The Gift of a 4 Star Review

                                                                        

These days every place we go and every purchase we make seem to request a follow-up review. For some reason even when it's my 20th visit to my chiropractor, he emails me a link for another review again. Must I give him a review and also one to Amazon for those new cabinet hinges I ordered? Really?

It can get to be a bit much.

My supporters may have thought I was being a bit much as I repeatedly asked for reviews of my debut children's picture book. I had to ask a lot...kinda like my chiropractor.

A valued number of reviews on Amazon is 50. Supposedly your book gains added exposure once you reach that target. I reached my target but had to do a good bit of reminding to get ur done.

Is getting to our goal all we hoped it would be? Was it for me?

Of course, I envisioned receiving all 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 reviews. Surely everyone would see the excellence of my work and reward me with the highest rating. Right? 

What happens if a review or two fall short of that target? Will it be that bad? I got the opportunity to experience that one first hand. Yes, I did receive 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ review. And I survived!

After first questioning and contemplating, I decided to graciously claim my ⭐⭐⭐⭐ review. I didn't want it to diminish my joy for all my other 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 reviews. There was a lesson to be learned. I was open to learning it.

A ⭐⭐⭐⭐ review is actually a good thing...a balancing thing...a growing thing. It keeps me humble. It keeps me striving. It reminds me I haven't yet arrived. There is always much to learn.

Is receiving all 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 even realistic? Is it truly honest? Or is it more as if my grandmother and all her knitting circle were giving their biased and slanted opinions? Not getting just 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 reviews brings more truthful evaluation. Isn't that more healthy and more helpful?

This applies to authored books and to lives well-lived. Everything we do, everything we buy, and all we experience will not warrant 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 reviews. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ is still above average and worthy of experiencing and worthy of celebrating. 

We tend to demand too much perfection these days. We expect a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 life and we expect others to perform in a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 way. That is an impossible standard for all of us to meet. This only leads to continual frustration and eventual aggravation. 

Lowering our expectations can actually raise our outlook and enjoyment of living. Greater quality of life can begin by simply being content with a ⭐⭐⭐⭐ existence.

So, what if our Easter only brought ⭐⭐⭐⭐ in review? So what if the family gathering was not picture-perfect every minute? So what if you failed to take the frozen salad out of the freezer in time for it to defrost for the festive meal...umm that one's for me! 

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Aim for five

but four will do.

Balance & Humility

look good on you!