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I Hope I Screw This Up: How Falling In Love with Your Fears Can Change the World
If Eckhart Tolle and Jim Carrey had a baby, that baby would be Kyle Cease. Transformational comedian Kyle Cease brings his irreverently touching, insightful, and one-of-a-kind self-help wisdom to sold-out audiences in his Evolving Out Loud live stage show.
In I Hope I Screw This Up he disarms readers as he leads them to their own head-slapping A-Ha moments, recognizing that happiness and a more balanced life are available to them—not in some distant future, but right now. Using personal, self-deprecating stories as well as hilarious observations on life, Kyle rushes headlong into the deepest issues standing between us and emotional freedom—fear of failure, love, disappointment, resilience, and our habitual addiction to staying in a state of fear and pain rather than daring to step out into the unknown realm of infinite possibility—and shines a big, bright light on what life would be like if we just dared to let go of our fear of screwing up. This is not motivation. This is not inspiration. This is true transformation.
In I Hope I Screw This Up he disarms readers as he leads them to their own head-slapping A-Ha moments, recognizing that happiness and a more balanced life are available to them—not in some distant future, but right now. Using personal, self-deprecating stories as well as hilarious observations on life, Kyle rushes headlong into the deepest issues standing between us and emotional freedom—fear of failure, love, disappointment, resilience, and our habitual addiction to staying in a state of fear and pain rather than daring to step out into the unknown realm of infinite possibility—and shines a big, bright light on what life would be like if we just dared to let go of our fear of screwing up. This is not motivation. This is not inspiration. This is true transformation.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
413 people are currently reading
1445 people want to read
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May 24, 2017
I Hope I Screw This Up is a part-diary, part-spiritual evolution manual and 100 percent the Hippie Librarian's type of read. Kyle Cease shares his thoughts and personal path towards becoming his best self. I didn't find it to be as funny as promised in the blurb, but I do think it has worth as, "another finger pointing towards the moon," as Eckhart Tolle would say.
The beginning of this book is hard to get through- for the writer and the reader. Kyle explores his fears and inability to get started. But, he slowly gets into his groove and, boy, does he begin flowing. Here's the start of the turn-around: "You would have sensed my inauthenticity immediately if I was feeling fear in every ounce of my body and I just overlooked it in order to write the "right" thing. Instead, by baring my soul and telling you what I'm actually experiencing, I'm freeing myself from the pain I would otherwise be hiding and holding on to. Something I've learned is that sharing my deepest truth, no matter how scary it is in the moment, is freedom." loc 48, ebook. And he's off to the races.
"Just because I haven't done this before doesn't mean that I can't access the ability to write the most amazing book that has ever been written. We all have the exact same level of ability to access the unlimited creativity available in every moment." loc 158, ebook. I believe that too-
humanity's ability to access unlimited creativity every moment. I suppose I believe that Kyle could write the most amazing book that has ever been written. Does he do it in this tome? I guess that depends upon how well you're able to connect with what he's done.
I enjoyed this discussion about the limitations of the mind: "Your mind is constantly putting you in survival mode all day so it can protect itself from what it thinks will be death, and unfortunately, your mind thinks almost everything is death." loc 224, ebook. Isn't that the truth.
And he touches on some of the problems with the New Age movement: "I know it sounds weird to say that sadness is actually a good thing, but the societal lie is that it's better to be happy than to be sad. That's just a belief that our mind created. ... one of the strongest things you can do is to actually feel the emotions that you're experiencing." loc 510. Every emotion has a time and place. The insistence upon positivity at any cost, doesn't work. Serenity now, insanity later... yes?
He also goes into the life-changing benefits of meditation, which I also agree with. By slowing down and taking the time to go within, your inner being speaks to you and gives you guidance: "Every single one of us has this calling within us, but most people are so locked into the habits and distractions they've created in their life that they can't hear it. It doesn't take anything special to discover what that calling is or what it wants you to do; all you have to do is turn down the volume of your distractions and listen." loc 706. It may sound weird if you haven't experienced it yet but it's true.
For the most part, Kyle keeps his book in this dimension of reality and doesn't dip into the far-out. But, there is a part where he briefly jokes about a picture of himself and how, at the universal energy level, we're all the same. So, technically, you're looking at a picture of yourself in the book that you wrote, even though it seems that you're looking at a picture of him in a book that he wrote. That could be a bridge too far for some readers, but the Hippie Librarian took it all in stride.
Enthusiasts of Eckhart Tolle and Abraham Hicks will probably enjoy Kyle Cease. He's authentic in the way that spiritual teachers are, understandable and amusing. He also makes a good case for falling in love with your fears. Now, the hard part, to practice it.
Thank you to Netgalley and North Star Way publishing for a free digital copy of this book. Reminder: the brief quotations that I pulled from the advance reader's text may differ slightly in the final printed version.
The beginning of this book is hard to get through- for the writer and the reader. Kyle explores his fears and inability to get started. But, he slowly gets into his groove and, boy, does he begin flowing. Here's the start of the turn-around: "You would have sensed my inauthenticity immediately if I was feeling fear in every ounce of my body and I just overlooked it in order to write the "right" thing. Instead, by baring my soul and telling you what I'm actually experiencing, I'm freeing myself from the pain I would otherwise be hiding and holding on to. Something I've learned is that sharing my deepest truth, no matter how scary it is in the moment, is freedom." loc 48, ebook. And he's off to the races.
"Just because I haven't done this before doesn't mean that I can't access the ability to write the most amazing book that has ever been written. We all have the exact same level of ability to access the unlimited creativity available in every moment." loc 158, ebook. I believe that too-
humanity's ability to access unlimited creativity every moment. I suppose I believe that Kyle could write the most amazing book that has ever been written. Does he do it in this tome? I guess that depends upon how well you're able to connect with what he's done.
I enjoyed this discussion about the limitations of the mind: "Your mind is constantly putting you in survival mode all day so it can protect itself from what it thinks will be death, and unfortunately, your mind thinks almost everything is death." loc 224, ebook. Isn't that the truth.
And he touches on some of the problems with the New Age movement: "I know it sounds weird to say that sadness is actually a good thing, but the societal lie is that it's better to be happy than to be sad. That's just a belief that our mind created. ... one of the strongest things you can do is to actually feel the emotions that you're experiencing." loc 510. Every emotion has a time and place. The insistence upon positivity at any cost, doesn't work. Serenity now, insanity later... yes?
He also goes into the life-changing benefits of meditation, which I also agree with. By slowing down and taking the time to go within, your inner being speaks to you and gives you guidance: "Every single one of us has this calling within us, but most people are so locked into the habits and distractions they've created in their life that they can't hear it. It doesn't take anything special to discover what that calling is or what it wants you to do; all you have to do is turn down the volume of your distractions and listen." loc 706. It may sound weird if you haven't experienced it yet but it's true.
For the most part, Kyle keeps his book in this dimension of reality and doesn't dip into the far-out. But, there is a part where he briefly jokes about a picture of himself and how, at the universal energy level, we're all the same. So, technically, you're looking at a picture of yourself in the book that you wrote, even though it seems that you're looking at a picture of him in a book that he wrote. That could be a bridge too far for some readers, but the Hippie Librarian took it all in stride.
Enthusiasts of Eckhart Tolle and Abraham Hicks will probably enjoy Kyle Cease. He's authentic in the way that spiritual teachers are, understandable and amusing. He also makes a good case for falling in love with your fears. Now, the hard part, to practice it.
Thank you to Netgalley and North Star Way publishing for a free digital copy of this book. Reminder: the brief quotations that I pulled from the advance reader's text may differ slightly in the final printed version.
dnf
June 18, 2017dnf on page 5 ; is this a new record for me?
Cease's opening riff about how scared he is, and how he doesn't know how to write the book, was merely irritating. and then I read this:
"if a man were to get in an elevator and there was a beautiful woman next to him, he might be trying to think of something to say to her to open up a conversation. What if he just said that? What if he turned to the woman and said, “I’m trying to think of the right thing to say to you.” Think of how honest, vulnerable, and freeing that would be. Instead of hiding behind some cheesy pickup line, he gives her his heart, his fears, his truth, and he opens up the possibility for her to do the same. Wouldn’t it be attractive if someone started a conversation with that level of authenticity? It brings out a mystery, it opens your mind, it speaks to your heart. It’s not a corny line; it’s actually true."
This makes me eyeroll so hard. Hey, man in elevator. No, this is not attractive. Stop creepily focusing on the stranger going about her day, about whom you know nothing. Leave her alone, or be genuinely authentic and say, "Your symmetry indicates sound genes, your personal presentation shows you have a good understanding of, and adherence to, our culture's social rules, so the primitive part of my brain urges me to mate with you in order to give my chromosomes the best possible chance of continuing. Although I probably don't want to produce actual offspring at this time, being associated with you will also increase my social status among other humans categorized as male, and potentially gain me additional future resources."
Cease's opening riff about how scared he is, and how he doesn't know how to write the book, was merely irritating. and then I read this:
"if a man were to get in an elevator and there was a beautiful woman next to him, he might be trying to think of something to say to her to open up a conversation. What if he just said that? What if he turned to the woman and said, “I’m trying to think of the right thing to say to you.” Think of how honest, vulnerable, and freeing that would be. Instead of hiding behind some cheesy pickup line, he gives her his heart, his fears, his truth, and he opens up the possibility for her to do the same. Wouldn’t it be attractive if someone started a conversation with that level of authenticity? It brings out a mystery, it opens your mind, it speaks to your heart. It’s not a corny line; it’s actually true."
This makes me eyeroll so hard. Hey, man in elevator. No, this is not attractive. Stop creepily focusing on the stranger going about her day, about whom you know nothing. Leave her alone, or be genuinely authentic and say, "Your symmetry indicates sound genes, your personal presentation shows you have a good understanding of, and adherence to, our culture's social rules, so the primitive part of my brain urges me to mate with you in order to give my chromosomes the best possible chance of continuing. Although I probably don't want to produce actual offspring at this time, being associated with you will also increase my social status among other humans categorized as male, and potentially gain me additional future resources."
June 21, 2020
Inhalt: „Ich hoffe, ich versau das!“ von Kyle Cease ist am 1.05.2020 erschienen. Er ist durch seine Comedy berühmt geworden. 25 Jahre lang hat er diesen Traum verfolgt. Auf dem Höhepunkt seiner Comedykarriere hat er aufgehört. Stattdessen gibt er nun bei seinen Auftritten (Selbsthilfe)Weisheiten. Mit diesem Buch möchte er inspirieren und seine Weisheiten weitergeben.
Meinung: Man sollte beachten, dass der Autor hier aus seiner Sicht und von seinen Erlebnissen und Erfahrungen spricht. Das bedeutet nicht, dass es wirklich hilfreich oder nützlich ist. Jeder sollte für sich schauen, was für ihn richtig ist. Er hat definitiv ein paar gute Ansätze und Ideen darin. Man sollte auch nicht vergessen, dass er vorher ein Comedystar gewesen ist. Der Humor deutet sich zwischendurch immer mal wieder leicht zwischen den Zeilen an.
Fazit: Das Buch kann ganz unterhaltsam sein. Ich denke, dafür muss man die richtige Art von Humor haben und sollte es nicht als ernsthaften Ratgeber zur Hand nehmen. Ich denke, dass dieses Buch live als Auftritt von ihm besser ankommt.
Meinung: Man sollte beachten, dass der Autor hier aus seiner Sicht und von seinen Erlebnissen und Erfahrungen spricht. Das bedeutet nicht, dass es wirklich hilfreich oder nützlich ist. Jeder sollte für sich schauen, was für ihn richtig ist. Er hat definitiv ein paar gute Ansätze und Ideen darin. Man sollte auch nicht vergessen, dass er vorher ein Comedystar gewesen ist. Der Humor deutet sich zwischendurch immer mal wieder leicht zwischen den Zeilen an.
Fazit: Das Buch kann ganz unterhaltsam sein. Ich denke, dafür muss man die richtige Art von Humor haben und sollte es nicht als ernsthaften Ratgeber zur Hand nehmen. Ich denke, dass dieses Buch live als Auftritt von ihm besser ankommt.
June 21, 2017
He seems like a nice guy and funny too but omg! This writing made me cringe. He's scattered, all over the place and while I don't mind a good tangential topic Kyle Cease manages to interrupt himself constantly and get sidetracked all the time. His jokes and analogies are weird and not funny at all. As are the random photos of himself and illustrations he adds in which are just filler it seems so he could make up in antics what he lacks in word count. I think his sense of humor plays better on stage than in writing form. I often don't write reviews and it is sad to write something negative about a guy who seems like he has a good heart and good intentions to help others but even the few pearls here are reiterations from any self help book you have ever read. A more appropriate title for this book would have been "SQUIRREL!"
February 12, 2019
I have a hard time reviewing this book - I really wanted to love it. Kyle has some excellent insight and ideas. However, I found his humour that I've appreciated in his workshops/youtube videos doesn't translate to written. I found the attempts to be immature and not funny for the most part. He also brags throughout the book that he is operating from the here-and-now, without a plan, and that allows for his authenticity to flow through and he can tap into whatever arises. BAD IDEA for a book. It was rambling and repetitive. One has to plan a speech, and one has to plan a book. Otherwise we are wasting the audience's/reader's valuable time figuring things out, experimenting, filling as we go along. My time is valuable, and his not planning gives the message that his rambling and stream of consciousness is more important than my (and 1000s of readers) time. I found myself skimming for the last part of the book, and almost gave up. But kept going to hit the nuggets of wisdom.
Kyle says he doesn't have anything planned when he does his workshops/talks. however, after repeating a workshop over and over again, it IS planned. He uses the same anecdotes, jokes, ideas. It is rehearsed and practiced, even if he didn't do it at home in a formal sense.
I recommend watching Kyle's stuff on Youtube - there is good stuff there - and skipping this book.
Kyle says he doesn't have anything planned when he does his workshops/talks. however, after repeating a workshop over and over again, it IS planned. He uses the same anecdotes, jokes, ideas. It is rehearsed and practiced, even if he didn't do it at home in a formal sense.
I recommend watching Kyle's stuff on Youtube - there is good stuff there - and skipping this book.
January 21, 2018
I read this book because I loved the title. I also liked the idea of using comedy in a book about personal transformation. The concept of opening oneself to endless opportunities partly by not being afraid to make mistakes is a cool idea.
Author Kyle Cease presents a strong argument for getting out of our heads and following our hearts, but some readers will conclude the concept simply isn’t practical. Cease’s answer to that is basically to keep trying to get out of our own heads and think with our hearts, to just be, and examine what we really want.
Cease uses his own life as an example, but honestly, without having read his bio, I could tell that he didn’t have kids, or aging dementia-plagued parents who need his constant care, or overwhelming financial worries, at least while he was writing the book. In fact, he admits that he had a great job and made good money before giving up the job and parting with his agent. Even his starting point for improvement is better than most readers can hope for. He does state that it takes time to make significant transformations in one’s life. Apparently, he has time enough to close his eyes for two hours every day and just be. That’s where I started to lose any connection with what he was saying.
Still, if you have the inclination and can carve out some time, his ideas hold some appeal. And yes, he does believe in starting with small adjustments, so maybe it’s doable. But honestly, I’d buy into the whole transformational process much more if a single-income parent making minimum wage got to where Kyle Cease is today by following his examples. Then you’d really have something.
Author Kyle Cease presents a strong argument for getting out of our heads and following our hearts, but some readers will conclude the concept simply isn’t practical. Cease’s answer to that is basically to keep trying to get out of our own heads and think with our hearts, to just be, and examine what we really want.
Cease uses his own life as an example, but honestly, without having read his bio, I could tell that he didn’t have kids, or aging dementia-plagued parents who need his constant care, or overwhelming financial worries, at least while he was writing the book. In fact, he admits that he had a great job and made good money before giving up the job and parting with his agent. Even his starting point for improvement is better than most readers can hope for. He does state that it takes time to make significant transformations in one’s life. Apparently, he has time enough to close his eyes for two hours every day and just be. That’s where I started to lose any connection with what he was saying.
Still, if you have the inclination and can carve out some time, his ideas hold some appeal. And yes, he does believe in starting with small adjustments, so maybe it’s doable. But honestly, I’d buy into the whole transformational process much more if a single-income parent making minimum wage got to where Kyle Cease is today by following his examples. Then you’d really have something.
July 25, 2017
Well I definitely don't think it would have taken 60,000 words to get the point across. As someone cognitively challenged, I couldn't wait to get to the end. At times I had to read sentences over and over again to try to understand the point he was trying to make. Don't think his humor is remotely amusing - it was very child- like but I did glean many good points, it was just a struggle to find and understand them most of the time. I'll have to find a YouTube video of his stand-up and see if it comes across better live than written.
May 22, 2017
I received this book, for free, in exchange for an honest review.
One of my themes for this year is "it's complicated".
I tend to read/think about the same things repeatedly and have come to the conclusion that cut and dry one size fits all answers are incorrect at least in their scope. I've also gotten fairly Tao in that I see everything is both right and wrong.
So how does what I just said have anything to do with this book?
Well, I want to paint this book in a good light as I found parts of it to be quite good.
However, I think one thing the book does wrong is it oversimplifies things and I don't want to do the same.
To get it out of the way I highly recommend the book to people who are new to self improvement and tend to like inspirational works. The four stars are for these people who I think are the target audience for the book. The following rant is probably just for me and applies to most self help books, feel free to skip it.
I've come to this book as a fan of Kyle's comedy and of self improvement in general.
I tend to read tons of books on self improvement and usually end up weighing my latest read against my favorites (e.g. How to Win Friends and Influence People).
As such I tend to find problems with most books as they don't hold up to the best books on the topic. Pretty much everything you do is taking the place of other things you could've done so if you read a self improvement book that isn't covering new ground or in a particularly novel way your pretty much wasting time.
This book starts off pretty weakly. There is too much effort on being funny and it doesn't quite work for me. Perhaps its just the book format or that I came to the book to mostly learn and only want laughs as a side. It also seems very stream of consciousness to me. I feel like the first half of the book dealt with one topic (authenticity) which I think is both overblown and already pretty well covered.
Kyle's unique perspective can help make this book help some readers where other drier books have failed. I think this is more evident in the second half where the humor seems more subdued and the book reads more like a traditional new age read.
There isn't much new here and the book isn't particularly concise which is a problem with most non fiction books. I flipped around a great deal, trying to get to the meat. I normally would have given up on a book that was this informationally sparse. However, I did not because I think Kyle has some good points and good ways of putting things. His take on Plato's cave involving Super Mario is worth the price of admission alone. It also could be due to my love of his stand up and that I felt I owed him a good audience (it's complicated).
I was also frustrated by Kyle's confidence. For example, he gives one of the most gracious vegan concept drops I've seen. However, in doing so he seems quite confident that being raw vegan is the ideal diet. Raw versus cooked is quite complicated and while one has to make a decision one should probably be pretty open to change when the decision is this open to debatee. No one is perfect and I realize I am holding Kyle up to a model of a guru that is impossible. However, openness is pretty key in terms of development (which I battled in reading this book and quite possibly failed).
Along these lines Kyle states a fear of death as being a great evil that we need to be freed of.
I think this an oversimplification that ignores the fact that death spurs us to live. I could've missed his point but I think the lack of focus and lengthy tangents make it painful to wait around for the point.
The book also has a somewhat positive thinking vibe, wherein if you are authentic and follow your bliss good things are destined for you. He made it sound like if you just do this you will be an amazing creative vessel who will do amazing things. I think he is almost there. I think he is too much heart without enough head to balance it out (I am way too much head). To make a counter point, most things that are created aren't created out of nothing. There are resources used in creation both physical and time based.
I have had many ideas for software programs I'd want to create.
Kyle seems to be saying that I should follow my muse and create them. However, it is good to know your market and I'm pretty sure most of those ideas would have no market. I would rather pay attention to my daughter than put something out there that isn't used. I realize that this may stop me from doing the thing that would've been big, but it could also free up my resources to focus on that thing.
If I wanted to create something more physical even something like comedy there would be a physical aspect of waste to a failed endeavor. Following my dreams if they aren't grounded in reality would waste the fuel necessary to tour, degrade my relationships and probably bore many audiences. Like I said, it is complicated.
One of my themes for this year is "it's complicated".
I tend to read/think about the same things repeatedly and have come to the conclusion that cut and dry one size fits all answers are incorrect at least in their scope. I've also gotten fairly Tao in that I see everything is both right and wrong.
So how does what I just said have anything to do with this book?
Well, I want to paint this book in a good light as I found parts of it to be quite good.
However, I think one thing the book does wrong is it oversimplifies things and I don't want to do the same.
To get it out of the way I highly recommend the book to people who are new to self improvement and tend to like inspirational works. The four stars are for these people who I think are the target audience for the book. The following rant is probably just for me and applies to most self help books, feel free to skip it.
I've come to this book as a fan of Kyle's comedy and of self improvement in general.
I tend to read tons of books on self improvement and usually end up weighing my latest read against my favorites (e.g. How to Win Friends and Influence People).
As such I tend to find problems with most books as they don't hold up to the best books on the topic. Pretty much everything you do is taking the place of other things you could've done so if you read a self improvement book that isn't covering new ground or in a particularly novel way your pretty much wasting time.
This book starts off pretty weakly. There is too much effort on being funny and it doesn't quite work for me. Perhaps its just the book format or that I came to the book to mostly learn and only want laughs as a side. It also seems very stream of consciousness to me. I feel like the first half of the book dealt with one topic (authenticity) which I think is both overblown and already pretty well covered.
Kyle's unique perspective can help make this book help some readers where other drier books have failed. I think this is more evident in the second half where the humor seems more subdued and the book reads more like a traditional new age read.
There isn't much new here and the book isn't particularly concise which is a problem with most non fiction books. I flipped around a great deal, trying to get to the meat. I normally would have given up on a book that was this informationally sparse. However, I did not because I think Kyle has some good points and good ways of putting things. His take on Plato's cave involving Super Mario is worth the price of admission alone. It also could be due to my love of his stand up and that I felt I owed him a good audience (it's complicated).
I was also frustrated by Kyle's confidence. For example, he gives one of the most gracious vegan concept drops I've seen. However, in doing so he seems quite confident that being raw vegan is the ideal diet. Raw versus cooked is quite complicated and while one has to make a decision one should probably be pretty open to change when the decision is this open to debatee. No one is perfect and I realize I am holding Kyle up to a model of a guru that is impossible. However, openness is pretty key in terms of development (which I battled in reading this book and quite possibly failed).
Along these lines Kyle states a fear of death as being a great evil that we need to be freed of.
I think this an oversimplification that ignores the fact that death spurs us to live. I could've missed his point but I think the lack of focus and lengthy tangents make it painful to wait around for the point.
The book also has a somewhat positive thinking vibe, wherein if you are authentic and follow your bliss good things are destined for you. He made it sound like if you just do this you will be an amazing creative vessel who will do amazing things. I think he is almost there. I think he is too much heart without enough head to balance it out (I am way too much head). To make a counter point, most things that are created aren't created out of nothing. There are resources used in creation both physical and time based.
I have had many ideas for software programs I'd want to create.
Kyle seems to be saying that I should follow my muse and create them. However, it is good to know your market and I'm pretty sure most of those ideas would have no market. I would rather pay attention to my daughter than put something out there that isn't used. I realize that this may stop me from doing the thing that would've been big, but it could also free up my resources to focus on that thing.
If I wanted to create something more physical even something like comedy there would be a physical aspect of waste to a failed endeavor. Following my dreams if they aren't grounded in reality would waste the fuel necessary to tour, degrade my relationships and probably bore many audiences. Like I said, it is complicated.
November 5, 2017
Disclosure: I received this book for free as part of a GoodReads giveaway.
This was one of the hardest books for me to read and review, because I've developed a love-hate relationship with it.
I had seen an online video excerpt from an inspiration conference Kyle Cease gave and found it intriguing. So when the book giveaway opportunity came up soon thereafter, I decided to try my luck. And I won! Despite all this, I headed into this book with a healthy dose of skepticism, knowing that the author is a former comedian turned inspirational speaker... I know that comedians need to be insightful, but a life coach? What do they know about being a life coach?
Kyle Cease is very funny. No doubt of that. And probably sincere about what the stuff he wrote.
The book is literally written as a stream of consciousness, as if Cease did not plan out this book (which may be what truly happened...!). Being a comedian and not a writer by trade, he's also incorporated some interesting twists to book writing, which I did find ingenious and humorous (I won't spoil them by mentioning them here).
The premise of the book is that when one does what they are passionate about and desire to do (no matter how impractical it may seem), the universe will create more opportunities and grant one a wonderful life. Yeah. That's the essence of what he's promoting. Oh, and the mind (head, rationality) gets in the way of the heart (passion, connection to the Universe; the heart knows what we need to do to can attain our highest potential) by creating doubt and fear. So follow you heart and everything (your life and the world) will be the better for it. While all this sounds great and I want it to be true, it takes a leap of faith to believe that it's ok to do this without hesitation or forethought (which belong in the realm of the mind), which is also a part of what is being proposed.
The frustration I had throughout the book is that he's not supporting any of his assertions by data or references of any sort; it's all what he thinks and conjectures based on his experiences, without any proof of his statements. Nothing is substantiated. I found this unsatisfying and unsettling.
He's like the crazy person shouting his thoughts in the downtown street corner, except better dressed, cleaner, and much richer. So should we take him more seriously? And he's already set up the defense that opposition to his way of seeing things is the mind (conventional thinking) objecting to his deeper, truer way of seeing life.
There are components of some currently popular self-improvement techniques present: Don't overthink your situation and do what your instinct tells you to do; say what you think instead of repressing it; full gamut of your emotions is how you're supposed to feel, so don't only chase after happiness or love.
Other aspects to me seem New Age-y: "It's like there's this part of ourselves that doesn't see itself through the lens of what we've done in our pasts; it somehow can see way beyond all of that and knows that what we are is just endless possibility." "Everything you desire will fall into your lap if you just let it. What I've realized is that instead of trying to go get something, our job is to just let ourselves receive the limitless abundance that is available to us by acting on the knowledge that we are totally taken care of and supported no matter what." "You can't screw this up. Listen to your body, take the leaps that are scary and exciting and calling you from the depths of your soul, and watch how the world unfolds in front of you." "I talked about how I had to trust this feeling that I had inside of me, even though I didn't have any external evidence that things would work out the way they did. The real reason I was able to make those leaps was because there was this knowing in me that somehow everything would be okay, no matter what happened." "When you start to align with universal principles, your health goes through the roof, your income rises, your relationships thrive, and everything really just figures itself out without your even trying." "We are just love." "Evolve into the love that you are."
Interestingly, if this were a Christian book, then it would all have a "basis." Consider this sentence: "Knowing that allows me to let go of control and just ride the wave of creation that started way before I even got here. Something bigger than us is taking care of all of these countless details so that we can experience this moment and expand into the limitless possibilities that exist in it." When read in light of a God who loves you and wants the best for you, then this concept applies perfectly. In an atheistic worldview, there's no basis to trust that the "universe" is going to take care of us.
I admit, there are many nuggets of pure insight hidden amongst less rational sounding bits, particularly in the analogies he draws of how we should see ourselves in relationship to the world.
I really wanted to completely like this book, but I couldn't get beyond the fact that nothing is substantiated. I liked a good chunk of what he said and feel they probably are true. But I just kept wishing these assertions were backed up somehow, somewhere. As a result, I also struggled with how to rate this book. On one hand it's a self-help mumbo-jumbo, but on the other it kept me engaged and fighting with it in between laughing out loud. I toyed with the idea of giving it 5 stars, but I just couldn't. Then again, there are some great gems that I can modify to use in my life. So 4 stars it is. Take a look and see for yourself. If nothing else, he is funny.
Number of pages: 246
Number of my highlights: 209
My favorite quote(s):
Anyone who has made a true impact on this planet, at one point, had to step out of the expectation of the people around them and listen to an inner calling that moved them into a place of originality beyond what they had done before.
If you realize you're just this moment, then you are infinite possibility. You, me, Obama, Oprah, and a homeless person...we're all the same. We're all just heart and lungs and infinite potential. The only thing that separates you from any human being is your belief in your past story; other than that, we're all the same. When we stop using our limiting stories as barriers to the outside world and other people, we start to discover an entirely new type of collaboration with life that is effortless, inspired, and open-ended.
When you were a kid you just did what you loved to do, no matter what anyone else thought of you.
Those [negative] thoughts are not you; that's the past you. In this moment, nothing is actually wrong. You are just this moment. You are the infinite possibility that this moment holds.
How do I know this? I don't.
This was one of the hardest books for me to read and review, because I've developed a love-hate relationship with it.
I had seen an online video excerpt from an inspiration conference Kyle Cease gave and found it intriguing. So when the book giveaway opportunity came up soon thereafter, I decided to try my luck. And I won! Despite all this, I headed into this book with a healthy dose of skepticism, knowing that the author is a former comedian turned inspirational speaker... I know that comedians need to be insightful, but a life coach? What do they know about being a life coach?
Kyle Cease is very funny. No doubt of that. And probably sincere about what the stuff he wrote.
The book is literally written as a stream of consciousness, as if Cease did not plan out this book (which may be what truly happened...!). Being a comedian and not a writer by trade, he's also incorporated some interesting twists to book writing, which I did find ingenious and humorous (I won't spoil them by mentioning them here).
The premise of the book is that when one does what they are passionate about and desire to do (no matter how impractical it may seem), the universe will create more opportunities and grant one a wonderful life. Yeah. That's the essence of what he's promoting. Oh, and the mind (head, rationality) gets in the way of the heart (passion, connection to the Universe; the heart knows what we need to do to can attain our highest potential) by creating doubt and fear. So follow you heart and everything (your life and the world) will be the better for it. While all this sounds great and I want it to be true, it takes a leap of faith to believe that it's ok to do this without hesitation or forethought (which belong in the realm of the mind), which is also a part of what is being proposed.
The frustration I had throughout the book is that he's not supporting any of his assertions by data or references of any sort; it's all what he thinks and conjectures based on his experiences, without any proof of his statements. Nothing is substantiated. I found this unsatisfying and unsettling.
He's like the crazy person shouting his thoughts in the downtown street corner, except better dressed, cleaner, and much richer. So should we take him more seriously? And he's already set up the defense that opposition to his way of seeing things is the mind (conventional thinking) objecting to his deeper, truer way of seeing life.
There are components of some currently popular self-improvement techniques present: Don't overthink your situation and do what your instinct tells you to do; say what you think instead of repressing it; full gamut of your emotions is how you're supposed to feel, so don't only chase after happiness or love.
Other aspects to me seem New Age-y: "It's like there's this part of ourselves that doesn't see itself through the lens of what we've done in our pasts; it somehow can see way beyond all of that and knows that what we are is just endless possibility." "Everything you desire will fall into your lap if you just let it. What I've realized is that instead of trying to go get something, our job is to just let ourselves receive the limitless abundance that is available to us by acting on the knowledge that we are totally taken care of and supported no matter what." "You can't screw this up. Listen to your body, take the leaps that are scary and exciting and calling you from the depths of your soul, and watch how the world unfolds in front of you." "I talked about how I had to trust this feeling that I had inside of me, even though I didn't have any external evidence that things would work out the way they did. The real reason I was able to make those leaps was because there was this knowing in me that somehow everything would be okay, no matter what happened." "When you start to align with universal principles, your health goes through the roof, your income rises, your relationships thrive, and everything really just figures itself out without your even trying." "We are just love." "Evolve into the love that you are."
Interestingly, if this were a Christian book, then it would all have a "basis." Consider this sentence: "Knowing that allows me to let go of control and just ride the wave of creation that started way before I even got here. Something bigger than us is taking care of all of these countless details so that we can experience this moment and expand into the limitless possibilities that exist in it." When read in light of a God who loves you and wants the best for you, then this concept applies perfectly. In an atheistic worldview, there's no basis to trust that the "universe" is going to take care of us.
I admit, there are many nuggets of pure insight hidden amongst less rational sounding bits, particularly in the analogies he draws of how we should see ourselves in relationship to the world.
I really wanted to completely like this book, but I couldn't get beyond the fact that nothing is substantiated. I liked a good chunk of what he said and feel they probably are true. But I just kept wishing these assertions were backed up somehow, somewhere. As a result, I also struggled with how to rate this book. On one hand it's a self-help mumbo-jumbo, but on the other it kept me engaged and fighting with it in between laughing out loud. I toyed with the idea of giving it 5 stars, but I just couldn't. Then again, there are some great gems that I can modify to use in my life. So 4 stars it is. Take a look and see for yourself. If nothing else, he is funny.
Number of pages: 246
Number of my highlights: 209
My favorite quote(s):
Anyone who has made a true impact on this planet, at one point, had to step out of the expectation of the people around them and listen to an inner calling that moved them into a place of originality beyond what they had done before.
If you realize you're just this moment, then you are infinite possibility. You, me, Obama, Oprah, and a homeless person...we're all the same. We're all just heart and lungs and infinite potential. The only thing that separates you from any human being is your belief in your past story; other than that, we're all the same. When we stop using our limiting stories as barriers to the outside world and other people, we start to discover an entirely new type of collaboration with life that is effortless, inspired, and open-ended.
When you were a kid you just did what you loved to do, no matter what anyone else thought of you.
Those [negative] thoughts are not you; that's the past you. In this moment, nothing is actually wrong. You are just this moment. You are the infinite possibility that this moment holds.
How do I know this? I don't.
June 6, 2020
Kyle did it! He did screw this one up in a good way. This is the weirdest book I had ever read. The 2nd chapter end with the half-page and chapter 4 only 1 sentence. Actually, Kyle helps my reading progress. I still keep on reading page to page chapter to chapter to find out what else weird things he would do. Maybe, he wrote this way for a purpose. And there is a ton of tips to make life better but I found something that most interesting tips about eating healthy food. If you face difficulties to eat healthy food, get on an island, and burn the boats!
August 26, 2017
Although Kyle is a great guy and his intentions are well placed this has to be one of the worst books I ever punished myself to read. I made it halfway through and decided to end it then and there because I really like Kyle's work and vision as an influencer. But his pretext of opening himself up is not an excuse for poor structure, nonsense fillers, and lack of coherence in his book. It's just laziness. If you want to experience what ADD on paper looks like then look no further. :)
June 24, 2017
Was one of the least funny books I have read in my life time.
November 4, 2017
This book was tricky for me. It had really good thoughts but those thoughts were sort of mixed up in a rambling manner that made it difficult to read.
May 29, 2024
Kyle is a former stand-up comedian who switched gears and chose another path that spoke to him. He is now what he calls a transformational comedian. I read his book, The Illusion of Money, and absolutely loved it, so I had high hopes for this book. While there are a lot of great points and exercises in this book for conquering your fears and living your best life, the comedic interjections were too many for me, and got in the way of the overall message of the book. Especially the first 2/3 of the book. I listened to the audio book, which Kyle reads, so it is possible the physical book reads easier.
June 1, 2017
I wasn't entirely sure what I was originally expecting when I picked up this book, but I am insanely glad I did.
This "self help" book is filled with a ton of comedy and I appreciated it. I don't like when books get super serious about these types of subjects and this one did exactly the opposite. This literally had me laughing out loud at some points even.
It leaves you with a lot to think about. And it changes your view on life.
This "self help" book is filled with a ton of comedy and I appreciated it. I don't like when books get super serious about these types of subjects and this one did exactly the opposite. This literally had me laughing out loud at some points even.
It leaves you with a lot to think about. And it changes your view on life.
May 5, 2020
I own this book because Kyle is so insightful, hilarious and can really paint a picture for his points and ideas! I know I need to go back into it and see what new info I will see in it the second time around. It's dense with lessons and playful, I can hear his voice in my head as I read. Check out his online presentations or interviews like with Lewis Howes!
February 16, 2024
Honestly, WTF did I just try to read? Not only the messy writing is cringe, this is like a word salad with no clue of where it's heading. Made it to ch.2 and ditched it altogether.
May 25, 2017
Let me say first that I really love Kyle Cease and I love what he's doing. Overall, the book was good, and at certain points I was very into it.
I wasn't into it until about half way. I appreciated some of his humor, but a lot of it was a bit eye roll feeling. Halfway in I really started to feel energized by the book. It sort of went in waves after that, and never went back down to how I felt in the beginning of the book.
I appreciate his message, especially the parts that talk about just realizing that you already have everything you need right now, and that you should follow your gut in terms of what calls to you.
There was some writing about obtaining success in terms of making money and metaphorically working with Oprah which threw me off. I don't think he is in anyway suggesting that people should want that, but whenever someone says that such a level of success is obtainable by anyone so long as they allow themselves to believe it and align themselves energetically... well I'm just not super into it.
I'm more into when he writes about just letting go of all ideas of obtaining anything, and sticking to his message about meditating and following what feels right. I also appreciate when he talks about focusing more on being of service and giving than obtaining external items. In that vein, he addresses the idea that any external item you are wanting is just a reflection of something you haven't acknowledged you already have.
So I'm rambling. I suppose my summary is that I really appreciate Kyle Cease, and I loved parts of this book, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it to anyone per se.
I wasn't into it until about half way. I appreciated some of his humor, but a lot of it was a bit eye roll feeling. Halfway in I really started to feel energized by the book. It sort of went in waves after that, and never went back down to how I felt in the beginning of the book.
I appreciate his message, especially the parts that talk about just realizing that you already have everything you need right now, and that you should follow your gut in terms of what calls to you.
There was some writing about obtaining success in terms of making money and metaphorically working with Oprah which threw me off. I don't think he is in anyway suggesting that people should want that, but whenever someone says that such a level of success is obtainable by anyone so long as they allow themselves to believe it and align themselves energetically... well I'm just not super into it.
I'm more into when he writes about just letting go of all ideas of obtaining anything, and sticking to his message about meditating and following what feels right. I also appreciate when he talks about focusing more on being of service and giving than obtaining external items. In that vein, he addresses the idea that any external item you are wanting is just a reflection of something you haven't acknowledged you already have.
So I'm rambling. I suppose my summary is that I really appreciate Kyle Cease, and I loved parts of this book, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it to anyone per se.
September 3, 2017
Warning! You may not read this right
I'm pretty sure I didn't read this right. There were several exercises I still need to exercise. And while much of the time I was reading this on the elliptical exercising I found myself laughing out loud, not sure how loud as I was listening to Coldplay on my earbuds (actually I was trying to think of the band mentioned in the book because I thought that would be funnier but after 30 more minutes on the elliptical peddling backwards listening to rap and commercials on Pandora I couldn't recall so this might not be funny or make any sense at all and I may have a lot of typos because I'm typing this on my phone as I start to peddle forward) If you' e read this far I hope that you'll decide to buy this book because it will make your life better by embracing you "screups". One problem was I had to grab extra towels to wipe down the elliptical from my laughing out loud with water shooting thru my nose. I hope you enjoy as much as I did. Kyle is brilliant!!
I'm pretty sure I didn't read this right. There were several exercises I still need to exercise. And while much of the time I was reading this on the elliptical exercising I found myself laughing out loud, not sure how loud as I was listening to Coldplay on my earbuds (actually I was trying to think of the band mentioned in the book because I thought that would be funnier but after 30 more minutes on the elliptical peddling backwards listening to rap and commercials on Pandora I couldn't recall so this might not be funny or make any sense at all and I may have a lot of typos because I'm typing this on my phone as I start to peddle forward) If you' e read this far I hope that you'll decide to buy this book because it will make your life better by embracing you "screups". One problem was I had to grab extra towels to wipe down the elliptical from my laughing out loud with water shooting thru my nose. I hope you enjoy as much as I did. Kyle is brilliant!!
August 7, 2017
Really bad. Had a few inspiring moments in the book, filled with meaningless words that seemed like he needed to meet a page requirement.
September 7, 2017
Abandoned the book after 2 chapters, didn't hook me on.
May 12, 2020
Sehr viel sinnloses Blabla um ein wenig echt wertvollen Inputs
Soso, dieses Buch soll also Berufseinsteiger ansprechen ebenso wie Berufstätige, die mit ihrem Job hadern, ebenso wie Berufstätige, die längst ausgebrannt sind ebenso wie Menschen mit Depressionen… kurz gesagt: so ziemlich jeden, der (noch?) nicht bereit ist, sich jede Sekunde des Tages fröhlich pfeifend durch die Welt zu bewegen. Das klingt letztlich nach einer seeeeeeeeeehr breitgefächerten Zielgruppe und ich muss einräumen, dass ich Kyle Cease vorher nicht kannte; als Comedian war er mir gar kein Begriff und in den paar Filmen mit ihm, die ich tatsächlich gesehen habe, ist er mir nicht weiter aufgefallen. Von daher ist es mir mitunter auch schwergefallen, seine Transformation vom echt berühmten Comedian zum witzigen Motivationscoach, oder als was auch immer man seine heutige Profession bezeichnen mag, nachvollziehen zu können. Für vermutlich die Meisten auf dieser Seite des Atlantiks wird Kyle Cease da grad einfach so ein Coach-Fuzzi aus den USA sein, der als solcher halt plötzlich da war. Schwierig, seine große Verwandlung in einem Teil der Welt verkaufen zu wollen, in dem es mit dem Comedy-Ruhm ohnehin nicht so weit her war. Und ja, Coach-Fuzzi: ich bin sehr froh, dass ich erst nach dem Lesen von „Ich hoffe, ich versau das!“ gegooglet habe, wer ganz genau Kyle Cease denn überhaupt ist. Denn, so leid mir das auch tut, kann ich diese Suchergebnisse absolut nicht mit dem in Einklang bringen, wie ich mir den Autor während des Lesens ausgemalt habe: Was sich mir da nun online offenbart hat, finde ich ganz grundsätzlich absolut unsympathisch; da erinnert er mich eher an einen uncharismatischen Fernsehprediger, der mir fragwürdige Selbstfindungskurse zu horrenden Preisen andrehen will. Hingegen empfand ich ihn während des Lesens als sehr erfrischend und recht sympathisch, einfach als wen, mit dem man nach Feierabend auch auf ein Bier ausgehen würde.
„Ich hoffe, ich versau das!“ fällt dabei sehr in den gewohnten Tenor von „Wenn es schiefgeht, habe ich mich zuvor aber wenigstens darauf eingelassen!“ ein. Den Untertitel „Wie du die Welt verändern kannst, wenn du dich in deine Ängste verliebst“ finde ich allerdings fragwürdig: Zum Einen verändert man hier in erster Linie die eigene Welt, und noch mehr: die eigene Selbstbetrachtung, und zum Anderen verliebt man sich hier auch weniger in seine Ängste als ordnet sie vielmehr der eigenen Courage unter.
Schräg: das Buch endet abrupt damit, dass Cease feststellt, er habe nun genug Wörter niedergeschrieben wie vom Verlag gefordert – dabei hat er dem Verlag aber auch schon locker doppelt so viele Wörter untergejubelt, wie für den Inhalt eigentlich nötig gewesen wäre. Fast das gesamte erste Drittel drehte sich nämlich bereits ausschließlich darum, dass Kyle Cease lamentierte, er schreibe nun ein Buch; man liest tatsächlich das Buch eines Mannes, der hier erzählt, dass er grade dieses Buch schreibt und eigentlich keine Ahnung hat, wie das letztlich überhaupt ausfallen soll, aber ach ja, der Verlag verlangt ja soundsoviel Wörter… Das war im ersten Moment extrem unterhaltsam, aber der Witz hat sich bald abgenutzt und da auch nach langem Geschwafel noch nicht klar war, wovon dieses Buch nun eigentlich handeln sollte oder ob es nun bis zur letzten Seite genau so weitergehen würde, war ich nach dem ersten Viertel des eBooks drauf und dran, die Lektüre abzubrechen. Okay, ich gebe es zu: Ich habe es daraufhin tatsächlich erstmal vier Tage links liegenlassen.
Der Mittelteil hat mich dann allerdings wieder wacher werden lassen: Hier ging es jetzt tatsächlich mal um das, worum es laut der Kurzbeschreibung auch gehen sollte: das Loslassen der Angst vor dem Versagen. Das war sehr interessant, es wurden spannende Beispiele offeriert und noch besser: Die Leser werden aufgefordert, bestimmte Übungen auszuführen. (Im Wesentlichen braucht man hier ein paar Blatt Papier und einen Stift.) Ich habe das ganz brav befolgt und tatsächlich einige interessante Erkenntnisse über mich selbst gewonnen. Den Besuch beim Therapeuten werden diese Übungen zwar nicht ersetzen, aber generell entsprechen die hier enthaltenen Übungen wohl auch den „Hausaufgaben“, die ein Psychotherapeut einem auftragen könnte. Die sind wirklich hilfreich, auch um sich neu der eigenen Wertigkeit bewusst zu machen. Von daher kann ich es schon unterstützen, dass Depressive und Burn-out-Patienten hier ebenfalls zur Zielgruppe zählen.
Im Prinzip machen auch diese Übungen für mich die wahre Bedeutung des Buchs aus; denn zu guter Letzt verlor sich der Autor meiner Meinung nach wieder in seinem anfänglichen Gefasel, aber bis dahin hatte er zumindest ein paar sehr gute Ansätze geliefert.
Insgesamt steh ich dieser Lektüre nun zwiegespalten entgegen: So richtig informativ-inspirativ ;) wird „Ich hoffe, ich versau das!“ für mich eigentlich erst mit dem Ende des 8. (!) Kapitels; damit wäre es eigentlich für mich untendurch: Sieben Kapitel für quasi nix? Nein danke. Aber wie gesagt: hernach werden die Übungen, die man durchführen soll, beschrieben und da ist das Buch dann echt hilfreich. Aber in den allerletzten Kapiteln wird es dann im Grunde genommen erneut überflüssig. Ich persönlich kann letztlich also nur den komprimierten Mittelteil, den aber sehr, empfehlen, aber von einem Sachbuch erwarte ich da letztlich mehr, egal, wie sehr es auch auf unterhaltsam getrimmt sein mag (und wie gesagt: grad eingangs war es mir irgendwann zu gewollt witzig – und noch dazu inhaltsleer). Da kann ich nicht mehr als eine mittlere Bewertung abgeben, will aber auch nicht weniger als diese abgeben – bei meiner Empfehlung aber klar herausheben, dass man sich, wie ich finde, eben getrost ausschließlich auf den Mittelteil, vor Allem auch auf die tatsächliche Durchführung der vorgegebenen Übungen, konzentrieren sollte.
Soso, dieses Buch soll also Berufseinsteiger ansprechen ebenso wie Berufstätige, die mit ihrem Job hadern, ebenso wie Berufstätige, die längst ausgebrannt sind ebenso wie Menschen mit Depressionen… kurz gesagt: so ziemlich jeden, der (noch?) nicht bereit ist, sich jede Sekunde des Tages fröhlich pfeifend durch die Welt zu bewegen. Das klingt letztlich nach einer seeeeeeeeeehr breitgefächerten Zielgruppe und ich muss einräumen, dass ich Kyle Cease vorher nicht kannte; als Comedian war er mir gar kein Begriff und in den paar Filmen mit ihm, die ich tatsächlich gesehen habe, ist er mir nicht weiter aufgefallen. Von daher ist es mir mitunter auch schwergefallen, seine Transformation vom echt berühmten Comedian zum witzigen Motivationscoach, oder als was auch immer man seine heutige Profession bezeichnen mag, nachvollziehen zu können. Für vermutlich die Meisten auf dieser Seite des Atlantiks wird Kyle Cease da grad einfach so ein Coach-Fuzzi aus den USA sein, der als solcher halt plötzlich da war. Schwierig, seine große Verwandlung in einem Teil der Welt verkaufen zu wollen, in dem es mit dem Comedy-Ruhm ohnehin nicht so weit her war. Und ja, Coach-Fuzzi: ich bin sehr froh, dass ich erst nach dem Lesen von „Ich hoffe, ich versau das!“ gegooglet habe, wer ganz genau Kyle Cease denn überhaupt ist. Denn, so leid mir das auch tut, kann ich diese Suchergebnisse absolut nicht mit dem in Einklang bringen, wie ich mir den Autor während des Lesens ausgemalt habe: Was sich mir da nun online offenbart hat, finde ich ganz grundsätzlich absolut unsympathisch; da erinnert er mich eher an einen uncharismatischen Fernsehprediger, der mir fragwürdige Selbstfindungskurse zu horrenden Preisen andrehen will. Hingegen empfand ich ihn während des Lesens als sehr erfrischend und recht sympathisch, einfach als wen, mit dem man nach Feierabend auch auf ein Bier ausgehen würde.
„Ich hoffe, ich versau das!“ fällt dabei sehr in den gewohnten Tenor von „Wenn es schiefgeht, habe ich mich zuvor aber wenigstens darauf eingelassen!“ ein. Den Untertitel „Wie du die Welt verändern kannst, wenn du dich in deine Ängste verliebst“ finde ich allerdings fragwürdig: Zum Einen verändert man hier in erster Linie die eigene Welt, und noch mehr: die eigene Selbstbetrachtung, und zum Anderen verliebt man sich hier auch weniger in seine Ängste als ordnet sie vielmehr der eigenen Courage unter.
Schräg: das Buch endet abrupt damit, dass Cease feststellt, er habe nun genug Wörter niedergeschrieben wie vom Verlag gefordert – dabei hat er dem Verlag aber auch schon locker doppelt so viele Wörter untergejubelt, wie für den Inhalt eigentlich nötig gewesen wäre. Fast das gesamte erste Drittel drehte sich nämlich bereits ausschließlich darum, dass Kyle Cease lamentierte, er schreibe nun ein Buch; man liest tatsächlich das Buch eines Mannes, der hier erzählt, dass er grade dieses Buch schreibt und eigentlich keine Ahnung hat, wie das letztlich überhaupt ausfallen soll, aber ach ja, der Verlag verlangt ja soundsoviel Wörter… Das war im ersten Moment extrem unterhaltsam, aber der Witz hat sich bald abgenutzt und da auch nach langem Geschwafel noch nicht klar war, wovon dieses Buch nun eigentlich handeln sollte oder ob es nun bis zur letzten Seite genau so weitergehen würde, war ich nach dem ersten Viertel des eBooks drauf und dran, die Lektüre abzubrechen. Okay, ich gebe es zu: Ich habe es daraufhin tatsächlich erstmal vier Tage links liegenlassen.
Der Mittelteil hat mich dann allerdings wieder wacher werden lassen: Hier ging es jetzt tatsächlich mal um das, worum es laut der Kurzbeschreibung auch gehen sollte: das Loslassen der Angst vor dem Versagen. Das war sehr interessant, es wurden spannende Beispiele offeriert und noch besser: Die Leser werden aufgefordert, bestimmte Übungen auszuführen. (Im Wesentlichen braucht man hier ein paar Blatt Papier und einen Stift.) Ich habe das ganz brav befolgt und tatsächlich einige interessante Erkenntnisse über mich selbst gewonnen. Den Besuch beim Therapeuten werden diese Übungen zwar nicht ersetzen, aber generell entsprechen die hier enthaltenen Übungen wohl auch den „Hausaufgaben“, die ein Psychotherapeut einem auftragen könnte. Die sind wirklich hilfreich, auch um sich neu der eigenen Wertigkeit bewusst zu machen. Von daher kann ich es schon unterstützen, dass Depressive und Burn-out-Patienten hier ebenfalls zur Zielgruppe zählen.
Im Prinzip machen auch diese Übungen für mich die wahre Bedeutung des Buchs aus; denn zu guter Letzt verlor sich der Autor meiner Meinung nach wieder in seinem anfänglichen Gefasel, aber bis dahin hatte er zumindest ein paar sehr gute Ansätze geliefert.
Insgesamt steh ich dieser Lektüre nun zwiegespalten entgegen: So richtig informativ-inspirativ ;) wird „Ich hoffe, ich versau das!“ für mich eigentlich erst mit dem Ende des 8. (!) Kapitels; damit wäre es eigentlich für mich untendurch: Sieben Kapitel für quasi nix? Nein danke. Aber wie gesagt: hernach werden die Übungen, die man durchführen soll, beschrieben und da ist das Buch dann echt hilfreich. Aber in den allerletzten Kapiteln wird es dann im Grunde genommen erneut überflüssig. Ich persönlich kann letztlich also nur den komprimierten Mittelteil, den aber sehr, empfehlen, aber von einem Sachbuch erwarte ich da letztlich mehr, egal, wie sehr es auch auf unterhaltsam getrimmt sein mag (und wie gesagt: grad eingangs war es mir irgendwann zu gewollt witzig – und noch dazu inhaltsleer). Da kann ich nicht mehr als eine mittlere Bewertung abgeben, will aber auch nicht weniger als diese abgeben – bei meiner Empfehlung aber klar herausheben, dass man sich, wie ich finde, eben getrost ausschließlich auf den Mittelteil, vor Allem auch auf die tatsächliche Durchführung der vorgegebenen Übungen, konzentrieren sollte.
November 7, 2022
I wanted to like this book. Isn't that why we read anything? We WANT to enjoy it. It's definitely not to slog through word after word, page after page, chapter after chapter, hoping that something will finally be worth the time and effort, so much effort, that you have put into reading the book. Any book, not just this book. This book though, that you picked up because you have panic attacks, and the author who also has had panic attacks, says that this book is his sharing with the world how he was able to overcome this terrible, life altering affliction. Sigh. I wanted to like this book. I wanted to get relief from the anxiety that has kept me from living the life I want.
I didn't. Times 2.
Kyle is desperately trying to get a laugh. So desperate. And when the joke falls flat, which he must know it has, even without the immediate response of standing on stage in front of an audience, he keeps beating that dead joke.
This was simultaneously the fastest I have ever gotten through a book, and the longest amount of time I have ever spent on anything.
Almost the entire first half of the book is made up of desperate attempts to make a point with a comedic twist. He accomplishes neither the point nor the comedy. I found myself skimming a lot of the first half of the book. The second half is surprisingly better, when Kyle decides to put the jokes aside and impart some knowledge. Unfortunately, by this point, I just wanted it to end.
Here is my suggestion for the best way to read this book (offered freely, even though you didn't ask): Start from the beginning. If the first joke makes you giggle (I admit that I did), keep going. Maybe this is your kind of comedy? The first time you roll your eyes, or wish the author would just stop, don't slog, close the book and open it again somewhere near the middle and enjoy. The final chapter is actually pretty good. You're welcome!
I didn't. Times 2.
Kyle is desperately trying to get a laugh. So desperate. And when the joke falls flat, which he must know it has, even without the immediate response of standing on stage in front of an audience, he keeps beating that dead joke.
This was simultaneously the fastest I have ever gotten through a book, and the longest amount of time I have ever spent on anything.
Almost the entire first half of the book is made up of desperate attempts to make a point with a comedic twist. He accomplishes neither the point nor the comedy. I found myself skimming a lot of the first half of the book. The second half is surprisingly better, when Kyle decides to put the jokes aside and impart some knowledge. Unfortunately, by this point, I just wanted it to end.
Here is my suggestion for the best way to read this book (offered freely, even though you didn't ask): Start from the beginning. If the first joke makes you giggle (I admit that I did), keep going. Maybe this is your kind of comedy? The first time you roll your eyes, or wish the author would just stop, don't slog, close the book and open it again somewhere near the middle and enjoy. The final chapter is actually pretty good. You're welcome!
October 6, 2019
Have you ever found that an author sometimes strikes up a very "familiar tone," as though they already know you, hence will get vulnerable, and feel free to just let it out? Yeah, this book does that.
Upon opening the book, I immediately found myself "holding space" for Kyle. Definitely had the thought "woah, dude. We just met."
If the reader is open to practicing patience, compassion and holding space for Kyle as he goes through his discovery process; he will share the journey with you and the lessons held therein. The book isn't polished or perfect, neither am I, neither is Kyle, and, I am guessing: neither are you.
We don't have to be "great" in life to "start." Yet we must "start" if we wish to become "great."
Zig Zigglar used to say "anything worth doing well, is worth doing poorly, until you can do it well."
This book is not for the reader who needs the author to be sure of what they are doing right out of the gate. What I can assure you is that by the end of the book, Kyle eventually hits his stride.
Keep in mind that: at the beginning of the book, he wasn't a writer yet. Kyle discovers authorship through the exploration of this book. This also means that, by the end, it is still his first book. Literary majors may not find what they are looking for here.
Even if a person does not does not deliver a point in the most polished way, this does not change the validity of that point.
Clunky, spastic, playful, unfocused and fun Kyle shares a process with us. His process mirrors our own; as we break through our own bullshit, self-limiting beliefs, fear of rejection and complacency to follow our dreams.
Upon opening the book, I immediately found myself "holding space" for Kyle. Definitely had the thought "woah, dude. We just met."
If the reader is open to practicing patience, compassion and holding space for Kyle as he goes through his discovery process; he will share the journey with you and the lessons held therein. The book isn't polished or perfect, neither am I, neither is Kyle, and, I am guessing: neither are you.
We don't have to be "great" in life to "start." Yet we must "start" if we wish to become "great."
Zig Zigglar used to say "anything worth doing well, is worth doing poorly, until you can do it well."
This book is not for the reader who needs the author to be sure of what they are doing right out of the gate. What I can assure you is that by the end of the book, Kyle eventually hits his stride.
Keep in mind that: at the beginning of the book, he wasn't a writer yet. Kyle discovers authorship through the exploration of this book. This also means that, by the end, it is still his first book. Literary majors may not find what they are looking for here.
Even if a person does not does not deliver a point in the most polished way, this does not change the validity of that point.
Clunky, spastic, playful, unfocused and fun Kyle shares a process with us. His process mirrors our own; as we break through our own bullshit, self-limiting beliefs, fear of rejection and complacency to follow our dreams.
April 5, 2020
I couldn't finish it. Not because it was bad, but because Kyle Cease didn't write the book for the readers. He wrote it for himself. And he tells you that at the beginning of chapter 1. I didn't think he was serious.
I forced myself to read 50 pages, because I still wanted to think that the book would be good eventually. But after the first chapter, I knew that his writing style would not fit with my taste.
The first 2 chapters are him and his thoughts, but very incoherent and mixed up. As much as he says in the book that he doesn't want approval from the readers, he tries way too hard to make jokes that really aren't THAT funny and unfortunately, you can easily see where the joke was just put there without any reason.
Chapter 3... well he tries to be more serious and to actually give some insight on his life and how he learned from it, but again, it's just like reading his thoughts, as if nothing had been filtered and everything was just dumped there.
And his the 50 pages I read, he never talked about his life. He only talked about what he was doing right now as he was writing the book or brief moments in the past without giving any real story. I wanted to know about his life and how he learned from it, but he never gave it to me.
I guess I was just expecting too much a book liek Makr Manson's books. He doesn't give you the recipe to life itself, but he puts things in front of you (real stuff) that you just never thought of before.
I was hoping Kyle Cease would do that. But he didn't.
I forced myself to read 50 pages, because I still wanted to think that the book would be good eventually. But after the first chapter, I knew that his writing style would not fit with my taste.
The first 2 chapters are him and his thoughts, but very incoherent and mixed up. As much as he says in the book that he doesn't want approval from the readers, he tries way too hard to make jokes that really aren't THAT funny and unfortunately, you can easily see where the joke was just put there without any reason.
Chapter 3... well he tries to be more serious and to actually give some insight on his life and how he learned from it, but again, it's just like reading his thoughts, as if nothing had been filtered and everything was just dumped there.
And his the 50 pages I read, he never talked about his life. He only talked about what he was doing right now as he was writing the book or brief moments in the past without giving any real story. I wanted to know about his life and how he learned from it, but he never gave it to me.
I guess I was just expecting too much a book liek Makr Manson's books. He doesn't give you the recipe to life itself, but he puts things in front of you (real stuff) that you just never thought of before.
I was hoping Kyle Cease would do that. But he didn't.
May 1, 2020
Kyle Cease beschreibt in seinem Buch ganz alltägliche Gefühle und wie man sie annehmen sollte. Indem man sich auf sich selber fokussiert, und nicht darüber nachdenkt was andere darüber denken, oder dass man es anderen Menschen immer recht machen sollte, obwohl das eigene Herz einen ganz anderen Weg gehen möchte. Er hat sehr viele tolle Beispiele dafür wie man sich das alles bildlich vorstellen könnte. Er vergleicht Eiswürfel mit Wasser und rät den Lesern Listen anzulegen. Okay soweit so gut, sehr bildlich erklärt und die Tipps und Erklärungen fand ich sinnvoll ,glücklich machend und einleuchtend. Aber, und jetzt kommt leider eine große Einschränkung: Was für einen gelernten Stand-up Comedian auf großer Bühne funktioniert ist sprachlich leider sehr schwer verdaulich. Der Autor schreibt genauso wie er spricht. Mag mit Stimme und Intonation funktionieren, in schriftlicher Form hat es mich einfach nur verwirrt, genervt und es wirkte sehr monoton. Zudem spricht der Autor auch nur aus seiner Perspektive was ich ein wenig egozentrisch fand und zudem fehlte es dadurch an Lebendigkeit. Beispiele von Menschen die nach seinem Konzept glücklich geworden sind, Reaktionen seiner unmittelbaren Familie etc., all dies hätte Lebendigkeit ins Buch gebracht. So ist es leider monologische Alleinunterhaltung, die ohne Bühnenpräsenz nichts hermacht, außer ein paar wirklich guten Ansätzen, die ich aufgrund des Drumherumgeschwafels leider schon wieder vergessen habe.
Schade, wirkt leider nur Face to Face.
Schade, wirkt leider nur Face to Face.
June 23, 2024
DNF (26 pages read)
I bought this book a few years ago thinking it was exactly what I needed, and I finally got around to attempting to read it, and...
The author rambles non-stop. The first chapter is written in a stream-of-conscious style, but I was really hoping that was just an example chapter of his message and it would get less rambly as the book went on. No, he just continues to ramble on and on.
It made it really hard to focus on the book, and I learned basically nothing. It was also really hard to take it seriously, as he spoke like he was writing a first draft, yet I know this had to have been revised, edited, and polished. True, he kept in all his uncertainties and some of his perceived mistakes (for example, not knowing if he was quoting somebody or if he made a good piece of advice up), but books don't really get published off of their first draft. So, it kind of feels like he's lying by presenting his published draft as if it was his first. Unless this really is his first draft, which would explain why it's so unfocused.
Also, there were two times that the author randomly decided to tell you how horny he was, and that was just... Ew.
Oh, and that elevator example he brings up in the first few pages. Umm, no. That doesn't invite authenticity. That invites me feeling super awkward and uncomfortable.
This is a comedian writing a self-help book, but I don't find him funny (often, his humor feels cringy), and I learned nothing in the twenty-six pages I read. He just rambles on and on without really saying anything. So, DNF.
I bought this book a few years ago thinking it was exactly what I needed, and I finally got around to attempting to read it, and...
The author rambles non-stop. The first chapter is written in a stream-of-conscious style, but I was really hoping that was just an example chapter of his message and it would get less rambly as the book went on. No, he just continues to ramble on and on.
It made it really hard to focus on the book, and I learned basically nothing. It was also really hard to take it seriously, as he spoke like he was writing a first draft, yet I know this had to have been revised, edited, and polished. True, he kept in all his uncertainties and some of his perceived mistakes (for example, not knowing if he was quoting somebody or if he made a good piece of advice up), but books don't really get published off of their first draft. So, it kind of feels like he's lying by presenting his published draft as if it was his first. Unless this really is his first draft, which would explain why it's so unfocused.
Also, there were two times that the author randomly decided to tell you how horny he was, and that was just... Ew.
Oh, and that elevator example he brings up in the first few pages. Umm, no. That doesn't invite authenticity. That invites me feeling super awkward and uncomfortable.
This is a comedian writing a self-help book, but I don't find him funny (often, his humor feels cringy), and I learned nothing in the twenty-six pages I read. He just rambles on and on without really saying anything. So, DNF.
May 14, 2020
Meine Buchmuskeln müssen sich erholen. Denn dieses Buch ist kein bisschen Ernst. Kyle schreibt mit viel Humor und man hat eher das Gefühle mitten in seinen Gedanken zu sein als in einem Buch. Chaotisch, humorvoll und voller Weisheiten, die einen zum Nachdenken bringen. Die Übungen habe ich natürlich mitgemacht und deshalb hat es auch teilweise sehr lange gedauert, bis ich wieder weitergelesen haben. Denn man muss nachdenken, überlegen und sich auch überwinden, seinen Gedanken zu Papier zu bringen. Da muss ich gleich an die ersten Kapitel denken. :) Er bringt es auf den Punkt und gleichzeitig nimmt er einen die Angst, da er es sehr witzig schreibt. Manchmal springen seine Gedanken und man muss am Ball bleiben um mitzukommen. Die Vergleiche, sind sehr faszinierend und habe ich so noch nie gehört, aber ich konnte damit etwas anfangen. Gelernt habe ich viel und meine Übungen, vor allem die eine wird meine Bucketliste verlängern. Das was mir auf jeden Fall im Gedächtnis bleiben wird ist die Erklärung, wo der Kopf sich befindet. :) Man merkt aber schon das sich der Ton im Laufe des Buches verändert und den Schreibprozess von Kyle und das nichts daraus geschnitten worden ist. Bei manchen Abschnitten hätte ich es erwartet.
February 28, 2019
I want to start by saying I absolutely love Kyle Cease! The first time I heard him speak I immediately connected with his message and methods of disconnecting from your brain, connecting with your heart, and listening to your intuition. When I found him online (thank you YouTube!) everything he was saying was right on board with where my head and heart already were. With his method of meditation, I'm actually able to sit in silence for 2 hours without getting bored or chasing the thoughts in my mind. I even look forward to getting up early every day so that I can get in at least an hour meditation before my son wakes up. That said, I'm slightly sad for anyone who reads his book without having first heard him speak. Just about everything that he says in the book can be found in videos on his website or YouTube. The book was loaded with so many impactful messages plus a handful of interesting activities. Yet the writing was a bit cringe worthy at times, he does interrupt himself a lot, and the jokes felt forced in his writing, where they don't when he's speaking.
May 1, 2020
Generally speaking, I like the idea of what he's getting at. "Take risks, don't think about it too much, and let life happen. Follow your gut." After 5 chapters I fully decided this book wasn't for me. On a basic level, his writing approach is too disjointed and the pacing is honestly all over the place. After reading nearly 50 pages, if you cut the fat there would MAYBE be 5-6 pages of actual content. As an established full-time creative, I feel like the things he's learned and sharing about just taking the leap of faith and taking risks are things I've been doing my entire life. I feel that the target audience is leaning towards older people looking to make changes in their life and needing that extra kick to not seek others approval and just live their best "you do you, YOLO" life. This was a $2 goodwill purchase and I feel that I got my moneys worth at this point. I plan on donating this to my local library instead of taking up valuable shelf space.
TL;DR:
Book not for me, but also not written in a way to capture and keep my attention
TL;DR:
Book not for me, but also not written in a way to capture and keep my attention
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