And One More Thing Before You Go by Maria Shriver

“And One More Thing Before You Go…” by Maria Shriver was a very quick 62 page book written for girls who have recently graduated high school and are heading off to college. I am past that age at 27, but a lot of the advice she gives applies to life.

Because I am so interested in Maria’s life as well as her famous Kennedy family, I always enjoy when she adds tidbits of her personal life into her books. It is so clear from reading this book and hearing Maria talk about her upbringing how much she loves and adores her parents.  She clearly had a close relationship with both of her parents and they shaped her personality greatly. She seems very loving, caring, and nurturing as a mother.

“You know what used to drive me nuts when I was a teenager? Just when I was dressed and had one foot out the door, my mother would inevitably say, “And one more thing before you go…” Needless to say, it was never just one more thing. It was more like five or ten. That’s a mother for you. So of course, now that I have four kids, I’m the one who says, “And one more thing before you go.” I’m the one with the daughters rolling their eyes and plugging their ears.”

 

The opening of her book make me smile. Because as much as some of us try to avoid it we become our parents. We hear ourselves saying things they used to say and doing things they used to do. I’m not a parent yet, but I definitely catch myself saying things my parents used to tell me. It’s funny how that happens.

As a mother of 4 Maria encourages young women to treasure the relationship they have with their mothers, to cut their moms some slack, and reminds readers to call their moms.

Her ten lessons in this book:

1. Fear Can Be Your Best Teacher

2. Be Willing to Let Go of Your Plan

3. Learn From Your Mistakes

4. You’ll Need a Lot of Courage

5. And When You Need Courage.. Think of the Women in Your Life

6. It’s a Balancing Act

7. Have a Little Gratitude

8. Keep a Childlike Quality

9. Forget Your Mirrors

10. Don’t Worry About Us. We’ll Just Sit Here in the Dark All Alone

 

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“What I Know Now” by Sarah Ferguson

“What I Know Now,” by Sarah Ferguson is similar to Maria Shriver’s books where she shares lessons she’s learned along the way. Being young-ish (in my late twenties) I find it super interesting to hear lessons from women and men who are older than me. They have so much more experience and wisdom that I can benefit from.

I also find it super interesting in this book that she shares tidbits of her life before, during, and after being married to Prince Andrew and being a part of the British Royal Family. She also talks a little bit about her relationship with Diana and how much she misses hearing her laugh.

” I do not fear old age, what I fear is regret. I am passionate about living. I feel driven to seize every moment, for the clock never stops.”

 

While she has lived an extraordinary life meeting the likes of Nelson Mandela, having a friendship with Diana, and traveling around the world, she is still a normal woman who is a divorced mother to two girls. She is just in the public eye more than the average woman. But her lessons in his book are universal. She talks about co-parenting with her ex, self acceptance, having good manners, taking risks, living small, and aging well.

Just Who Will You Be? by Maria Shriver

“Just Who Will You Be?” by Maria Shriver is the third book of hers that I read. This is another quick read at only 91 pages. This book, like the other two were inspired from a speech she gave at a graduation.

She pushes the message of not what you do but who you are as a person. She wants people to focus on who they are based on their beliefs, and principals.

“You know, many years ago, my father gave a college graduation speech where he told the students, “Allow me to challenge you not to think so much about what you will do or where you will go. Allow me to challenge you to think about ..what you believe.”

I think this is such an important point that she is making. Because young people today are obsessed with social media, fame, having status, being rich, and material things. And I agree with Maria and her father Sargent Shriver, who pushed the message of being a strong person with good morals and values because that is the stuff that matters.

“I’ve finally learned after all these years that I don’t need to define myself with a certain job or a certain name or a certain role in order to tell myself who I am. I’ve learned that all my roles are simply a part of me- but they’re not all of me.”