The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this – especially once got past the F*** that pepper the first chapter! There’s a lot of serious material in here that’s well worth reading – debating suggesting it to students as a book on knowing values/motivations … The thread that ‘death comes to us all’ and therefore we have to choose the energy that we spend is powerful.
Star Sand by Roger Pulvers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
An interesting premise, some interesting insights into Japanese culture, but ending felt rushed & characters not entirely rounded out.
The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country by Helen Russell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed reading this, very journalistic insights, a little bit anthropological mixed with some psychology. Interesting insights into the fact that the state provides so much support that people seem to have a lot more freedom … hence the ‘happiness factor’.
The Sugar Men by Ray Kingfisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A very engrossing book, dealing with PTSD caused by the Holocaust, and a return to memories. Fairly gentle whilst dealing with a grim topic.
The First City by Joe Hart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this trilogy – insights into a world when women are a scarce resource, the hope and fear of opening up after years of being enclosed, and a happy, but not soppy happy ending – life is still tough!
I was sent this book for review in the last few months, and I thought it was quite ironic that I decided to pick it up and read it in the final 2-3 days of my annual leave, when I have been careful to turn my email off, taken an overseas break, but then came back to try and do a load of stuff to my new house, then put my paintbrush down and seemed to fall into a stupor … so this book fitted really well with that! Almost like God might have had a hand in the timing, you know…
The book is written in a relaxed style, and I think a lot of those I talk to at Greenbelt and Gathering of Women Leaders would like it. It considers the world in which we live – where everything is about MORE and BIGGER and FASTER, and looks at the possibilities of living SMALLER, and taking time out on a BENCH (not a throne!). Tuesday is picked as the core ‘ordinary day’, as it’s the day when the week is under way, there’s much of it to go, but we’re not getting towards the end of anything – often it’s a day where we can’t see the bigger picture.
There’s an encouragement not to TRY so hard, and to learn how to sit with disappointments and failures, and not always think that’s on the path to something BIGGER… and to count all the small moments that strung together make up our lives – and not just the good small moments, but ALL of them. It did make me question how my desire for a gravestone that says ‘she made a difference’ sits with the capacity to accept an ordinary life! I circled and scribbled on many pages (sorry people who think I am therefore beyond a monster), but here’s a couple of pages that I really wanted to take note of in my passion for encouraging people to seek to share with vulnerability and – yes – authenticity (overused word) online, but with wisdom that not everything is for sharing (my classic – are you happy for God, your parents, any kids, national newspapers and your worst enemies to see anything you publish) see:
Another excellent book designed to help take the pressure off in our frantic 21stC world… (see also Brian Draper and others) (something I’m enjoying with this blog – yes, it may be my ‘professional place’, but also, I can experiment and publish things that are not ‘over-worked’, as is required for academic publications!
This book was provided to me courtesy of Revell Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
This year I’ve been particularly working on “living life to the full“, and after hearing about a young man who has died today, this article came into my inbox – the first is:
- Remember you will die. Maybe even today. Don’t forget that. Don’t forget to be thankful for your health. For the ability to walk. For the time you get to spend with the person you love. For your siblings. For whatever it is that you have today. It’s not yours, it can be stolen away at any moment. So while you have it on loan, cherish it.
Read the full post… most of the rest are worth thinking about too.
Really fascinating piece and a good reminder as to what are the important things in life – as expressed by those on their deathbed to their nurses.
1) Living a life true to yourself
2) Not working so hard
3) Having courage to express true feelings
4) Stayed in touch with friends:
It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.
5) I wish I’d let myself be happier.
When I trained as a coach, one of the exercises that we focused on was getting people to write the eulogy that they hope might be given for them when they die (death is about the only certainty in this life, right?), and then work out how to make life fit with that. I’ve been making various steps backwards and forwards in this recently, and wonder whether the amount of time I’ve spent decluttering has helped (it’s certainly helped clear my brain – I know that the things I still own I use or value in some way, rather than ‘just in case’) … or whether I could have used that time out with friends…