Creating Calm in the Center of Crazy

Because who doesn't want to read a book with that title? Awesome and so accurate right?

I have to say that I was really looking forward to reading this book. It wasn't a hard read but any stretch and yet somehow it is proving hard for me to get totally into it. Maybe because I feel that a lot of it I already know or have heard before? I don't know. I do know that where I am at right now, I could use hearing some of it again.

The first chapter is very slow for me. I don't know why it is, but it is. Everything she says every mum can relate to, so why was I having a hard time sitting and reading it?

With the title, it feels more like it should be giving YOU steps on how to do this but it feels more like this is about her journey. Which is fine, but leads to objective misinterpretation of the title and intention of the book.

I have to be honest, that based on the title, I would totally open in a book store, but it would make it back on the shelf quickly because of the above mentioned.

As I read on though, it becomes an easier, more relational read that I can gather a lot from even if it is relating to it on a personal level. It takes some courage to admit some of the hard things that one goes through in their life.

The other thought in reading this is if she had her mother's permission or knowledge that she was writing about her walking into a room and closing the door for space? Because it brings to light something very powerful and real. Mother's do retreat and then again, how much does it affect the kids?

Personally, I really want to like this book more than I do. It reads easy like a coffee in hand kind of book but I felt it was missing something in the way of guidance of how to create the calm. I think this was more a narrative into her experiences, which is totally fine, but not what I expected from the book at all and wanted to shake it but couldn't.

I give this book ☀☀☀ out of 5.

Book Description

Are you working harder than ever but feel like you’re accomplishing less?

Does your morning routine make chickens running around headless look sane?

Is your deepest sense of calm found in the bathroom with the door locked?

Do you check social media more than five times per day? Per hour?

Author, speaker, and actor Nicole Johnson knows what it’s like to feel as if you’re drowning in crazy. When she couldn’t catch her breath or stay awake long enough to talk with her husband, let alone God, she sought to find new ways of “being” in her life. Creating Calm in the Center of Crazy is a voice of possibility and peace for women seeking to find a calm spiritual center in a crazy, runaway world. As a wife and mom of young children herself, Nicole recognized that life had become out of control. And, with the help of a crisis, she started her journey to create the very calm she was craving.

Nicole’s voice is authentic, humorous, and practical, and at the same time deeply spiritual and real. She brings rich storytelling together with her desire to find calm, and in the process discovers a deeper faith. Her personal story grounds the book as she abandons mere tips and tricks (and the empty promises of time saving apps), to explore new practices—like creating a room of her own, setting technology boundaries, rediscovering the spiritual disciplines of quiet and still (they’re not bad words)—and then extending those practices to provide a safer, stronger refuge for calm to dwell.

Nicole’s journey is shared with relatable stories, insightful help, and practical ideas that explore the inner life of a recovering crazy busy woman finding her way to calm and a deeper relationship with God.