Day: March 20, 2024

Book review: ‘Journey Within’ by Ansh Verma

‘The Journey Within’ is an excellent guide for personal growth and development. Photo: Amazon

Ansh Verma is a researcher, author, and philosopher based in Dhanbad, Jharkhand (India). He researches almost everything that can be observed, felt and/or read, including technology, politics, divine, war, behavioral, engineering, investments, military, finance, and mathematics. Post graduation, Verma has almost 20 years of experience in thinking and making sense of the world. His book “Journey Within” is an eye opening guide that examines the profound significance of self-discovery and purpose in leading a fulfilling and prosperous life. 

‘Journey Within’ by Ansh Verma – Personal growth and development begins with getting to know yourself, your values, and your purpose in life. This is important not just for personal reasons since being a well rounded and fulfilled person affects those around us. In Chapter 1: Introduction, the author explains that individuals who are happy with themselves can inspire others and that “this ripple effect of positive impact contributes to creating a more harmonious and fulfilling society.”

Readers are guided in this transformative journey of self discovery beginning with Chapter 2: Understanding The Inner Self by learning to recognize just how important it is to truly get to know themselves. In Chapter 3: Embracing Mindfulness and Meditation the author explains that by practicing mindfulness and focusing on the present, they lessen the regrets about the past and the worries about the future. In Chapter 7: Embracing Change and Transformation readers learn about the importance of adopting a growth mindset because it makes them more resilient when faced with challenges and helps them view failures as opportunities to grow. Other notable chapters include Chapter 10: Embracing Gratitude and Abundance, Chapter 13: Living with Purpose and Intention, and Chapter 19: Empowering Others on Their Journey.

Since the chapters are short, it is easy to read through and reference back to specific topics. The most important lesson to be learned from “Journey Within” is that working on yourself can make a big impact in the world because “a healthy relationship with oneself is a foundation for healthy relationships with others.” This is an excellent book to read if you are working on self improvement because it emphasizes the importance of exploring who we are, fully understanding our values, passions, and strengths, and aligning our actions with our authentic selves.

*The author was contacted for an honest review of this book. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Upcoming new album release: Every New Beginning – Kim Richey

Kim Richey’s new album Every New Beginning is due out May 24, 2024. Photo: Stacie Huckeba, used with permission.

From her critically acclaimed self-titled 1995 debut to Long Way Back… The Songs of Glimmer in 2020, Singer/songwriter Kim Richey has consistently impressed listeners, garnered accolades, and attracted famous fans with her deft songwriting and crystalline vocals, both of which have made her an in-demand collaborator. Her voice has graced scores of recordings, providing peerless harmonies, including Jason Isbell’s watershed Southeastern, Trisha Yearwood’s Everybody Knows, Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams, Reba McEntire’s Starting Over, and Has Been by Capt. Kirk himself, William Shatner. Richey hits the road in the US and Europe this spring in support of Every New Beginning, her new album due out May 24 on Yep Roc Records. (Kim Richey, 2024)

Over a pulsating rhythm section and moody guitar arpeggios, the widely-beloved voice of songwriter’s songwriter Kim Richey delivers the opening line to her first new music in four years: “So here we go, another day on the water / The sun is shining but we never dive in.” The song is “Floating On The Surface” and it’s the first single to be released from Every New Beginning. Featuring ten songs spanning from more recent writes to decade-old puzzle pieces, finally finding a home on Richey’s 10th studio album, Every New Beginning highlights not just the songs of a master tunesmith—some co-written with fellow greats like Aaron Lee Tasjan and Brian Wright—but a career-defining performance from the voice which Brandi Carlile has cited as formative in crafting her own style. 

Every New Beginning manages to continue the throughline of Richey’s nearly 30-year career while simultaneously adding a new chapter. The songs represent the full spectrum of the Ohio native’s gifts as both a revered songwriter who can leap from melancholy to mirthful in a single couplet and owner of one of music’s truly celestial voices.  

Fans can stream or purchase “Floating On The Surface” at this link and pre-order or pre-save Every New Beginning ahead of its May release here. Fans who pre-order the project on vinyl have the option of Clear Coke Bottle Vinyl or a Limited Edition (250 worldwide pressing!) Translucent Orange Vinyl that includes an autographed handwritten note from Richey. She hits the road again in March for West Coast and Midwest shows before heading across the Atlantic in May.

Catch Kim Richey on tour:
March 22 – Bellingham, WA – Mount Baker Theatre
March 23 – Lake Oswego, OR – Parrott House Concerts
March 24 – Bremerton, WA – Concerts In The Woods
April 21 – Athens, OH – Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium
May 3 – Columbus, OH – Natalie’s Grandview Music Hall & Kitchen
May 4 – Peninsula, OH – GAR Hall

May 15 – Camden, UK – Green Note
May 16 – Swindon, UK – The Old Stables, Cricklade
May 18 – London, UK – Half Moon, Putney
May 19 – Bristol, UK – Bristol Folk House
May 20 – Aberdeen, UK – The Blue Lamp
May 23 – Glasgow, UK – Glad Cafe
May 24 – Newcastle upon Tyne, UK – The Cluny 2
May 25 – York, UK – Newbald Village Hall
May 26 – Birmingham, UK – Birmingham Kitchen Garden

June 13 – Auburn, AL – Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series
June 14 – Decatur, GA – Eddie’s Attic
June 15 – Charlotte, NC – The Evening Muse

Courtesy photo, used with permission
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