Reading this parenting book made me think of Artist's Way - it's a workbook to help you make creativity part of your daily life, and to help you realize your creative dreams one tiny step at a time. Sounds trite, but it was a life-changing book for me. Mostly because there were some really simple concepts about being nice to yourself and taking care of yourself that were absolutely new to me.
I was raised to be self-sufficient, but not to think that nurturing yourself is a necessary component to thriving. Before Artist's Way, I waited to do something right to be nice to myself, now I am nice to myself so I have the fuel I need to do things right. And correspondingly, the definition of "what's right" gets turned on its head. It becomes internal (what do I believe needs to happen) rather than external (what am I supposed to be doing? Am I doing it right?!). Now I spend a lot of the energy I used to spend worrying about measuring up doing things. Good things. Things that make me happy and content.
Finding little ways to fill my tank has been, like I said, life altering, and probably the basis for my interest in all of these parenting books that are centered around nurture rather than discipline. I want my child(ren) to know that leisure and pleasure shouldn't have to be earned, and that creativity is spiritual and necessary.
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