FROM THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS

Howdy from Alvin, Texas, located halfway between Houston, aka H Town, and Galveston (yes. like the song!). My Little Free Library, located in my side yard (LOL)…

…is an ideal spot for good books to show up. And, as manager/owner of such, I get “first dibs. ” Here is a 2004 publication, a tiny book, signed by the author, that I have been reading on since the first of the year. I read it slowly, ingesting its wisdom, hoping to acquire some of the “smarts” promised in the title.

Who wouldn’t want a “kick-ass” life?

Ellen Reid Smith, the author is a smart woman. Listen to her opening of the book:

“I find that most women, especially cowgirls, are smarter and more clever than they think. Most women don’t give themselves credit for half of what they’re capable. Cowgirls, on the other hand, believe they can do anything. Self-doubt will cripple your confidence quicker than your circumstances.” That last sentence alone is worth reading the book for.

Smith goes on to describe cow women, ranchers and rodeo riders, to be specific, and their philosophy:

“Never stop believing in yourself. At times, people and you will stop believing in you. It happens to every cowgirl sooner or later. Don’t let others’ judgments come true by internalizing them. Reject their opinions and prove them wrong. Become the person you know you can be.”

At the end of each chapter (every chapter features a famous (and sometimes infamous) cow woman) there is an excellent summary titled “Lessons Learned” where the author gives applications and take-aways from each cowgirl’s life and circumstances. These cowgirls taught this reader everything from how to look at life to how to “Dress for Success”; a whole chapter is dedicated to this. From the inspirational to the mundane, this is a little book every Powerful Woman Reader should read.

Advertisement