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Loading... Where in the OM Am I?by Sara Divello
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. There's the seed of a good book in here. Had Divello had an editor good enough to bring out, it might have been a decent tale of personal growth. But in its current state, Where in the Om Am I? is an object lesson in fundamental attribution error. It's clear Divello was a mismatch for her corporate job. But as the book wears on it also becomes clear that this had as much to do with her as any other factor. To wit: Divello goes on at length about how unwelcoming the corporate world is to women. But out of all her female coworkers--and we meet many--she only has good things to say about one. Who is a secretary. Divello wastes no opportunity to tell readers about what "ass kissers," "woman haters," "barracudas," and incompetents the rest of her female peers and bosses are. But why is the same behavior evidence of exemplary work ethic in Divello but "corporate ass kissing" in her coworkers...other than that Divello believes her motives are pure as the driven snow while her coworkers can do nothing right? Put another way, she seems as much of a woman hater and ass kisser as anyone else she describes. This blindness continues when Divello trades her stiletto heels for the yoga world. Immediately judgmental and casually dismissive of her classmates (They don't even get pedicures! Eww!), she's shocked and outraged when they eventually want nothing to do with her. She decries their abrasiveness and self-centeredness, while embodying both when interacting with them. She's quick to call out immaturity in others, but never recognizes it in herself. She writes with loving self-satisfaction of how she "shot death stares" at her teacher for letting class run into lunch time, and equally lovingly of her disbelief and bruised pride when the teacher makes a wisecrack about Divello needing to eat. Why is she surprised when her teacher responds to her passive aggressive bitchiness in kind? It's as if she thinks her seasoned instructor was too stupid to pick up on her sulking. There are several people in Divello's class--Hazel, Noemi--who seem genuinely cool. But Divello introduces them and never returns to them again; she's too busy wasting page space complaining about the classmates she doesn't like. Indeed, the majority of Where in the Om Am I? is Divello settling grudge matches: with all the coworkers who got promoted over her, all the classmates she thought were self-absorbed, all the times her teacher refused to fight her battles for her, all the times she was right, dammit! and no one acknowledged it to her satisfaction. It's a shame, because the early and final chapters showed promise. It's too bad the rest of the book went in a different direction. A corporate professional finds no fulfillment in her job, dabbles in yoga, and boldly undertakes an in-depth study of the ancient practice under a gifted and demanding teacher. Stabbed in the back and frustrated as often on the mat as in the cubicle, Sara DiVello perseveres and triumphs. The story is wonderfully told, with humor, pathos, and realism. I received a copy of Where in the OM Am I? by Sara DiVello in exchange for an honest review. Sara has a corporate job but finds that she can’t escape the nagging feeling at the back of her mind, that says she does not belong. She tries yoga as a means to cope with the stresses of her job but she decides that what she really needs to do for herself is seek yoga training to help her find the peace she desperately seeks. This book read like fiction although it is technically not. It chronicles Sara’s real life (for the most part), and goes between her corporate life and yoga training. There were definitely some thought provoking internal dialogue, but to balance the serious nature of the self-searching there were some hilarious pieces as well. This author is definitely good, and this memoir is worth a read for sure. You may confirm, like most of us, that not everyone is as nice (or as enlightened) as they pretend to be and people are just people who for the most part could justify their behavior unless because they seem to feel entitled. An inspiring and fun memoir! Where in the Om Am I? is a memoir written by Sara Divello who at the time was in her late 20′s. In search of the greener grass on the other side. Sara shuffles herself from one financial services company to another. In search of peace, tranquility and an outlet for her ever-growing anxiety due to her demanding job and crazy boss. Sara decides to take a yoga class after an invite from the very neighbor she has always tried to avoid. In an ironic twist, Sarah has a moment of clarity and realizes she loves yoga after all and signs up to take an instructors training course. Sara not only takes the reader on a trip through her corporate world but also through her life as a yoga student learning to be an instructor, where she struggles to fit in with the different personalities and cliques in her group. There are many fiascos with her boss and coworkers and when it comes to her yoga, there are the moments when Sara feels she would like to just throw in her grungy yoga towel and call it a day. This is one of those memoirs where one can relate to all the antics of her work life. When it comes to a boss or coworkers, reality is, there are always a few nuts in the bunch. I really enjoyed reading about Sara’s life and I could feel her pain when she was ousted during the yoga instruction and then later humiliated in front of her coworkers. I found myself cheering her on when she decided to stick it out at yoga and also when she decided to leave her corporate job. In totality I found Sara to be an inspiration to those of us who struggle through life while our daily interactions with others sometimes leave us feeling like we are in an alternate universe. Yet somehow we feel it, we know we are in the wrong place, so we trudge on through without giving up until we find that ultimate rainbow. no reviews | add a review
Sara has invested years dutifully climbing the corporate ladder to become head of PR at a major financial services company, but can't shake the feeling she's not where she belongs. When her latest boss, a wine-guzzling, drama-loving diva, finally drives her to the brink, Sara seeks sanctuary in yoga-teacher training'only to encounter an entirely different assortment of craziness and calamity. Where in the OM Am I? is an irreverent, honest, and hilarious memoir chronicling one woman's journey from the fast-paced, cutthroat corporate world, to the slow-paced, surprisingly catty, and sometimes perilous world of yoga. Along the way, Sara confronts the harsh reality of working in a male-dominated industry, the challenges of being a corporate interloper in the yoga community, and the complexity of interactions between women in both realms. As epic mishaps beget personal revelations, Sara digs deep for the courage to forge a new life for herself. No library descriptions found. |
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I had to check twice to make sure that this was in fact a memoir. This book was so funny, it had me laughing until I cried. I loved Sara’s courage and “don’t give up” attitude. By the end of the book, Sara DiVello is someone I’m proud to have gotten to know. Her strength and character is extremely admirable. It took awhile for her to realize the life she wanted, but her journey there was quite a humorous adventure. I feel empowered just from reading her experiences. I loved this book, it’s a Memoir that reads like Chick Lit, what more could you ask for from a great read?
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