Book Review
Title: Be That Girl: Ignite Your Passion, Organize Your Life & Embrace Freedom
Author:  Tina O’Connor
Publisher: Be That Books
Released: October 28, 2012
Pages: 208
ISBN-10: 0987915460
ISBN-13: 978-0987915467
Stars:  4.0

Be That Girl: Ignite Your Passion, Organize Your Life & Embrace Freedom is described by its author, Tina O’Connor, as “a go-to guide filled with tools to help women create more joyous, free and happy lifestyles.” If you’ve always wanted to be ‘That Girl’, the one who appears to have everything going for her, the one who’s super organized, successful, looks great, eats healthy, feels fantastic and is basically all-around happy with her life and you want to know how to be her, Tina believes that by reading her book and doing the exercises she suggests that you’ll be empowered enough to become ‘That Girl’. While I think that may be a little over optimistic, her proposals are chock full of good ideas and a lot of common sense.

I’m a fairly organized woman who is very happy with her career but I figure I can always use a few more tips on how to be successful, amazing and unforgettable. I like the glossy cover of Tina’s hardcover second edition that bears an image of a woman’s feet, adorned in pink flip flops hanging over the edge of a pink convertible. While it says, “I’m carefree and comfortable”, if she was wearing pink Christian Louboutins it would definitely translate to I’m successful, amazing and unforgettable…don’t you wish you were me!

Some women are going to read the 19 chapters in Be That Girl and think the author has a serious case of OCD, but her enthusiasm and practicality is infectious and by the time I’d finished Chapter 2: Planet Do It!, I was taking notes and planning how I’m going to manifest what I want in my life in terms of relationships, travel, career, money, self, and things and actually started thinking about a Five Year Plan which is something I’ve never done before because I strive to be a live-in-the-moment girl.

Illustrated with some black and white photos and highlighted by no-nonsense title names, Be That Girl, has four lined, blank pages in the back of the book on which you can take notes, but if you do all of the suggested exercises, you’re going to need more space to write so keep a notebook and pen with you.

We all know that a positive attitude is the key to unlocking a joyful life. In this book you’ll start by acknowledging that you have the power to become the person you want to be and by making a plan and sticking to it, you’ll be well on your way. Tina also teaches us about the principles of Feng Shui and “how this Chinese method of organizing your home is the key to finding success and fulfillment in the rest of your life.” She is so convincing that as soon as I finished Chapter 3: The Home of Your Dreams and Chapter 4: Clearing the Clutter, I rearranged my guest room which is the wealth corner of my home and placed red objects (including a Chinese dragon) in the left corner of the room. I had every intention of de-cluttering and Feng Shui-ing the rest of my apartment but to be perfectly honest, it still hasn’t happened so I might just have to re-read that chapter again to motivate myself further.

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house and making it hygienic and clutter-free is a must as is going green and doing our part to shrink our carbon footprint on the earth.

O’Connor fluctuates between offering sensible ideas for ways in which to clean up our act physically as well as mentally. I enjoyed how she welcomes readers into her life through her own personal examples and felt as if I knew her quite well when I was finished reading the book.  You get the sense that she’d be a great cheerleader coach from chapters like Do It, Do It, Do It! – as in don’t procrastinate – Time Is On Your Side (Yes It Is!) – which offers time management solutions to reduce stress and increase productivity – Accentuate The Positive, and Fake It ‘Til You Make It. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used that last phrase since I finished reading the book!

This is surely an ambitious book project as she also talks about dressing for success, walking the walk – literally, by doing yoga and practicing the art of strutting – the power of touch (as in sex, ladies, so don’t ever forget that human contact is essential as is being comfortable with yourself as a sexual being), and taking on the world by being confident in the art of conversation, communication and negotiation. She reminds us that we don’t need to do it all alone and that asking for help sometimes is essential. And of course, we are what we eat, so we’d better start making healthier dietary choices, take Resveratrol, exercise regularly, get enough sleep and consider homeopathic alternatives to traditional medicine.

Tina, who has a great sense of humour, calls herself “an expert on everyday changes that bring life-altering happiness and contentment to women around the world.”  She and her husband own a chain of wine & spirits stores, have three young daughters, and Tina is planning a series of “Be That” titles for the future.

If you read this book quickly, and you certainly can, you’ll be a bit overwhelmed by the end of it from thinking about all the ways in which you still have to change your life for the better, but if you break down one chapter at a time and just take baby steps towards achieving those goals, you will feel better about yourself, there’s no doubt about it.

I’ve read a LOT of self-help books so this book didn’t tell me anything that I didn’t already know, but it was a wonderful reminder, and it certainly compartmentalized all the areas of our lives as women into neat and tidy chapters that are easily accessible and could undoubtedly aid us in becoming ‘That Girl’.

www.bethatgirlnow.com