“Let life happen. Then be ready when it does.”
-Kim Fields
Blessed Life: My Surprising Journey of Joy, Tears, and Tales from Harlem to Hollywood by Kim Fields is a true testament of growth and staying the course in your life’s journey. In her beautifully written memoir, Kim Fields speaks candidly about the lessons she’s learned throughout her life as a childhood star, actress, creative, wife, and mother. Reading this book was so refreshing, because not only was she transparent about her trials and struggles, she also shared how she moved out of her own way to get through to the better days.
I expected so much from this book before I started reading. I was looking forward to learning more about Kim Fields, the woman behind one of my favorite TV personalities, Ms. Regine Hunter, and the blessed life she leads. I love coming-of-age stories that share triumphs AND tribulations. So, I was hoping Kim Fields had a few inspirational anecdotes to share with us women of faith who may be struggling with matters of the heart, finding our life’s purpose, and or striving to live the most blessed life in a way that pleases God. And I believe I found what I was looking for.
Blessed Life starts with a refreshing reminder to hit the pause button. How often do we find books that remind us to take a break on the first page? Too often we are fixated on getting to the next moment in everything these days. And if that wasn't cause enough for a pause, she continued with a quiz to open the book. Are you familiar with those Cosmopolitan quizzes featured celebrities fill out before the interview? Yep, just like that. It was the perfect icebreaker of sorts, and I was instantly able to see the human side of her versus the "larger than life" celebrity I admire her to be.
Broken into 3 sections, Blessed Life explores the life of Kim Fields through (1) Her Mom’s Voice, (2) Her Voice, and (3) The Still, Small Voice. In this way the book evolves into the lessons her mother teaches her as a child, how these lessons encourage her to develop + find her own voice, and in turn lead her to the Still, Small Voice of The Lord. Writing the book in this way allowed me to chronologically see Kim's life journey and how things in her youth affected her decisions as an adult, making it easy for me to follow along.
Learning of her upbringing in Harlem, in an environment rich with culture was exciting to read. It helped to illustrate how Kim's mother exposed her to the world of the arts as an actress herself. Early on, Kim speaks with such pride about where she’s from and the culture she’s been exposed to + surrounded by in Harlem. And it's clear from the very start that her mom is her role model. Not only did she care for and nurture Kim, she put people around her that were able to do the same. There was definitely a village of people in the industry that nurtured her appreciation for the arts.
As a youth, it's obvious to see that Kim Fields was brought up in a solid community of people that encourage her admission to the entertainment industry. It was, however refreshing to see that though Kim went into show business early in life, she still experienced some of the same things I did as a teen. She struggled with insecurities of her own, such as body image and trying to "fit in." Her storytelling was engaging in a way that when I felt her story getting away from me because I couldn't relate, she would show a human side of herself that I could understand.
She shared her triumphs and big breaks with us, but not without sharing her struggles. She told about the opportunities she was chosen for like getting picked up for Living Single, but also shared moments when she had fallen into depression and work was coming in slow. Describing those raw moments when she didn't even want to get out of bed most days made it real to me that we all have bad days and even celebrities have to deal with the ups and downs of life.
While the latter portion of her book focused more on her family life, including her first marriage to Johnathon Freeman and current marriage to Christopher Morgan, I enjoyed the earlier parts more. While I appreciated her sharing lessons she learned about communication in relationships and the like, I found myself skimming through these pages. The pacing was a bit rushed, and I had trouble staying engaged. I was more inspired by her coming into her own and learning more about herself than I was learning about the conflicts she was having in marriage. Perhaps that is because she is currently in that stage of her life now and the rest is unwritten. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the read.
All in all, I felt hopeful after reading Blessed Life. It was as if all of Kim Field's moments of inspiration had been poured into me. There was a strong theme of faith throughout the book that stays with you and reminds you to never give up on yourself or God. There were times that Kim's faith carried her. That coupled with the hard work she put in brought her through her darkest days. I was inspired by how she continued showing up for life and work, no matter the roles she didn’t get or opportunities that weren’t extended to her. She never gave up on herself.
To grab a copy of this book for yourself, visit Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other stores where books are sold.
Have you read Blessed Life yet?
What inspires you to live your best blessed life?
Disclosure: This book was sent to me by Faithwords/Hachette Book Group for review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. To read more about my disclosure policy, click here.
original pub. date: 11/05/17
