Member Reviews

I wanted to like this book but it felt like something that I have already read before. I couldn't finish it.

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This book tackles the question of how to make your life meaningful and to live life more fully. With 10 practical lessons, this book will soon have you really thinking about your life, your choices and how you really want to be. A few of these were things I had heard before, but there were also some new ones in there as well that I find myself thinking about and utilising in my own life. This book is information and fulfulling. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

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Did not finish. Tried getting into it a few times and just could not. I am sorry but cannot review because did not finish.

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Thank you Loyola Press and Netgalley for an ARC in return for my honest review.

Make Today Matter outlines ten habits to make today matter, not in a productivity tick off the to-do list way but in a deep, philosophical way. Each chapter is based around a habit to encourage the reader to live the life that are meant to, to really question what is most important in life and have the courage to live this way each and every day. The chapters contain anecdotes, philosophical wisdom and exercises to unravel what that habits theme means for you and ask the deeper, more meaningful questions about life.

A lovely book to pick up and read on days when you need a gentle reminder to step outside of yourself.

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This is a short, easy read with 10 helpful habits we can all do in order practise mindfulness every day. We can easily make someone else’s day better with a smile, listening to a coworker, or helping out a friend. It’s about how we can choose our attitude in any situation, even if we can’t control the situation. An uplifting and inspirational read. 4/5 stars.

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I am interested in how we can get better and life a great life with the best versoin of ourselves. this book was interesting for this matter.

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Make Today Matter is a lesson on trying to make the world, or at least your corner of it, a better place. By focusing on making yourself a better person, being grateful for what you have, and finding ways to help others and improve things for others, you will improve the world around you, and your perception of it. These are the core messages of Make Today Matter. The author is a former Jesuit seminarian, and there is an overtly Christian/spiritual thread throughout the text; many biblical verses are quoted; there are frequent references to God and God's will.

The subtitle, 10 Habits for a Better Life (and World), felt a bit misleading to me, but perhaps I took it too literally...the 10 "habits" discussed are more like "guiding principles" than habits, at least the way I interpreted them. Each "habit" gets its own section, and a few inspirational anecdotal stories to illustrate the principal--some of the stories are beautiful, some are humorous, some are sad; all are short, and provide a good example to help you understand the principle. Each section concludes with a "Make it Personal" section, where the author provides a guiding exercise for the reader to think about the principle, how they may have experienced it in the past, or might want to implement it in the future.

The final section addresses how to bring all 10 "habits" together...and this section does contain what I believe is an actual habit one could implement to improve their life...the author recommends two 5 minute sessions, in the afternoon and evening, to reflect on some of the core principles that make up the 10 "habits". By spending a few minutes in quiet meditation on these ideas, you will refocus your spirit and intent, and (hopefully) move in the direction of being a better person and helping make the world a better place. Overall, the messages are very positive; I felt for me personally it was more inspirational than practical. I do think someone struggling with loss or uncertainty might find comfort in these pages. I can state unequivocally that if we all allowed ourselves to be guided by these principles, the world would be a better place.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

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This is a book that can change your life. It’s a book of 10 habits that if you adopt successfully will change your life and allow each day to have more meaning. The author acknowledges that you will slip up along the way, but if we review each day and strive to climb that hill we will achieve more and experience inner peace.

So Chris Lowney (author of the book) I would like to tell you that you have made a lasting impression on me with this book., so you’ve covered off Habit 10. It’s a book that I will continue to read and refer to for a long time

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In the author's words, "this book is about seizing today's opportunity, and rising to the occasion of every single day". The two main points that Lowney makes is that you must decide what kind of person you want to be and make decisions based on those principles, and that to be truly fulfilled, you must contribute to the world in some way.

A Jesuit seminarian who successfully transferred to the world of big business, there is a religious slant throughout the book ("what would the Lord do in my place?"), but it's not judgmental or "in your face".

Some takeaways:
"Run every race as if it's your last, so that afterwards you can look in a mirror and say 'I put my heart into it, and I used my gifts to my utmost, and for purposes that I can feel proud of.'"

"We build resilience through... showing gratitude, being altruistic and exhibiting a strong sense of life purpose."

"The most courageous among us be all those who simply manage to keep going."

There is nothing in this book that I haven't heard before. It seemed trite to me and a bit jumbled. At 120 pages, it's a quick read, so if you feel this would be helpful to you, go for it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Loyola Press for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book.

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It has some interesting and useful ideas but the author keeps switching from one idea to another and it can get a bit confusing at times.

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This book served an excellent purpose for me. Although the 10 Habits were not new ideas for me they are truths I too often let slide. I enjoyed this book and will commit to enacting some of these suggestions. A useful tool - recommended.
My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

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This is a comfort blanket kind of a book, nothing you probably hadn't thought of before, and written in a pleasant enough manner. It could all be a little better structured, but again that feeds into the warm'n'fuzzy tone.

The religious content is both minimal and presented with a 'or to your beliefs' approach, which was a relief.

My favourite of the ten suggested habits is to take two 5-minute breaks, at lunch and at the day's end, to reflect and if necessary reset yourself/your attitude. I can see why prayer routines work for this, but it's also entirely non-religious and a very low-effort improvement that I can see having big wins.

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It has some interesting and useful ideas, but they are not very well organized, the author switching from one idea to another.

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