Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living [Hardcover]

I begged Shauna for this manuscript a year ago while it was half-baked. When I finally received it, I read it from cover to cover in one sitting, then sat down at my laptop and wrote four emails bowing out of engagements that no longer fit my life, made two hard phone calls, and gave an end date to two other commitments. Present Over Perfect loaned me the courage, integrity, and permission I'd been waiting for. I will go to the grave thankful for this message. It has changed my life.I cried tears of relief while inhaling Present Over Perfect. I cried because I'd completely forgotten that I don't have to earn worthiness, hustle for love, or fight to belong. Shauna's words--equal parts elegant and urgent--invited me to remember that my worthiness, belonging, and beloved-ness are birthrights. I can't think of a more important, more desperately needed invitation.I have already read this book seven times. It's about pursuing the present over the perfect--but it is nonetheless a nearly perfect thing, a nearly perfect book. Shauna speaks exactly to my condition.I've watched Shauna walk this journey away from proving and pushing toward connection and grace, and as a friend, I'm proud of her. As a reader, I'm thankful to have these pages as an inspiration and guide. For all of us who yearn for meaningful, connected lives but find ourselves sometimes settling for busy, her words are the push we've been waiting for.Most of the teachers I've had didn't think they were teaching me anything; they just thought we were friends. Shauna is that kind of friend, and this is that kind of book. As you turn these pages, you'll be reminded about what you have loved, where you've found your joy, and perhaps what you've misplaced along the way. Most of all, you'll be guided into an honest conversation about your faith and where you want to go with it.Returning to the theme of decluttering everyday life and concentrating on what is truly important, Niequist (Savor) weaves together a series oflcÎ