Title: Life Is Great, Even When It Sucks: What Makes People Do the Things They Do
Author: Ellen Nyland
Publisher: Diamond Media Press Co.
ISBN: 978-1951302603
Pages: 364
Genre: Self-Help
Reviewed by: David Allen
Hollywood Book Reviews
There are many self-help, self-discovery books out there. You’ll want to read this one.
Ellen Nyland, a former dairy farmer and present-day life coach, enters your head, your heart, and your world and convincingly sets the myriad pieces in order. Not an easy task! Nyland writes from personal experience, having navigated her way from a childhood in the Netherlands to parenthood, then to the hard-won but generously shared wisdom of this straightforward and sage book of life.
There is a wealth of perspective and understanding in this book. Each of us has an identity – an ‘I AM’ voice – a living repository of core values, values by which we sink or swim. What makes people do the things they do? Nyland’s five-point system goes a long way toward an explanation. Factor in Trust; Conflict; Accountability; Commitment; and arrive at ‘Result.’ Along the way, readers are treated to expanded discussions that illuminate, cajole and enlighten. These include memorable sections on the innocence and perfection of babies; the centrality of unconditional love and good parenting in personality development; the difference between self-confidence and arrogance; and the two keys that really open doors, forgiving ourselves and forgiving others.
There’s so much more. The book provides hands-on exercises (visualization, journaling, role play) that actualize the theory and discussion that comes before. The author, who lives in Canada, tells how we can reach our ‘personal Vancouver’ (a nice touch, which deserves a smiley emoji, at the very least!) Love is the rocket fuel of life; we can change the world by changing ourselves. One is always free to choose between love and fear. To its greater credit, the book tells how to do this.
Appreciating miracles is a good place to start: “…it’s a miracle to have no worries about where your next meal will come from, to be warm on a cold winter day, to see a flower growing and blooming in an impossible place, to watch the furious and magnificent power of a storm from a safe place, to gaze upon a loved one sleeping, to live in a peaceful country, and to be loved un- conditionally by a pet.”
Charts and bullet-pointed diagrams illustrate the major concepts. Results of surveys on the major themes are included, as is a do-it-yourself survey for the readers interested in self-assessment. Further amplification is provided in the form of three very powerful personal stories, which bring home some of the major themes.
The tone of the writing is sweet, compassionate – deeply caring throughout. Again: “Search for miracles every day. Keep a list. Explore your surroundings as a toddler does— by feeling, tasting, seeing, and touching everything. This is their way of discovering the world, and everything they see is a miracle.”
The prescriptive approach here is balanced by equal parts Exploration and Wonder. Ellen Nyland’s web site and contact information are also provided – further evidence of the author’s generosity and her wish to reach out.
Life Is Great, Even When It Sucks: What Makes People Do the Things They Do is a gentle, very well written reminder that it’s never too late to wake up and live.