How to Walk into a Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away
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- Create Date：2024-03-13 06:21:48
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Emily P. Freeman
- ISBN：B0C7VZD6WD
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Summary
If life were a house， then every room holds a story。 What do we do when a room we’re in is no longer a room where we belong？
What do you do when you start to feel a shift and must decide if it’s time to make a change？ When it comes to navigating big decisions about when to stay and go， how can we know for sure when the time is right？ Though we enter and exit many rooms over the course of our life—jobs， relationships， communities， life stages—knowing how and when it’s time to leave is a decision that rarely has a clear answer。
Podcast host， spiritual director， and bestselling author of The Next Right Thing， Emily P。 Freeman offers guidance to help us recognize when it’s time to move on from situations that no longer fit， allowing us to find new spaces where we can flourish and grow。
How to Walk Into a Room helps us begin to uncover the silent， nuanced， and hidden arrows for anyone asking questions How do I know if it’s time to move on？ What if I stay and nothing changes？ What if I leave and everything falls apart？
Through thought-provoking questions， spiritual practices， and personal stories， How to Walk into a Room will help you to know and name the caution flags in your current spaces， discern the difference between true peace and discomfort avoidance， navigate endings even when there is no closure， find peace for when you feel ready but it isn’t time， and courage for when it’s time but you don’t feel ready。
For anyone standing in a threshold， here’s a book to help discern the how， when， and what now of walking out of rooms and into new ones with peace， confidence， and a whole heart。
What do you do when you start to feel a shift and must decide if it’s time to make a change？ When it comes to navigating big decisions about when to stay and go， how can we know for sure when the time is right？ Though we enter and exit many rooms over the course of our life—jobs， relationships， communities， life stages—knowing how and when it’s time to leave is a decision that rarely has a clear answer。
Podcast host， spiritual director， and bestselling author of The Next Right Thing， Emily P。 Freeman offers guidance to help us recognize when it’s time to move on from situations that no longer fit， allowing us to find new spaces where we can flourish and grow。
How to Walk Into a Room helps us begin to uncover the silent， nuanced， and hidden arrows for anyone asking questions How do I know if it’s time to move on？ What if I stay and nothing changes？ What if I leave and everything falls apart？
Through thought-provoking questions， spiritual practices， and personal stories， How to Walk into a Room will help you to know and name the caution flags in your current spaces， discern the difference between true peace and discomfort avoidance， navigate endings even when there is no closure， find peace for when you feel ready but it isn’t time， and courage for when it’s time but you don’t feel ready。
For anyone standing in a threshold， here’s a book to help discern the how， when， and what now of walking out of rooms and into new ones with peace， confidence， and a whole heart。
Reviews
Ashley
，
I adore Emily P。 Freeman。 Her podcast， The Next Right Thing， has been a treasure to me， and I’ve been anxiously awaiting her new book。This book was everything I needed and then some。 Emily has such a gentle way of sharing wisdom， and she brings that magic to this book tenfold。 If you’ve ever struggled to discern when to make changes in your life， Emily will help。 Each chapter is packed with gentle guidance， personal experiences and biblical wisdom that will help inform you in your decision makin I adore Emily P。 Freeman。 Her podcast， The Next Right Thing， has been a treasure to me， and I’ve been anxiously awaiting her new book。This book was everything I needed and then some。 Emily has such a gentle way of sharing wisdom， and she brings that magic to this book tenfold。 If you’ve ever struggled to discern when to make changes in your life， Emily will help。 Each chapter is packed with gentle guidance， personal experiences and biblical wisdom that will help inform you in your decision making。 And the great thing is that these ideas can be used to help leave any “room，” whether it be big or small or anything in between。 Emily’s calm and thoughtful questions help you to ponder if and when it’s right to leave a room behind， and for someone that struggles to make decisions， I really appreciated it。 This book will be one that I treasure and will definitely be coming back to when life throws me a new room to enter。Thank you to Emily P。 Freeman， HarperOne and NetGalley for an early e-copy of the book for an honest review。 。。。more
Jessi
，
I completely missed that this book was based in Christianity but that doesn't necessarily turn me off reading a book。 I liked the author's posit that endings don't have to be sad。 That this may just be a place that we shouldn't be any more。 This book is really about finding those times that it's time to leave a place and head to a new one。 I have read almost all of the books that Freeman references and enjoyed the way that she wove in the lessons that she had learned from each and why those stor I completely missed that this book was based in Christianity but that doesn't necessarily turn me off reading a book。 I liked the author's posit that endings don't have to be sad。 That this may just be a place that we shouldn't be any more。 This book is really about finding those times that it's time to leave a place and head to a new one。 I have read almost all of the books that Freeman references and enjoyed the way that she wove in the lessons that she had learned from each and why those stories worked with what she was trying to build in her book。 。。。more
Merideth Estevez
，
I really enjoyed this book。 It felt like an even deeper and broader voice。 It's my favorite book she's written yet！ There's wisdom in every sentence。 It incorporated images and stories from a variety of different sources as well as scriptural references， and in that way， it felt like talking to a good friend about life。 It is her most personal book yet， and I think the authenticity she found here was very refreshing。 I really enjoyed this book。 It felt like an even deeper and broader voice。 It's my favorite book she's written yet！ There's wisdom in every sentence。 It incorporated images and stories from a variety of different sources as well as scriptural references， and in that way， it felt like talking to a good friend about life。 It is her most personal book yet， and I think the authenticity she found here was very refreshing。 。。。more
Sarah
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Emily Freeman did it again！ I love her writing and fell in love with her books after reading Simply Tuesday。 This book speaks volumes to reader's about trusting God and the Spirit as it leads us through life。 Whether it be rooms we must leave or rooms we must refurbish， Emily Freeman breaks down the simple next right thing for Christians to do as the move to the rhythm of their lives。 This book touched my heart and gave me comfort as I move through a season of life with much change on the horizo Emily Freeman did it again！ I love her writing and fell in love with her books after reading Simply Tuesday。 This book speaks volumes to reader's about trusting God and the Spirit as it leads us through life。 Whether it be rooms we must leave or rooms we must refurbish， Emily Freeman breaks down the simple next right thing for Christians to do as the move to the rhythm of their lives。 This book touched my heart and gave me comfort as I move through a season of life with much change on the horizon。 I believe whoever picks this book up will feel the love and comfort of Christ through Emily's words， and be encouraged as they make choices to close doors and open new ones in their life！I love Emily Freeman's approachable writing style and would recommend if you love this book to read her other ones and listen to her Podcast "The Next Right Thing！" It's just as amazing as this book！ 。。。more
Laura
，
I've heard it said that those who collect books are akin to wine connoisseurs - you enjoy a broad selection to have the right one at the right time for the right event。This is one of those books， and like a fine wine is meant to be savored， so it is with this peek into Ms。 Freeman's life and experience。 I didn't want to read it quickly as there were so many deeply thought-provoking questions and other ponderable things she wrote about。I highly recommend this book if you're in a transition place I've heard it said that those who collect books are akin to wine connoisseurs - you enjoy a broad selection to have the right one at the right time for the right event。This is one of those books， and like a fine wine is meant to be savored， so it is with this peek into Ms。 Freeman's life and experience。 I didn't want to read it quickly as there were so many deeply thought-provoking questions and other ponderable things she wrote about。I highly recommend this book if you're in a transition place in life。 Doesn't matter if it's a planned or unplanned transition - this book is certainly worth the time to engage with！I received an ARC; this is my honest review。 。。。more
Anna
，
Thank you Harper Collins for the advanced physical copy！ I really loved the chapter on knowing and understanding your spiritual personality as well as your personal core values， letting faith in God guide our decision-making when it comes to which rooms we occupy。
Kim Stewart
，
Once again， Emily Freeman is here as the calm voice of encouragement you need when trying to decide how to take the next best steps in life。My favorite chapter of this book is “peace or avoidance”， especially as an enneagram 9。She writes “there is a difference between the peace that comes from doing the deeply right thing and the relief that comes from avoiding discomfort。 True peace is not the absence of discomfort or conflict。 True peace is an inner okay-ness and wholeness。 True peace is an al Once again， Emily Freeman is here as the calm voice of encouragement you need when trying to decide how to take the next best steps in life。My favorite chapter of this book is “peace or avoidance”， especially as an enneagram 9。She writes “there is a difference between the peace that comes from doing the deeply right thing and the relief that comes from avoiding discomfort。 True peace is not the absence of discomfort or conflict。 True peace is an inner okay-ness and wholeness。 True peace is an alignment with what we know and what we do， living in congruence with our personal core values， our true identity， the common good， and our life with God。”Whether you are trying to decide if now is the time to leave behind a room you’ve loved， or how to walk into a new room as your true self， this book will be your trusted guide as she shares questions to ask yourself every step of the way。Grab your girlfriends together because this is THE book you need for your 2024 book club！ 。。。more
Readnponder
，
Emily P。 Freeman， THANK YOU for writing this book。 It arrived in my hands the very month I needed to make a major employment decision。Emily’s latest book is about what transpires in the “rooms” of our lives to signal that an ending is imminent and then takes us through the discernment process of whether it is time to go or time to stay。 She cautions that the process of discernment is inefficient， taking time， self-awareness， and patience。 She talks about different kinds of endings -- anticipated Emily P。 Freeman， THANK YOU for writing this book。 It arrived in my hands the very month I needed to make a major employment decision。Emily’s latest book is about what transpires in the “rooms” of our lives to signal that an ending is imminent and then takes us through the discernment process of whether it is time to go or time to stay。 She cautions that the process of discernment is inefficient， taking time， self-awareness， and patience。 She talks about different kinds of endings -- anticipated （e。g。 retirement） or forced （e。g。 fired） – and the luxury of closure。 She gives practical tools for discernment tied to the acronym PRAY: Point & call; Remember your path; Acknowledge presence; and Yield to arrows。 I also appreciate her distinction between peace that comes from doing the right thing versus relief that comes from avoidance。An older book， “Transitions” by William Bridges， covers similar territory， but I found Emily’s more helpful to me personally because it’s intended for an audience with a faith orientation。 I took 16 pages of notes on my first read through and know I will be returning to “How to Walk into a Room” soon。 。。。more
Katharine Hannigan
，
Emily P。 Freeman does it again。 Her analogy of entering and leaving rooms brings a sense of clarity to our unclear decisions。 Her personal stories connect the reader to her and make you feel seen。
Deidre
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Stephanie Toigo
Kayla Hollatz
，
Let me begin by saying I'm a long-time admirer of EPF and her work。 I enjoy the concept of finding your next right thing， as she calls it， and this book is meant to take this topic a layer deeper。 However， the "room" analogy really didn't work for me。 It felt forced， clunky， and quite odd。 I remember hearing the title for the first time and being confused—and I couldn't shake that confusion throughout the book。 It also lacked scripture and theological reasoning， which I expected more of with her Let me begin by saying I'm a long-time admirer of EPF and her work。 I enjoy the concept of finding your next right thing， as she calls it， and this book is meant to take this topic a layer deeper。 However， the "room" analogy really didn't work for me。 It felt forced， clunky， and quite odd。 I remember hearing the title for the first time and being confused—and I couldn't shake that confusion throughout the book。 It also lacked scripture and theological reasoning， which I expected more of with her growing work as a spiritual director。 The one part of the book I liked was her chapter on Arrows and Answers， where she vulnerable shares her family's journey in deciding to leave their church。 I wish there were more stories like this instead of returning to the odd analogy。 I'm so bummed this fell flat for me。 I'll still enjoy her podcast！ 。。。more
A。C。 Cuddy
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This is the first book I have read by this author。 I will say that I was intrigued by the title alone but I did have some trouble keeping my attention on the book。 The premise of the book and the real-life stories told by the author helped to keep my attention。Disclosure: I received this book free via NetGalley。 The opinions I have expressed are my own， and I was not required to write a positive review。
Caroline
，
As a fan of Emily's writing and online community， her latest book， How to Walk into a Room， is a book that I will add to my library and grab during seasons of transition and even grief when I need some comforting and/or challenging words about entering or leaving a room。 Thank you， NetGalley and HarperOne for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review。 As a fan of Emily's writing and online community， her latest book， How to Walk into a Room， is a book that I will add to my library and grab during seasons of transition and even grief when I need some comforting and/or challenging words about entering or leaving a room。 Thank you， NetGalley and HarperOne for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Amy Fukunaga
，
This book is wonderful。 The title makes it sound like it’s for new beginnings （which is definitely part of it） but it is also about the process of leaving， changing， and grieving。 The author has specific questions to ask yourself in all stages of leaving/entering new “rooms”。 It was just so good。 I think this will be a book I come back to regularly， especially during transitions。 Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC！
Crystal Storms
，
How to Walk into a Room by Emily P。 Freeman was a beautiful way to walk into the new year。 I have read all of Emily's book and loved them all—including this one。 Though I did have a hard time getting into this book。 One reason is there were no rooms in my life I was considering leaving when I read this book。 But whether we're entering a new room to us or a literal room， Emily's insights of bringing our full selves with us and how that looks contained valuable insights。 She shared beautifully her How to Walk into a Room by Emily P。 Freeman was a beautiful way to walk into the new year。 I have read all of Emily's book and loved them all—including this one。 Though I did have a hard time getting into this book。 One reason is there were no rooms in my life I was considering leaving when I read this book。 But whether we're entering a new room to us or a literal room， Emily's insights of bringing our full selves with us and how that looks contained valuable insights。 She shared beautifully her part of her story with vulnerability and sensitivity。 I have many highlights and takeaways that I will carry with me。 。。。more
Jenn Hutchinson
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This is a great practical book on how to discern when to leave and when to stay。 It has excellent life applications asks the reader a lot of self reflective questions and walked me through on how to know when to exit a room in life， how to exit it well， and how to enter the next one and all of the things in between。 I highly recommend this book to anyone who's contemplating whether it's time to go or to stay in any area of your life。 This is a great practical book on how to discern when to leave and when to stay。 It has excellent life applications asks the reader a lot of self reflective questions and walked me through on how to know when to exit a room in life， how to exit it well， and how to enter the next one and all of the things in between。 I highly recommend this book to anyone who's contemplating whether it's time to go or to stay in any area of your life。 。。。more
Jennie
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I thought this book， How to Walk into a Room – The Art of Knowing When to stay and When to Walk Away， would be great based on the description， but I have struggled with it a bit， so this is hard for me review。 I like Emily Freeman， she has great books， as I have read her other books in the past。I am not sure if it is the metaphor of the word “room” being used over and over or that I didn’t find much in application。 There were a few parts that I liked and were helpful， but the book just didn’t se I thought this book， How to Walk into a Room – The Art of Knowing When to stay and When to Walk Away， would be great based on the description， but I have struggled with it a bit， so this is hard for me review。 I like Emily Freeman， she has great books， as I have read her other books in the past。I am not sure if it is the metaphor of the word “room” being used over and over or that I didn’t find much in application。 There were a few parts that I liked and were helpful， but the book just didn’t seem to be what I thought it would have been。 I would have also liked to see more biblical applications， but it seems more psychology type applications are used。 Of course， I don’t always agree theology wise with her （based on differences）， and I see from what she has shared from parts of her life that it is still that way。 That is okay， I can still learn from others that I don’t always agree theology wise with。 However， I know that others may not be able to get past those parts， so it is definitely not a book for those who are from a biblical reformed background。I think I may have liked it more if she provided more examples instead of talking in metaphor and shared more examples of applying the steps she used。The part I really liked is where she talks about， how our backgrounds， experiences affect how we interact with others and make decisions on whether it is time for us to stay in this “room” or leave the “room”。 Also， what we will learn from it。 Quote: “How we’re formed informs how we walk into rooms。 And how we walk into rooms has an impact on what happens once we get there。” “How we walk into new rooms often depends on the last rooms we were in and how our time there ended。” Much of section two of the book was relatable， having had some situations in my life where things ended well and other times things didn’t end well。 So， I can see how knowing these things and taking the time to work through it would be helpful for the next “room” you walk into or leave。 Great question to ask “Is it time for me to pause， to stay， or to walk away？” She offers many other types of questions and suggestions， so these parts may be helpful for you if you are in a situation you need discernment in。 。。。more
Tamara
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As sort of a continuation of her last book， The Next Right Thing， Emily leads us toward an expanse: less about what to do in the next ten minutes or hour or week， and more about large-scale， life-changing decision-making。 Centered on trusting your intuition and your power of discernment （with or without a higher power）， there are lists of thoughtful questions to consider。 One of those that stuck with me the most is， a 'flag' is not necessarily red or green automatically。 Instead， start out with As sort of a continuation of her last book， The Next Right Thing， Emily leads us toward an expanse: less about what to do in the next ten minutes or hour or week， and more about large-scale， life-changing decision-making。 Centered on trusting your intuition and your power of discernment （with or without a higher power）， there are lists of thoughtful questions to consider。 One of those that stuck with me the most is， a 'flag' is not necessarily red or green automatically。 Instead， start out with a 'yellow flag' and see it as a caution sign to re-evaluate your situation， not an instant red。Emily shares vulnerable， tangible stories from her own life with her own difficult decisions， and the nuanced way she describes these specific shifts in her life aid in expressing the universal concepts highlighted in the rest of the book。As I was reading， what had the biggest impact on me was reflecting on past relationship choices that weren't necessarily mine to make - more like I was forced out of the room of friendship by the other people （though I did make the decision to intentionally not stay in the dysfunctional room with them）。 There was no closure， just an immediate silence， and the situations I'm thinking of happened during 2020， when I needed these friends the most， so it hurt the most when I had to give them up。 Emily's framework describing how to reflect on past decisions and how to employ that reflection in making future ones is a wise， helpful， discerning， and profound perspective。 Instead of relying on one-size-fits-all answers， she encourages us to trust in ourselves。 We already have the answer， we already have a 'spiritual personality' and 'inner compass' and core values （and she helps us unveil these personal facets）， it just may take some time， a long time， but it's worth it。 This book reassures us that it's okay to take that time， to linger on thresholds and in hallways， to reveal the rooms that align with our true authentic selves。 。。。more
Jessie Young
，
I’ve been following EPF for a long while so when she started posting on Instagram about walking out of a room， I started to pay attention。 I was walking out of a room。 It resonated， deeply。 And then I heard about this book。 I had to read it。 It offered wisdom and encouragement while also showing me how to ask questions in order to identify things and make decisions。 Overall I would say it was helpful for me as I stand in a hallway。 I did feel a little like it was missing something。 It seemed rep I’ve been following EPF for a long while so when she started posting on Instagram about walking out of a room， I started to pay attention。 I was walking out of a room。 It resonated， deeply。 And then I heard about this book。 I had to read it。 It offered wisdom and encouragement while also showing me how to ask questions in order to identify things and make decisions。 Overall I would say it was helpful for me as I stand in a hallway。 I did feel a little like it was missing something。 It seemed repetitive， like it could have been chopped in half and made more precise and been fantastic。 That is the only reason I give it 4 instead of 5 stars。 I appreciate EPF style and her voice。 It is gentle and kind but also not going to take your crap！ It was an easy read that left me with questions to ask in future situations in the future。 。。。more
Holly
，
In her forthcoming book， EPF gently opens the door for us。 It reads as a memoir of sorts， sharing her story and her family’s journey over the past several years。 With the memoir bent， I hesitate to rate it fewer than 5 stars， as I applaud the honesty and vulnerability required to pour out such a work。 I believe The Next Right Thing set the bar so high， I wanted How To Walk Into A Room to meet or exceed similar expectations。
Ann
，
As a fan of Emily P。 Freeman， I generally like everything that she creates。 How To Walk Into A Room is no different， however it is not my favorite of her creations。 I think the reader of this book will need to be at a certain place in their life…perhaps discerning what’s ahead， perhaps making a literal or figurative move， perhaps walking away from a relationship or quite possibly just wanting to see what’s behind the next door。 With the help of this book and Ms。 Freeman’s vast knowledge and good As a fan of Emily P。 Freeman， I generally like everything that she creates。 How To Walk Into A Room is no different， however it is not my favorite of her creations。 I think the reader of this book will need to be at a certain place in their life…perhaps discerning what’s ahead， perhaps making a literal or figurative move， perhaps walking away from a relationship or quite possibly just wanting to see what’s behind the next door。 With the help of this book and Ms。 Freeman’s vast knowledge and good judgment， the reader should be able to peel away the layers of confusion leading them to their own wise choices and self-confidence。 。。。more
Nathan
，
A good framework for the concept of discernment。 It makes things simple to help you think through what are otherwise some weighty， confusing， complex life decisions。（I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley）
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how to walk into a room the art of knowing when to stay and when to walk away