READ IN THE BATHTUB DAY!

February celebrates “Read in the Bathtub Day” and in my thinking, there's no better time than now (in the dark of winter here in the U.S.) to read an illuminating book.

Do I have a suggestion for one you might be wondering about? Well, of course I do! I recommend my memoir, “Born to Live Green- Awakening My Heart’s Wisdom to the Path of Eco-Intelligent Living, Learning, Healing, and Mentoring,” which just received a glowing 4-star review from the editors of Titan Books. According to their rating system, I’ve written “an expertly crafted story where the faults are few and far between.” Oh, joy! A little recognition feels good.

CELEBRATING A REVIEW OF MY MEMOIR

By Priscilla Evans and Thomas Anderson, Chief Editors, Titan Books

Candia Lea Cole’s Born to Live Green is part memoir, part manifesto, and part eco-education handbook. Through her personal journey of battling environmental illness, she uncovers a deeper calling to live in harmony with the Earth and to mentor others in eco-intelligent living. The book follows her transformation from a teenager struggling with unexplained health issues to an advocate for sustainable living. She intertwines her own experiences with a broader message: our personal well-being is directly connected to the well-being of the planet. It’s a deeply personal and, at times, poetic call to action for those ready to embrace a greener, more mindful way of life.

Cole doesn’t sugarcoat her experiences with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and chemical sensitivities. Instead, she lays them bare, allowing readers to step into her shoes. Her description of missing her high school graduation due to illness was heartbreaking. It wasn’t just about missing a party; it was about losing a rite of passage, a moment of celebration that every teenager looks forward to. That level of personal storytelling makes her journey compelling. She connects the dots between her health issues and environmental toxins, arguing that our modern world is making us sick. And frankly, it’s hard to disagree with her.

The way she describes factory-farmed meat, chemical-laden foods, and the toxic household products we use daily makes you rethink your choices immediately. Her excitement about visiting a local food co-op for the first time was charming, it felt like a child discovering a hidden treasure. And her description of the time she spent living off the land in a rural township was amusing, if not a testament to her hardiness in the face of hardships. I appreciated that Cole doesn’t just preach; she walks the walk. Her detailed descriptions of learning to detoxify her lifestyle, creating whole foods recipes from whole foods, and engaging in sustainable lifestyle practices are both informative and inspiring.

The book's second half shifts from memoir to mentorship. It invites her readers to witness her process of becoming an Eco-Mentor. She uses birthing metaphors to describe this process, such as “conception”, “labor”, “birth,” and “postpartum blues.”

‘Conception’ describes the spark of life she felt when she realized her new “life calling” –the calling she experienced while entering menopause, to educate young people about eco-intelligent living. ‘Pregnancy’ describes the path she paved to create an eco-leadership event for teens and young adults. ‘Birth’ describes the eco-lifestyle curriculum that evolved from her work with young people, and it introduces the six principles of eco-intelligent living that a spiritual vision revealed to her. ‘Postpartum Blues’ describes Candia’s “dark night of the soul”, an experience resulting from overwork and exhaustion that found her disabled. Her disability, we learn, forced her to retreat from the "upper world" and descend into the “lower world”, a place that she describes as “the womb” of Mother Earth. In this womb, she finds herself “holding space” for the birth of a new earth and discovers the role that endurance plays in shaping the life of a healer and feminine leader.

What truly stood out for me/us was her belief that healing the planet starts with healing ourselves. She ties personal wellness to planetary wellness in a way that feels intuitive and urgent. At times, her passion borders on overwhelming (because, after all, personal and planetary healing can be an intensive process), but in a world where environmental activism often feels clinical and data-driven, her deeply personal approach is refreshing.

Born to Live Green is an intimate, heartfelt book that blends personal narrative with a powerful environmental message. She presents a hopeful vision of a world where people reconnect with nature and make conscious, sustainable choices. Her view of alternative education and self-directed learning is especially thought-provoking; it invites us to question how traditional education often stifles eco-awareness rather than nurturing it.

The book is best suited for readers who are drawn to holistic wellness, eco-conscious living, and personal transformation. If you want a story that weaves together environmental awareness, emotional and spiritual awareness, self-healing, and a call to action, it’s a meaningful and inspiring read. Cole’s voice is passionate, urgent, and deeply personal, making this book a thought-provoking journey rather than just another guide to green living.

To read additional reviews and find out how you can order the book, go here: https://www.ecointelligenteating.com/memoir-born-to-live-green

If you'd like to hear me read my story out loud, I invite you to explore my Eco-Mentor Apprentice Certification program online: https://learn.ecointelligenteating.com/course/0-eco-mentor-apprentice-training-follow-in-my-footsteps-on-the-path-to-eco-intelligent-living. In addition to the audio version of my book, which brings my story to life for you, I also share several lessons and activities with you that offer to deepen your understanding of why eco-intelligent living, learning, healing, and mentoring is so vital to our well-being in today's world. You will also have the chance to personalize what you learn and ponder your path to health and healing. The cost of the course is normally $199. For those interested in purchasing the course this week, I will reduce the cost for you to $99. If you're interested in this offer, kindly reach out to me at: clcole@comcast.net. I will need to manually reduce the price for you in my admin. Thank you for your support.:)