Very good advice and wisdom! I hope this book takes off because the perspectives on change are very helpful and impactful. Highly recommended.

Thanks very much for the free copy for review!!

This book is 80 percent learn by example and 20 percent technique. The Only Constant refers to change and how it is the true constant in our lives. As someone with an adjustment disorder, this did not help me. But I do think it can help those not afflicted with one. There are steps on how to embrace a variety of changes and Zebian's story will inspire you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harmony for this free reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Raise your hand if you love, fine - I'll settle for just like, change? No? Nobody has their hand raised, I see. There's a reason for that. We collectively hate change. Change is unpredictable, requires discomfort, and usually contains a loss that we have to grieve, to name a few of the undesirable components of change. But change is the only constant we can count on in this life. Think about that. Nothing else in life is as constant as change. It's guaranteed to happen! And even if there are people who refuse to allow change, the change that others in their circles go through forces change upon them as well - whether they want to see it that way or not! It's time to face up to reality, change is here to stay. It's going to happen, we can either fight against it - and it will still happen anyway, or we can allow it to guide us toward the end goal it has in mind for us. I don't know about you, but I don't have the energy left to keep fighting change, so Zebian's newest book on change comes at a good time.

Chapter titles: Why Change is Hard, What Stops Us from Changing, Changes We Don't Choose, Changes We Choose, Changes We Need to Make, When Change Doesn't Go as Expected, Propellers of Change, and The Beauty of Embracing Change. I mean, really those chapter titles should be enough to compel many of you to go and get a copy of this book for yourselves as soon as possible. But should you need a little more convincing, I'll discuss it in a little more depth.

Using her own life and experiences as examples of change, Dr. Zebian guides the reader through all the facets of change, invited and uninvited. She acknowledges the pain of change, the losses of change, but also the beauty of change, and the gains of change. Through her insights, the reader is opened to a new way of thinking about change. She doesn't state this as a goal of the book but in Chapter 1 she says, "Maybe change is hard because we focus so much on achieving the change itself instead of focusing on what that change will achieve for us....When you stop seeing change as the goal and start seeing change as the path to the life you want, that's when authentic transformation happens." Once again, and louder, for the people in the back, "....what that change will achieve for us." Through all of her chapters and insights on change, the reader can walk away from the book with the new perspective that change is good and will help us become the authentic person we long to be; change is here to achieve wholeness on our behalf.

I could go on and on about this title and the wisdom Zebian generously shares with the reader from her own experiences with change and from talking in-depth with others about it. But to go on and on might impede your own reading of the book, and I don't want to get in the way of what wisdom is waiting for you to discover. There are so many moments in this title that gave me pause and I highlighted to return to for further contemplation. Dr. Zebian addresses all the "ifs, ands, and buts" we sputter when the topic of change arises. And she does it in such a lovely, affirming way. She is a gentle guide, navigating us toward acceptance of change rather than rejecting it. I really resonated with not just the subject matter but the author as well. We have a lot of similarities as we both are on a journey to break free from conditioning and bring to the surface our truest selves. How we are going about doing that may look very different, but the feelings are similar and give us a connection, even though we will never cross paths. I highly and enthusiastically recommend this title.

This is a huge compliment to the author: I found The Only Constant to be as helpful as Pema Chodron’s When Things Fall Apart.
Life goes on, despite the brutality it doles out that leaves us drowning in its wake. This is a gentle, well-worded book that embraces your wounds and helps you move forward. It might be just as useful for someone who has lost their dearest love as it would be for someone in need of a push to find a more suitable job. I will revisit it again and again.
Thanks to NetGalley and Rodale, Inc for allowing access to a digital ARC.

A useful and encouraging book about change - both those you seek and those that happen to you. The author walks through various types of change, how to navigate them in your life, and how to elicit changes you want to make. She also talks about who sometimes it takes a while for your body to catch up with your mind and be okay with making a change. The author discusses the importance of changing and the proper motivation to do so - living authentically rather than trying to fit into others' perceptions of you.

There is one constant every human being on this planet deals with, whether rich or poor, regardless of ethnicity or country of origin. What is it?

Change.

In her new book "A Guide to Embracing Change and Leading an Authentic Life" she covers the many different aspects of change and how it affects our lives.

The first type of change that comes to mind is self initiated change. You may be unhappy with the current circumstances of your life yet there is a comfort in maintaining the status quo. Zebian wonderfully addresses this, encouraging the readers to get in touch with the feeling in their own bodies on whether to pursue a change or stay as is.

Self initiated change is just one of many types of change Zebian discusses in her book. What about change you had nothing to do with? A death of a loved one, a rejection by your romantic partner, a loss of a job, or something else? Zebian gives guidance on how to navigate this type of change,. too.

Throughout the book Zebian gives examples from her own life and from others she has counseled. In this way A Guide to Embracing Chance is an easy read - almost as if you were in conversation with the author yourself.

Reading "A Guide to Embracing Change and Living an Authentic Life" had a positive impact on me. I have decided to drop some projects I have a leadership role in, listening to my body's signals, and asking myself "am I doing this just to get approval of others, or do I really enjoy this endeavor?" I think reading Zebian's book will encourage you to reevaluate your current life choices, too.

Dr. Najwa Zebian is a Lebanese-Canadian activist, author, poet, educator, and speaker based in London, Ontario whose popularity "instapoetry" on Instagram would only offer a peek into her substantial gifts. Dr. Zebian gained popularity as the "Me Too" movement rose and would offer TEDx talks and a variety of popular media interviews.

Since 2016, Dr. Zebian has been writing about a wide variety of themes related to her life experiences of love, friendship, honesty, and identity. Dr. Zebian writes from both feelings of displacement and heartbreak through to healing from abuse, rebuilding, connecting, and living an authentic life.

It's that willingness to embrace change and lead an authentic life that most comes to life In her latest book "The Only Constant: A Guide to Embracing Change and Leading an Authentic Life."

With "The Only Constant," the author weaves together autobiographical material and gentle wisdom to guide us toward coming to terms with impermanence and embracing change that allows us to move toward becoming the persons we were meant to be. While "The Only Constant" is a gentle and often tender guide, Dr. Zebian understands that change isn't easy but it's the gateway to "authentic transformation."

From job changes to relationships, loss/grief to simple and everyday realities, Dr. Zebian helps us filter away the noise and guides us toward accepting ourselves in the here and now and openly confronting the obstacles that try to keep us from who we are meant to be.

Along the way, she shares her own personal experiences from change. This is, perhaps, most poignant, when she discusses processing through and rejecting her culture's definition of what constitutes a "good woman." Respectfully, she leans into her own beliefs so that she could live a more honest life. Along the way, she becomes a mentor, guide, and facilitator for our own life changes big and small.

"The Only Constant" is straightforward and practical guide leading us toward and through unfamiliar territory. It's a companion that nurtures and affirms us as we deal with our fears, anxieties, and obstacles in embracing change. Yet, it's also the nudge we need to step into these feelings and make the changes necessary to live more authentic lives.

Dr. Zebian discusses why change is hard, what stops us from changing, how to deal with changes we don't expect or want, and ultimately comes down toward embracing change and leading the authentic life we want.

This wise and well written book is a guide to embracing changeand leading an authentic life. Discusses why change is hard. What stops us from changing, dealing with changed we don't choose or do not expect, the propellers of change and beauty of embracing change. Autobiographical materisl