The title of this book says it all. Life isn’t perfect. If you focus on how terrible things are they won’t get better, and you will be miserable. In addition to giving ideas for how to move from focusing on the past and future and how your life is going wrong, the author offers suggestions on how to frame your thinking to move on and accept that things are not going to be perfect, but you can enjoy life anyway.
The first half of the book gives suggestions for how to reorient your thinking like keeping a gratitude journal and the power of ‘and’ rather than ‘or.’ I found the latter concept particularly helpful. When we see things only one way, using ‘or’, we see ourselves as victims of our circumstances. Using ‘and’ is more inclusive. Sure things seem terrible, but that’s not all that’s happening.
The second half of the book is based on the author’s personal experiences. Clearly she has had some difficult problems to deal with and has come out as a successful business person, mother, and author. I thought it was helpful to include autobiographical material to illustrate her philosophy, but I came away feeling that she wasn’t as happy as the title led me to expect.
This is a useful book. If you’re suffering with life’s issues you may find it helpful.
I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.
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