Ignite Your Beacon

"In a market saturated with self-help books, I have to admit I was skeptical of Ignite Your Beacon. I have my fair share of workbooks, daily affirmation texts and positive thinking books. And, let’s be honest, the book is 500 pages, it’s not short and hardly an easy read. So I was surprised to find myself not only interested and anxious to read through the text but also so engaged in the prompts. I expected more lecture than open-endedness. The author allows the reader to complete a series of questions at the end of each section, providing the reader with space to construct thoughts and responses to critical questions. The book acts as a guide, a kind of journal of a journey that seems natural. The sections segue naturally and are each unique to stand alone. It wouldn’t be a bad idea, for example, to excerpt a particular chapter of the book and share with friends or family. I love the chapter on food and veganism and think it’s something that would appeal to many of my friends, especially ones who are on the fence about veganism or are already vegetarian. The questions that are posed aren’t judgmental or indicting but allow the reader/writer to really think about so many aspects of their life, in a really profound way. And it doesn’t necessarily need to be done all at once. Self assessment is hard work. Even just tacking small bits at a time would be useful in thinking about our purpose, goals and —-something else——. As someone who already journals regularly, I found the amount of questions to be a bit overwhelming but realized that they didn’t need to be completed all at once. Also, the author speaks generally and often from a first person point of view which really let me know that he— understood this process and journey, he’d been through it too and these questions and anecdotes came from first hand experiences.

The book is visually appealing with its gorgeous font type, layout and sleek simplicity, which is no accident. The book is dense, difficult and to balance the hard work that you’ll have to do, it keeps the format plain but aesthetically appealing.

One of my favorite things about the text is that each section is sandwiched between relevant quotes from notable people. The quotes either introduce a new idea or summarize a sentiment in the proceeding section. Overall, if you’re lost, looking for a challenge, want to grow, or even just trying to find an entry way into journaling and self-reflection, Brad’s book is a useful tool in getting there."