Burned Out to Lit Up: Ditch the Grind and Reclaim Your Life

By: Cara E. Houser
Publisher: Parliament Press
Publication Date: October 24, 2023
ISBN: ‎ 979-8988925200
Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott
Review Date: February 12, 2024

Cara E. Houser has searched for and attained a level of true contentment and clarity after many trials and setbacks and shares her experience in Burned Out to Lit Up, a richly informative guidebook.

For Houser, it took a family calamity to prove to her that she was burdened by too many cares, chores, and self-assigned duties. Statistically, she notes, work burnout has become quite common, and among women, the percentage would probably be the highest. This is because working women have manifold duties with home and family that cannot be neglected, in addition to the demands of career obligations. Houser’s guidance - arrayed here in nine chapters with questions and exercises in each for readers to absorb and utilize - involves mental, physical, and spiritual intentions for inner growth and greater outer fulfillment.

The author advises reading one chapter of her manual per week, allowing time to think deeply about the concepts introduced. The initial step is to recognize that “work-life balance” should be converted to “life-work balance” with one’s concentration fixed on reaching a goal of self-possession. Decluttering physical surroundings is a recommended step, followed by devising one’s chosen form of meditation, with Houser suggesting several possibilities. To achieve the goals set forth will require rescheduling one’s daily routines, setting priorities based on what one truly enjoys, and resolving to accentuate the positives for growth of one’s mindset. The reset will entail designing a physically and mentally healthful schedule and determining how to maintain it. These steps ultimately lead to joy, which, Houser asserts, can be sustained through various creative endeavors, evoking an emerging sense of lightness that can be appreciated in “simple moments.” And lastly, with the gentle humor that pervades her studious work, Houser urges readers to take themselves on a “celebratory date” – rewarding themselves for their success in constructing their well-deserved freedoms and comforts.

Hauser’s wide-ranging, diligently researched self-help/how-to creation contains many examples from her own experience. Her career path began with twenty years in the “meat grinder field of real estate development.” After a series of negative incidents, she began to teach herself how to live, and enjoy a “lit” lifestyle, leading her to become a career counselor. She was then prepared to assemble this pragmatic and philosophical work to point the way for others. Readers will use her manual as a personal textbook for conceiving a satisfying, all-encompassing life vision and the means to make that vision real.

Quill says: Houser’s dynamic exploration of and advice for self-improvement will be much appreciated by any reader but especially working women who find themselves overwhelmed by life’s complexities, showing them the way to regain and reclaim joy.

For more information on Burned Out to Lit Up: Ditch the Grind and Reclaim Your Life, please visit the author's website at: www.carahouser.com/