Bigger, Better, Braver: Conquer Your Fears, Embrace Your Courage, and Transform Your Life

Nancy Pickard

Top Reads Publishing (JUL 14) Softcover $18.99 (200pp), 978-1-970107-12-8

Motivational and hopeful, Nancy Pickard’s Bigger Better Braver is a self-help book for those who think that it’s too late to change.

People don’t intend to live unfulfilling lives, Pickard knows, but so many do. Hemmed in by fear, worry over the expectations of others, and self-limiting beliefs, people shut down and become trapped in small lives. Instead, Pickard encourages embracing what seems impossible and saying “no more” to fear.

The book’s progression is logical, beginning with why it’s even worth it to work toward such change and then suggesting means of uncovering the unacknowledged beliefs that guide people’s decisions—a key step to getting out of autopilot and taking control of the future, without which the next step, crafting one’s vision, is for naught. The book insists that dismantling one’s confining structures—a step that trips up so many who want to change their lives—makes it possible to live a different future.

Harnessing the powers of empathy and narrative by building on Pickard’s own story and those of people whom she’s coached, the transformative tools suggested include journaling and tapping, a technique wherein people tap acupressure points on their bodies while repeating mantras to reprogram their brains. There’s a sense of camaraderie to the work, though it is clear that change can only come from within: you can’t live your dream with someone else’s courage.

Each section ends with points to remember and mantras to ground its learning. Rather than concrete action steps or dry summations, these tend toward inspiration to deepen lessons and strengthen resolve, as with the intriguing question: “What would it be like to be as accountable to yourself as you are to other people?”

Bigger Better Braver is a self-help companion designed to unearth hope and help it to grow.