Notice the ordinary delights—even in tough times
In life, there are moments that are terrible and moments that are sublime. Most of our lives fall somewhere in between--the ordinary hours crammed with small griefs and pops of joy. We move through the world with one fist full of possibility and the other clutching panic. It's easy to slip into the belief that the life we dream of is waiting somewhere past the daily grind. But this is our actual life; we only get to do it once. So much is out of our control--but not everything. What can we do today to offset the heaviness and remain upright and hopeful through it all?
With humor, humility, and a voice all her own, Shannan Martin introduces you to the heart-changing concept of counterweights: the essential practice of holding both the good and the bad with honesty and hope. She shows you how to notice the ordinary, accessible delights hiding in plain sight--reminders that even in tough times, life can be beautiful and deeply good.
If you're overwhelmed, weary, or burned out, Counterweights is your invitation to receive the chaotic abundance of being alive, cultivating strength and joy along the way.
“There is absolutely no greater writer than Shannan to walk us through this moment.”
In Counterweights, Shannan Martin invites you into grounded hope by considering life’s endless dualities…
Madness + Miracle
True abundance is the good and the terrible. Our task is to learn to bear it all.
Lament + Longing
We are not growing if we are not changing.
Poverty + Plenty
Enough is made when we throw our scraps on a shared table.
Barriers + Belonging
We build mutual security when we receive one another as is.
About Shannan
Shannan Martin is the bestselling author of several books, including Start with Hello, The Ministry of Ordinary Places, and the popular Substack The Soup. Shannan is a wannabe gardener, a news geek, a fighter for justice, and a thrift store stalker. She and her family live as grateful neighbors in Goshen, Indiana, where Shannan is on staff at the local community kitchen.
What Readers Are Saying About the Practice of Counterweights:
“Counterweights are absolutely essential, like air!”
– Nancy R.
“Counterweights are a small act of resistance to despair.”
– Joan S.
“Counterweights remind us of the duty to find joy.”
– Lisa S.
“Counterweights are a necessity in this chaos.”
– Rebecca S.
“Counterweights are a buoy and a beacon for navigating reality.”
– Megan S.
“Finding counterweights has become a daily essential for me.”
– Sharon L.
“Counterweights help ease my guilt about enjoying life when there’s so much going wrong.”
– Chelsea L.
“I love that this practice is not rooted in toxic positivity.”
– Kelly W.
Kind Words About My Writing:
“Shannan Martin is a sidewalk poet and an everyday prophet. In Start with Hello she issues a stunning and accessible invitation for us to live as neighbors in the world, casting a hopeful vision of what it looks like to be human together. As it turns out, there is no them but only us, and this is the book we both want and need to help us find our way back to each other.”
Emily P. Freeman, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Next Right Thing
“These are the days when we could all use a firm but gentle nudge to extend extra kindness to the people around us. Shannan reminds us to pay attention, look outside of ourselves, lay aside our preconceived judgements, and stay put, bearing with each other, carrying each others' burdens, and finding Jesus at the center of it all.”
LaTasha Morrison, founder of Be the Bridge
“This essential field guide to expanding your world (in spite of all that makes us human) is engaging, accessible, and beautifully layered with Shannan’s signature storytelling and unabashed honesty. You’ll be better for reading it, and so will the world around you.”
Deidra Riggs, author of 30 Days to Being Actively Anti-Racist on Social Media
“This book is so inspiring, but in a chill, regular sort of way. It doesn’t wreck you or kick you in the pants or make you rethink your entire existence. Instead, it will change you in a way you’ve been craving to change by helping you see the beauty of where you currently exist and the people who exist near you. It makes being a neighbor, not to mention a person, just so beautifully . . . doable. Y’all, this is the book we’ve been waiting for.”
Kendra Adachi, New York Times bestselling author of The Lazy Genius Way
“‘Jen, pick one of your favorite people on planet Earth.’ Fine, I pick Shannan. I pick her friendship. I pick her example. I pick Start with Hello. This book. It is lovely, warm, honest. It brims with possibility. It is—and Shannan would hate this word—inspiring. I want to run home and leave the mess where it is and send a text to my five closest neighbors to come over for chili and $10 wine. What a gift she is. What a gift this book is.”
Jen Hatmaker, New York Times bestselling author, host of For the Love podcast, and founder of Legacy Collective
“Start with Hello has changed the way I see my neighborhood, challenged the way I define and live in community, and given me hope that we can actually build a better world for us to live in by taking small steps to connect with one another. Read it, practice the simple ways you can move toward each other, and begin to experience the richness of heaven here on earth.”
Grace P. Cho, writer, poet, and editor