Confessions of an Unbalanced Woman,
by Emily Watts
I can feel it in the vibrations of the floor. I can see it in the rhythmic dancing of my monitor. Bam! Bam! Bam! It’s the spin cycle, and once again, my washing machine is unbalanced.
So it is that I can relate to Emily Watts, a self-proclaimed “fourteen-towel woman in a ten-towel-capacity life” (p. 6). Like her, I, too “have lots to do, and all of it is good and worthwhile and important, but I simply can’t do it all at once” (p. 6).
In this short, sweet, and to the point book from Deseret Book’s “Time Out Classics” series, Sister Watts shares a better view of balance and how to get there by listening to the Lord, accepting His love, and living it.
This is the perfect book for the sister who feels a little outpaced by life—the sister who is so overloaded that, as much as she would love to, she just doesn’t have time, space, or headspace to take in a full-length inspirational or ‘self-help’ book. For all its insight, delight, and good advice, it’s a quick read, giving it a stellar benefit-to-investment ratio.
It’s a potent, fun little volume full of lighthearted, yet poignant insights such as:
”Burnt toast is actually fairly symbolic of motherhood, as far as I’m concerned. If you’re the one who burned the toast, you scrape it off and eat it yourself so the kids won’t have to. If they burned it, you eat it because they burned it specially for you. However you look at it, you’re going to end up consuming a fair amount of burnt toast—and loving it” (p. 28).
Her insights are not only heartwarming, they are also helpful. Reminiscent of Sister Pearce’s experiment, which we are exploring here, she says:
“The great thing about seeing the world and each other this way [emphasizing the positive aspects] is that it doesn’t take any more time. It doesn’t take an ounce more energy. You don’t have to engage more personal resources. You just have to focus in a different way” (p. 31).
So much of our experience of this life is dictated by our own focus and perspective. Sister Watts shares an ill-named, but profoundly effective tool for aligning that—“reverse your buts” (p. 33). I’ll leave you to the book for the details on that. She also most ardently shares the message that
“he knows, and he loves you anyway. Whatever it is in your life that is separating you from Jesus Christ, he knows about it. He longs for you to come to him now, so he can lend you his strength to overcome your weaknesses” (p. 36).
You know those little, round rings on boats that they throw to someone who has fallen overboard—a life preserver? This book makes a good one of those, even if you only have to throw it to yourself.
Confessions of an Unbalanced Woman, by Emily Watts. Published by Deseret Book.
Cover image © Deseret Book. Used with permission.
July 10th, 2006 09:25
I hate to say this, but I’m wondering who plagarized who, this woman or Teri Hatcher. Teri Hatcher just had a book published that’s called Burnt Toast, which has this sentence: “Up til now, I ate the burnt toast. I learned that from my mother–metaphorically if not literally.” Copyright says 2006. It’s a wonderful book which I am reading slowly and savoring.
I will get this book that you recommend and read it, plagarism concerns aside, it looks to be very wise.
July 10th, 2006 11:30
annegb,
Y’know, I loved it (as if you couldn’t tell), and from what I’ve read of you, I’m willing to bet you will, too. It takes one to know one, and all…
July 10th, 2006 11:57
I read this book last week while at a doctor’s appointment. I laughed out loud, and then had to work very hard to keep the tears from spilling. For me, it was a book with a message that the Lord has been trying to give me repeatedly — a message of His love, and also of the power of perspective. I wholeheartedly second the recommendation!
July 10th, 2006 17:13
In reading this post and the comments, I was immediately reminded of a favorite quote of mine from Abraham Lincoln: “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Changing our focus and our perspective surely can help us change our attitudes.
July 11th, 2006 07:33
You know how some women spend a lot of money on clothes and makeup (not that there’s anything wrong with that)? I spend a fortune on books. I cannot resist a book.
Bill always gives me book certificates as gifts and I am always ordering on Amazon.com.
I guess it’s better than the drugs I used to buy on the street. JUST KIDDING.
July 11th, 2006 12:27
LOL! annegb, thanks for your humor as well as your wisdom.
I’m a booklover, too. But I have traditionally stayed away from LDS self-help books, feeling that they were unnecessary–that we could get all we needed from the Scriptures. It didn’t help that our family lived so much abroad, where I couldn’t have easy access to LDS books; but even when I was in the States, I didn’t buy them.
It has actually been the book review feature here on Roxcy: A Prayer of Faith, that has changed my mind. After reading a few intriguing reviews, I have already bought and read several of the featured selections, and I realize that I have been missing out on some great reading. Even when I feel I have come to similar conclusions through my Scripture reading over the years, I love the new examples and additional insights that the authors have included.
July 11th, 2006 23:37
Your review sparked some interest for me in a book I may not have otherwise considered. Your fun ending, comparing the book to a life preserver, was a winsome touch.
I rarely ever buy a new book, and therefore have more books to read and to share by going to the different used sites online, including half dot com and ebay. I bring this up since Amazon was mentioned, which tells me at least some readers here shop online without too much trepidation.
When I found this helpful place
http://isbn.nu/
it gave one huge boost to my book bargain hunting. You can thank me later.
I’ve been reading this whole site off and on today, and plan to visit regularly, even if I’m not often vocal. Thanks for your work here.
July 12th, 2006 08:04
Much of our happiness (or sadness) can be determined by how we percieve our effectiveness. It sounds like this book will be a good reminder of how important it is not to beat ourselves up over little things.
just on the side… my toaster started to bumb out on me until one morning after fifteen minutes I could not produce a single peace of semi brown toast (let alone burnt). Since I got my new toaster and my daghters is learning how to make her own breakfast, I admitadly have eaten my fair share on burnt toast.
July 12th, 2006 14:33
Michelle,
It *is* such a quick read, but it is so helpful. That’s so cool that you got a copy as a gift right when I reviewed it! I love ‘coincidences’ like that!
RoAnn,
Perspective is key; you’re exactly right. It’s funny, though, but our perspective is so embedded; it just is the way we see. Sometimes, people go for years, most of their life, without realizing that perspective is actually plastic (changeable). Our internal windows on the world can be shaped and changed at will. It’s yet another matter of our agency–we choose how we see the world. So fundamental, but so profound. It’s something I am still working on wrapping my head around and implementing.
I am so glad that the reviews on here have touched you. I cannot take too much credit for them; they really were a feature that I felt impressed to add. It just nagged at the edges of my mind, and has felt so right since we got it going. I’ve felt the Lord’s hand in it; that’s for sure. I have never been one much for these types of books in the past, but I felt very much, as part of that same inspiration, that these were the types of titles that we were to focus on.
Dovetailing those two paragraphs, I think much of the merit of these kinds of inspirational titles comes from the fact that we do all have our own unique perspectives on the world. We are all given the same scriptures, and yet we all can read them our own way. Seeing how other writers have implemented what they have learned can flavor my own interpretation, in terms of validation of my own conclusions, or even bringing to life an idea that never would have occured to me reading my scriptures on my own. It’s certainly been a mind-broadening experience!
annegb,
Books, drugs–what’s the difference?! Hahahaha! I’m right there with you, sister.
Silver,
Thanks for the tip; I’ll have to check that site out. I’m so glad you’re enjoying Roxcy. Feel free to chime in or just read, however the Spirit strikes you. Thanks for the kind words about my writing. “Winsome” is downright one of my favorite adjectives; I’m just thrilled you saw fit to use it about something I did! Thanks!
jen,
Can you get ahold of a copy out there in Albania? Should we send you one?
Burnt toast…that’s awesome. Seven years into motherhood, and I’ve yet to be served burnt toast. My day will come I’m sure, and as finnicky an eater as I am, I now know that I’ll have a whole new level of appreciation when the moment arrives!
July 12th, 2006 16:39
Dovetailing those two paragraphs, I think much of the merit of these kinds of inspirational titles comes from the fact that we do all have our own unique perspectives on the world. We are all given the same scriptures, and yet we all can read them our own way. Seeing how other writers have implemented what they have learned can flavor my own interpretation, in terms of validation of my own conclusions, or even bringing to life an idea that never would have occured to me reading my scriptures on my own.
In a way, I think it’s not much different than us sharing our thoughts and feelings and ponderings and questions and answers in the online world. I gain so much from other people’s points of view.
Seven years into motherhood, and I’ve yet to be served burnt toast.
I’m in the same boat, although my son did prepare himself a cheese sandwich in our toaster oven recently — putting it on a PLASTIC lid as a plate IN THE TOASTER. So you could say I was almost served burned plastic.