Read the book don’t get put off by the title. I set aside the book after reading the first few pages saying it’s not worth a read since every second sentence had the F word. The title has over 5 million copies sold. All of them could not be wrong! Curiosity got the better of me and picked it up to read. I am glad I did that.
The author has made a few poignant observations. For instance, ‘the desire for more positive experience is itself a negative experience. And, paradoxically the acceptance of one’s negative experience is itself a positive experience. What creates or positive experiences will define the negative experiences. Similarly, the positive and negative emotions are explained – the negative emotions call for action.
He lays a lot of stress on the values. It is the values that determine the matrices by which we measure ourselves. The values cannot be undermined. He narrates the incident of the loyal Japanese soldier who was stranded in Lubang for almost 30 years and continued his fight for his empire even after WW II was over! That is the strength of the value of loyalty.
Life has its share of problems and the author in his inimitable way explains that the secret sauce is in solving the problems. Happiness comes from solving the problems. Accepting responsibility for our problems is the first step towards solving them. He cautions the readers that nobody is responsible for your situation but yourself.
He also discusses the relationships between individuals. For a healthy and loving relationship, there has to be giving and receiving rejection if necessary.
Finally the life is compared to a set of dealt cards. Some get better cards than others. But the real game lies in how you play those cards. The finesse, the play, the risks that one takes determines the consequences.
I would like to read it once again. Mull over the points highlighted by me and would certainly recommend the book. Worth a read.