By Mark Manson
Book is highly recommended.
It's so hard to rate non-fiction self-help/guidance books, but I will say that I do recommend this one. This is the kind of book that forces you to really dig deep into how you think and where your priorities align. In my case, it also is pushing me to rewire my brain a little and to allow myself to engage in thinking differently in a way that is best for me.
Liberation
I will start by saying something that most people already know, but I need to reiterate: do not binge this book. The way it's organized and laid out, it is important to let the information sink in and become a guide as you move forward.
The biggest surprise was that the message wasn't "don't care about anything", but rather, "pick what you care about".
If you want to change how you see your problems, you have to change what you value and/or how you measure failure/success.
Mark Manson is not, by any means, subtle; there is no sugar-coating the information he is providing which is something a lot of people, including myself, need. But, what is so great about the way this book reads is that it's broken into sections that all have very alarming titles. But, the way he breaks down such a startling statement is what makes this book such an important read. Each moment is backed by stories that don't seem relatable until it is broken down by the core lesson.
The notion that we are meant to suffer is just evidence of what we all painfully try to avoid. Those life moments are absolutely necessary and Mark Manson articulates that well. Every thought that this evokes challenges what I know my brain does and I need to sit and mull it over. From "entitlement" to "happiness is a problem" and to the "importance of failure", everything outlines the opposite of what I, and most people, find comforting. But, in that regard, he tries to push us beyond our own comfort zones and what we have been foolishly trained to believe and guide us to a different state of being.
That is why letting go is so liberating.
While there were times towards the end that seemed to get too repetitive, and the ideas kept being brought up that we covered prior, I love that he pinpoints the elements of other self-help books that only touch on the surface - while what we really need is to dive in deep, and dig into the thought process. Go deeper into the way we process information and not just seek the top layer of our actions (and aesthetics) as means of change or evolution.
My biggest takeaway from this is that, even after having read it three weeks ago, I'm still thinking about it. And, still trying to take those lessons I read and actually apply it to my every day life. That's the mark of a great book.
Recommendations
I highly recommend this book; though parts get a little repetitive, I think the content is really solid. There is so much to deep dive into that it becomes a useful book to act as a guide. Navigating through life is hard, but reprioritizing where to give the F*cks is probably the best advice I've heard, and something I need to challenge myself to do.
What did you all think? What was your favorite part? Let me know in the comments!
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