Becky Vollmer was not happy. She was working long hours in public relations, raising two kids, skating through her marriage, and drinking way too much. She was fried, and she didn’t like herself very much. She felt like her time was just slipping away, and that was time with her children that she’d never get back. And she felt like she didn’t have a choice. She felt trapped, in a prison of her own choices. She was stuck.

Vollmer chose a different path for herself. She had been a yoga student for 20 years, so she leaned into that, into the learning she carried in her muscles and in her soul. She realized that the life she was living didn’t align with her values, so she quit her job and created a life that would align with her inner truths. And now she helps others find their paths toward a more fulfilling life because, as she says, You Are Not Stuck.

Layered with a lot of personal stories, advice from other well-known inspirational writers, and tough (but compassionate) love, the book encourages readers to be honest with themselves about the areas of their lives that aren’t working and to be brave and make changes. She gives people permission to change their lives, to find something better, to take risks.

Vollmer understands that it’s not all unicorns and puppies when you start making these types of choices in your life. For her, her marriage fell apart not long after she quit her job and tried to make choices that came from her soul. It was devastating, but because she’d been taking care of herself, she could face her new circumstances and move forward with her first husband in a way that she felt protected their children from as much pain as possible.

It’s not easy to change your life. Even if you want to with all your heart, it takes stamina and heart and resources. And even with all that, you’ll still have to face your fears, your shame, and that voice in your head that loves to remind you of all the reasons you will fail. But Vollmer herself has made it through, and she can guide you through the pitfalls to the soul-driven life you’ve been craving.

The audio book of You Are Not Stuck is narrated by the author, so Vollmer is telling her story in her own words. She is sharing her own struggles and passions, so it feels very personal to listen to this book. She is a good teacher, using her own vulnerability and her successes to encourage others to find their own paths. There were times with the audio book that it felt a little slow, a little overly dramatic, but mostly it just felt like an older sister giving me really good life advice.

I liked You Are Not Stuck. It has smart ideas for moving forward and offers emotional support for the tough parts of the journey. I like that Vollmer has gone through it herself and figured out what worked for her. It made her advice feel authentic. And I liked that she included words of wisdom from many other authors.

I think that those looking for a way to change their life, a way to reconnect with their souls, will find help in this book. However, as the author herself admits, she comes at her advice and experience through the lens of a white woman in middle America who grew up middle class, so she doesn’t address struggles that could affect those of a different race, culture, class, any other distinctions, which might make a difference for some readers.

A copy of the audio book for You Are Not Stuck was provided by Macmillan Audio through NetGalley, but I bought the ebook myself.