Smile At Strangers : And Other Lessons in the Art of Living Fearlessly

"Eat, pray . . . kick ass. Delivered with self-deprecating candor, Schorn's life lessons learned at the dojo will resonate with anyone who's ever tried to remodel a house, raise kids, cope with a health crisis, navigate office politics or hyperventilated—essentially anyone who's ever been slammed on the mat while testing for the black belt of life. Like the fighter herself, you can't put this one down."—Mary Moore, author of __The Unexpected When You're Expecting__ Susan Schorn led an anxious life. For no clear reason, she had become progressively paralyzed by fear. Fed up with feeling powerless, she took up karate. She learned how to say no and how to fight when you have to (even in the dark). Karate taught her how to persuade her husband to wear a helmet, best one bossy Girl Scout troop leader, and set boundaries with an over-sharing boss. Here this double black belt recounts a fighting, biting, laughing woman's journey on the road to living fearlessly—where enlightenment is as much about embracing absurdity and landing a punch as about finding that perfect method of meditation. Full of hilarious hijinks and tactical wisdom, Schorn's quest for a more satisfying life features practical—and often counterintuitive—lessons about safety and self defense. __Smile at strangers__, she says. Question your habits, your fears, your self-criticism: __Self-criticism is easy__. __Self-improvement is hard__. And don't forget this essential gem: __Everybody wants to have adventures. Whether they know it or not__. Join the adventure in these pages, and come through it poised to have more of your own. Describes how the author freed herself from crippling fear through taking up karate and used her newfound empowerment to take charge with her husband, her boss, and her daughter's bossy Girl Scout troop leader