Choices From the Heart: A Journal for Bringing Joy into Your Life! is a work of guided journaling and self-inspiration penned by author Diane Hemmings. A uniquely developed work in which the reader and writer come together to complete a personalized book, the volume is split into the twelve months of the year and details a full 365 days of self-discovery, expression, appreciation, and inspiring quotes. The work is based on a great deal of accurate self-help research undertaken by the author during its development, with the intention of putting aside fears and doubts to focus instead on bringing more joy into your life, achieving goals, but also taking time out for oneself to appreciate and enjoy all aspects of life.

Author Diane Hemmings encompasses a great many factors in this day-to-day record-keeping work which can really help readers to explore their own desires for happiness, and aid them in committing to making those dreams a reality. The small steps that it takes to make a big change is a major philosophy at play, and I loved the way that the seven different categories are laid out so that no aspect of your life is ever overlooked (or so that you can plainly see those which you yourself might have been neglecting). I also felt that the different chapters which appear as the months go on really help to cement that journey and build up the perspective of seeking out joy. Overall, I would highly recommend Choices From the Heart to anyone seeking an excellent and well-considered structural plan for long-term change.

Improving on any area of your life can sometimes seem like an uphill struggle with no definite road map on how to reach your destination. Choices from the Heart by Diane Hemmings is going to be your personal life coach for the next 12 months. Every month you can set your goals and chart the negative thoughts and feelings which may be holding you back. This negativity could be the reason you are unable to keep on track where goals are concerned. Following the set questionnaires throughout this guide will help you work on your negative belief systems from the inside out. We are all here with a unique purpose to fulfill but very often the self-defeating thoughts we hold inhibit our happiness. You will learn how to discover your unique talents and use these to help not only yourself but others too. Build a plan of action in all areas of your life and finally reach your desired goal, from healthy relationships, finances, and career plus much more. Through completing your journal entries each month, you will suddenly realize that you held the keys to your success and happiness all along.

Choices from the Heart by Diane Hemmings is an exceptional guide and from the first page, you are inspired to take action. The focus is on small steps to achieve any goal that has been eluding you, but not at the expense of your happiness. The questionnaires really make you look deep within yourself and can reveal a great deal about the self-defeating thoughts and feelings that may have been buried for a long time. There is sufficient space for you to express yourself fully. There is so much you can learn about yourself and this guide is packed with 'aha' moments. I especially found the sections regarding accountability, stress relief, and understanding why mindset is holding you back, particularly compelling. I loved the inspirational quotes each day. This was one of my favorites: “Yesterday I dared to struggle. Today I dare to win” by Bernadette Devlin. This guide is a life changer and would make an absolutely perfect gift for anyone who needs a definitive blueprint to achieve their desired goal.

Virginia Woolf wrote, “You cannot find peace by avoiding life.” So true. And, yet, sometimes peace is as elusive as it suggests. What is peace? Is it some inner strength that leads us through the quagmires of life? Exceptional minds throughout history have pondered this very dilemma, many of whom have offered sound advice. With many profound words to ponder, ideas to follow, and even life coaches to lead the way, it all boils down to recognizing our deep inner selves and working on bringing out the best we can be. For some people, this is the deep art of meditation to find inner power. For others, the written word can have a powerful impact.

In an era of high tech devices that allow us to write so much (often misspelled through the woes of texting and small devices), it’s rather reassuring to sit down at a real desk with a real notebook and pen and actually write (or print) our thoughts. This is where Diane Hemmings’ self-help guidebook, Choices From the Heart: A Journal for Bringing Joy into Your Life! will help. With useful personal tips and a well-thought-out, planned notebook for an entire year of self-evaluation and writing ourselves to better, stronger inner health, this book is a gem. Each month is presented as a chapter with an appropriate theme and the idea is to devote our daily writing to particularly address the monthly theme. At the end of the book, there’s a concise list of additional resources for further reading.

I love the collection of quotes that accompany each of the 365 calendar days. Like Jane Austen’s “None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.” Then there’s Louisa May Alcott’s “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” And, not to be quoting only women, Aristotle’s “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” A superb choice of quotes to help in our daily ritual and Diane Hemmings does suggest 30 minutes a day devoted to this journal ritual. Choices From the Heart is a wonderful resource to lead anyone to a healthier inner self, which of course will affect the body’s overall health. Beautifully laid out and presented.

Choices from the Heart by Diane Hemmings is an inspiring self-help book you can treasure again and again. Unlike some self-help books that are stuffy and tedious, this 1-year guide is fun, easy to personalize to the reader, and is comprehensive in its scope. The author wants you to find joy and purpose in your life, by having you get in touch with who you really are and what you want right now and in the future. Written with Millennials in mind, but inclusive of Baby Boomers and other groups, this is a results-centered book offering practical advice, not theories alone. Most people today live in an instant-culture and want results now. This guide's layout offers that approach in a way, in 12 chapters (one for each month), each having its own theme and space for tangible goals in the areas that matter most: Family/friends, health/fitness, career, etc. This isn't a book of wall-to-wall text--it's your space and plenty of it.

Hemmings has indeed created a fun guide that you can make your own. You can use it for getting down to business, dreaming, planning, doodling, even pondering on spiritual matters. The sections offer prompts for kick-starting your thoughts and feelings, meditations, quotations from Julia Child to Alicia Keys, and other valuable nuggets to uplift and motivate you. What I especially like about this book is the introduction where the author gives a little background and purpose for the book, including the idea that what you believe about yourself and the choices you make can determine outcomes in life. It's clear that she's taken lessons learned in her own life and uses them to help others. This is often the most effective form of persuasion. She also encourages readers to help others and have a giving spirit. As you read, you'll feel the possibilities in your life begin to bubble up and become realities for you. Success comes in many forms and is often personal. Choices from the Heart by Diane Hemmings will help you get there.

Choices From the Heart by Diane Hemmings is a guided journal in twelve chapters and a book that will definitely transform many lives. It is designed to take the reader on a journey through each day of the year, and this should have results that are outstanding. It covers a wide range of topics that will help readers uncover who they are, understand what stands between them and their dreams, grasp the power of selfless service, find better ways to embrace and connect even more intimately with life, listen to their true self and find the courage to follow their path to growth, build a positive self-image, deepen their humanity, and a lot more. In a nutshell, this book is a tool to take you from where you are to deeper levels of intimacy with yourself, with those around you, and with life itself.

There are many blank spaces to fill, but each is preceded by words that are powerfully inspiring. Right from the beginning of the book, the author shares her personal story and provides insights on how this tool came to life. You will discover some of her amazing affirmations and find creative ways to create yours in this book. This is a book for readers who want to be fully aware of everything they do and who want their heart to guide their actions. In those moments of meditation, you’ll learn to hear yourself even more clearly and to identify your priorities. Choices From the Heart is a book for readers who crave personal change and growth and anyone who wants to create meaning in their life. Diane Hemmings’ book is a workbook designed to help anyone improve the quality of their life, increase their mindfulness, and build the courage to do the impossible.