Best for:
Those looking for some reminders related to the Buddhist approach to live and being present.
In a nutshell:
Prolific writer on Buddhism Thich Nhat Hanh shares some thoughts on positivity and presence.
Worth quoting:
“You need to recognize that these kinds of positive elements exist and that you can benefit from their refreshing and helpful presence.”
“We must always ask ourselves the question, ‘is my perception accurate?’”
“The future is being made out of the present, so the best way to take care of the future is to take care of the present moment.”
Why I chose it:
I’ve enjoyed writings by this author before.
Review:
I find this book a bit hard to review. I think because I’ve read similar books to this I didn’t get loads out of it if I’m honest.
If you’re fairly new to Buddhism and interested in some readings about being present, you might find this interesting.
I did read the book while I was traveling, and was specifically when I was in Athens, and it did make be think a lot about being present, and how to create a future I want. Obviously it can be pretty easy to be present while on holiday (though I did miss my cats a lot), but remaining present and positive during the less fun things – laundry, bills, wondering if the cats have fleas again – is more challenging.
One thing that I do find difficult about Buddhist teachings – and this is covered in this book – is the discussion around suffering and a bit of a lack of perspective. The book talks about only consuming positive media, because we all know enough about suffering from the real world. But I don’t agree – I think that different media (books, film, art) that could be viewed as ‘negative’ or not positive can help people gain some perspective or different understanding of challenges. I mean, not a slasher film, but there seems to be a strain of toxic positivity that I’m not comfortable with.
*When I went to add this review to Storygraph, I learned that I read this ten years ago. Lol woops.