I’m not one to read so-called “self help” books, but every now and then a book comes along that piques my interest. Take for example the book I just finished reading called Take 2: Your Guide to Creating Happy Endings and New Beginnings. It’s written by Leeza Gibbons. Most people know Leeza from the television show Entertainment Tonight. Leeza also had a talk show called Leeza and is currently working on a syndicated TV/Magazine show called America Now as well as the weekly news show My Generation which airs on PBS.

I’m nearing the “autumn” season of my life (sigh…). I’ll be 45 in a couple of months. It’s not that I don’t like my life. I do. I mean, I love my family. I have a wonderful husband, two great kids, loving pets, a roof over my head and food in my tummy. I also enjoy the fact that I am able to be a stay-at-home mom all these years.

BUT…

I don’t think I’m necessarily living the life I was meant to live. Growing up, and even as a young adult, I envisioned my life to be a lot different. I’d still have my great husband, wonderful children and loving pets, but I pictured other aspects of my life to be different. I never pictured myself living in a condo for 17+ years. I had visions of the beautiful house with the white picket fence. I also pictured taking my family on trips to Disney and the West Coast, not day trips to the local park. I also pictured myself with a fabulous career and a very active social life. What career? What social life? Unless you consider lengthy one-side conversations with my dog or cats a social life, I don’t have one!

Sometimes I feel it’s too late to start my life over (with the exception of my family and friends of course!). After all, I’m in my mid-40′s. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. This is why this book stood out to me. This is why I wanted to read it.

Photo Source: Leeza Gibbon’s Facebook Page

Here is the official synopsis of Leeza’s new book, Take 2.

If life is an epic saga, who is writing your narrative? Is the plot unfolding as you imagined? Whether you find yourself trudging along in boredom or caught up in a chaotic whirlwind of overcommitment, you can still take creative control and declare that it’s Your Life, Your Rules. This is a book about rebooting your story at any point. It’s about starting over; taking inventory; and getting smarter, stronger, and sexier with no apologies, no regrets, and no turning back.

As Leeza Gibbons explains, “I took control of my journey while in the glare of the spotlight. Now, I’m sharing the life lessons from my ‘grits to glitz’ path as a wife and mother, caregiver, businesswoman, TV entertainment host, product mogul, kisser of boo-boos, and encourager of dreams. Of course, I have many more roles, just as you do, but I want to approach them all in the same way: fearlessly and without limits. I’ll hold up the mirror so that you can see who you really are; knowing that it’s the plot twists and turns in your story that makes it powerful.

This is your life, and you’re about to set out on the path to rewriting your story by reclaiming your power.

Take 2 is for anyone who wants to jump-start their life, to head in a new direction or simply start over. If you feel stuck or if you’ve just lost your way, Take 2 shares tips and techniques to help you get back on track while reminding you that this is YOUR life and it should be lived by YOUR rules! You can do it with no regrets, no excuses and no looking back… let Leeza Gibbons show you the way!

An interesting thing about this book is that it’s endorsed by A LOT of well known people in Hollywood. It makes you wonder if they are legitimate reviews and not just friends saying kind words about another friend’s book, or if their reviews are for real. After reading the book myself I tend to think that the celebrity endorsements are legitimate.

“On your journey from transition to transformation, you’ll want to bring Take 2 with you.”

- Maria Shriver

“Nothing changes unless something changes and as WE ALL KNOW, change is inevitable no matter how much we cling to the sameness of our lives. Leeza, once again, is a guide, light on her helmet, map in hand, ahead of us as we navigate this thing called LIFE. I, for one, am so glad she is there and that she has written this helpful, healing guide book.”

- Jamie Lee Curtis

“I know Leeza is a master of starting over because I’ve seen her do it! In this book, she takes her real life experiences in career, life and love and shares her wisdom as a girlfriend who really cares.”

- Olivia Newton-John

“Sometimes my life feels overwhelming because I take on too much. Read this book and help yourself prioritize without guilt!”

- Kristin Chenoweth

“Since we both work in the entertainment industry, we know how hard it is to stay at the top of your game, but Leeza has managed it for decades. Now we get to see her personal strategy. If you want to restart your life for any reason, let Leeza and her book Take 2 be your guide.”

– Giuliana Rancic

“Leeza is a great positive thinker and manages to make that quality contagious.”

- Betty White

“I’ve known Leeza forever, but not until I read this book did I understand how she did it!! Warm, insightful, inspiring and real, she will make you want to step up to the starting line in your life!”

- Florence Henderson

“If there is a Queen of Reinvention, Leeza takes the crown. This book should be required reading for anyone who is on a path of change.”

- Maria Menounous

“Leeza Gibbons inspired me career-wise, and now she is inspiring me in a whole other way with her book, Take 2! I’ve known Leeza for a long time and her words are ones you’ll want to keep nearby. Her positivity shines through with something helpful to read and re-read on every page!”

- Nancy O’Dell

“In a world where wisdom is severely lacking, along comes Leeza- wise, smart and “in touch”. I couldn’t put this well-written, witty, insightful book down. Another triumph for my very talented friend. “

- Suzanne Somers

These are some pretty impressive comments from well known actresses and others in the Entertainment world. Now you can see why I was interested in reading this book. I’m not one for “self-help” type books, but this book sounded like something I needed to read. I don’t even like labeling it “self-help” because it’s not really. It’s more like a “guide”.

The one thing that seems to be the major theme throughout the book is the one thing I have a hard time with and that is putting myself first and loving myself. I have ZERO self-esteem and confidence to begin with. The idea of putting myself first and doing things for me just seems like a foreign concept. But according to Leeza in order to take charge of your life and live your life the way you want you need to put yourself first. That is hard for me because my entire life I have always put others and their well being and happiness before mine. It’s going to be hard to undo a way of life that I have been leading for 45 years.

Take 2 is also full of quotes. I personally love quotes. I keep a lot of them on my computer. I even print some of them out and put them up around my desk. Take 2 is chuck full of inspirational and motivational quotes.

Normally I don’t care to read about other people’s lives unless it’s a biography that I am interested in. In Take 2 Leeza talks about her life – the ups and downs – and the ways she made positive changes in her life to make it the life she wants to lead. I can understand and appreciate why should wrote about her own life. I think it makes the lessons she is trying to teach seem more obtainable because she shows how she did it with her own life being the example.

I haven’t implemented much of what I read in the book… yet. Right now my mind is cluttered with thoughts about income taxes and trying to sell our condo. I think I need a less stressful time to re-evaluate my life and see what direction I want to go in and how to get there.

Take 2: Your Guide to Creating Happy Endings and New Beginnings, by Leeza Gibbons, is an interesting book to read. It’s full of inspiration to help guide you towards living the life you want to be leading. I would recommend this book to any women looking to make positive changes in her life.

Look for Take 2 where ever books are sold. You can also check out Leeze’s website for more information, www.LeezaGibbons.com. You can also follow Leeza on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: Leeza Gibbon’s Facebook Page

Kimberly

*I received a free sample copy in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own unless otherwise noted and were not influenced in any way.

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