Top Books Worth Reading
Jean C. Fisher Reviews Making Life Better, by James Vandenburg
(Read this review at Top Books Worth Reading)
In our various personal journeys toward self-fulfillment, there are many among us who find solace in the practical application of familiar, linear progressions of neat, orderly (sometimes even “numbered”) steps to show them the way.
Unfortunately, I’ve never been much of a “plodder”, so, I confess, I’m not one of those people…
Like me, you may be more of an associative thinker who harbors a nagging suspicion that somehow, somebody forgot to put the whipped cream on an integral piece of your psyche-pie. Well, to the rescue of people like us now comes James Vandenburg.
In his book “Making Life Better”, James helps us, through his own inner-dialogue, come to grips with those people, situations, ideas and preconceptions that limit our opportunities for success; however, as we accompany him on his journey through his own mind and motivations, that dialogue begins to sound more and more familiar to us. Before we know it, it’s as if we’re listening to our own inner-voices inside our own heads — only, without the static interference.
James’ simple, straightforward way of laying bare his thought-progressions — showing us how ideas beget actions and those actions sometimes beget negativity and regret — allows us to accompany him on each step of his emotional sojourn and then shows us how to stand back and dissect our own itineraries to make it easier to identify where we took that “wrong turn”.
In “Making Life Better”, James puts forth the point that a “successful life” isn’t some grand notion that’s waiting around the far turn for you to implement huge revisions in your lifestyle. He tells us that it is the way you relate to all of the small, simple, everyday activities, ideas and thoughts initiated by you and taking place around you that creates a self-actuated psyche. He encourages us to take ourselves off “automatic pilot” and begin to appreciate all of the countless threads of relationships, energies and themes that are woven into the tapestry of the universe.
When we do that, we have what James calls a “Well, duh!” moment wherein all of the tiny, seemingly unrelated, scattered odd-and-ends of different world philosophies and world views suddenly coalesce into a huge, aligned and cohesive view of reality.
To a readership grown weary of trying to awaken their focus via preachy diatribes and dull “busy work”, James offers a refreshing, earthbound viewpoint with an easy-to-follow map which should help even those with limited attention spans (like me) find their ways along the most rewarding of paths.
(Read this review at Top Books Worth Reading)
In our various personal journeys toward self-fulfillment, there are many among us who find solace in the practical application of familiar, linear progressions of neat, orderly (sometimes even “numbered”) steps to show them the way.
Unfortunately, I’ve never been much of a “plodder”, so, I confess, I’m not one of those people…
Like me, you may be more of an associative thinker who harbors a nagging suspicion that somehow, somebody forgot to put the whipped cream on an integral piece of your psyche-pie. Well, to the rescue of people like us now comes James Vandenburg.
In his book “Making Life Better”, James helps us, through his own inner-dialogue, come to grips with those people, situations, ideas and preconceptions that limit our opportunities for success; however, as we accompany him on his journey through his own mind and motivations, that dialogue begins to sound more and more familiar to us. Before we know it, it’s as if we’re listening to our own inner-voices inside our own heads — only, without the static interference.
James’ simple, straightforward way of laying bare his thought-progressions — showing us how ideas beget actions and those actions sometimes beget negativity and regret — allows us to accompany him on each step of his emotional sojourn and then shows us how to stand back and dissect our own itineraries to make it easier to identify where we took that “wrong turn”.
In “Making Life Better”, James puts forth the point that a “successful life” isn’t some grand notion that’s waiting around the far turn for you to implement huge revisions in your lifestyle. He tells us that it is the way you relate to all of the small, simple, everyday activities, ideas and thoughts initiated by you and taking place around you that creates a self-actuated psyche. He encourages us to take ourselves off “automatic pilot” and begin to appreciate all of the countless threads of relationships, energies and themes that are woven into the tapestry of the universe.
When we do that, we have what James calls a “Well, duh!” moment wherein all of the tiny, seemingly unrelated, scattered odd-and-ends of different world philosophies and world views suddenly coalesce into a huge, aligned and cohesive view of reality.
To a readership grown weary of trying to awaken their focus via preachy diatribes and dull “busy work”, James offers a refreshing, earthbound viewpoint with an easy-to-follow map which should help even those with limited attention spans (like me) find their ways along the most rewarding of paths.