Surprising ways we limit ourselves and our happiness, and how to challenge the internalized wisdom and circular thinking that holds us back
As women, many of us are stuck in feedback loops about how to be successful and happy: striving to "have it all" at work and at home, letting ourselves be pressured into giving every part of our lives 100% until we're completely burnt-out, imagining only a strictly linear life path (college, job, marriage, kids), and accepting limitations without question. Yet the truth is, this book argues, most of the conventional wisdom about driving our life choices is total baloney.
In Everything Is Negotiable, Meg Myers Morgan deconstructs preconceived notions about adulthood, parenthood, and career paths that have us limiting ourselves. Instead of following that linear plan, for example, she urges readers to take action now for what we want -- limitations be damned. With wit and verve, Morgan also tells us to forget trying to "have it all," as the clichhrase goes -- it'll never happen. And, Morgan argues, don't bother trying to give 100% -- we simply can't give anything 100% attention, ever! Instead, this book teaches us to navigate life's necessary trade-offs free of the baggage of our own expectations.
Chock full of strategies for where and when to give our limited energy, what to demand from our careers, and how to make better choices, Everything Is Negotiable is for women ready to seize the lives they really want. Dr. Meg Myers Morgan is an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma. She administers the graduate programs in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management on the OU-Tulsa campus. She holds a PhD and an MPA from the University of Oklahoma, and a degree in English and Creative Writing from Drury University.
Morgan is the author of Harebrained: It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time. The self published book ranked in the Top 10 humorous books on Amazon, was awarded a gold medal in humor from the Independent Publishers Book Awards, and was recognized as a Foreword Reviews "Book of the Year." Her piece "Tabling the Discussion," about female behavior in the classroom, was a cover story for the Chronicle of Higher Education. Based on the themes in her writing, she gave a TED Talk, "Negotiating for Your Life", for TEDxOU in 2016. "Case studies of successful negotiations permeate the text, offering a solid road map for readers. VERDICT: Great advice for self-reflection and having our personal and professional needs met."-Library Journal "Solid and wise advice for any woman who struggles to attain the ever-stressful work/life balance (which is most of us!). Meg Myers Morgan helps women not just set their goals and achieve them, but defeat the second-guessing and doubting thoughts that so many women have."-Andrea Owen, author of How to Stop Feeling Like Shit
