My favorite chapters were in Part Four-Mind — a no-brainer choice for me since I am a life coach and cognitive-systemic marriage and family therapist for over 20 years. In Chapter 11, Re-Mind Me, Fortgang revealed a bumper sticker that epitomizes her life motto: Don't believe everything you think.
"… choose to be re-minded. It is a chance to question our disappointment or pain or resentment, and to stop assuming what we think is the truth." (p.140)
Any time an event or conversation hits us wrong; we have the opportunity to create a cognitive shift by using the power of our minds. Instead of distorting meaning and letting negative emotions erupt from our interpretation; we can take charge of our lives and our meaning through creating a mental shift by considering other possibilities and interpretations.
The title alone of Chapter 13 provides a great frame of reference for finding meaning — Shut Your Mouth.
"To quiet the mind, we need to shut our mouths. Once we do, what we
are thinking backs up into the brain." (p.159)
In Chapter 14, Judge Me Not, I found a wonderful discussion about my absolute favorite flaw — the need to be right and pass judgment. I declare this as my favorite flaw because I was once a very judgmental person — until I worked for 11 years as a probation and parole officer. That amazing experience knocked me right out of my judgmental shoes. I also see in my work as a therapist and life coach, that being judgmental is frequently a process outside of awareness, which insidiously disrupts life meaning and intimacy. I agree with Fortgang.
"When we clear our minds from the judgment of others and ourselves and
even situations, we are free. Meaning shifts from being a sense of
superiority to a sense of oneness in connection." (p.180)
Now let me make one more confession. I do not make much time for reading books. When I feel compelled to justify my choice, I point to the reading I do online as sufficient for my enlightenment. If you are also one who makes little time for book reading, start by reading my favorite Chapters 11, 13, and 14 of this book. You will likely find yourself drawn to reading the rest.
I do not consider this book as food for thought. I believe it is the appetizer which will propel your hunger forward to secure a path for consistent meaning in your life.
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