So, I’ll own up to it. I’m a big Turia Pitt fan. How could you not be? An extraordinary woman who has faced challenges most of us can never imagine. I’ve seen Turia speak, follow her on Insta, read her previous book and have the wonderful Good Selfie on the shelf in my daughters’ room. So, I probably WOULD have thought… Naah .. I don’t really need to read this new one. That would have been a BIG mistake! I’m so glad this was handed to me.
“Happy and other Ridiculous Aspirations” is not not self-help, but it is…… Turia is very funny, she takes the mickey… is a bit naughty with the language.. and oh so very real! She talks at and to you – which keeps you engaged and interested.
A lot of the suggestions and ideas in this book are actually pretty simple and commonsense strategies, but they are put in such a way you just pay attention and reflect on how you live your life.
I saw a video of Turia’s a few months ago … where she encouraged people to change their language around having to ‘do things’ suggesting it would change how you felt about it. She says instead of saying I HAVE to.. say I GET to. The advice really resonated with me. That story is in the book, but what blew me away is that isn’t even the best advice, there is so much more!
The themes in Happy and Other Ridiculous Aspirations reminded me of the fabulous RESILIENCE PROJECT, although Turia says her secret lies in Gratitude, Savouring and Anticipation. Not surprisingly, she is also big on SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP.. and food and exercise.. but she’s also realistic about it and I found myself implementing things the same day I read it. But this books isn’t just Turia’s opinions (although she has plenty). She backs it up with facts, research and interviews from experts in the areas she discusses. She also offers some helpful resources.
A major bonus is her summary at the end of each chapter, her TL-DR. (I’m not giving away what it means .. you need to read it)
I took gems from this I have carried into my life… from ‘why things will be better in the morning’ to ‘being a good human isn’t about being superhuman’. It’s a great read that makes you feel good and hopefully do good as well. (for yourself and others). I can’t wait to gift it to my friends. It’s a book ripe for reading during the Pandemic, but to help take you through the rest of ‘real-life’ as well.
– Victoria Carthew
