Rating: 
Summary: I NOW HAVE A LIFE!
Review: I heard about Cherly Richardson when she was first introduced on the Oprah show back in May (Oprah's new segment on Lifestyle Makeovers.) I cried. They were literally describing my life. I didn't have a life for me. I was living for everyone else in life: friends, family, co-workers, volunteer activities - you name it, I did it. I purchased both the book and the tapes. I highly recommend both. I go back and listen to the tapes over and over again. I have highlighted the book and used it as a resource guide. I'm learning to take care of me first. How did I ever allow giving of myself to take over my life? Today I have permission to say no with grace and love. I check everything against my absolute yes list to make sure I'm doing things to honor myself. In my journal I've written a list of qualities that I'm looking for in a mentor. I want to welcome a mentoring relationship into my life. My husband and I held a charity garage sale - cleaned out our house and donated the money from our garage sale to a local charity. Together we are knocking out those energy draining people, places, and things from our lives. I've been so impressed with my life make-over changes that I've purchased extra copies to give to my closest friends. And lately, two friends and I have started a coaching group at work using Cheryl's book as our guide. What other praises can I sing.... Cheryl, Oprah, I sincerely and deeply thank you.
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Summary: Wow, what a shift I have had in my life!
Review: Thanks Miss Richardson for this great book! I am a 34 year old hotel owner, living in the north of Germany. I was really burned out, began to hate my job and even my own hotel which I love very much because its an old farmhouse. I had lost my joy for life and had no time to be together with my friends. I felt a lot of pressure on myself and myfamily and I became ill. Reading this book has helped facilitate a big shift in a positive direction for my life. Everything has changed for the better! I now find myself back in my life with joy, happiness, creativity, good finances and relating to others around me better. In her book, Ms. Richardson writes of how important it is to have yourself become the number one priority in your life. This has made a big difference in how I had thought about myself previously, I began to create a sense of self caring for myself and others around me, including my hotel staff. I began to delegate work more to my staff, which created a less stressful work environment for all of us. I had great fun reading this book, and found much truth in Ms. Richardson's writing. Her book has become a "coach" for my life that I can turn to for inspiration at anytime. Another book that has facilitated a shift in my life in becoming great, productive and full of joy is called "Working On Yourself Doesn't Work" by Ariel and Shya Kane. This is a wonderful book! By becoming aware of old mechanical behaviors in a nonjudgmental way, those behaviors that did not work for me once have disappeared. I heartily recommend this book as well as any of the Kanes' audio tapes including "The Roots Of Satisfaction" to anyone interested in discovering the wonders of their own lives as I have.
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Summary: Don't listen to that reader from San Francisco!
Review: It's a shame that the reader from San Francisco may lead some potential readers astray. Obviously that person is not at a level of emotional maturity to appreciate Take Time for Your Life. Ms. Richardson does an outstanding job of taking the reader by the hand and leading him or her on a journey to a less stressful, more fulfilling life. But, you have to be ready to take the journey. If after reading this book, you feel it is all mushy, obvious advice, then you're right. You don't need to be reading it, because you must be living the perfect life already. But, if that was the case, why would you be perusing the self-improvement section of the bookstore anyway? Or choosing to leaf through a self-improvement book on the best sellers display? Absolutely this book is a best seller. It says a lot about the state of our world. If you are looking to find a spiritually fulfilling life, this book is for you. Simple steps, simple solutions. Happy reading!
Rating: 
Summary: A good place to start
Review: This book is very practical. She's not trying to be your therapist. If you can committ to the ideas here then it will change your perspective. It's a good start but if you're looking for lasting change you will need to explore her ideas deeper on your own. Keeping a journal with your authentic experiences is essential. Don't just go through the motions.
Rating: 
Summary: Give me a break!
Review: OK, here's the deal on this book. I'll finish it up since Ipaid for it, but let's just say I'm glad I got it on sale. There are SOME good ideas, but on the whole I thought it was pretty shallow. I should have known what I was in for when I saw all the lists and fill-in-the-blanks forms while flipping through this at the book store. But, I thought "hey, maybe I'll get some good insights, it's a best seller after all." This book actually says you should tell yourself on a regular basis: "I deeply, profoundly accept myself." Oh, barf me out! Stuff like that reminds me of those Stuart Smalley routines with Al Franken on Saturday Night Live. And it's like the Oprah magazine in terms of arts and crafts spiritual projects: you're gonna have to make a trip to Office Max or somewhere like that and pick up felt tip pens, index cards, at least one journal, a wipe-off board to hang in your house to write gratitude statements whenever you walk by. Then she suggests having friends over for a party to make little life "roadmaps" -- collages of pictures from magazines and catalogs that illustrate your life goals, all glued to foam-backed poster-board. I don't know why it has to be foam-backed. Then, write validating words in big letters (important!) on pieces of paper and keep them near you at all times. Good grief, I can't believe this is a best-seller. Oh! and talk about not understanding the middle-class budget, you need to have a monthly massage at least, hire a financial planner, hire a personal cook, get someone in to do the house-cleaning -- this is all a part of practicing "extreme self care." And here's a hot financial tip: it's a good idea to get in the habit of balancing your checkbook. (Several pages are devoted to this....) This is what the book is like, now you know!
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Summary: Take Time for Your Life
Review: Very helpful. This is on my list of favorite feel-good books, second to "Encounter with a Prophet"
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Summary: A wealth of useful information on making your life better
Review: Citing the need for people to learn how to manage themselves, get their priorities straight, and focus their attention on what really matters in their lives, Richardson takes her readers by the hand with her easy-to-understand ideas and advice. The real-life situations presented through the book allows the reader to become acquainted with how others have tried Richardson's program and have been successful. I found this trade-size paperback volume to be packed with a wealth of useful exercises, journaling tips, and checklists as well as an incredibly complete list of resources at the end of each chapter. While this latest self-help book might not be for everyone, it is interesting to read up on what millions of others will be turning to for advice.
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Summary: Full of Good Ideas and Problem Solving Techniques.
Review: Cheryl Richardson's "Take Time For Your Life" is a 7-step coaching book about living a more productive and fulfilling life. And, who wouldn't want that?? The entire basis that most people are enormously busy, stressed and cut off from "real life" is right on, and it doesn't make you feel like you're on your own. She recognizes that people have lives, busy lives but the focus of calming down, taking time, realizing what's really important and making a real plan for yourself can really help you be a happier and more fulfilled person. I'm not one for "mushy" feel-good books, but I certainly could see the merits in this book. She has practical ideas, steps and ideas for making your life a bit better. Listen, these kinds of books aren't going to "CHANGE" the world, but they might make you less anxious, worried and stressed. And, I certainly think that's a positive thing. Try it...it might help.
Rating:
Summary: Half-Way into Heaven, Half-Way into Hell
Review: I bought Cheryl's tapes and listened to them. For anybody who buys this book, I would highly recommend this approach. Buy the book AND the tapes. Ms. Richardson is a real and sincere lady. You will feel this as you work the program. But it misses the point. Which is "Self-Change". This entire 7-step program is laid upon the first step or foundation and builds from there. This is the first step of "Extreme Self-Care". Cheryl almost calls it selfishness, but she qualifies it strongly. Her view is that you simply CAN'T help others unless you help yourself first. I called a counselor at my church, Self-Realization Fellowship (Yogananda). He stated that this was true. That when you give to yourself, you are giving to others. So I went ahead. All clear. I usually, well, almost always give too much of myself. About 10% to myself and 90% to others. A Tibetan lama, Tarthang Tulku, recommends giving 75% to yourself at first and then decreasing. The renowned psychologist, Albert Ellis, recommends 60/40. 60% to yourself always. Well, Cheryl, as my "personal coach", asked me in the book to read the entire program. That is, the whole book. I did so but it was like being in a plane crash. I increased my self-consideration to 20%. That felt s-o-o-o-o good. 30% felt even better. 50% was great and I highly recommend it. But this cutting off of relationships is simply not healthy. You see, I am very intolerant. So I cut off just about all my friends for being "toxic" and draining. This is a very bad area you can get into! I began to say "no" to too many people including my family. I even cut off my partner in the program! I felt stiff and isolated. I was at 80% now and going into a tailspin! Wouldn't it have been better to have dealt with my intolerance than labeling all my relationships "draining"? I have to recommend buying this book, though. I did not return Cheryl's book or her 4 tapes. Why? I'm at about 30% of "extreme self-care" right now. A bit low. I want to push it up to about 50%. But for those of you who may have problems with this program, please watch out for those "higher altitudes". You may come crashing down. Good luck.
Rating:
Summary: Much better than the usual "get yourself together" guides!
Review: Believe me, I've read lots of books that try to help you get your act together and that urge you to take time for yourself. I pick bits and pieces from them and try to use them. However, this book is really good--the organization of the book and the tone of the book are encouraging. I like the idea of a coach, too. I think that the author should write a book for teen-agers and young women in the same vein. We should not have to wait until we are middle-aged or beyond to realize that we need to organize our lives well and to take time for ourselves. I personally found this book helpful to me! Good job, Ms. Richardson!
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