Shari Creates

Books, languages, things I make and notes from everyday life.

Tag: Self-help

  • Tell yourself a better lie

    Tell yourself a better lie

    Tell yourself a better lie cover
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    Tell Yourself a Better Lie is a book that teaches you how to change the bad and limiting stories you tell yourself, and make them good and empowering instead. The book is based on ten real stories of people who did RTT sessions with Marisa, and how they changed their lives by changing their stories.

    I discovered Marisa Peer from a mindvalley video on youtube, where she explained how to heal your body and mind. I was intrigued by her approach and decided to check out her book if she had any and found  “Tell Yourself a Better Lie”. I searched for her work on Everand and was grateful to have found the audiobook. The audiobook was narrated by Carlyss Peer, who is Marisa’s daughter and a trained RTT therapist herself. I enjoyed listening to her voice, as she has a beautiful, crisp, and clear British accent. I find it rather soothing.

    Tell Yourself a Better Lie is a book that teaches you how to change the bad and limiting stories you tell yourself, and make them good and empowering instead. The book is based on ten real stories of people who did RTT sessions with Marisa, and how they changed their lives by changing their stories. The book also has audio guides for each story, which you can listen to online.

    The book has three parts: The first part tells you what RTT is and how it works better than other kinds of therapy. The second part shows you the ten stories, each one about a different problem, like depression, eating disorders, weight loss, fears, and addictions. The third part gives you the main lessons and tips from the book, and some exercises you can do to use RTT in your own life.

    The book was really interesting as she used lots of examples through real stories of patients who had successfully overcame their traumas. Though the stories and people were different but somehow it felt a bit repetitive. However, Marisa seems to be very sympathetic, kind and supportive, and she also shares her thoughts and experience. I feel that the book is not only informative, but also inspiring and motivating. It shows you how you can change your life by changing the way you tell the story to yourself (hence telling yourself a better lie), and how RTT can help you do that quickly and effectively.

    The book is good for anyone who wants to feel better about themselves, more confident, happier, and healthier. It is also useful for therapists, coaches, and anyone who wants to learn more about RTT and its benefits. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars, and I would suggest it to anyone who wants to tell themselves a better lie.

  • Ikigai – giving everyday meaning and joy.

    Ikigai – giving everyday meaning and joy.

    Ikigai
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    Ikigai is a traditional Japanese concept that embodies happiness in living. It is, essentially, the reason that you get up in the morning. This book is about finding your ikigai – identifying your purpose or passion and using this knowledge to achieve greater happiness in your life. Your ikigai doesn’t have to be some grand ambition or highly noble life’s purpose – it can be something simple and humble, like tending your garden or walking…

    It is not a new idea that we all need some sort of ‘motivation’ or passion in order to get up in the mornings feeling alive and motivated. The question is how to find it? Usually we were told it is supposed to be related to what you do as a job. But according to the author, it can be anything and not necessarily limited to just one’s career – it could be taking care of your family or enjoying your hobby. I particularly love the example of the cleaners of the Japanese trains. How they take pride on what they do and how they are appreciated by the Japanese society. Most societies’ perception would be that as cleaners they are at the bottom of the career chain. They are not appreciated, and who would wake up happy everyday if only to get up to a thanklrss  job? But for these Japanese cleaners, the passengers’ comforts seem to be their ‘ikigai’. They maintain a high standard of cleanliness, so that the passengers can travel to work or school in comfort and they, in return, will be able to contribute back to society through what ever they do.

    Other than the story of the Japanese train cleaners, I don’t find anything else that is interesting or extremely inspiring . My biggest qualm about this book is that, she only interviewed those people who were already deemed to be ‘successful’ and one of those lucky ones who already know what they want and need to do in their lives from a very young age. If only she could have included interviews from  those people who were ‘lost’ and actually found their ‘ikigai’ by chance or from Zero to Hero sort of story. That would have been more inspiring and more interesting.

     

  • Goodbye Things – Fumio Sasaki

    Goodbye Things – Fumio Sasaki

    Goodbye Things
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    Fumio Sasaki is a writer in his thirties who lives in a tiny studio in Tokyo with three shirts, four pairs of trousers, four pairs of socks and not much else. A few years ago, he realized that owning so much stuff was weighing him down – so he started to get rid of it. In this hit Japanese bestseller, Sasaki explores the philosophy behind minimalism and offers a set of straightforward rules – discard…

    This is the second book I have read on Minimalism so far this year and the best yet. Written through personal experience, the author explained to us as to why and how he became one of the maximum minimalist by choice in Japan if not in the world.

    It is not simply a  How to book but  it is a story of a journey of the author’s own experience – his struggles and triumphs in letting go of his attachments to material possessions. I found myself chuckling many times and able to relate to myself and those I know, as he explained what his thoughts were and how others may think as well when it comes to throwing ‘junks’ that we take as treasures or items that we save up for our unborn grandchildren. We are different and yet the same. The more I read on I understood as to  why he did what he did – to throw away and not even store anything of ‘might be useful someday’  just made sense. To move out of one apartment to another in just 30 minutes? Or to have more time doing what you like instead of doing chores? In fact he said that doing chores is even more enjoyable as it became less of a hassle and his living area calms the nerves.

    With a bit of story telling he also gave us about 55 ways  or tips on how you can condition yourself emotionally to make it easier to say goodbye to things that no longer serve your daily life. Those greeting cards and arts and crafts given to me by kids whom I cared for during my Kindergarten working days went into the recycling bin day before. I took photos of them as suggested. I suppose it is a fear of no longer seeing something that brings me the feeling of nostalgia that made me kept them. I had piles and piles of notebooks that are waiting to be used. Simply taking away more storage and more of my living space. I packed them up and told my daughter to give them away for her friends to use. I’ll finish using the ones I am using and once I’ve utilized them I can get more then. Buy things only when I need or I really use on a daily or even monthly basis. I don’t strive to be a minimalist but I do aim for a bit more simpler life with less things that only taking up space.

    I only took a few tips and I feel that I am actually making more progress in getting my life to be less cluttered. Minimalism as he puts it is a journey and you don’t have to do it in a day or weeks. It could be years. As I remember him saying that it took him about 5 years. Get rid of the real junk out first and go on from there. Would I recommend this book? Totally. Especially if you are hoping to seek some guidance or are thinking about downsizing your worldly possessions.    

     

  • Choose to Change: It´s your life: 25 steps to self-discovery and peace of mind by Jacqui Penn

    Choose to Change: It´s your life: 25 steps to self-discovery and peace of mind by Jacqui Penn

    Choose to Change
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    Choose to Change offers 25 valid life principles in a straightforward, accessible style. Although I found little here that I had not encountered in similar self-help books, I still appreciated it as a reminder of ideas worth practising. The author’s tone can feel emotional and rather pressuring at times, almost as though the reader is being lectured. It did not change my outlook or give me a “wow” moment, but it may still be worth…

    I downloaded this book for free in March of this year on Amazon kindle. Finishing this book, I felt like its one of those self-help books that you read one you’ve read them all. Nothing new here that I’ve never read else where in other self-help books of its likeness. Despite that, I still like to read these sort of books no matter how many time I’ve come across the same advice or idea, simply as a reminder to myself. And as some people would say, sometimes it just takes one particular book that would click or resonate enough for you that would change your entire world. Like how some people would say the book “Think and Grow rich” had changed their lives or how “The alchemist” did that for them or as the book “The color Purple” did for Oprah Winfrey. They all teach about the same thing in different ways. Though I would not say this book gave me the ‘WOW’ effect or changed me inside out, but it did remind me of those life principles worth emulating.

    The 25 points given are valid and the writing style is straight forward but a bit emotional. As someone else did point this out as well, that you can’t help feel like you are being lectured on.

    I bet you’ve raised your eyebrows at some of the things I’ve suggested; be honest, I bet you have! But you know what? It doesn’t matter to my life whether you try my suggestions or not, but it does matter to yours. Actually, it does matter to me if you try my suggestions. I want you to know how good life can be, and if you don’t even try, I’ve wasted my time.

    I haven’t raised my eyebrows till I read that though. 😀With good intentions perhaps but it did come out a bit emotional and strong. I am not sure many readers would be comfortable with such style. 

    As a reminder of what is good for us, I still think it is worth to give the book a go. Though it would have been nicer if it was written in a less “pressuring” way.