Nothing but the truth: style maven and life coach Harriet Cole keeps it real. . – Motivation – ‘Choosing Truth: Living an Authentic Life’ – book review
Alfred A. Edmond, Jr.
In her latest book, Choosing Truth: Living an Authentic Life (Simon & Schuster; $22), Harriet Cole practices what she preaches. By choosing to share personal aspects of her life, including a failed marriage and several years of hidden drug and alcohol abuse, she motivates the reader to be unflinchingly honest with his or her self. That’s self with a capital “S.” She recognizes that what you see in the mirror each day is not just a reflected image, but the person with whom you need to establish an honest, loving relationship. Cole’s book guides you through day-to-day strategies for healthy, happy, and productive living, such as learning to communicate honestly and lovingly with others, striving for your personal best, cultivating a spiritual life, and adopting a service orientation in your work.
Mediocrity and cliche dominate the self-help genre, which has become a can’t-miss category in the soul-searching, post-Sept. 11 era. Nominal celebrity has become the only qualification needed to author a self-help tome. It would have been easy for Cole, a former model whose earlier books focused on wedding planning and etiquette for African Americans, to play it safe. By courageously revealing herself as a real person–mistakes, scars, and all–Cole presents herself as a credible role model with whom readers can identify. Choosing Truth is a tangible example of Cole living out her message. She achieves a level of authenticity many self-proclaimed life coaches and motivators fail to deliver. Those seeking satisfaction, peace, and truth in their lives would do well to read Cole’s book and follow her example.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Earl G. Graves Publishing Co., Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group
