Easier Than You Think
Small Changes that Add Up to a World of Difference in Life
by Richard Carlson
As far as a self-help book goes,
this one didn't quite do it for me. Up front, I loved the idea that
changing little things can make a big difference down the road,
but as I listened I was totally overwhelmed by the huge changes
that were being asked of me. I felt my emotions trivialized with
statements like "You can complain that the roses have thorns or
celebrate that the thorns have roses." If I were able to have those
perspectives on demand I wouldn't be looking for a change in my
life or a book of this nature.
On the other hand there is advice that has already been of great value to me. For example,
Dr. Carlson suggests that AFTER you have an emotional episode, you should look back until
you find the trigger, which was probably long before you flew off the handle or had a
breakdown. I could figure out the how-to on this one; every evening as part of my bedtime
routine I can look backwards at my day and write down any triggers I come up with.
There are nearly 40 ideas of small ways to change. The key here is the definition of
small. I went into this thinking that they could all be beneficial to me, and maybe at
some point they can be. Some of them are just too big for me right now. I expected inspiration
and came out with frustration because I couldn't figure out how to make some of the suggestions
that I thought were probably the key to my change. I apparently need more direction than
to be told to just think differently.
I wondered if the format, an audio book, is what got in my way. Instead of being able to
read a chapter, set it aside and resolve the ideas; the words flowed on and on adding new
layers before I processed what I had just heard, giving me a form of audio-indigestion.
Maybe if I had read the book and used the audio tracks for a refresher, I would have been
less overwhelmed. |
The Reviewer |
Beth E. McKenzie |
Reviewed 2005 |
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