Enthused by a Book

I just started reading an amazing and life-changing book: The Four-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris. I’m only three chapters into it, and already it’s helping me change my view on a lot of things. As goal 2 on my list of goals for this year indicates, I’m changing “what I do for a living” this year. Yet I would recommend this book even if you’re not considering that type of change. The author’s discussion of fears and why we choose inaction are mind-blowing. If you’ve ever put off a dream because you’re afraid of failure or the unknown, the questions in this book will give you a whole new perspective.

We are so often brainwashed by the culture around us; we think we “can’t” live our dreams if we don’t have the guarantee of earning a certain amount of money. That’s why I didn’t just become a writer in the first place! That was what I always wanted to do. I was taught, and I believed, that “no one can make a living through writing.” That is so obviously false that it now seems absurd to me. We create our own existence. If you try to be a writer while clinging to the belief that it won’t work financially, you’ll create that experience. If you instead change your beliefs and outlook, anything is possible! And even if you try it and it doesn’t work out as you’d hoped, at least you have done something new, experienced new things. There are *always* options. We create our own success, and even more importantly, our own definitions of success. Check it out.


Comments

Enthused by a Book — 4 Comments

  1. I like this post, and I agree. Our lives are what we make them, and belief in ourselves has a whole lot more to do with success or failure than anything external. I’ve always wanted to write for a living, as well, and I’ve never pursued it, because I needed a paycheck. Hmm? Now just to figure out how to get someone to pay me to write ;).

  2. This is good for me to be mindful of as my children grow up and make their way in the world. My daughter is almost 21, and her choices — no college right now, older boyfriend, working as an art teacher — aren’t what society lays out for her: the safe, “expected” path. She is happy and confident, and I need to mirror that back to her. Thanks for reminding me. :)

  3. I just found your blog via Nurtured By Love. This post interested me because I’m blogging about Living Simply (shameless plug!) and didn’t know about this book yet. I’ll be checking it out from my library. Thanks! And I’ll be back to read more…

  4. This book, which I’ve finished now and really enjoyed, is kind of high-tech, in terms of setting up a business (and website) and letting it run itself. For a simpler-living view, check out Un-Jobbing: The Adult Liberation Handbook by Michael Fogler. Actually, I read them both around the same time, and would recommend doing that. Thanks for checking out this blog! Isn’t Nurtured by Love awesome?
    Starcat

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