Author: Gigi Langer, PhD
Narrator: Robin Waters
Length: 5 hours 30 minutes
Publisher: Possum Hill Press
Released: Sep. 20, 2019
Genre: Non-Fiction, Self-Help
Do you want to stop dreading the future or reliving past disappointments?
Thirty years ago, Gigi Langer was a prisoner of her worries who used alcohol, romance, and professional accomplishments to soothe her frayed nerves. When she stopped drinking, she began applying tools from therapy, recovery programs, scientific research, and a variety of philosophical and spiritual teachings to overcome her anxieties and stress.
Worry Less Now offers four life strategies and 50 eclectic tools to dissolve the whispered lies of negative self-talk. Although many books address negative thinking, very few give the reader step-by-step directions on how to defeat it. Others simply advocate a single approach.
With candor and humor, Langer describes a wide variety of strategies that helped her and others defeat dysfunctional relationships, perfectionism, addiction, and worry about loved ones. As an award-winning writer and professor, Langer skillfully shares compelling stories and exercises that empower readers to:
-MANAGE life’s most difficult challenges with calm wisdom
-CREATE relationships that blossom and thrive
-FULFILL your dreams without limitations
-SERVE others in their personal growth
Regardless of the situation, you’ll be able to gain peace, clarity, and wisdom.
Gigi Langer holds a PhD in Psychological Studies in Education and an MA in Psychology, both from Stanford University. During her 25 years at Eastern Michigan University, she won several awards for her teaching, and (as Georgea M. Langer) wrote four books for educators.
Before her doctoral studies, Gigi competed in show jumping, hitchhiked across Spain, and taught middle school French and Spanish (where she met and married her first husband).
In her second marriage, she continued her adventures by studying and giving riding lessons in Hawaii and Germany. After moving to Michigan, Gigi married again and soon found herself facing a third divorce along with a growing alcohol and marijuana problem.
Since then, Gigi has applied strategies from recovery, therapy, and a variety of scientific and spiritual approaches to overcome her addictions and self-defeating patterns. She’s now a pillar of the recovery community and an award-winning teacher educator and author. Gigi’s retreats, workshops, and presentations have helped thousands of people succeed in their work and personal lives.
As a person in recovery, Gigi hasn’t had a drug or drink for 33 years, although she does occasionally overindulge in Ghirardelli chocolate and historical novels. She lives happily in Michigan with her fourth husband (of 30 years) and her cat, Murphy.
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Robin Waters grew up in Southern California and left home early to get professional theatrical training and pursue her dream. In her early twenties, she found a new passion–holistic health–and shifted her focus to become a wellness educator.
She currently lives in Canada where she stays busy writing, demonstrating how to cook healthy food, and leading workshops and women’s circles. She loves cuddling and reading out loud with her son and daughter. Now that they are older, she has returned to her first loves of narrating and performance. There is something magical about connecting with others through voice and sharing the human experience with good storytelling and characters.
Partnering with Gigi to produce this book was a gift, as it was a beautiful combination of her two passions. She has spent a lifetime overcoming worry/anxiety, and finding herself through expression and connection. She hopes this audiobook brings you more inner peace and is a comfort on your journey toward a vibrant life.
Website
Q&A with Author Gigi Langer
- Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
- When I finished the paperback, I went to open a special checking account at the bank. I told the manager that I just published a book, and he asked, “Can I get the audiobook?” It became clear that I needed to do that. So I began studying the process about a year after the paperback was completed. I thought I’d narrate it myself—after all, I wrote it, and I give talks all the time about my suggestions to “worry less.” I thought it was a no-brainer.
- Then I started reading about how to do it. I even got the proper equipment and learned how to use the audio editing software. When I recorded the preface, I thought, “Oh, my God!” I realized that although I have a pleasant voice, I am NOT a voice actor. If I did it myself, I’d need coaching on how to do it well. Also, I decided I didn’t want to spend over 20 hours recording, checking, editing, and polishing the audiobook. So, I went with ACX (see question 2).
- How did you select your narrator?
- ACX was so simple to use. I just created a sample for narrators to read, and they sent in their auditions. It became very clear that Robin Waters was heads and shoulders above the others. So we worked out a reasonable deal and started in April.
- How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process?
- Robin and I have become fast friends. We worked very closely as I turned each chapter into a “listening” version. I had to revise the many exercises and advise the reader to use the Companion PDF for their journaling, writing, and other notes.
- Were there any real-life inspirations behind your writing?
- YES! It’s about the tough experiences that led me to overcome worry and negative thinking. I got married in 1971 and taught Spanish and French near Denver. In 1973 I divorced my first husband and had a series of adventures with my second husband in Brazil, Hawaii, and Germany.
- After dissolving that marriage, I spent four years at Stanford completing a PhD in Psychological Studies in Education. I got through it only by getting high every night. In 1982, I settled in Michigan with my third husband and began my 25-year stint teaching in Eastern Michigan University’s College of Education.
- By 1984, I was deeply unhappy and escalated my use of marijuana and alcohol. After one particularly embarrassing episode, I went to a psychologist to find out why I couldn’t be happy. That began a long road of recovery, therapy, and a variety of other healing experiences. After 25 years, I retired and began writing “Worry Less Now’” where I explain practical tools I discovered to help me heal.
- I’m now 33 years clean and sober and just celebrated 30 years of happy marriage with Peter, my fourth husband. PS: I don’t have any children because I couldn’t stay married long enough! Maybe this book counts!!
- When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?
- My latest book began as a memoir chronicling my three short marriages, career as a professional horseback rider, and adventures hitchhiking across the north of Spain–all before I turned 38. My wise fourth husband (we just had our 30-year wedding anniversary!) suggested that, instead, I write a self-help book with “all those helpful things you say when you counsel people on the phone.” At that point, Worry Less Now was born. Throughout the six-year writing journey, the right people showed up at just the right time to make the book interesting, practical, attractive, and clear.
- Who is your favorite singer?
- Taylor Swift’s “Reputation” concert on Netflix. I find her songwriting so inspiring and real, but it’s her sincere, sassy and slightly gawky personality that endears her to me. I often work out to her music and find it totally energizing.
- What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
- I meditate before I write so I can get the inspiration and clarity to flow.
- What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- Don’t just get a friend to edit your work. Hire a professional, not just for line-editing, but also for structure and appeal.
- Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
- For non-fiction, pay close attention to how you change the wording so that it works for the listener.
Prize: 2 Coaching Sessions + Paperback Copy
50 Ways to Worry Less Now Giveaway: 2 Coaching Sessions + Paperback Copy
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