I had the privilege of reading and reviewing another book by Juanita Ingram, mother, lawyer and entrepreneur.

The first book that I read of hers was 'Beauty for Ashes,' about overcoming challenges and struggles in life and receiving ‘beauty in exchange for ashes.’

This book is more of a practical journal about empowerment and encouragement. I enjoy motivational books and if you also like that, then this book is for you. This book is aimed at women of all ages and backgrounds as we all need to remember who we are in Christ and ensure that we affirm ourselves daily in order to thrive in every area of our lives.

The key elements in this book aim to boost your self-worth, to build character and provide practical skills to help you to confidently affirm and declare positivity in your life and being who God called you to be.

There is a key focus on mind-set which is key in understanding our identity, acknowledging who we are and what we can do.

Proverbs 23:7 tells us that ‘as he thinketh in his heart, so he is.’

What you think about yourself manifests on the outside and impacts on your thoughts, attitude, behaviour and actions.

This book helps to strengthen our views of ourselves so that our mind-set will be free from other people's thoughts and opinions to only make room for God's word and His view of us which is extremely positive.

Sometimes we can get caught up in other people’s negative views of us or hold on to hurtful things people may have said to us in the past. Sometimes we may have made mistakes in our past, which humans have held on to, reminded us and thrown back in our face when we try to move forward.

However when God has freed us and liberated us, it doesn’t matter what other people think, we should not let people’s views and opinions hold us back from progressing.

No matter what has happened in your life, fill your mind with love and respect. Acknowledge that you deserve love, greatness and success. It starts with ourselves - loving, honouring and respecting ourselves, just the way God loves us.

Here are a few quotes from the book which resonated with me:

-'To be fabulous, you must be faithful to your true self and your highest values.'

-'The journey from faithful to fabulous will also make you feel free - free of limiting thoughts and fears... free from dependency upon other people's approval... Free from past mistakes... free to fulfil your years and your full potential.'

-'Be fabulous faithful and free in every way.'

-'When you are a prize, you cannot fail.'

We can be our own worst critic. We can easily compliment others but struggle to compliment ourselves which affects our self-worth and confidence.

When we see ourselves through the eyes of God, we will be able to boldly proclaim who we are. God will take us from ordinary to extraordinary. We must believe and proclaim this.

This book really encouraged me to think differently, to think positive in order to be positive to overcome negativity.

This starts by surrounding ourselves with people who are positive and can influence us in a good way and not put us down.

The key theme is cultivating a positive mind-set and Juanita makes some helpful suggestions throughout.

Don’t focus on negatives and don’t speak yourself down. Speak positively and if there may be a challenge or barrier, think about how you can overcome them rather than ‘letting them define you or shape your life.’

Juanita uses examples from her own personal experiences of when she felt discouraged in her past and how she lifted herself up in order to be bold to follow through with her goals and become who she is today.

As well as helpful tips about feeling confident and fabulous, there are also some tips about looking confident and looking our best. There is a reminder that we don’t need labels to make us feel important, which really resonated with me because I love my bargains and proudly wear high street brands, carrying myself in a way that makes me feel like a million pounds, because a label or designer brand does not define me!

It is about who I am inside. We are important ‘because of who we are and what we’re here to do.’

The book also encourages you to strengthen your faith because this is also linked to mind-set. Faith is about believing in yourself and believing in the one who created you.

Juanita also provides a helpful workbook to give you some homework to help you to put into practice and exercise the helpful tips and encouragement in this book. It challenges you to think about yourself and explore who you are, your purpose, making goals, mapping and planning your vision and also rewarding yourself.

I would recommend this book to all women – sisters, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, all women of God.

If you have ever struggled to believe in yourself, or had someone put your down, or if you have felt crushed in spirit or just need a boost and reminder about appreciating and loving yourself – You will find all you need to become Fabulous, Faithful and Free!