Stop Whining, Start Living audiobook

i rarely award a book a full 5 stars, but i did so with this book. There wasn't really any novel or 'revelationary' information, but i was still left feeling inspired and ready to take on the day. This is one that I want to own and mark and re-read again and again for a further kick in the pants to get going. It leaves me wondering about the actual biological causes and treatments of clinical depression, but still inspired that no matter what the origin, there is plenty i can do to influence and improve it.

While most of the stories and advice seems to be aimed at her target audience of women, much of the book can be applied universally. Changing perspective is hard when you are part of the situation and flooded with your own emotions, but it can be very enlightening to see the effects of your actions on others. She also talks about how having positive conversations, even when you don't feel like it, will actually improve your outlook on life, while whining makes it worse. And which type of conversation would you like to have with someone?

This gave me so much to think about! When I have listened to Dr. Laura on her Sirius XM show there are often things I disagree with, but she never fails to make me look inward and think about how I treat others, how I treat myself, or where I am prioritizing my family, time, etc.This book does the same. I think our culture and my personal upbringing really embrace whining and complaining. Stop Whining helped me to reevaluate what I say, think, and appreciate (or fail to appreciate) around me. I will definitely listen to this again in few months or so.

Lots of good stuff in here to remember when your day seems to be going in the negative direction. My favorite quote was the last one.. and I don’t think I have it word for word but you’ll get my understanding hopefully...if the grass seems greener on the other side, start watering your own darn lawn!

I have always loved Dr Laura's honesty and her ability to communicate important truths so profoundly without being too wordy. However, all of her books pretty much have the same feel - a bunch of stories relaying how wonderful she is by her listeners/readers, followed by an important truth. It gets a little old, but the overall content is worthwhile.

An excellent read at every age!This hit the target on every level. I am 71 and began reading it to understand myself and attempt to understand my adult children.The book gave me a roadmap for a much more positive relationship with my daughters. I,too, can now move forward. I feel much lighter! Thank you, Dr Laura, for opening my door!

Touching book that helped me appreciate the sadness in others lives. I have no need to whine. I am so blessed! Take action. Stop the victim mentality and live life fully!

** spoiler alert ** What this book teaches: Happiness is a choice; sounds trite, but it's not. It takes grit and spirit to live your life in a positive manner. Terrible things happen to all of us. Whining has a temporary place in life - it can heal us to be able to whine or vent about something; it's when it takes up permanent residence that it is a negative thing. Instead of whining about all of our needs that aren't being met strive to fill other people's needs. We will find that our own needs are filled up in that way.Every time I apply Dr. Laura's advice in my life, very positive results ensue. She is very opinionated, but she is real. She insists that you have to work hard and consciously choose to have a happy life. We can't control a lot of what happens in life. We can control how we react to it. It sounds simple, but Dr. Laura uses real life examples from phone calls to her show and letters and emails written to her to drive the points home over and over again. This helps the reader to figure out how to apply the concepts to herself.Some of my favorite quotes:"Yes, indeed, just join the human race; better than some, not as good as others, but always striving for the heavens - AND - with an attitude of loving appreciation for the opportunities, not a self-loathing discounting of your potential."This is in application to a woman who is dying of cancer and chooses to have a quality life with her family instead of undergoing further futile chemo treatments that are very disruptive and painful: "At these times you can curse the coming darkness or praise the available light. I am always deeply moved by people who embrace the latter. It's all we have actually, those moments of life with those who matter.""There are no real excuses for not doing the right thing.""Deciding to make a choice is the decision to become supremely human. Lower animals run largely on instinct. What makes humans so special is the ability to reason and make choices. That's your power. Use it."An excerpt from a letter to Dr. Laura from a woman who is very overweight due to drowning out her sorrows by emotional eating - her fiance has broken off the relationship as a result:"I have to regain my health and show this great guy - and he is a good man - that I care enough about my life to be the gift he truly deserves."Dr. Laura preaches that we can pretend to feel a certain way and that it will almost always turn into our actually feeling that way:"So even before you have a change of mind or heart - you can behave as though you have a change of mind or heart. Funny thing, it usually makes you feel a change in mind and heart.""Despair is a cheap excuse for avoiding one's purpose in life. And a sense of purpose is the best way to avoid despair." - Rabbi Menanchem Schneerson as quoted by Dr. LauraRemember the stories we tell about our grandparents and great grandparents who stood up to adversity and worked hard for what they got:"In a nutshell, when you spend your time whining, justified or not, you lose time living. Don't make that trade-off. Make the story of your life an inspiration to the generations."An excerpt of an email/letter to Dr. Laura:"If the grass is greener on the other side, water your own damn lawn."AMEN.

I also really really enjoyed this book for this month's book club read. Reading it was like getting free therapy! Whether you are a fan of the author or not, I think that everyone should read this book, it offers so much on how to eliminate any negative in your life, big or small, long or short term. Some parts were more applicable to my life than others but in the end, I felt like i came away with some great advise on how to live in a positive and optimistic way, no matter what kind of trials or troubles I am currently experiencing or have had in the past. Whether it is learning to let go of things that have been hurtful to us long ago that may deep down be hindering to our spirits and ultimately keeping us from progression, or "just saying no to hurt feelings" in our every day lives with family members and friends, this book helps to put things into perspective in a way that helps us "Stop Whining and Start Living"!

I guess I'm on a Dr. Laura kick right now. I chose to read this book after a lister to the radio program suggested that everyone should read it, not just "whiners." Not all of the sections were applicable to my life, but I enjoyed reading it just the same. After acknowledging that some "whining" or sadness, grief, etc. can be and is appropriate, she helps the reader see how to move on and not let circumstances control the quality of our lives and our happiness.I cried when I read the section about deployment, because it is something that is VERY easy for me to whine about. I strongly recommend this book to people who are mildly depressed or who feel unsatisfied with their lives, and I would recommend it in general to everyone.

I like Dr Laura but havent fallen completely head over heels in love with Everything she says like most of her fans. She is pretty spot on with most of her advice and observations and I appriciate her tell it how it is even if it hurts way. This book was really good and I read it in a matter of days (which is good for me...usually I start books and don't finish them) and I got alot of helpful ways of thinking about things. I really loved her advice on how conflicts and hardships can be seen in a different way when turned around. And her bluntly saying leave the past in the past and move on but also leaving some wiggle room to mourn things for a short time.

Turns out I had read this book and added it to GoodReads in April, 2009. I just love the title, so I guess I was ready to read it again. I could recommend it to the whole world. Dr. Laura is very good and 'takes no prisoners.' Her basic advice is: 'You are what you do -- just do good, then feel good.' 'Happiness is a habit." "Hardship is simply a fact of life, not a personal assault on you.' 'It is a test of maturity and grit to confront a mood and reject it.'