First off thank you to Shane Jackson and Greenleaf audiobooks for giving me an advanced audio copy of This is the Thing. I was slightly reluctant to listen to this book just because self help books usually have a very monotone to them being read by someone other than the author. The fact Shane himself was the narrator was very intriguing to me because who better to read the tone of a book than the person who wrote it.

When it comes to self help books, this one may top my list of favorites I’ve read and the Body Keeps the Score has held that spot for me for well over a few years now. I truly love how though out the chapters he takes lessons he has learned throughout his years of listening to speakers, going to conventions and just LEARNING about life in general. What better way to teach others how to find their purpose than with trying to find your own in the mean time. Shane does not give a definitive answer on what the purpose of life is as much as he says life’s purpose is a combination of factors. What you do for others, how you impact people around you, how they impact you, friendships, relationships, self care, working, hobbies etc.

I truly appreciate when there is a lot of information put into a book that doesn’t feel like you’re just listing facts you found online, and I truly felt this book was able to do that in each chapter. Certain times it was lessons about finding your life motto or just questioning what you do on a daily basis that could be keeping you from even being able to see your potential.

I would absolutely recommend this audiobook to any and all my friends and family. I found myself talking about it and still bringing it up to others as I was finishing reading. Will 100% be grabbing a physical copy on release day!

What gives you joy, and how do you do more of that thing?

That's the question Shane Jackson tries to guide readers to answering in his book, This Is the Thing. Drawing from his personal experiences and professional insights, Jackson offers a roadmap to discovering purpose and fulfillment in everyday life.

Jackson emphasizes that finding purpose isn't about grandiose achievements but about aligning daily actions with your core values. He argues that intentional living — making conscious choices about how we spend our time and energy — leads to a more joyful and meaningful life.​

I love that Jackson focuses on personal responsibility and how it's up to you to make the life you dream of (or not). I also really liked how he focused on finding your joy in ways other than what you do for a living. Like, for example, helping others or pursuing a hobby that really lights you on fire.

I also enjoyed Jackson's focus on the various aspects of life that need to be aligned for happiness. It's not just one silver bullet kind of thing. Instead, it's finding balance in things like work, relationships, and personal growth.

Jackson provided good takeaways and practical exercises. The religious references weren't really for me, but I didn't find them overbearing or preachy. In fact, Jackson is quick to say that religion is the basis for his values, but it doesn't have to be for others.

Overall, a good read.

First I want to thank Shane Jackson, Greenleaf Book Group Press and Netgalley to let me listen this audio book in exchange of an honest review.

I always find myself having problems while reading Self-help books, as I disconect a lot and end up not finishing them, so I though listening an audio book would be my best solution, and it was! At least in my case, I was able to visualise situations and understand what was being communicated much easily.

A positive point in this book is that Shane explains every word and gives you an event or story to fully understand where is he coming from and how to apply his advices. Sadly, maybe the differences between myself and the author, made some of this situations difficult to connect.

Last but not least, I had to comment on the audio, I find some parts of the audio book super expresive and engaging while others were more cut at the end of the words and transmitted less emotion. I don't know if this robotic style was done on purpose and I understand that it is difficult for a narrator (that in this case was the author himself) to be able to mantain a super constant voice acting at the same time, but I thought it was worth commenting to take it into account for future projects.

To conclude, I want to thank Shane for writing this, although I realise that may not be "my" self-help book, I enjoyed the expirience and I am sure many people would resonate with you and found help in your words.