Keep Moving by Maggie Smith

 My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've had breakups that brought me to my knees, endings that left me destroyed, crying, hopeless. I think I learned a little from each of them, but I never worked the inspiring magic trick poet Maggie Smith did with Keep Moving. 

Somehow, she took the crushing, world-altering blow of a wrenching divorce and transformed it into hope for herself and others, not to mention writing a bestseller in the process.

Smith started by writing a brief, hopeful note of encouragement to herself daily and posting it on social media. Every post ended with her advice to herself (and all of us) to "Keep moving."

Here she collects those quotes along with essays about how she moved forward into the light after a dark time. It's beautiful and provides a lot of self-advice that I want to remember and hold close as I struggle with so many things in life myself.

Gems of wisdom include:

Focus on who you are and what you’ve built, not who you’d planned on being and what you’d expected to have. Trust that the present moment—however difficult, however different from what you’d imagined—has something to teach you. Set down your grief for the life you intended to have but won’t; the grief will be there when you’re ready to come back to it. Now focus your mind on the life you intend to have. Commit to the present. KEEP MOVING. 

Stop expecting the worst: at least as many things could go right as could go wrong. Think of optimism as a way of sitting in the sun now, regardless of what the weather might be tomorrow or next week. KEEP MOVING. 

Everything is temporary. You can’t keep a white-knuckled hold on what you love or on what has hurt you. Loosen your grip on your grief today, if only a bit. KEEP MOVING.

This powerful book delivers a lift of your spirits and outlook. Enjoy the gifts Smith offers here with an open, optimistic heart. And for the love of God, keep moving.

If you love talking about books, please follow or friend me on Goodreads. Let's be book buddies!