Review by Samy Lax -- From Drift to SHIFT by Jody B. Miller

[Samy Lax]

[Following is a volunteer review of "From Drift to SHIFT" by Jody B. Miller.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

From Drift to Shift is a nonfiction book by Jody B. Miller. The author has presented the contents of the book as a collection of several real-life events encountered by people from different walks of life. These events seemed like roadblocks to these people initially and the impact of the events caused them to drift. Nonetheless, they managed to rein in their emotions and feelings of helplessness, transformed their mindset, put in dedicated effort, and succeeded in finding their true place in the world.

All of us want to be happy—that’s a given (unless, God forbid, we are some sort of twisted masochists). Nevertheless, recent polls and surveys have revealed that at least one-third of our population is unhappy. What is the root cause of this unhappiness? Is it a lack of self-esteem? Or, is it something more complicated than that? Jody Miller gets us engrossed in the abovementioned inspirational stories to provide us with answers to these questions.

Part one of the book walks us through the reasons why shifts sometimes become inevitable. Part two deals with when exactly we should make that shift, while parts three and four focus on how to shift and how to steer your life in the right direction after the shift, respectively.

The author’s narration is very graceful and she manages to make convincing statements throughout the book. All the people featured in From Drift to Shift have successfully discovered their passion, given it their all, and come out as winners in their lives. And seriously, why remain stuck in suffering when making our way through it might lead us to a beautiful way out on the other side?

However, I found that the stories introduced and presented in the book were all extreme examples. I know that it is meant to show us that no matter how big the challenge, we can turn the situation around to actualize positive change in our lives. But—maybe—the book could have featured these inspirational stories peppered with a healthy dose of simpler, everyday instances that we could all relate to instantly.

Since the topic is about happiness and self-awareness—and one can never really have too much of either—I think it was quite considerate of the author to provide us with references to additional reading material to supplement our knowledge and understanding. I believe the art of shift cannot be mastered by just reading this one book; rather, it should be treated as a continuous learning process.

Jody Miller talks about the previous assignments and self-awareness workshops she attended and reveals her thoughts and apprehensions during those sessions in an attempt to put us at ease and show us that we are all just humans and deal with the same kinds of fears and strive toward the same goals. I love the genuineness and energy with which she puts words to paper. I appreciate that the author wrote in a humble, identifiable manner. For example, she talks about one of the self-awareness workshops she attended in San Diego, during which she was asked to step outside and bring back something from nature that embodied her in spirit. She writes:

“My ego wanted me to pick a seashell to represent how I would ride the waves to distant, exciting shores; or, to choose something like a feather to show that I had the strength to let go and trust the wind to guide me. It all sounded poetic, but I knew what I was.

I was a weed.”

This is a book that will inspire you to follow your dreams and desires, and everyone—from a CEO to a fresh-out-of-school student—will be able to benefit from it. I rate From Drift to Shift 3 out of 4 stars, only because of the number of typos that seem to have slipped in. These typos break the flow of the narrative in places and prove to be the only thing that put a damper on the power packed in this wonderful book.

******
From Drift to SHIFT
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like Samy Lax's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Ashiyya Tariq]

No doubt, It is an awesome book, full of inspirational stories. I am really impressed with this book. Thanks for your lovely review. I have also reviewed this book. You can check it out if you like.

[EvaDar]

However, I found that the stories introduced and presented in the book were all extreme examples. I know that it is meant to show us that no matter how big the challenge, we can turn the situation around to actualize positive change in our lives. But—maybe—the book could have featured these inspirational stories peppered with a healthy dose of simpler, everyday instances that we could all relate to instantly.

Since the topic is about happiness and self-awareness—and one can never really have too much of either—I think it was quite considerate of the author to provide us with references to additional reading material to supplement our knowledge and understanding. I believe the art of shift cannot be mastered by just reading this one book; rather, it should be treated as a continuous learning process.

I enjoyed reading your review. It is true that the book needed more accessible stories. This was my primary issue with the book. I reviewed it as well. I felt the people in extreme crisis didn't fit the stated drift-to-shift theme of the book. Great review. Thanks.

[Samy Lax]

No doubt, It is an awesome book, full of inspirational stories. I am really impressed with this book. Thanks for your lovely review. I have also reviewed this book. You can check it out if you like.

It's great to hear from someone who appreciated the book too. Sure, I will be checking your review.

[Samy Lax]

However, I found that the stories introduced and presented in the book were all extreme examples. I know that it is meant to show us that no matter how big the challenge, we can turn the situation around to actualize positive change in our lives. But—maybe—the book could have featured these inspirational stories peppered with a healthy dose of simpler, everyday instances that we could all relate to instantly.

Since the topic is about happiness and self-awareness—and one can never really have too much of either—I think it was quite considerate of the author to provide us with references to additional reading material to supplement our knowledge and understanding. I believe the art of shift cannot be mastered by just reading this one book; rather, it should be treated as a continuous learning process.

I enjoyed reading your review. It is true that the book needed more accessible stories. This was my primary issue with the book. I reviewed it as well. I felt the people in extreme crisis didn't fit the stated drift-to-shift theme of the book. Great review. Thanks.

Thank you for your comment, Eva. Yes, that was pretty much the only issue I found with the book. I will surely check out your review as well!

[CommMayo]

Great review! You have a nice writing style and were able to be critical about the book without it sounding like you are being overly critical towards the author.

[kdstrack]

Very interesting review. Your comment about the stories and examples being extreme was very insightful. Still, they were interesting and inspiring. Nice job.

[Samy Lax]

Great review! You have a nice writing style and were able to be critical about the book without it sounding like you are being overly critical towards the author.

Thank you for your kind words. Means a lot!

[Samy Lax]

Very interesting review. Your comment about the stories and examples being extreme was very insightful. Still, they were interesting and inspiring. Nice job.

Thank you! It's great to know you found the review interesting. I look forward to reading your reviews too!

[SamGee]

Great review! Yes, a book always does good for me when it features some stories that I can relate to from an everyday perspective as well.

[Samy Lax]

Great review! Yes, a book always does good for me when it features some stories that I can relate to from an everyday perspective as well.

Thank you for your kind words, SamGee!