Smile At Strangers

“Eat, pray . . . kick ass. Delivered with self-deprecating candor, Schorn’s life lessons learned at the dojo will resonate with anyone who’s ever tried to remodel a house, raise kids, cope with a health crisis, navigate office politics or hyperventilated—essentially anyone who’s ever been slammed on the mat while testing for the black belt of life. Like the fighter herself, you can’t put this one down.”—Mary Moore, author of The Unexpected When You’re Expecting

Susan Schorn led an anxious life. For no clear reason, she had become progressively paralyzed by fear. Fed up with feeling powerless, she took up karate.

She learned how to say no and how to fight when you have to (even in the dark). Karate taught her how to persuade her husband to wear a helmet, best one bossy Girl Scout troop leader, and set boundaries with an over-sharing boss. Here this double black belt recounts a fighting, biting, laughing woman’s journey on the road to living fearlessly—where enlightenment is as much about embracing absurdity and landing a punch as about finding that perfect method of meditation.

Full of hilarious hijinks and tactical wisdom, Schorn’s quest for a more satisfying life features practical—and often counterintuitive—lessons about safety and self defense. Smile at strangers, she says. Question your habits, your fears, your self-criticism: Self-criticism is easy. Self-improvement is hard. And don’t forget this essential gem: Everybody wants to have adventures. Whether they know it or not. Join the adventure in these pages, and come through it poised to have more of your own.

What does it take to trade constant anxiety for unflinching confidence?

• Overcoming Fear: Follow Susan Schorn’s journey from being paralyzed by anxiety to becoming a double black belt who knows how to find her power and land a punch.
• Setting Boundaries: Learn the practical, tactical wisdom needed to say no, handle a bossy troop leader, and deal with an over-sharing boss without apology.
• Self-Defense for Women: Discover counterintuitive lessons for real-world safety, from a martial artist who believes in embracing absurdity as much as meditation.
• Martial Arts Philosophy: A guide to living fearlessly that blends hilarious hijinks with the profound, life-changing lessons learned on the dojo mat.