Gracious and Strong: How to Rise Above the Unexpected Left Turns of Life and Leadership by Celia Swanson

When life takes a left turn, it can be hard to know how to respond and stay above the chaos. Celia Swanson can help. With her book, Gracious and Strong: How to Rise Above the Unexpected Left Turns of Life and Leadership, Swanson offers a powerful guide for rising above the unexpected turns life throws. Swanson is an experienced coach, author, and consultant who has been helping individuals and organizations transform their thinking and discover meaningful transformation strategies for over 15 years.

Gracious and Strong provides guidance on navigating the left turns of life and leadership with grace and courage. Swanson’s book begins by introducing foundational mindsets and strategies for creating a space within which to lead and live with grace. She then provides concrete steps and practical guidance for shifting your mindset so you can move forward with courage and acceptance. Swanson argues that by developing an adaptive mindset and ambition, you can move through unexpected events with more grace and less stress.

The core of Gracious and Strong focuses on Swanson’s three-dimension strategy: awareness, emotion regulation, and action. Swanson’s approach to working with the unexpected turns of life and leadership encourage readers to take their awareness inward, to understand their emotional states, and to develop conscious strategies for responding to those unexpected turns. Swanson’s approach gives readers the tools to act with grace in the face of the challenging situations that life presents.

The book also provides two additional dimensions of Swanson’s work: a strong focus on self-care and compassion and a deep appreciation of relationships. For Swanson, self-care is a way to tap into grace when life takes unexpected turns. She encourages readers to understand and respond to the needs of their lives and to practice self-compassion when facing new challenges. Swanson also emphasizes the importance of relationships, suggesting that they are essential in any journey of transformation.

Ultimately, Gracious and Strong helps readers discover their own inner strength and resilience. By teaching them to be mindful, compassionate, and resilient, Swanson helps them develop a grace-filled approach to living and leading with confidence and poise. With her eye-opening advice, challenging exercises, and relatable stories, Swanson helps readers develop the skills to rise above the unexpected left turns of life and leadership.