What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid?: Discover a Life Filled with Purpose and Joy Through the Secrets of Jewish Wisdom
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- Create Date：2021-06-02 09:31:03
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Michal Oshman
- ISBN：0744029104
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Laura
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I am definitely a person that lives with random bouts of fear and anxiety with making decisions， choices， big steps， etc。I found these lessons in the Hasidic principles of Jewish wisdom so thoughtful and intregal to living a well balanced life。 Their purpose to replace fear and anxiety with joy and purpose。 As with all Jewish religious rituals and prayers everything is symbolic。 This book describes through the authors own experiences how she learned from these lessons and how these lessons were I am definitely a person that lives with random bouts of fear and anxiety with making decisions， choices， big steps， etc。I found these lessons in the Hasidic principles of Jewish wisdom so thoughtful and intregal to living a well balanced life。 Their purpose to replace fear and anxiety with joy and purpose。 As with all Jewish religious rituals and prayers everything is symbolic。 This book describes through the authors own experiences how she learned from these lessons and how these lessons were realized in her own life。We had an interfaith wedding with a Pastor and a Rabbi and my husband broke the glass， we stood under the Chuppah and we signed our Ketubah which is framed on our wall。 We celebrate Passover， Hanukah， and Yom Kippur。 I loved reading more about some of the wisdom beyond what I've read in the Haggadah and what our Rabbi spoke at our ceremony。This book isn't to convert it can be read from any religions perspective。 It is for self reflection and growth on your own journey of purpose。The areas of the book that really stood out to me were:✨Mitzrayim - "boundaries" my internal chains。 I have so many- Self doubt， jealousy， body dismorphia， and social media。✨Soul and Death- ok this wasn't answered but young Michal I have the same questions about where all the feelings go when a person dies。 They can't just disappear。✨ Your purpose- doesn't have to be grand。 It takes time， its a journey。 You don't have to share it on social media， it's discovered as you go。✨"The day you were born is the day God decided he was missing you。" -Rebbe Nachman of Breslov 。 I want to add this to our Lexicon。 I love this！✨Be a Mensch - self explanatory✨ Compliment game - I want to add this into our week as well。 I think it's great！ There was a lot more I flagged that I loved and want to use but I'm a work in progress。 Def recommend to add to your non fic shelves。Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Thank you net galley and penguinrandomhouse for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review。 。。。more
Arnold
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Excellent book， can be used as jumping off point for girls on body image， food issues， and more。
Nicole
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Thank you @penguinrandomhouse @bookishfirst for my review copy！I really enjoyed learning about the Jewish wisdom that Michal shares in this book and found some of it helpful in applying it to my own life。 I’m not Jewish， and I’m not really familiar with the religion， but the author did a great job explaining Jewish words and concepts in a way that made it easy to understand。 I really think that everyone can take something from this book to better themselves。 Even if it’s just to strive to be a g Thank you @penguinrandomhouse @bookishfirst for my review copy！I really enjoyed learning about the Jewish wisdom that Michal shares in this book and found some of it helpful in applying it to my own life。 I’m not Jewish， and I’m not really familiar with the religion， but the author did a great job explaining Jewish words and concepts in a way that made it easy to understand。 I really think that everyone can take something from this book to better themselves。 Even if it’s just to strive to be a good person。 。。。more
Jessica G
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Thanks to bookish first and the publisherFor my gifted copy What would you do if you weren’t afraid？The title and the main question asked throughout this book。I loved it。 Different from what I normally read but so insightful。From the title I instantly thought of a bunch of things I would do if I wasn't afraid。 Could I change my job？ Could I learn something new？ Could I come up with a new hobby？ The way my relationship is？ I like how she touched on all the subjects someone may be stuck on in the Thanks to bookish first and the publisherFor my gifted copy What would you do if you weren’t afraid？The title and the main question asked throughout this book。I loved it。 Different from what I normally read but so insightful。From the title I instantly thought of a bunch of things I would do if I wasn't afraid。 Could I change my job？ Could I learn something new？ Could I come up with a new hobby？ The way my relationship is？ I like how she touched on all the subjects someone may be stuck on in their life， from self to work to familyAnd everything in between。 And I loved how she used Jewish wisdom to try and teach us different ways to look at things。 The end of each chapter has questions to ask yourself while you are on a path to reinventing yourself。This is great read。 I can’t wait to go back over the questions and see if this will help me in my everyday life。 Hey even if you have your stuff together this may still be insightful to learn other ways to look at things。 。。。more
Kristi Clifton
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I wasn’t sure what to expect from Michal Oshman’s What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid？， as the title seemed to suggest somewhat self help。 However， this book does a fairly good job weaving in leadership skills， religion and a little bit of self help—I mean， ask yourself…what would you do if you weren’t afraid？The book is well written and well balanced。 The author is head of TikTok Culture in Europe， and to me， that means that she has to stay up on issues， culture， what is new and upcoming。 I I wasn’t sure what to expect from Michal Oshman’s What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid？， as the title seemed to suggest somewhat self help。 However， this book does a fairly good job weaving in leadership skills， religion and a little bit of self help—I mean， ask yourself…what would you do if you weren’t afraid？The book is well written and well balanced。 The author is head of TikTok Culture in Europe， and to me， that means that she has to stay up on issues， culture， what is new and upcoming。 It was amazing to hear how much she dealt with anxiety， although to be honest， she does not talk about it that much。 I did like the reflective questions at the end of each chapter。 It sounds odd， but one of the things that I didn’t like about it was the title。 The title just seems bulky and while yes， it does fit the book…it just seems like an odd title compared to similar books。 。。。more
Irezelina
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Thank you Bookish First， author Michal Oshman and her publishing company for providing a copy of What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid ARC for my review。 I finished reading this book very quickly because it was easy to read， had good suggestions/anecdotes with stories， and was structured very well。 I also tried to get through it faster so I could write a review on it。 However， if you are reading it for actual advice and following the guides to self-discovery then this book will take much longe Thank you Bookish First， author Michal Oshman and her publishing company for providing a copy of What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid ARC for my review。 I finished reading this book very quickly because it was easy to read， had good suggestions/anecdotes with stories， and was structured very well。 I also tried to get through it faster so I could write a review on it。 However， if you are reading it for actual advice and following the guides to self-discovery then this book will take much longer to get through。 If you're looking for a clear solution to your insecurities， worries， or stress: this isn't it。 There isn't a clear answer to any of the problems， and Michal is still figuring out some of it herself， but that makes complete sense！ Everyone's life is different so the solution is obviously going to be different too。 You really need to put in the time and effort to self-reflect， learn about your needs， acknowledge your weaknesses， and most importantly take action to change and improve。 Obviously， it's easier said than done。 The book itself is super short and Michal says it worked for her， but the entire process took her whole life and you can't expect to transform completely after reading the book。 I like how she has guides with really probing and thoughtful questions that make you think。 And she said these answers can change as you age， which is too true！ If you take the time to complete the guides I think you can learn so much more about yourself。I told my sister about this book and read little excerpts of passages that reminded me of her， and she felt like it hit her right on the nose。 She is looking forward to reading this book and seeing if she will improve。 Also now that I'm done with the review， I will go back and fill out those guides as well。 Thanks for a great read！ 。。。more
Kristin Schimp
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Thank you to Bookish First and Penguin Random House for the ARC book in exchange for my honest review。 I took a chance on this book through the Bookish First raffle because I was intrigued by the first impression I was able to read。 This book was definitely inspirational， eye-opening， and educational all at once。 I am not of Jewish religion， but I definitely learned a lot from Michal about the Jewish religion and culture。 Her stories were uplifting and inspirational。 I was actually not aware of Thank you to Bookish First and Penguin Random House for the ARC book in exchange for my honest review。 I took a chance on this book through the Bookish First raffle because I was intrigued by the first impression I was able to read。 This book was definitely inspirational， eye-opening， and educational all at once。 I am not of Jewish religion， but I definitely learned a lot from Michal about the Jewish religion and culture。 Her stories were uplifting and inspirational。 I was actually not aware of who she even was prior to reading this book。 I think her message is very powerful for women from all backgrounds， socioeconomic statuses， careers， etc。 In addition to all of this， it was also a very fast-paced and easy read。 If you've ever read any books by Rachel Hollis， this book reminded me of the same style of writing and contained similar themes/concepts。 I'm interested to see how this book does on the market。 。。。more
Kate
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This book is extraordinary！ I was initially drawn into this book with the idea of learning about the Jewish wisdom secrets that Michal claims to share。 I loved learning about her life and some of the history of her ancestors。 Her grandmother jumped from a train that was heading to a concentration camp！ My own great grandfather， with Jewish heritage， immigrated from Austria to the United States a couple of decades before the Nazi invasion of Austria。 Thus， my ancestors were not personally involve This book is extraordinary！ I was initially drawn into this book with the idea of learning about the Jewish wisdom secrets that Michal claims to share。 I loved learning about her life and some of the history of her ancestors。 Her grandmother jumped from a train that was heading to a concentration camp！ My own great grandfather， with Jewish heritage， immigrated from Austria to the United States a couple of decades before the Nazi invasion of Austria。 Thus， my ancestors were not personally involved， but I frequently wonder what would have happened had they not immigrated when they did。 While I am not a Jew religiously， I love learning about other cultures， especially those that I have ancestral ties to。 One of the things that most surprised me， was how each of the Hebrew words of wisdoms and their meaning translated into a similar teaching that I have been taught in my own religion。 It was really eye opening how similar we， as humans， really are， despite our differences。I found Michal to be such an engaging author！ She is so relatable！ I， too， have felt the fear that she has， though my life circumstances be different。 I am so inspired by how she has overcome so many of her fears and had such extraordinary faith and bravery。 This women has been dealt her fair share of hardships and she is so vulnerable and honest in discussing them through the books。 But she was resilient and was strengthened by each of them。 Her story is uplifting and motivating。While the book is part memoir， it also weaves in Jewish wisdom。 While many of these are ideas that I have already been taught， she teaches them in a way that really touched me differently than these ideas have in the past。 These concepts teach the reader how to be more compassionate and empathetic， to put faith over fear， and how to live a more joyful life。 They teach how serving and providing room for others， can help us develop humility， confidence， and contentment。A quotation from the ending of the book really brought things full circle for me。"。。。You have the power to assess where you are and where you ought to be。 View every single day as an opportunity to adjust， to correct， to forgive or be forgiven， to reflect and evaluate and to always， always， move forward。"No matter where you are in your life or what religion you do or do not practice， I feel this book is exceptional。 It is insightful， moving， and I learned a lot from it。 It teaches how to be a benevolent and more cheerful person through ancient wisdom that has been passed down from ancestors。 This wisdom can， and should， be applied today too。Thank you to the publisher， DK publishing， for an advanced reader's copy！ I have a hard time doing anything to "blemish" a book， but I couldn't help but highlight some of the soul-stirring words in this book。 I plan to come back to it frequently！ 。。。more
Christy
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I was lucky to have won a copy of this book via BookishFirst！ :）Let's get into the review~The cover: The cover features Michal Oshman herself in a confident pose with a vibrant green background。 Love the shade of green~The book overall: I really enjoyed it。 I love a good self-help book， especially when it's something more refreshing and different。 Oshman speaks on her own personal experiences struggling with anxiety throughout her life。 As she goes into detail on her personal hardships， she demo I was lucky to have won a copy of this book via BookishFirst！ :）Let's get into the review~The cover: The cover features Michal Oshman herself in a confident pose with a vibrant green background。 Love the shade of green~The book overall: I really enjoyed it。 I love a good self-help book， especially when it's something more refreshing and different。 Oshman speaks on her own personal experiences struggling with anxiety throughout her life。 As she goes into detail on her personal hardships， she demonstrates how to use Jewish wisdom to overcome them。 This is not a subject I have read much about and it was interesting to learn from。 My favorite things about the book: I really like the glossary in the very back of the novel that thoroughly defines topics that Oshman speaks on throughout her novel。 This includes Jewish ideals， texts， and personalities/figures。 This is a very helpful reference to come back to regarding context。 。。。more
Karen
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I read a chapter each night over ten days of Michal Oshman’s What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid？ I liked the idea of a quote from either a famous person， the Bible，。。。。that appeared at the beginning of each chapter a good idea。 I found myself reading the Jewish word and meaning along with the questions at the end of a chapter （except chapter one） first before actually reading the chapter helpful to me。 I liked her personal stories and an over riding idea that you are in charge of yourself。 I read a chapter each night over ten days of Michal Oshman’s What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid？ I liked the idea of a quote from either a famous person， the Bible，。。。。that appeared at the beginning of each chapter a good idea。 I found myself reading the Jewish word and meaning along with the questions at the end of a chapter （except chapter one） first before actually reading the chapter helpful to me。 I liked her personal stories and an over riding idea that you are in charge of yourself。 It is never to late to start over， to change something， and be accepting of others。 At the end of the book， Oshman has an excellent glossary of terms。 Chapter 10 is the most inspiring for me。 “Return to Yourself。” We are a journey and can experience change through continued self examination。 I see this book as a resource and one that can be read over and over。 Thank you Penguin Random House and Bookishfirst for an ARC of this book。 The opinions in this review are my own。 。。。more
Tammy
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This author does a great job of presenting her change in philosophy， using Jewish principles， without making you feel like she is trying to convert you to Judaism。 She discusses her journey through the process and how it helped her。 She begins with having one acknowledge where they are 'now' - how they're internally restricting themselves; then moves on to finding one's passion/purpose and moving past those internal restrictions。 She states - sometimes this takes a leap of faith - ACTION！ Althou This author does a great job of presenting her change in philosophy， using Jewish principles， without making you feel like she is trying to convert you to Judaism。 She discusses her journey through the process and how it helped her。 She begins with having one acknowledge where they are 'now' - how they're internally restricting themselves; then moves on to finding one's passion/purpose and moving past those internal restrictions。 She states - sometimes this takes a leap of faith - ACTION！ Although she discusses the process in much more detail， this is the basic gist。 Some highlights - I enjoyed her discussion and definition on being a "mensch" - someone "known particularly for choosing to do the right thing for the benefit of others。" Also， the concept of getting one's ego out of the way to make space for others to shine。 I would recommend this book for self-reflection and growth。 I received an ARC copy of the book and all comments and thoughts are my unbiased opinion。 Thanks #bookishfirst ！ PenguinRandomHouse #Whatwouldyoudoifyouwerentafraid #MichalOshman 。。。more
Rachel
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This was a really insightful book。 When I saw that it was under the self-help category I was a little iffy about starting this book。 Was so happy to find out that this book is not a typical self help book that is in your face and making you judge yourself。 It is based on true stories from the writers life- and offered the solutions that worked best for her when overcoming life’s obstacles。 It made me think into my own Jewish heritage and how I approach certain situations。 Being around the same a This was a really insightful book。 When I saw that it was under the self-help category I was a little iffy about starting this book。 Was so happy to find out that this book is not a typical self help book that is in your face and making you judge yourself。 It is based on true stories from the writers life- and offered the solutions that worked best for her when overcoming life’s obstacles。 It made me think into my own Jewish heritage and how I approach certain situations。 Being around the same age as the author I was able to relate to certain time periods of her life。 Her writing makes me feel like I have a friend telling me about herself。 She really digs deep into herself and her Jewish heritage to offer a different outlook on dealing with everyday situations （i。e job issues， heartache， loss， parenting etc。） Her way of writing is smooth and enjoyable。 I would definitely read something else written by this author。 。。。more
Tracy
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Surprisingly inspiringI thought this would be another typical self-help， overly positive， it's all within you type book but I was surprisingly drawn in by her background and thought-process。 This is a book that anyone could gain wisdom from， whether you are Jewish or not。 I liked that it is not a religious book either， but drawing from Jewish wisdom， principles and Hebrew terms。 I learned a lot about Jewish wisdom and culture through What would you do if you weren't afraid？Honestly， this book mi Surprisingly inspiringI thought this would be another typical self-help， overly positive， it's all within you type book but I was surprisingly drawn in by her background and thought-process。 This is a book that anyone could gain wisdom from， whether you are Jewish or not。 I liked that it is not a religious book either， but drawing from Jewish wisdom， principles and Hebrew terms。 I learned a lot about Jewish wisdom and culture through What would you do if you weren't afraid？Honestly， this book might be even better in audio format so you could learn the pronunciations as well。 I would have liked the phonetic spelling with each Jewish principle。The quotes were a great addition and the questions at the end of each chapter were thought-provoking。 Michal has lived a really interesting life， and I think there could be more personal stories， since that was the best part for me （more memoir and less self-help）。I liked this quote。。。"Instead of trying to be a different person in each of the different settings of her life， she was simply herself in all of them。" 。。。more
elsa
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You don't have to be Jewish to appreciate the advice in Michal Oshmans new self-help book， What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid。 The author invites her readers to open their minds to Jewish sacred teachings to better their home and work lives。 Since this book is also autobiographical， we can see this advice used in the authors own life。 I enjoyed learning about Judaism while learning new ways of coping with anxiety， finding your purpose， and dealing with others。 I appreciate how Oshman helps You don't have to be Jewish to appreciate the advice in Michal Oshmans new self-help book， What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid。 The author invites her readers to open their minds to Jewish sacred teachings to better their home and work lives。 Since this book is also autobiographical， we can see this advice used in the authors own life。 I enjoyed learning about Judaism while learning new ways of coping with anxiety， finding your purpose， and dealing with others。 I appreciate how Oshman helps her readers incorporate her ideas by providing questions at the end of every chapter。 Anyone can use these teachings in their daily lives。 Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in return for my honest review。 。。。more
Elizabeth Chandler
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I received an ARC of this title via Bookish First （Thank you！） in exchange for an honest review。 This was one of the better books I’ve read in a long time and I don’t normally read self help books。 As someone with anxiety I found this to be extremely helpful in finding new ways to think about myself and others around me that I lead。 I started wanting to power read it through like I do my other books but instead I discovered myself taking a chapter a day。 This allowed me to soak through what I’d I received an ARC of this title via Bookish First （Thank you！） in exchange for an honest review。 This was one of the better books I’ve read in a long time and I don’t normally read self help books。 As someone with anxiety I found this to be extremely helpful in finding new ways to think about myself and others around me that I lead。 I started wanting to power read it through like I do my other books but instead I discovered myself taking a chapter a day。 This allowed me to soak through what I’d learned and apply those skills the next day。 The only reason I did not give this book five stars （I would have done 4。5 if I could） was because the ninth chapter was about leading children。 I have no problem with children and others will probably not find this an issue like I did。 The issue was that there was no disclaimer of “if you don’t have children you can skip or try to apply this into another aspect of your life” but rather it assumed I had children。 As a married woman in her twenties the idea of children gets pushed on you a lot so I didn’t really enjoy the assumption。 The rest of the book hands down five stars！ 。。。more
Tatyana （The Literature Llama）
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I was very excited to receive this book and dive into it。 The first chapter stayed with me for several days and I thought this book would cover a lot more about anxiety and how to overcome your fears， but despite the title， it did not cover that。 This book is filled with great tips for changing your mindset and being more are of who you are as a person， but I just hoped for a bit more。 I loved reading about her story and journey， but I just felt like it got a bit repetitive after a while。
Mj
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There are many aspects of Ms。 Oshman’s book that are worth contemplating at any age。 One that resonated strongly with me is the idea of having a purpose in life。 Replace fears you might have by figuring out what is meaningful in your life。 Why are you here？ It’s not surprising it’s been shown that people live longer when they have purpose in their lives。 Many times that involves caring for another human being or caring for our earth。 Taking action in a positive way and moving toward a purpose wi There are many aspects of Ms。 Oshman’s book that are worth contemplating at any age。 One that resonated strongly with me is the idea of having a purpose in life。 Replace fears you might have by figuring out what is meaningful in your life。 Why are you here？ It’s not surprising it’s been shown that people live longer when they have purpose in their lives。 Many times that involves caring for another human being or caring for our earth。 Taking action in a positive way and moving toward a purpose will help one move away from fear。Michal Oshman gave examples of how the ideas she practices in her daily life would benefit places of business as well as families as well as just people in their everyday life。 One of these ideas she described as taking up less space yourself and giving others more space。 In other words， give others a chance to excel， listen to others and do less talking yourself， truly see others and care about them。 Incorporate the practice of showing gratitude， giving compliments， and positive feedback to others and teach this to your children。All of Ms。 Oshman’s advice is presented with good examples and questions at the end of each chapter to reflect upon and apply to your own life。 Many people will be quite familiar with the ideas she espouses depending upon ones stage in life or what a person’s profession has been。 There is certainly value in her book for all， however， depending upon whether some of the ideas are new to a person or just a reinforcement or reminder for those who have put many into practice already。I thank DK London through Penguin Random House and BookishFirst for my advanced copy of this book。 。。。more
Gabriela Zago
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I think it is interesting that this book is somewhere in between an auto biography and a self help book。 Michal has a pretty interesting life and career， being born in Israel， living in London， working for some major companies， and having 4 kids in between。 But the book isn’t really about her， but rather about using Jewish principles as an inspiration to lead a better life。 The question/title - What would you do if you weren’t afraid？ - is at the same time an inspiration and an invitation to ret I think it is interesting that this book is somewhere in between an auto biography and a self help book。 Michal has a pretty interesting life and career， being born in Israel， living in London， working for some major companies， and having 4 kids in between。 But the book isn’t really about her， but rather about using Jewish principles as an inspiration to lead a better life。 The question/title - What would you do if you weren’t afraid？ - is at the same time an inspiration and an invitation to rethink how we face difficulties in life。 We can see bad things as obstacles， but we can also see them as opportunities to grow。 And I feel like the book in the end is more about that - learning from our mistakes， and also not being afraid of making choices and eventually making mistakes。 If you make no mistakes it can mean that you’re maybe not trying hard enough， which makes sense。 So basically， you already have the “no” as an answer to anything you still didn’t try in life。 What’s the worse it can happen if you try？ Maybe change to a yes？ Worst case scenario you’re back with the no you already had and can move on and try the next opportunity。 。。。more
Megan Upshaw
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I won an advanced copy of this book from Penguin Random House and BookishFirst in exchange for a full review。"What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid" is a self-help book by Michal Oshman， head of culture at TikTok Europe and a former leadership expert at Facebook。 As someone so successful， you would expect her to deal with severe， often crippling anxiety in her daily life。 By embracing her Jewish heritage and it's teachings， Oshman has been able to handle this anxiety and is sharing her experie I won an advanced copy of this book from Penguin Random House and BookishFirst in exchange for a full review。"What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid" is a self-help book by Michal Oshman， head of culture at TikTok Europe and a former leadership expert at Facebook。 As someone so successful， you would expect her to deal with severe， often crippling anxiety in her daily life。 By embracing her Jewish heritage and it's teachings， Oshman has been able to handle this anxiety and is sharing her experiences with the reader。First， the good。 Oshman explains each Hebrew/Jewish concept well。 She provides a definition and often breaks down the origins of the word or phrases so that we can get a better grip on its meaning。 I also liked that each chapter was short enough that you didn't get bogged down in a single concept at the expense of the others。 Her parenting chapter， in particular， does a good job of bringing everything together。 My favorite aspect was that she includes reflection questions at the end of each chapter to make the concepts a bit more practical。Now， the bad。 Based on the title and the preview chapter I'd read before receiving the book， I has assumed， perhaps unfairly， that this book would deal with anxiety more than it did。 Outside the first few chapters， it comes up only rarely。 Additionally， while the Jewish wisdom that Oshman imparts may cause you to look at things differently， the core messages are no different than other self-help books。Overall， the book is enjoyable， but if you've read many self-help books in the past， you probably won't discover anything new in this book。 。。。more
Ally
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This book was everything I needed。 It started off describing her past and where she came from， which was super interesting to me。 Some of the things she mentioned and how her family was， how she cant eat or look at chicken noodle soup for the reason her Grandmother always fed it to her， so she would never have to feel the pain of starvation。 It connects me to my Great Grandma， and alot of the similar things happened。 She goes in to talk about her anxiety， and from the first sentence I read， it r This book was everything I needed。 It started off describing her past and where she came from， which was super interesting to me。 Some of the things she mentioned and how her family was， how she cant eat or look at chicken noodle soup for the reason her Grandmother always fed it to her， so she would never have to feel the pain of starvation。 It connects me to my Great Grandma， and alot of the similar things happened。 She goes in to talk about her anxiety， and from the first sentence I read， it related to me so much。 My first thought， how could someone feel the exact same way I do， for the exact same reasons。 I loved the pages you get to fill out at the end of each chapter。 It really makes you take the time to reflect on what you just read， and put in a deeper thought。 I am so glad I have this copy， I will forever relate back to this book！ If you are thinking about it， just get it！ 。。。more
Mandy Hazen
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This book takes an empathetic approach and gives bite size approaches and allows you to have kindness and patience with yourself when dealing with life。 This is so necessary for everyone to read in life。 Highly recommend。 Especially loved the reflection to true life to humanize my feelings and relate。 I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。
Danielle Hammelef
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I enjoyed the conversational style of this inspiring book。 The author shared her own life experiences as a corporate leader， wife， daughter， and parent throughout the book as she both revealed how she learned about the ancient wisdom and how she applied it to her own life and relationships。Readers definitely don't need to be Jewish to appreciate the advice the author gives her readers about how to change their thinking about the world and their purpose in it。 Everyone has purpose and the key to I enjoyed the conversational style of this inspiring book。 The author shared her own life experiences as a corporate leader， wife， daughter， and parent throughout the book as she both revealed how she learned about the ancient wisdom and how she applied it to her own life and relationships。Readers definitely don't need to be Jewish to appreciate the advice the author gives her readers about how to change their thinking about the world and their purpose in it。 Everyone has purpose and the key to happiness is finding your purpose in life。 Purpose gives us hope and something to live for。 She provides thought questions at the end of each chapter for readers to consider because self reflection is the key to growth。 Failing at something is only possible if you face your fears and try crossing the bridge to your life calling。The one quote that stuck with me and gave me that "ah-ha" moment was on page 21: "I realized that the story of the Israelites' escape from Egypt isn't just a historical story about liberation from slavery。 It's a story that is lived every single day。 It's the human story of liberating ourselves from narrowness， from our own personal restrictions， our own self-slavery。" The author asks her readers to think about what is making them fearful， causing anxiety， stopping them from finding their joy。Overall， this is a quick and insightful book that has helped me think about my own chains as well as change the way I think about being afraid。 This is not a quick fix idea， but one that is a life pursuit and will take work every day。 。。。more
Tamarah
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Michal shares her story as if confiding what she's learned through her struggles and despite herself。 The delightful unfolding of her breakthrough mindset shift and attitude change becomes winsome and attractive as she puts forth the essential ingredients so that anyone interested and determined can craft their own stunning delicacy of a newly born life and a freshly renovated fixer-upper。 Hands-down winner from "do-as-I-do" and copy-me-closely gurus w ho seek to ride the wave of popularity with Michal shares her story as if confiding what she's learned through her struggles and despite herself。 The delightful unfolding of her breakthrough mindset shift and attitude change becomes winsome and attractive as she puts forth the essential ingredients so that anyone interested and determined can craft their own stunning delicacy of a newly born life and a freshly renovated fixer-upper。 Hands-down winner from "do-as-I-do" and copy-me-closely gurus w ho seek to ride the wave of popularity with fans drawn by the charm of empty promises to have life better quick without the struggle。 Michal stumbles upon the gems， and offers herself as a Sacagawea type who knows the way and can translate the language available to anyone who seeks the treasure that is not far from any one of us for if we reach out for it we will find it， because it wants to be found！ After reading the first chapter in an advanced review copy， this one is not just on my to-read list but to-read soon and one to read again and again！ 。。。more
Megan
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I was ready to adore this book。 I was hoping for insights and ideas。 I had been a little wary of her discussions regarding therapists because it just seemed like she had crappy therapists。 And I was right。 She just had crappy therapists and discusses how much they sucked throughout。 The insights she pulls are just a rehashing of much what has been written about by many current writers such as Brent Brown （whom she cites as a reference）。 It’s a good collection of ideas。 Just not what I was hoping I was ready to adore this book。 I was hoping for insights and ideas。 I had been a little wary of her discussions regarding therapists because it just seemed like she had crappy therapists。 And I was right。 She just had crappy therapists and discusses how much they sucked throughout。 The insights she pulls are just a rehashing of much what has been written about by many current writers such as Brent Brown （whom she cites as a reference）。 It’s a good collection of ideas。 Just not what I was hoping for。 。。。more
April
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Thank you to Dorling Kindersley Limited/Penguin Random House and Michal Oshman for an ARC of What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid？。 I won my copy on Bookish First。 I don't give away spoilers in my reviews -I always add this but really this isn't the type of book that has spoilers。 I very much enjoyed this book。 I loved the explanations of Jewish wisdom and the personal stories Ms。 Oshman shared。 Ayeka - The moving away from blame and looking inwards concept is amazing。 I practice mindfulness Thank you to Dorling Kindersley Limited/Penguin Random House and Michal Oshman for an ARC of What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid？。 I won my copy on Bookish First。 I don't give away spoilers in my reviews -I always add this but really this isn't the type of book that has spoilers。 I very much enjoyed this book。 I loved the explanations of Jewish wisdom and the personal stories Ms。 Oshman shared。 Ayeka - The moving away from blame and looking inwards concept is amazing。 I practice mindfulness and this practice fits with it。 It's hard for me to explain， but that alone was worth reading her book。 I also loved the concept that Home is a small sanctuary。 I have always viewed my home as my sanctuary and not just in a physical sense - also in an emotional sense。 The part of the book where Ms。 Oshman discusses a job opportunity where her hair was discussed hit home for me as well。 I have curly hair too and have also been advised to straighten it， people take you more seriously if it's straight， etc。 She sums up all her advice with "If you change nothing， nothing will change。"That's exactly it - and her book will give you some amazing advice to do just that。 。。。more
Richard Propes
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I will confess that sometimes I actively seek an advanced review copy （Arc/Galley） with minimal expectations。 I may look at the cover。 I may read about the author。 It may simply be the description of the book that makes me think "This sounds interesting。" This was the case with Michal Oshman's "What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid？，" a book that weaves together religion/spirituality， self-help， leadership skills， and more into a book that merely piqued my curiosity initially but ended up full I will confess that sometimes I actively seek an advanced review copy （Arc/Galley） with minimal expectations。 I may look at the cover。 I may read about the author。 It may simply be the description of the book that makes me think "This sounds interesting。" This was the case with Michal Oshman's "What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid？，" a book that weaves together religion/spirituality， self-help， leadership skills， and more into a book that merely piqued my curiosity initially but ended up full-on immersing me in a world that now has me going down the internet's rabbit hole to learn even more about these ideas， concepts， and teachings that Oshman embraces and writes so beautifully about。 "What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid？" has turned out to be the book I didn't realize I needed。 It has turned out to be the book my soul needed at a time personally and professionally when I'm sensing some major life shifts and trying to make sense of it all。 I began the book early today， a Sunday， not long after attending my usual morning worship service。 While I'd planned to read today， I hadn't intended to both begin and finish a book。 However， once I began reading "What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid？" I simply didn't want to stop。 So， I didn't。 Oshman is the Head of Culture at TikTok Europe， a position she recently transitioned into after several years in Team & Leadership Development at Facebook。 If you are already thinking to yourself "The last thing I need is another stuffy， privileged business leadership book，" I practically beg you to think again。 For years， Oshman has been a mentor for leaders in top global companies。 With this book， she expands upon her unique personal growth methodology based upon the life-changing principles of Jewish wisdom。 She draws upon her own heritage and a wide range of Chassidut， or Jewish teachings， to offer practical advice for common concerns ranging from getting the most out of one's career to overcoming setbacks to parenting， to healing from a broken heart and more。 Oshman writes both intelligently and with warmth and compassion throughout "What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid？" She empowers yet also feels as if she's standing by your side and holding space for the journey you are about to embark on。 There's a realistic yet unwavering optimism throughout the book that reinforces the idea that each of us has a purpose and a soul reaching for the light。 It's a matter of finding that light and living into it。 We already have all the ingredients needed to lead a joyous life。 Oshman beautifully balances her experiences in the corporate world with the highly applicable world of Jewish wisdom。 Each chapter is based upon a key principle and each chapter has beautifully illustrations， contemplation points， and absolutely vital and revealing questions。 Oshman herself is quite revealing here and openly discusses her own journey points ranging from dealing with anxiety to growing up in a home where death was always nearby and all the way through universal experiences like a relationship's end， a job change， parental insecurities， and more。 Oshman writes matter-of-factly， yet her words are accessible and the book provides definitions for those Jewish terms that may be unfamiliar。 Familiarity with Judaism is not required to fully embrace and gain from this incredibly valuable book。 Even the title， "What What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid？，" is so incredibly simple yet beautiful that even thinking about it sends me into reflection and prayer。 This is a book I will undoubtedly refer to time and again， a book that provides the tools to move past the fears that may be holding us back personally and professionally and a book with such a richness of humanity and heart and even humor that these teachings will plant themselves inside you and you'll actively seek to learn more while also admiring Oshman's ability to communicate all of this so wonderfully。 From observing Shabbat faithfully to giving regularly of her and her family's time to a myriad of other ways in which the author illustrates her own continued practice of these principles， Oshman has crafted a wonderfully insightful and applicable resource guiding us toward a journey of meaning and purpose。 Destined to be one of my favorite books of 2021， "What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid？" is a book you may not realize you need but you'll be oh so glad you discovered it。 。。。more
Meghan
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