Lioness Arising - Is Considered A Motivational Achievement

1. Hardcover: 222 pages
2. Publisher: WaterBrook Press (September 21, 2010)
3. Language: English
4. ISBN-10: 0307457788
5. ISBN-13: 978-0307457783

Synopsis

In Lioness Arising, Lisa Bevere inspires women of all ages to wake up to what God is stirring in their hearts, revealing that women, like the female lion, can rise up in prowess and impact their world.

In Lioness Arising, author and "Motivational" speaker Lisa Bevere uses the lioness as a metaphoric symbol for women, in challenging them to discover their passion and purpose as she has done - by rising up and taking hold of the power God has given them, and by waking up and changing their world. 

The author offers Lioness Arising as a vehicle to empower women to realize their strength, courage, and direction with a significant amount of biblical verses interwoven throughout her motivational message. 

I find Lioness Arising  to be a testimony to the author's own ability to wake up and change her world.  To finally escape from behind her husband's shadow.  After all, she states that she wanted to  recover some of the strength she'd forfeited while trying to fit in as the pastor's nice Christian wife. She was tired of being thought of as weak and whiny.  And like so many, she was looking for her own identity from her spouse and children, and perhaps seeking some self-worth and validation.  She finally managed to wake up...

To discover in an intense dream or out of body experience of a lioness - a vision and message sent by God.  To become, a motivational speaker to women.  She goes on to share that she was only a stay-at-home mom with a dysfunctional past..and now here was God telling her she was destined for more.

The author appears by her own admission to have been a timid individual who finally found her voice and wants the world to hear what she has to say.  " I was terrified by almost everything outside my control and intimidated by the majority of people I met. I found strong, dominant women especially frightening."  Apparently, she morph into a lioness with the strength to motivate.

Although I think she attempts to do so, and I may have missed the section where Bevere  actually explains the nature of achievement - I find that she merely shares her lioness dream, accomplishments, travels and gives women encouragement to ban together and do the same.  And that in itself is not a bad achievement, for a once timid and frighten woman.

My overall opinion of motivational books is:

Most motivational books are selling something, a theory, an experience or an idea…that  is usually geared toward the reader overcoming some obstacle or becoming wealthy by merely using the methods outlined in the book.  And as with a good number of motivational books, the author has had some personal experience that prompts them to share it with others, so that they too can experience a breakthrough in their lives.  In other cases the author has realized peddling motivation is merely a great way to turn a profit.   And sadly, you may not learn the secret to success or happiness, but you WILL learn a lot about manipulation and influence; which is the bases for too many motivational books.  In the case of Lioness Arising, the author has shared several of her fears and experiences, but I also think the author is earnestly making an effort to motivate women.

Maybe Lisa's book may not be the one to unlock your life's mystery, but if you look hard enough and want it bad enough, there is some book or something out there, that will. Did Emerson not say, "We become what we think about all day long." That said, if you continue to listen and think about motivational messages, like those shared in this book, you will at some point become motivated, therefore, the author has accomplished their goal.

Recommendation:

I have no problem recommending this book, to women especially to those with low self-esteem issues who are seeking some reassurance that they can find their inner strength and overcome someday.  Because if you try, you can actually "change your (place in the) world."

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review - However, the opinions are mine."