This book written by a counselling psychologist takes an innovative and imaginative look at all aspects of life and gives practical advice on how to rejuvenate and re-evaluate our mental and emotional states.
How we live our life is the issue, not how others expect us to live. Often we do not want to face up to life’s issues. We behave like escapists, ducking the issue by avoiding the reality, confrontation and the resulting responsibility.
We commonly use gadgets like masks, labels, phony language and defence mechanisms as props in the play of life, forgetting that life is not a dress rehearsal. Daily we play a leading role in our own production, but some of us believe that this play is about fantasy, reliving old reels and projecting into a futuristic film.
We can create issues to sidestep an important decision; to keep people at bay and avoid the challenge of living. Life can be painful and who likes pain?
The author says that personal growth comes after a lot of searching and a smattering of ups and downs. We can gain the ability to challenge ourselves and allow ourselves the freedom to change.
Each of us grows at our own pace. There is no right or wrong answer to the way to go about this. So we should grab whatever opportunities come our way and try to hold on to them. Often we tend to make issues out of things that do not concern us. We waste our time and energy and end up emotionally drained, flooded by negative thoughts and scraping the bottom of our ‘self-esteem’ bare. The resulting tears of pain and frustration make us reach out to the tissues.
Self-appraisal should replace approval or attention-seeking behaviour as it does not allow us the freedom to justify our own choices. Basically this does not help us to stand on our own two feet either. We tend to depend on others to provide the props.
Before it is too late, we should control our life, build self-confidence, plan and set goals, overcome barriers, blockages, blunders and stress and move on our journey through life by addressing what we want to achieve, concentrating on how to achieve, thinking about the time and effort required, choosing the right options and chalking out an alternative plan of the original failures before moving forward. “Avoid procrastination and time wasting,” advises the author.
-MG
(Sterling Publishers Pvt Ltd, A-59 Okhla Industrial Area, Phase II, New Delhi-110020.)
