What I read: Maybe you should talk to someone

Maybe you should talk to someone, by Lori Gottlieb.   Written by a therapist, she intertwines stories of being the therapist and being the patient in an interesting book exploring some of the challenges of life.  Unsurprisingly, the challenges people face tend to be universal to the human condition, regardless of how they manifest:  does your life have meaning? are you able to be completely vulnerable with those that love you? what is forgiveness? 

At times the book felt self-indulgent and I wished that she would care a little less about herself, but all together a good and recommend-able read. 

“But part of getting to know yourself is to unknow yourself—to let go of the limiting stories you’ve told yourself about who you are so that you aren’t trapped by them, so you can live your life and not the story you’ve been telling yourself about your life.”

“peace. it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

“The inability to say no is largely about approval-seeking—people imagine that if they say no, they won’t be loved by others. The inability to say yes, however—to intimacy, a job opportunity, an alcohol program—is more about lack of trust in oneself. Will I mess this up? Will this turn out badly? Isn’t it safer to stay where I am?”