Click here to listen on your device and subscribe!
Welcome to Indie Author Chat, the podcast designed to help you explore the ideas and insights behind today’s most thoughtful nonfiction books. Join host Laura Finch for engaging conversations with independent authors as they share the wisdom and inspiration behind their books—each title carefully curated by Weaving Influence Press.
In this episode, Laura talks with Ronit Ziv-Krieger, editor of The Art and Practice of Living Wondrously. The book was created by Momentum, a global organization engaging 25,000 mothers in 40 countries to foster stronger families and communities. The Art and Practice of Living Wondrously is based on surveys of 10,000 mothers to identify the most meaningful topics about life, family, and health. The book features wisdom from the Jewish tradition, applied to contemporary life, and includes contributions from various experts and storytellers. It aims to foster resilience, combat anti-Semitism, and promote meaningful relationships.
Key Points From This Episode:
[01:40] Ronit describes the book’s creation process, including surveys of thousands of mothers to identify the most meaningful topics about life and family.
[04:12] Ronit explains Momentum’s global work in 40 countries, engaging thousands of mothers in a year-long learning journey.
[7:48] Ronit discusses the book’s focus on applying Jewish wisdom to contemporary issues like friendships, parenting, and mental health.
[9:33] Ronit explains the book’s approach to nourishing oneself with beauty, wonder, and relationships.
[13:56] Ronit shares the story of the 12 scouts from the Jewish tradition, highlighting the importance of perspective and outlook.
[18:11] Ronit discusses the book’s role in combating anti-Semitism by fostering a strong, meaningful Jewish identity.
[23:19] The practice of chavrutah, or studying with a partner, is emphasized for fostering deep relationships and mutual growth.
[28:34] Ronit shares that book bundles are available for group learning or gift-giving, and thanks Weaving Influence for making that option possible.
Resources:
- Learn more about Momentum and order your copy of The Art and Practice of Living Wondrously.
- Follow Ronit’s work with Momentum on LinkedIn.
Key Quotes:
As the global director of education, my team and I curate amazing resources for that journey, helping mothers build cohorts that foster strong families and strong communities, creating women who become agents of hope not only for their families but also for the communities they live in, and building global relationships among us. — Ronit Ziv-Krieger
“The Art and Practice of Living Wonderously” is for anybody seeking to draw wisdom, inspiration, wonder, and awe into their own lives, into the lives of their children, and into the circle around them. This is what this book offers: the wisdom of the Jewish tradition. — Ronit Ziv-Krieger
I love books I can put by my bedside that help me transition out of the day and the challenges—sometimes the heaviness, sometimes the intensity—and help me relax, get inspired, feel nourished, and find guidance for living well into my dreams. That I can wake up feeling refreshed, and that my soul is also nourished. So that’s what I imagine this book to be. It doesn’t take me long, just a few minutes, and I get a nitbit that relates to my life and can help me in that kind of way. — Ronit Ziv-Krieger
With those challenges, there are also nuggets of wonder, beauty, relationship, and soulfulness that one can tap into. It nourishes us from within and gives us more inner strength to address what is difficult. We take time to build the muscle of nourishing ourselves with beauty, with wonder, with awe, with relationships, with kindness, with gratitude. Then, even when we’re dealing with painful situations, the way we approach it is different. It’s transformed. — Ronit Ziv-Krieger
Build a practice to start each day connecting with something beautiful first and foremost from inside you, your pure soul that doesn’t get tainted by your mistakes, by your foibles, by your failings, by your challenges. Our sense of hope, our sense of possibility, our sense of strength, our sense of courage—it all gets nourished from that. — Ronit Ziv-Krieger
Judaism encourages us towards action, towards doing things that bring goodness. And one of the ways we bring goodness is to foster strong, deep relationships. — Ronit Ziv-Krieger
Sign up for the bi-weekly newsletter to connect with Becky Robinson and learn about upcoming book launches.
Consider joining Team Buzz Builder, our book review team that supports most of our client launches. When you sign up for a launch, you’ll receive a complimentary copy (digital or print) in exchange for your commitment to post an early review.
