What I Know Now: Simple Lessons Learned the Hard Way
Autor Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of Yorken Limba Engleză Paperback – 24 sep 2007
With the characteristic candor and down-to-earth charm that have won our admiration and our hearts, Sarah Ferguson The Duchess of York shares the hard-won lessons that have helped her work through challenges and lead a simpler, more fulfilling life.
Admired as much for her honest assessment of her foibles as for her grace in the glare of the media's spotlight, The Duchess here reveals her most private self. She shares the truths she has discovered from embracing her flaws, striving to make every life decision with integrity, and witnessing the selfless acts of others around her. She takes on challenges both small and daunting -- from putting strangers at ease in a social setting to coping with the death of her beloved best friend; from appreciating the small wonders of the natural world to protecting private time with her girls while honoring her many work commitments. Each lesson springs from a life rich with disappointments and victories, and each lesson is seasoned with a healthy dose of humility and warm wit.
Although her personal struggles have been played out on the public stage, The Duchess's thoughtful, simple approach applies to the struggles we all face. Like sharing a cup of tea with your closest confidante, What I Know Now offers advice for the everyday as it illuminates the delightful spirit, undeniable resilience, and trademark grace under fire of a woman who considers every challenge an opportunity to learn and grow.
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Specificații
ISBN-13: 9781416578413
ISBN-10: 1416578412
Pagini: 192
Dimensiuni: 127 x 203 x 13 mm
Greutate: 0.18 kg
Editura: Simon&Schuster
Colecția Simon & Schuster
ISBN-10: 1416578412
Pagini: 192
Dimensiuni: 127 x 203 x 13 mm
Greutate: 0.18 kg
Editura: Simon&Schuster
Colecția Simon & Schuster
Cuprins
Contents
Introduction
Forgiving the Past
Co-parenting and Common Sense
Eating Out, Eating Right
Reaching Out
Timing It Right
Surviving Your Critics
Laughing Out Loud
Keeping Rituals
Rejecting Rejection
Finding Empathy
Naming Names
Minding Manners
Aging Well
Taking What Life Grants You
Dressing to Thrill
Corresponding in Style
Speaking Out
Accepting a Compliment
Choosing Battles
Trusting Our Children
Learning and Living
Spending Wisely
Breaking Patterns
Keeping Faith
Trusting Others
Assuming the Best
Setting First Things First
Shelving Regret
Escaping Routine
Respecting Elders
Seeing the Light
Bending the Rules
Taking Risks
Bingeing No More
Breathing Deep
Bearing Dignity
Saying Yes to No
Living Small
Quelling Panic
Going One on One
Slowing Down
Coming Home
Finding Refuge
Taking No One for Granted
Living On
Loving Well
Author's Note
Introduction
Forgiving the Past
Co-parenting and Common Sense
Eating Out, Eating Right
Reaching Out
Timing It Right
Surviving Your Critics
Laughing Out Loud
Keeping Rituals
Rejecting Rejection
Finding Empathy
Naming Names
Minding Manners
Aging Well
Taking What Life Grants You
Dressing to Thrill
Corresponding in Style
Speaking Out
Accepting a Compliment
Choosing Battles
Trusting Our Children
Learning and Living
Spending Wisely
Breaking Patterns
Keeping Faith
Trusting Others
Assuming the Best
Setting First Things First
Shelving Regret
Escaping Routine
Respecting Elders
Seeing the Light
Bending the Rules
Taking Risks
Bingeing No More
Breathing Deep
Bearing Dignity
Saying Yes to No
Living Small
Quelling Panic
Going One on One
Slowing Down
Coming Home
Finding Refuge
Taking No One for Granted
Living On
Loving Well
Author's Note
Extras
Chapter One: Forgiving the Past
Readers of My Story may recall my old foes the Grey Men, the Palace bureaucrats who found me insufficiently royal in every way: my dress, my bearing, the friends I kept. They did what they could to make my life a misery, with a strong assist from myself, of course. After leaving their milieu, I'd had no contact with any of these gentlemen for an age -- until last year, when I strolled down a street in Mayfair and passed an art shop. There in the window sat an original portrait, by a well-known painter, of one of the top courtiers.
I didn't think twice. I bought the portrait and sent it to the courtier (now retired) with a simple note that I thought he might like it for his children, and I hoped he was well, and I sent my love. I didn't buy the gift to be kinder-than-thou. I simply knew that it would please him, as it would have pleased me. I would have done the same for anyone I knew.
A few days later, the mail brought the man's response. Out of respect I will paraphrase, but here is the gist of it: I cannot believe that after all that has happened between us, you can be kind enough to do this.
In that exchange, our history was forever altered.
For years I had stewed in my anger at all who had hurt me. Bitterness can be seductive. As long as you hold to it, you are forever wronged -- and thus forever right. Over time, however, I came to realize that animosity was no good for me. It spoiled my natural optimism, made me tedious to be around. Worse yet, it kept me from learning from my errors.
When it came to the Grey Man in question, I thought about why I'd been so furious with him. Then I solved the puzzle: I was angry with myself, for the blunders that had prompted his rebukes. I tried to look at life from the courtier's point of view. By his own lights, he was an honest man doing his job. And if, with hindsight, he might have done it less gruffly, what did that matter now?
My first step, in sum, was to acknowledge my own trespasses. Once done, it was not so hard to forgive the Grey Man, too.
Now I see that I have no right to bear a grudge, nor any interest in it. To lash back can only feed the old injury and any lingering self-doubt. To snub a person is to forfeit our future together. In the end, we both lose.
I do not merely rise above old wrongs; I deny them their reality. I sever my connections to darker times and circumstance. I take people with a fresh eye and an open heart, as they come to me today. Their old dossiers have expired. Our new story has yet to be written. By refusing to hurt another, I heal my wounds as well.
Copyright © 2003 by Sarah Ferguson The Duchess of York
Readers of My Story may recall my old foes the Grey Men, the Palace bureaucrats who found me insufficiently royal in every way: my dress, my bearing, the friends I kept. They did what they could to make my life a misery, with a strong assist from myself, of course. After leaving their milieu, I'd had no contact with any of these gentlemen for an age -- until last year, when I strolled down a street in Mayfair and passed an art shop. There in the window sat an original portrait, by a well-known painter, of one of the top courtiers.
I didn't think twice. I bought the portrait and sent it to the courtier (now retired) with a simple note that I thought he might like it for his children, and I hoped he was well, and I sent my love. I didn't buy the gift to be kinder-than-thou. I simply knew that it would please him, as it would have pleased me. I would have done the same for anyone I knew.
A few days later, the mail brought the man's response. Out of respect I will paraphrase, but here is the gist of it: I cannot believe that after all that has happened between us, you can be kind enough to do this.
In that exchange, our history was forever altered.
For years I had stewed in my anger at all who had hurt me. Bitterness can be seductive. As long as you hold to it, you are forever wronged -- and thus forever right. Over time, however, I came to realize that animosity was no good for me. It spoiled my natural optimism, made me tedious to be around. Worse yet, it kept me from learning from my errors.
When it came to the Grey Man in question, I thought about why I'd been so furious with him. Then I solved the puzzle: I was angry with myself, for the blunders that had prompted his rebukes. I tried to look at life from the courtier's point of view. By his own lights, he was an honest man doing his job. And if, with hindsight, he might have done it less gruffly, what did that matter now?
My first step, in sum, was to acknowledge my own trespasses. Once done, it was not so hard to forgive the Grey Man, too.
Now I see that I have no right to bear a grudge, nor any interest in it. To lash back can only feed the old injury and any lingering self-doubt. To snub a person is to forfeit our future together. In the end, we both lose.
I do not merely rise above old wrongs; I deny them their reality. I sever my connections to darker times and circumstance. I take people with a fresh eye and an open heart, as they come to me today. Their old dossiers have expired. Our new story has yet to be written. By refusing to hurt another, I heal my wounds as well.
Copyright © 2003 by Sarah Ferguson The Duchess of York
Descriere
Beloved for her honesty and down-to-earth accessibility, the Duchess of York offers her own hard-won insights on how to untangle life's daily challenges. This intimate and witty gift-size volume of wisdom is perfect for the start of a new year.
Notă biografică
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York is a global humanitarian, businesswoman, bestselling children's book author, producer and wellness advocate. The Duchess has published over 55 books including two autobiographies and titles dealing with health, empowerment, history, art, as well as many children's stories. Sarah's Trust is an international charity founded to share aid to those in need through resources and kindness (www.sarahstrust.com).