Have you ever fantasized about taking time away from your overworked life? Nights uninterrupted by email? Days to pursue set-aside dreams? Do you promise yourself that “someday” you will get a break? Mary Lou Quinlan had those “someday” thoughts. But her hard-earned job as CEO of a New York advertising agency claimed most of her waking hours. Exhausted and losing motivation, she was so desperate she perversely imagined breaking her leg to get some time alone. Then, she declared a brief timeout. During her time off, she slept late, took walks, danced the salsa, kept a journal and ultimately, uncovered the roots of a new business. In the process, she rediscovered herself. Time Off for Good Behavior is the result of listening to women like her, who realized enough was enough. Quinlan tells the stories of dozens of women who sacrificed their health, relationships, their good humor and a good night’s sleep until they found the courage to ask themselves if they were happy with the life they were living and made the decisions to take a life-saving break. Mary Lou Quinlan explores the factors that compel you to work so hard and examines how to take back control of your life. She explores our unwillingness to give ourselves permission to rest so that we can re-imagine our futures. And she shows the powerful, self-fulfilling changes that can occur when we do decide to take that rest. Whether you contemplate leaving a career that took years to build or just need a long vacation to assess what you want next, you’ll find practical tools and bolstering advice throughout. Each chapter ends with provocative questions to help you plan your good behavior reprieve. Specific exercises on financial planning, advice for negotiating time off, and tools to uncover your passions make this a must-read for women who are ready for “someday.” Time off for Good Behavior ultimately shows that stepping away from everything—even for a short while—often means ending up with so much more.

Time Off for Good Behavior: How Hardworking Women Can Take a Break and Change Their Lives

Self-Help

Quinlan, Mary Lou

Stress Management

Crown/Archetype

When Mary Lou Quinlan’s beloved mother, Mary Finlayson, dies, her family is bereft ― until Mary Lou searches for her mother’s “God Box,” her private cache of notes to God on behalf of family, friends and strangers. To Mary Lou’s amazement, she finds not one but ten boxes stuffed with hundreds of tiny petitions that span the last twenty years of her mother’s life. Note by note, Mary Lou unearths a treasure of her mother’s wishes and worries and insight. Mary asked God for everything from the right flooring for her daughter’s home to a cure for her own blood cancer. Her requests, penned on scraps of paper, were presented without expectation ― the ultimate expression of letting go. Follow Mary Lou’s emotional journey as she uncovers her mother’s innermost thoughts ― nostalgic, surprising and even shocking. As she recalls life with the woman who was her best friend, Mary Lou discovers her own more empathetic, engaged self ― the woman her mother had believed in all along. Poignantly written and beautifully designed, The God Box is a gift for every mother, every daughter, every person who, regardless of beliefs, trusts in the permanence of love and the power of family.

The God Box: Sharing My Mother's Gift of Faith, Love and Letting Go

Religion & Spirituality

Christian Books & Bibles

BRILLIANCE AUDIO ^

FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER When Mary Lou Quinlan's beloved mother, Mary Finlayson, dies, her family is bereft—until Mary Lou searches for her mother's ''God Box,'' her private cache of notes to God on behalf of family, friends and strangers. To Mary Lou's amazement, she finds not one but ten boxes stuffed with hundreds of tiny petitions that spanned the last twenty years of her mother's life. Note by note, Mary Lou unearths a treasure of her mother's wishes and worries and insight. Mary asked God for everything from the right flooring for her daughter's home to a cure for her own blood cancer. Her requests, penned on scraps of paper, were presented without expectation—the ultimate expression of letting go. Follow Mary Lou's emotional journey as she uncovers her mother's innermost thoughts—nostalgic, surprising and even a bit shocking. As she recalls life with the woman who was her best friend, Mary Lou also discovers her own more empathetic, engaged self—the woman her mother had believed in all along. Poignantly written and beautifully designed, The God Box is a gift for every mother, every daughter, every person who, regardless of beliefs, trusts in the permanence of love and the power of family.

The God Box

Business & Money

Management & Leadership

Worthy Books

Imagine the joy of discovering your late mother’s prayers, covering decades of her life, scribbled on folded scraps of paper, and tucked into her God Box.

Worthy Publishing

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