Since I was around 7 or 8 years old , whenever my mom and I went to book sales in our local public library, I would often come across several old fashioned books that were maybe over 20 years old. One of the books I encountered frequently was the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. I thought to myself “What a weird title”. But when I opened the book, I realized that it wasn’t like any other book I had read. It was a collection of short stories packed in one big book. These books from the Chicken soup for soul series covered several important topics on honesty, friendships, standing up to yourself, human relationships, empathy, kindness,motivation and grief. Few years later, I started picking up one of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books and reading a story or two every night. For some reason, it made me feel relaxed and calm at the end of a busy day.
Let me share a little background about this book series.Chicken Soup for the Soul is a public entertainment company that publishes books of real life inspirational stories. This company started off when motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen decided to create a series of stories composed of stories they had heard from their audience. Unfortunately, their idea was rejected by several publishers in New York but accepted by a self-help publisher in Florida. This led to the series being fully established on June 28,1993. This series also held a spot on the New York times bestseller list from 1994 to 1998. Chicken Soup for the soul is a metaphor because Canfield and Hansen wanted to create a source of comfort and inspiration for others like their grandmother’s comfort cooking, like soup.
When I was in elementary school, I wasn’t much of a reader and only read if my mom forced me to. However, the Chicken Soup for the Kids Soul book was the only book I couldn’t put down. I have read several stories from those books covering topics of friendship, family, coming of age, honesty, respect and grief. If you had a long and tiring day, it doesn’t hurt to at least read a short story from this series because these stories will heal the tired soul like a magical comfort food. These short stories will give you a new perspective and inspire you to tackle the challenges of life with a new approach.
As we head towards the end of the year, let’s try to end it on a positive note, with a hope for a better future. Pick up a chicken soup for the soul book and I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed.
Perfect bite size comfort food for your soul!
You can gift them to your family and friends of any age group for the upcoming holidays.
Happy Reading!