This review is a departure from my normal reviews of crime fiction and I would like to start off by saying that I never read self-help books… well… not never but not for a few years, at least.
When my friend of many years, Rael Kalley, gave me a copy of his book to read, I was quite excited. I have been following Rael’s blog for a while and have always been impressed by the wisdom of his posts.
Life Sinks or Soars is Rael’s first book and it is about beliefs and the choices that we make because of our beliefs. It is written as an engaging story about a guy named Earl who is at the end of his rope, as the saying goes. He has been beaten up by life and feels that he is at rock bottom. As a last resort, he calls his closest friend, a man named Hugh, whose life seems to be the polar opposite of Earl’s own.
Over a three day session, Hugh helps Earl to examine his beliefs and the choices that he has made, all of which have brought him to where he is today. Earl finally understands that the things he has chosen to believe are not, in fact, true and that he needs to reframe these beliefs. Hugh takes him through a process of learning how to make different choices and discover more congruent, beneficial beliefs about himself.
One section of the book deals with setting goals. Hugh tells Earl that setting a goal is not very powerful until you have listed the prizes that go with the goal and why you want them. This section really resonated with me. Why do I want the goals I have set for myself?
Something the author deals with that I have not encountered before is what he calls directional activities. These are activities that directly move you closer to your goal. Very few of the activities we perform every day are directional; in fact, we can go days without doing one single directional activity. Knowing your two or three truly directional activities is vital!
Life Sinks or Soars was a profound read for me. It made me change parts of my thinking process that have not been beneficial to me. I have reformulated my goals and I truly understand what each goal will bring and why it is worth having. I am also committed to spending time every day on my directional goals.
Thank you, Rael, for writing a life-changing book. I have at least two friends for whom I want to buy copies.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve the choices that they are making. You can check it out or purchase it here.
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