Love Your Ups and Downs and Letting Go
I’m wrapping up the last two chapters of my book club's selection of A Book That Loves You: An Adventure in Self-Compassion. I decided that these two chapter topics, Love Your Ups and Downs and Love Letting Go, were great to combine, and so this will be my final post about this book.
There are so many transitional times in life (maybe all of them are transitional when you think about it!) and it feels like we are constantly in search of how to adapt to the many changes going on in and around our existence. I love this passage:
“We’ve come to realize that there is actually a kind of beauty to these shaky times, because these are the periods in which we learn the most about life. We focus on who we are and why we are the way we are. We get in touch with our feelings, delving into hidden recesses to find out what we’re truly looking for or want - and what we expect or where we are going. And when the storm has passed, life feels exceptionaly rish. Everything is securely in its place again and we can revel in the peace and quiet - until the next storm, that is. Dutch author Greiet Op de Beeck expresses this as ‘embracing intensity, which allows the dreadful and the beautiful to live together side by side’.”
page 163
Other great thoughts from this chapter:
Get to know yourself - fill out the owner’s manual
Take care of yourself - that is a way you can bring more joy into the world
Like yourself more
Notice all that is good. Happiness is found in simple and everyday things. Write them down. Notice them.
Moving on to the final chapter - a bittersweet feeling as I’ve enjoyed this book so much that I’m sad to see it end. But chapter seven is about letting go and that seems like a fitting topic to end on. I appreciate that the authors talked about the COVID pandemic being the thing that taught them to let go. I recognize that in my own life. It’s the one time where everyone had to instantly reassess their life and make huge adjustments. For me, it was a wake-up call that brought the most important things into focus.
Even today, I am more flexible about plans changing. I learned that it’s ok. I’m more comfortable with ambiguity in what lies ahead. I am more willing to accept what I can’t control. It’s amazing to reflect on the positives of a difficult situation and realize the gratitude I feel for the lessons I learned.
Other great thoughts from this chapter:
Find information about the things that worry you. Look for the things you can influence and devote your energies there.
Confidence can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Hope is good.
Have you read this book?
I selected this book as part of my “curriculum” because it’s important to remember that creativity should be fun!
I hope you will read it through and then really apply what you learned by trying some of the activities.
It’s never too late to start. Purchase A Book That Loves You: An Adventure in Self Compassion. This is not a book you can borrow from the library because you tear out some pages to make creative and inspirational projects. It doesn’t work on Kindle either for that same reason.
Share the ideas you learn about with others. Tell your family about what you are reading, post in the book club, or post some thoughts
If you have any thoughts you would like to share about the book, feel free to post in the online book club. You may also enjoy sharing a review on Amazon or Goodreads.
I’ll be announcing the next book club selection in the beginning of May so I hope you will join in the fun and sign up for my free online bookclub!
Amazon affiliate links used for book and bookclub.
