How to Thrive in Changing Times—A Review

Rating:

Summary:
How to Thrive in Changing Times by Sandra Ingerman is a book about positive thinking. Using stories, meditations, and guided activities the author strives to help you find peace in your daily life when things change or become overwhelming. A big focus of the book is on finding things to be thankful for and developing a grateful approach to life.

Ingerman’s premise is that by changing how you think about a problem, your perception of the problem changes as well. Once your perception has changed, this then affects your future actions and behaviors, and thus your future reality.

My Review:
Those of you who know me well, know these last few months have been fraught with change, which can be difficult to deal with.  This is a book review that has taken me a while to write, and I’ve wondered why. Because for a small book with only 169 pages, I should have been able to read it very quickly.

Instead, I kept it on my nightstand and read from it on nights when things were not going well. It calmed me and soothed my nerves. I didn’t realize it, but I think I was trying to stretch out the time it took me to finish it. When I’ve completed this review, it will likely be going back onto my nightstand.

I don’t like to compare books in a review very often, but this book runs along a similar line as The Secret. If you liked The Secret, you will probably really enjoy this book. I know, I know, a lot of people think the idea of The Secret is hokey and pseudoscience. I am probably a bit of a critic myself, but I do think there is something to be said for positive thinking.

I don’t believe that if I think positively about a new car in my mind, one will magically appear. But, I do think that if I am able to adjust how I think about a challenging situation, it can then motivate me to do better, and it can lead to positive changes—instead of say…jumping off a cliff.

This book focuses on having a good attitude and doing what you can with what you have. That’s something I, and I think most people, can believe in and appreciate—whatever your particular beliefs or scientific persuasions.

I particularly appreciated the chapter on “Transforming Disappointment and Grief,” especially this quote:

“But in reality what more can I do? The fact is, I cannot force change in the outer world, but I can change my response. That’s the only place I can work—to find the light within me and keep shining that light out into the world. And when I feel nothing is going right—it is during these times that I must focus on something that is working.”

If you are looking for a book that helps you reframe difficulties and find quiet moments of gratitude and mindfulness, then you should check out this book.

Have you heard about or read this book? I'd love to hear what you think!