I don’t read many nonfiction books, so when I choose to do so and then review them, it’s usually a sign that it was really good (or not). As you can tell from my rating, this one falls into the former category while creating an eye-opening realization.
The awareness that this text created for me was almost missed, for a reason filled with irony that makes me chuckle. Forgive my shallow nature as I make this next comment, but when I see a big goofy looking guy’s face on the front cover, it’s an instant turn-off for me. It doesn’t make sense, and it probably has its roots in some deep-seated psychological issue, but I can count on one hand the number of books I’ve read with someone’s face on the cover. After finishing this book, I will be thinking long and hard about ever embracing that malformed choice again.
The irony arises from the aptly named subtitle of the book: Creating Your Life from the Inside Out. It’s not lost on me how the contents on the inside of this book are so much more important than what I might have perceived on the outside cover. The same can be said about the views we have about ourselves, and how it relates to our defining moments, critical choices, and pivotal people in our lives.
These are three different areas (defining moments, critical choices, pivotal people) that Dr. Phil asks you to look at with honesty and compassion, which has always been a difficult thing for me to personally do at the same time. I found myself reading with apprehension, looking for reasons to debunk what he was offering, to find a way (or reason) to sink back into the safety of my status quo (another area that he focuses on at various points throughout his conversation with the reader). And that, perhaps, might be the most engaging thing about this book. So many other self-help books that I’ve read feel like they’re “instructing” you. However, this one feels like you are an active participant in a small seminar. Or even better, at times, it was as if I was sitting across the table from the author as we shared thoughts over a cup of coffee in a cafe about my journey through life. The language used was conversational yet profound. The metaphors used to explain different concepts were spot-on. And the way he (eerily) anticipated what I was thinking, only to address it an upcoming paragraph, slowly shifted me to a more comfortable mindset where I could focus on what he was truly saying, because I had a newfound confidence and trust that my questions would be addressed when the time was right (and most often, shortly).
I tend to read books (fiction or nonfiction) in a state of flow. I don’t stop to contemplate things along the way. I continue reading and go back to reflect on the overall tenor when I’m finished. This book was different. It asked for you to stop, deeply think about certain aspects of your past and/or current life, and then share those thoughts in your personal journal. It was extremely difficult for me to switch my mindset and tackle these exercises as they were presented to me. But, as was the case with most of this book’s content, Dr. Phil knew that most of his readers would be feeling the same thing. What you get out of this book is directly proportional to what you put into it.
This is not a be all and end all solution to your life’s problems. It would be naive to think that any one book, course, or any other entity could achieve such a lofty goal. It is you that has to do the hard work. It is you who must interpret the words in a way that applies to your unique position in life. For those of you (like myself) who need a nudge in the direction of discovering the truest and most authentic version of yourself, this book and the ideas/exercises presented inside it will help you take a huge leap toward creating a life filled with awareness, purpose, joy, fulfillment, and a sense of inner peace that is priceless.
Dave’s Rating: ☕️☕️☕️☕️
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