Don’t be a Wimp!

So you probably are NOT a Wimp, but I guess I still am sometimes.

If you have read any of my previous posts, then you know that I am addicted to audiobooks.  It is rare for a day to go by that I am not listening to a book at some point throughout the day.

As a single working parent I don’t have much in the way of ‘free time’, or for that matter ‘me time’.  I also don’t have much of a spending allowance for personal wants.  (Although for me, audiobooks could possibly be classified as a need, but certainly not with a large budget.)

And New audiobooks, are not cheap, and understandably so.

So, with the number of audiobooks that I can go through in a month, I have to be creative.  I subscribe to different services to be able to purchase a few new books per month.  

I will also borrow books from our local library, and sometimes buy old books from them when they are pulled out of circulation.

And I buy used audiobooks from yard sales and even online, sometimes in random batches.  Now random batches are a little like a treasure hunt, you never know what you will find.  And that brings me to my point.

The good part of randomly getting audiobooks is that I have listened to works I probably never would have found on my own, and yet they become some of my all time favorites.  

The bad part of random audiobook picks, is that sometimes I really feel like I have wasted my time.  And that’s where I want to implore you not to be a wimp like me.  Or like I have been.

While we should always be open to new ideas and experiences, we should also not lose track of the things that we enjoy.  

I am one of those people who will sit through a bad movie, because I hope at some point that it will get better.  And it’s the same with audiobooks, I like to finish what I start.  But I realized after trying 2 books in a row that for different reasons were not suited to me, that I really need to be more direct in my approach.  

I need to get in with the new crowd and understand that it’s ok to say ‘No’.  No, I’m not going to finish this book.  No, I’m not going to waste my time again.  And No, I’m not going to feel bad about that.

With the billions of books out there, it’s safe to assume that there will be many books that just won’t be a good fit for me.  And every moment that I waste on one that I don’t like, I’m missing something that I could potentially LOVE.  

Like some of the wonderful audiobooks that I have found and added to my list of FAVORITES such as Mordacious, The Quacker Cafe, Midnight Crossroad, and more.

I’m not going to list the books that I consider ‘fails for my purposes’.  One, because I don’t want to waste more of my time or any of yours.  And Two, because I do understand that what I don’t like, is in most cases a matter of preference.  

And that’s where I want to stress again, that we all look for audiobooks that excite, entertain, inform, or maybe just make us laugh.  Life is a rollercoaster ride, and you never know when it’s going to end.  

If you love Histories, then make sure that you have plenty of those on your reading lists.  If vampires get your blood pumping, then by all means, enjoy them.  

Yes, step out of your comfort zone from time to time, and open yourself up to something new and you may be pleasantly surprised.  Yet, if what you’re reading isn’t lifting you up but rather bringing you down….stop.  If it’s become a chore to listen…it’s ok to move on to something else.

Most subscription services will let you trade in books that don’t work for you, so make sure to use that service to find a good fit for you and make good use of that hard earned dollar.

If you Love it, keep it.  If you don’t….return it, sell it, or donate it to someone else who might.  

There is a market for everything, but that doesn’t mean that you have to have everything in your basket.  

So, I’m going to take my own advice and go find something that I can really enjoy.  Then I will be back here with a new review for you.  You don’t have to love the same things that I do, but I hope you can find something you love.

From my family to yours, remember to make time for some truly Happy Listening!