Sometimes you need a pick-me-up or someone to tell you to keep going. Jessica Mtsweni’s Girl in Progress: Lessons from a Dreamer and Eternal Optimist is just that tonic. It is the invitation to fall in love with yourself; with life and your dreams and to cultivate a daring type of JOY. How rare and incredible are those moments when you realise what a gift it is to be alive? To laugh till your tummy hurts. To do things that both terrify and delight you. We are too busy waiting on others to permit us to validate our dreams and desires. Mass media promotes joy as some distant, unattainable commodity only ever found by those who seemingly have the best of everything or have it together. Girl in progress is not necessarily a how-to, but more of a why-not book. It’s an invitation to explore a new way of living and uncovers themes like finding balance, self-trust, self-care, resilience and intention. It provides insightful solutions on how you can create a more satisfying life by:

• declaring, defining and nurturing your dreams;

• letting go, unloading what no longer serves you and making your life a place of welcome;

• defining your boundaries and limits in your life and

• living intentionally, audaciously, and unapologetically.

It’s that safe landing place we all need; a poignant reminder that life doesn’t have to be a frenzy and slow-and-steady, showing up and savouring the here-and-now moments is also a divine way to go about living.