Skip to main content

Book Review - How to stop worrying and start living

The internet is telling me that the Carnegie Library was founded in 1916 and named after a Scottish born American philanthropist Anthony Carnegie who donated £2,500 to establish the library. My wonder if the library in San Fernando in Trinidad was named after Dale Carnegie was answered and no it was not.

I have gotten much better at not worrying. I know the struggles from many years living with mental illness. This book is a welcomed input for my life's journey. A stepping stone to improving the way I handle situations and navigate life's challenges. I chuckled when the back of the book says "shows you how to avoid fatigue and keep looking young". People do tell me often that I look young for my age.

I liked the tone of the book from the beginning. This was someone who had gone through struggles himself and had first hand experience. He had interacted with many persons who had seen the worst of worries. As a teacher, the author is inviting. We are encouraged to live in the now. Imagine that today is the only life we have. The book was a calm read. The author shared others' experiences and it was comforting to know others had conquered worry and that we are not alone.

We worry less if we accept where we are. My mom likes to say, "worrying about sickness is worse than having the sickness". Worrying makes us more sick. The book gives practical advice and steps we can take.

A busy person and mind is less likely to have time to worry. Don't sweat the small stuff. Sometimes we worry about things that have little chance of happening. We would do good to be masters of the inevitable. Let go of what is out of our control. The cost of worry is too much. Save our energy for other things. Let go of the past. I advocate for an attitude of gratitude. Things can always be worse than they are. I found a quote in this book that lends itself to the photography journey I am on. The mind and spirit are very powerful and we should use this for our well being. Love is the answer. Do without expecting anything in return.

As you read this book there will be things that stand out for you like a light going on over your head. I could keep adding the things that stood out for me but then this review would be too long. I like that there is a recap at the end of each chapter to make sure that we got to the point.

It is wonderfully narrated through the experiences and thoughts of others who had to deal with worries. This book will change the way you think and act. It will tug at you to let go of the things that are holding you back. If I remember just one thing from this book, I want it to be, don't cry over spilled milk. I felt a beautiful serenity come over me when I was reading the chapter that talked about the value of God and faith and prayer. I understood it because I live it myself. When you find something so beautiful and abundant you just want to share it.

Reading this book had made me enthusiastic about reading more books and self help books. Books that can make me a better person. Books that make us think and see things differently. In the ending of the book, the author inserts thirty one stories told by others of how they conquered worry. One day I will write about how I deal with worry.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Mental health matters

It is 547am and I have decided to write. I have been living with a mental health diagnosis for more than 23 years. I am differently abled. Mental illness sometimes presents itself as a non-visible disability. A person with mental illness may look and function normally. Added to that we do not get to see the struggles happening internally. After 23 years I could say that I have much experience with my condition and may be able to offer words that may help others. There is plenty of stigma associated with mental illness. People think that the mentally ill are bad people, weak, or somehow less deserving of dignity and the treatment of the illness sometimes feels like punishment and is dehumanizing at times. There is plenty of good intentions and well meaning as well (do not get me wrong) but things could be better. And it happens at the highest level. A leader once said, "Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad." As the saying goes, who knows it feels it. I started a pr...

Drums of freedom

It is 401am and I have decided to write. This Saturday, Trinidad and Tobago observes African Emancipation Day. It is a day to celebrate the journey to freedom and to honor those who sacrificed so much so that we could enjoy the freedoms we have today. Yet the journey is not over. As we celebrate how far we have come, let us also ask God to open our minds and hearts to the struggles that continue. Freedom is never something we should take for granted. Every day, we witness powerful interests around the world attempting to stifle freedom in pursuit of their own agendas and self-aggrandizement. Too often, they seek to divide in order to conquer. May we resist division with wisdom, courage, and compassion. May unity triumph over hatred, truth over deception, and love over fear. As we remember the past, may we also commit ourselves to protecting the freedoms of the present and building a more just future for generations to come. Happy African Emancipation Day. May God continue to guide us o...

Love and joy

It is 230pm and I have decided to write. I have no topic but I want to write. I am thinking about God. I am thinking about life. I am grateful for God and life. I need a writing prompt. My friend Chatty gave me a pretty verbose prompt. Sit quietly for a moment and imagine that God asks you only one question: "What have you noticed?" Don't answer with theology. Answer with your life. What have you noticed about joy? About fear? About the way people love? About silence? About time? About your own heart? Where have you sensed God—not in miracles, but in ordinary moments? Where have you struggled to find Him? What has life been teaching you that you were too busy to hear before? Write honestly. Don't try to reach a conclusion. Let the page become a conversation rather than an argument. I immediately noticed the light streaming through the window that allows me to see the world. My first thought was how much we take things for granted. It is easy to feel lacking. To feel s...