Sit Down to Rise Up: How Radical Self-Care Can Change the World by Shelly Tygielski

Sit Down to Rise Up: How Radical Self-Care Can Change the World Reviews

• 
  Elizabeth

  I listened to this book (read by the author) and promptly bought myself a hard copy so that I can highlight, write notes, mark passages...you get the idea. This book fell in my lap just when I needed it most...like so many books do for me (grateful). Shelly is simply amazing and wrote this book during the pandemic which has been such a challenging time. Yet she invites readers to be their best selves. Her life story is amazing...from being kidnapped as a baby to weathering a divorce and fighting a debilitating physical condition. Some things I remember w/o notes:
  A) Show up...isn't that the truth? Show up for yourself, show up for others.
  B) Make time for yourself and assist others in making time for themselves...yes, yes, yes.
  C) Quit staying in your zone...reach across the divide and make friends with someone you wouldn't think of at first blush. Two powerful anecdotes here: one about introducing her baby to a homeless man,,,I was crying while driving listening to this powerful story. Two, about a woman in New York lending a helping hand to a woman in Texas. Both women were on opposite ends of the political spectrum. And guess what y'all? They became FRIENDS. I emphasize this because I am challenged to learn this lesson for myself.
  I love self-help books and I would place this book in that category...very, very, very, very excellent, chock full of wonderful ideas and lessons. This is my big recommendation for summer, 2022!
• 
  Megan Byrne

  This book gave me a new perspective on improving myself through the care of others in sustainable movements and the ripple effect it can create in our circles of influence.
• 
  Celeste

  I’m leaving this review to remind myself not to bother with this one: This book is not for you, Self. You’ve already tried it at least twice. Do not get excited by the rating and put it in your library queue. Again.
• 
  lori

  p. 47 I have enough. I do enough. I am enough
  p. 223 Our purpose is to love, and that means that we much show up so that our work can allow love to be continuously released into the world. We are not free to abandon that work, lest we intend to abandon the world and, in turn, ourselves.
• 
  Jennifer Hubbs

  What do you think you'll find when you open a caterpillar's cocoon?
  You won't find a half-formed caterpillar-to-butterfly. In Sit Down to Rise Up, I learned that caterpillars have a "hidden" transformation, where they break down into goo of themselves and then reform into what they're supposed to become. I learned that caterpillars show up and trust that even though they're going into this cocoon, they trust that their process of transformation will bring them from goo into a whole butterfly..(with the same DNA as before)
  
  In her book, Shelly Tygielski uses this example, along with many other intriguing stories, to help explain what it can look like to show up for ourselves in a moment to moment transition of who we were and who we are growing to be. Society doesn't show us the dirty parts from a moment to moment span. The most we get is a "blooper reel" - Shelly does a fantastic job at breaking down the dark, scary, hopeless moments when we literally have no idea what could possibly happen next. For me, this is the most impactful, considering the state of our world today.
  
  Also, if you have ADHD, I still recommend trying to read this book, even if you have to use some...chunking 😄 (also something Shelly talks about)
  
  Each page has the opportunity to plant a seed in all of us. This book has already impacted me in the almost 2 times I have read it in ways I can't wait to see how they come out. I think I am currently in my cocoon, learning to trust that as long as I keep doing what aligns with my values and what it means to show up for myself consistently and compassionately.
  
  I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have.
• 
  Tammera Richards

  HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! A poignant memoir with real life applications for all who read it!!
  
  This book is a reminder to all of us what we can achieve as a Community of Care, rather than as individuals living in isolation and struggling alone. In Shelly's book, she details her literal path out of darkness and into a life filled with love, value, and the tremendous support of a village she created from scratch. Throughout this book, Shelly shares her own struggles with perfectionism, never feeling "good enough," and wondering if anything would ever feel satisfying, all while raising a child as a single parent and dealing with chronic, progressive health issues. Rather than giving in to what might seem an inevitable future filled with darkness, constant pain, and suffering, Shelly turned that future on its head by embracing her circumstances, sitting with her discomfort and pain, and inviting others to support and be supported as a community. As a result, Pandemic of Love was born, and thousands of people were and continue to be uplifted by a collective love during one of the worst times in recent history. Humanness is at the core of what Shelly shares in this inspiring, hopeful and heartfelt memoir. I highly recommend this book!
• 
  Jessica

  DNF - I was listening to the audiobook and it had about an hour left when I threw in the trowel. 2 stars because I didn't enjoy the 5 or 6 hours or whatever leading up to my stopping point, but there were a couple of good ideas in there.
  
  I picked up this book with no prior knowledge of what it contained. I'd never heard of the author or even of Pandemic of Love. I assumed based on the title that it was a book about radical self-care...it is not. There is no actual information in this book about self-care, other than to encourage you to get yourself a "tribe" that can help you so you can have time for self-care. This book is more of a very vague guide to community organizing hidden within a memoir.
  
  It felt like a bunch of inspirational Instagram captions strung together and interspersed with humble-brags. Almost every single anecdote showcased the author changing someone's perspective/life just by having a conversation with them, or telling them to "take meditation off the mat." There are two different times in the book that she mentions making a facebook post right before bed with some kind of call to action or event or something, and then magically waking up to hundreds of responses. That is not a typical experience, and she fails to detail how she was able to gain that kind of influencer status prior to her posts. Similarly, when talking about pandemic of love, she says they grew so fast she was opening "chapters" and training people...how? with what? NO DETAILS WERE GIVEN. She was able to put in the smallest amount of effort and suddenly create a mOvEMenT, and then imply that we can all do the same, but gave us no information on how to even begin doing something like that. And there are entire chapters full of platitudes about how wealth is immoral and mutual aid isn't a handout and blah blah blah. I agreed with a lot of what she was saying, but there just weren't any original ideas in there.
  
  I did not enjoy this book, probably in large part because it was not what I expected. But also because even after realizing it wasn't a self-care book, it wasn't even really a book about anything else, either. It was a memoir disguised as a community organizer manual disguised as a self-help book. I like the idea of a self-care club, which was kind of touched on early in the book, so it gets 2 stars instead of 1.
• 
  Jesse Ehrlich

  This remarkable book can be appreciated on so many levels. First, it’s the story of a single mom who must find a way to raise her son after receiving devastating news about her own health.
  Ms. Tygielski shares the practical steps she discovered, often through trial and error, which allowed her to recapture her own life and turn her attention to helping others. It’s also the story of the global organization that she founded in early 2020—Pandemic of Love—which to date has matched over 1.7 million donors with those in need due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Tygielski writes with humility, compassion and humor, and this book should be of interest to anyone who wonders if there’s anything that “ordinary” people can do to combat the feelings of hopelessness and division that increasingly seem to be a part of modern life. Highly recommended!
• 
  Diana

  Shelly Tygielski is the cheerleader and self-advocate in your corner. Her inspirational memoir, Sit Down to Rise Up, guides us with love through essential self-care, which can blossom and build a community of care that will help us change our world.
  
  Shelly shares her secret of showing up, the foundation for life’s purpose. She tells of her struggles and challenges and how she is an unlikely meditator. If you are feeling lost or in the dark, Shelley has literally been there. Her stories and struggles provide seeds of wisdom that help us to connect and to cultivate a community that will help us with our own self-care. I want to find more joy in my life and this book has helped me get there. Sit Down to Rise Up, has helped me zero in on what I need now and not be afraid to ask for help and create a community of care. She explains how the mutual aid idea of Pandemic of Love began and how we can rise up and help ourselves heal from trauma.
  
  I’m so glad I chose the audiobook because listening to Shelly felt like a caring sister and friend was talking to me. This book is the medicine and inspiration I needed to focus on my self-care.
• 
  Liz Lem

  I saw Shelly Tygielski interviewed and then started seeing her quoted and felt that I better check this book out of the library.
  She has a very interesting background and is obviously very accomplished. She presented some old teachings in a new light. Examples: radical acceptance and loving kindness.
  “Enough is a feast” is a brilliant motto!
  The 3 star rating is because it felt like too much work and I am avoiding any attempt at over-achieving. And because I started losing attention in part two.
• 
  Samantha Quintell-Lenzi

  This book had so many beautiful human moments that were shared in such an intricate articulate way it is heartwarming. It’s personal, and it’s universal. Shelly’s perspective is unique and specific in her upbringing and experience and yet it is relatable and accessible to those who don’t share her identity or experience. I so appreciated her perspective and the ground work she lays for mutual aid.
• 
  Terri Davis

  While the book is full of good information, the title can lead someone to believe it is completely focused on self-care, which it is not. In fact, the majority of the book focuses on communal care. It’s a great idea, and one I would like to see catch on globally.
• 
  Stephanie Schuett

  So good!!! A must-read for anyone wanting to continually grow themselves while also making a difference in their community and in turn, the world.
• 
  Shannon Warto

  This book is inspiring and empowering. Giving a broader definition of self-care that is tangible and achievable through the art of asking for help, offering help, and knowing that no one is alone.
• 
  Kelly

  Incredible read! I highlighted so many passages and examples and prompts to come back to.