shares many instances of prayer.
A wonderful book to read, ponder over, and most importantly, live out.
9/10 ⭐️
p.s. With the launch of this book, Rachel has also made 4 downloadable tools available, so that we are reminded to truly connect. More details in the image below.
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