“Building a life you love requires that you do something!” Words to aspire by! A quote taken from the book “Growing Boldly,” Emily Ley has created a self-discovery book meant to influence and encourage the reader to build up their confidence and not dwell in fear and anxiety.

  It takes the reader through her life from being a young gifted entrepreneur to being a wife and mother of three and known author of six books and her Simplified Planner company.

  Throughout the book, there are collections of stories based upon the author and her life and accomplishments; stories about people she has met in her life and how they brought inspiration not only to her but also can be an inspiration to the reader.  

  This book became a very interesting and motivating read for anyone who struggles with anxiety, fear, grief and low self-esteem.

  Not only is there its colorful features, encouraging well thought out advice, it is considered a very spiritual and religious book filled with scriptures from the Bible; quotes made from famous voices like Barack Obama, Theodore Roosevelt, and E.E. Cummings; and given as this is a self– discovery book, there are personal reflection entries for those who want to jot down feelings, or affirmations, and lastly tips on how to deal with concerns or how to move forward towards pursuing one’s dreams.  

  What Ley intended for this book to do, especially towards young readers, was for them to go outside the box and find out what their dreams are, what holds them back from pursuing them, and try to get them to act now rather than later. That explains why there are so many benedictions found after each chapter.

  What I really enjoyed about this book was that it actually helped me think critically about who I am and why I have not pursued anything in my life. The quotes that are found in the book were real eye openers.

  For example, “I think that in order to be successful, women have to figure out what they’re about first. No matter what you aspire to, you’ve got to love what you do in order to be successful at it.”

  Quotes like First Lady Michelle Obama’s found in Chapter 7, “Claim Your Calling,” can be seen at the beginning of each chapter relevant to said chapter.  

  Critics, however, found the book irrelevant and unrealistic based on the author’s accomplishments compared to the reader’s expectations of what is considered an “accomplishment.” 

  One reviewer from the book review website, Goodreads, rated it three stars, saying, “that it felt like ‘hustle culture’ which does not align with my life philosophy.”

 Others praised the book as “ incredible,” encouraging read and beautifully done” I can understand how the stories do not relate to young college readers, but with the compelling and motivating words found in her book, it helps to get the reader’s mind moving.  

  Overall, “Growing Boldly” is a book that should be given a shot for young enthusiastic readers and for those who dare to build a life they love.