Live Like You’re Blessed

Between the stories of people she has known through her childhood, theological training, and pastoral work, Dr. Cook weaves in simple exercises that allow her readers to meditate on their own lives, bring their own issues before God, and map out a plan for the blessed lives they want. She breaks down the concept of the full and godly life into seven simple steps, each corresponding with a letter in the word BLESSED.

B stands for BALANCE, a concept first illustrated by her parents, two prominent community members in Harlem who worked hard but also found time for play, rest, and practicing their faith. By encouraging her readers to hold on to the mental picture of a children’s seesaw, Dr. Cook (a.k.a. “The Balance Doctor”) teaches them to find ways to realize their dreams and live the lives they truly want. She encourages her readers to distinguish between healthy guilt – that which tamps down arrogance and makes us moral beings – and unhealthy guilt – that learned behavior that acts as dead weight and can ruin life’s equilibrium. She also offers a number of approaches to finding spiritual balance – fasting, visualization, writing letters to God, and assembling a prayer group. The goal for each one of these practices is to keep life balanced so that we may discern God’s perfect will. L stands for LOVE. In LIVE LIKE YOU’RE BLESSED, Dr. Cook reminds her readers of the greatness of God’s love and the joy that love can bring. She also lays out a plan for allowing the overflow of that love to bless others. Experiencing love also means learning to love ourselves, and Dr. Cook helps her readers begin to let go of shame – that toxic, corrosive emotion that eats away at any hope of a healthy self-image – by acknowledging their past, no matter how ugly the reality, and using it honestly to work toward redemption. With specific ideas for developing a nurturing, positive internal voice, she explains that as we learn to love ourselves, we will also find a greater love for others.

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