Tiny Humans, Big Lessons: How the NICU Taught Me to Live With Energy, Intention, and Purpose

by Sue Ludwig

Overview

What if you cared for your life the way the NICU cares for its patients?

Imagine standing over a newborn and whispering, “I hope you work your fingers to the bone chasing someone else’s notion of the ‘good life’ until you’re so exhausted you don’t remember who you are or why you matter.” It’s unthinkable. Yet that’s where many of us find ourselves as adults: depleted, feeling stuck, and certain that life’s opportunities have passed us by. Isn’t it time we treated ourselves with more care?

In this remarkable book of personal and professional transformation, Sue Ludwig, a neonatal therapist, shares how her tiny patients in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) guided her to step off her hamster wheel of existence and into a new way of living. Through real patient stories, reflection, and practical tools, she reveals how, by following the lead of these in her care, she found her way to a more vibrant, purposeful, and impactful life than she ever imagined possible—and how you can, too.

You can break out of survival mode, take charge of your energy, and redirect it toward development and growth—just as Ludwig’s fragile NICU patients do. Moment by moment, baby step by baby step, chapter by chapter, you’ll come to see that your energy and potential aren’t gone. They’re not even lost. They’re simply waiting for you to reclaim them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781774580974
Publisher:	Page Two Books, Inc.
Publication date:	03/08/2022
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	255,025
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Sue Ludwig is a sought-after speaker, consultant, writer, and educator. A licensed occupational therapist and certified neonatal therapist, she is president and founder of the National Association of Neonatal Therapists, where she uses her unique blend of clinical expertise, innovation, and leadership skills to support the advancement of this specialized field on a global level. Sue lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband and has two grown children.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part 1 The Source

1 The Slow Leak 13

2 Small and Feisty 27

3 The Ripple Effect 37

Part 2 Finding and Reviving

4 Owning Our Light 49

5 Light Blockers 59

6 Baggage 75

7 The Importance of Environment 87

Part 3 Harnessing and Directing Energy

8 Alignment Versus Balance 105

9 Invite Yourself to the Party 117

10 Getting Intentional About Intention 129

Part 4 Showing Up for Life

11 Elevate the Experience, Elevate Your Life 145

12 When Moments Turn Bad 157

13 Notice 171

Part 5 There Is Only Now

14 The Responsibility of Deciding 183

15 Mentors Are Everywhere-Be on the Lookout 195

16 You Are the Thing 205

Acknowledgments 211

Editorial Reviews

10/30/2023

In this heartfelt exploration of professional and personal transformation, Ludwig draws from her experience as an NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) therapist, plus personal transitions in her home life, to make the case that “The opportunity for transformation is ever available to us right here in the current moment. Tiny step by tiny step.” Sharing case studies and hard-won insights from the unit and her own life as a mother and wife, Ludwig finds surprising, inspiring lessons for the rest of us from the newborns in the unit, especially their fight and will to live, as they start on their life journeys.

Ludwig blends engaging anecdotes of NICU work with guidance toward adjusting one's mindset and becoming “intentional” in the workplace and daily life in general. "When we’re in alignment, we experience clarity and traction," Ludwig writes. Exploring themes of mindfulness, self-care, and positivity, Tiny Humans, Big Lessons demonstrates how to hold a microscope on the things that deserve to be valued most, such as family, the people and the energy around, and the journey of where life can go when lived with determined intention. Throughout, writing with the clarity of someone accustomed to seeing human life in its most delicate state, Ludwig shares tools and practices crafted “to stop feeling like you’re just going through the motions in your life” in favor of embracing what is vital and nourishing.

The stories of the NICU patients are heartwarming and rousing as Ludwig finds in their strength, nonverbal cues, and tenacious spirits an opportunity to demonstrate the book’s most urgent ideas. A strong read for fans of mindfulness and emotional human-interest anecdotes, Tiny Humans, Big Lessons presents ideals on how to adjust one's mindset and energy and ways to live a life of true happiness and positivity. This stirring, motivational read will inspire and touch the hearts of readers who have a soft spot of babies.

Takeaway: An inspirational self-help guide that offers up major life lessons from the cutest source.

Comparable Titles: Andrew and Rachel Wilson's The Life We Never Expected, Kristine Putz's Finding Peace in the NICU.

Production grades Cover: A Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A Marketing copy: A-

BookLife Reviews

"Tiny Humans, Big Lessons is a deeply kind, wise, and engrossing guide to life. As Sue Ludwig describes the parallels between the struggles of premature babies and our own daily struggles, she reminds us that all of us can feel small and fragile—and that all of us deserve the care and focus she gives to the babies under her care. Her book is an inspiring, pragmatic testament to the compassion human beings are capable of both giving and receiving." – Martha Beck, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of The Way of Integrity

“The most valuable life lessons can come from the least expected places. Sue Ludwig shares hard-earned wisdom about the practical art of living with meaning and purpose.” – Todd Henry, author of Die Empty

"Generous and powerful, Sue Ludwig reminds us that the best way to ensure a happier future is to live with intent and to embrace each moment." – Seth Godin, bestselling author of The Practice

From the Publisher