book report / feb 2016

This book is about Will and Louisa. What Will doesn’t know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they’re going to change the other for all time.

I loved this book. I made a mistake of reading a review that had a spoiler in it, but even though I knew how the book ends, I still loved reading the story. It’s one of those stories that captivates you from the start. I found it slow-paced, but I also didn’t want to put it down. I thought about the story and the characters outside of my reading time. The story is unforgettable and I found myself with a feeling of gratitude for all my blessings at the end of the story. I thought there was plenty of romance too.

I recently saw the preview of the movie coming out in June. I already marked the date on my calendar

“You only get one life. It’s actually your duty to live it as fully as possible.”

“I will never, ever regret the things I’ve done. Because most days, all you have are places in your memory that you can go to.”

“I worked out what would make me happy, and I worked out what I wanted to do, and I trained myself to do the job that would make those two things happen”

“You’re going to feel uncomfortable in your new world for a bit. It always does feel strange to be knocked out of your comfort zone but I hope you feel exhilarated too.
Live boldly. Push yourself. Don’t settle.

Just live well. Just live.”

10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works by Dan Harris

Summary: After having a nationally televised panic attack on Good Morning America, Dan Harris knew he had to make some changes. After learning about research that suggests meditation can do everything from lower your blood pressure to essentially rewire your brain, Harris took a deep dive into the unde rreported world of CEOs, scientists, and even marines who are now using it for increased calm, focus, and happiness.

I enjoyed reading about the author’s journey in finding ways to “tame the voice in his head” and find some peace of mind. I wouldn’t call this a self-help book but more of a memoir. I can relate with the author regarding workplace stress and the feeling of anxiety when stress gets too bad. I got a lot of helpful tips about being mindful and meditation. To start, I downloaded and used the app “Headspace” to help me start meditating daily (even if it’s just a few minutes), after I read the book. It’s also surprisingly funny, the author has that sarcastic humor that I find funny.

This book details the author’s journey from hitting rock bottom and the steps he took to get out of it. He also talked about interviewing some famous self-help gurus like Deepak Chopra, CEOs, scientists, and even marines. I found the behind the scene stories from ABC news interesting too.

Favorite Quotes:

“Make the present moment your friend rather than your enemy. Because many people live habitually as if the present moment were an obstacle that they need to overcome in order to get to the next moment. And imagine living your whole life like that, where always this moment is never quite right, not good enough because you need to get to the next one. That is continuous stress.”

“When you have one foot in the future and the other in the past, you piss on the present.”

“What mindfulness does is create some space in your head so you can, as the Buddhists say, “respond” rather than simply “react.” In the Buddhist view, you can’t control what comes up in your head; it all arises out of a mysterious void. We spend a lot of time judging ourselves harshly for feelings that we had no role in summoning. The only thing you can control is how you handle it.”