I didn’t want to like this book. It was one of those motivational books people give you that aren’t really going to change your life. They’re just a pat on the back, a gesture. After cracking the cover, I discovered it wasn’t THAT bad, although it wasn’t great. Plus I committed to reading books off my shelf, so the competitive nature in me made me get through this book. I may or may not be in my “Goodwill” pile though.
5 Secrets to Peace in a Storm by Ruthie Jacobsen. The premise of the book is to give you five principles that will bring you peace when life is bad, i.e. a “storm”. One of the principles that stuck out to me was how doing good for others can help us feel good too. It sounds weird at first, but in education they teach us to use this model with teenagers. For example, as a teenager, you may remember feeling unmotivated to do anything for yourself. But there were certain people who you would do anything for. So as a teacher, I sometimes have to ask students to do their homework, not for themselves but for me, their parents, friends, etc. And it usually works. They don’t want to let anyone down.
The same usually applies to adults. When we get depressed on in a funk sometimes it’s external motivation that gets us out of the groove and back into mainstream life. I think it’s a good reminder that when life’s hard it’s ok to admit that it sucks and to feel the emotions that come with whatever the situation may be. But there’s a danger that we can start to feel isolated from everyone and create the “poor me” complex. I think remembering that we are connected to people in life can help us keep on keeping on. Usually once we do something good for others, there’s a rebound effect that makes us feel good, cancelling the negative feelings we may have had.
So if you need a quick read or a reminder of how to battle some of the storms that blow our way on the sea of life, then I recommend this book.
