Life Starts Now: How to Create the Life You’ve Been Waiting For

Life coach Dokun debuts with an upbeat if overly conventional program for how Christian women can lead more fulfilling lives. Lamenting that work has become the modern “religion of choice,” Dokun uses client anecdotes to outline how women can find a more gratifying and “unique life purpose” by getting in touch with their “authentic self.” She warns that one’s habits (or “daily liturgies,” in her parlance) can rewire one’s desires, and she drives homes the benefits of lifestyle changes with the story of a client whose constant smartphone use led her to value online life more than offline; she had to change her screen time practices to appreciate analog life again. The author urges readers to lean into their talents, which she posits are “access points where God most frequently works through you to accomplish a greater purpose,” by reflecting on such questions as “What do you love to do?” and “Where does your mind naturally drift?” She also recommends dedicating time to oneself and God every morning by journaling or praying in order to become more attuned with one’s desires. The advice is straightforward and will most likely be familiar to readers of the Christian living genre, but Dokun’s humor and cheerful tone spruce things up (“You have been gifted with a special set of skills—not unlike Liam Neeson in Taken”). Readers will be heartened by this affirming volume. (Aug.)