F**k It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way

by John C. Parkin

Just starting to say Fuck It can transform your life. Saying Fuck It feels good - to stop struggling and finally do what you fancy; to ignore what everyone's telling you and go your own way. John C. Parkin argues that saying Fuck It is a spiritual That it is the perfect western expression of the eastern ideas of letting go, giving up and finding real freedom by realising that things don't matter so much (if at all). This is the Fuck It way.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Philosophy, Psychology, Spirituality, Personal Development, Religion

777 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

http://www.meettheauthor.com/bookbite...

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I agree (generally) with the sentiment of this book, you really don’t have to read any of it to know and understand its content. The title is pretty self-explanatory: just fuck it. All that stuff you’re worrying about? Fuck it. Those people that piss you off? Fuck it. Fuck it all and live your life in a way that feels good for you.

That’s it.

It’s a wonderful and effective life philosophy (for me, anyway), but it’s truly not very complex— it definitely doesn’t require 200+ pages of explanation. If you have a few extra hours and want to read the book, it’s a little bit funny and somewhat entertaining, but in my own humble opinion, there are bigger and better books to read. All you have to know is that if you are ever feeling too stressed or too overwhelmed or too lost, just fuck it and move on.

There. I saved you 4 hours. Now let’s go read something of substance.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give this book a ten star review if I could. Every single person who worries a lot should read this book. It’s fantastic! It opened my eyes and I am really happy that I read it. It’s funny how people tend to complicate things and life and struggle with other people opinions.. it’s all so dumb, unhealthy and unnecessary. Read this book and thank me later ;).

[Özlem Güzelharcan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Ultimate Waste-of-time.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good lord. This was honestly one of the most terrible books I have ever read. Usually if I struggle to finish a book, it's because it's gotten a little dull, or not captivating my attention. This one, however, I found difficult to read due to the sheer amount of eye-rolling occurring at every page, and I could barely manage one page at a time.

The premise is simple enough, and one that I actually agree with: there can be a lot of stress in life nowadays, so sometimes we need to learn to say 'fuck it' and care a little less about inconsequential things.

Right. Lovely.

Except what then follows is the biggest load of pretentious and privileged bullshit I've ever read.

Have an illness? Well, if you stop trying to cure it and stop caring about it then you will find it starts to heal itself.

Are you scared of, like, anything? Well, what's the worst that could happen? Nothing can actually harm you, and once you ultimately realise that, you will never be scared of anything.

Worried about money? No need, just remember that whatever happens, if you end up with 0 then you can just go on benefits and soon find a house to live in and then get a job and everything will be back to normal!

The book just comes across as sincerely tone-deaf; sure, the above strategies work in certain scenarios. But there are never provisions made for 'sometimes these scenarios are incorrect'. Sometimes the thing you are scared of is a legitimate fear, so telling yourself 'nothing is going to happen' is just plainly false. Sometimes illnesses require medical treatment. That's a proven fact. And some illnesses don't get better at all. And anybody who thinks 'just go on benefits' is a solution to not having money has clearly never dealt with the DWP, and has been avoiding all the stories about claimants who have been left to die due to unapproved claims.

But the best part about all this is the hidden disclaimer contained within the book: life will only improve if you say fuck it and ACTUALLY stop caring about things. As soon as you say fuck it just so that things will get better, then you are still placing meaning onto the thing and therefore you are still caring so aren't really saying fuck it, and therefore it won't improve. So life will only improve if you literally do not care about it improving.

I mean, I wish I was making this up, but the above things are literally what is written in the book. I'm not inferring anything or making wild leaps as to its implications. If I could bring myself to find the book and rifle through it for quotes, I would, because I could not believe that someone actually published this nonsense.

So yes. Sometimes you can say fuck it. But please, for the love of god, use your brain to work out when to improve your life by saying 'fuck it' and ceasing to care, and when to improve your life by actually caring and taking proactive steps to make life better.

Oh, and the best part? After getting through the 200 pages of this nonsense, there is then an advert for the 'retreat' that the author runs. Because as if an entire book wasn't bad enough, they also want people to pay go to to Italy for a week to learn how to not care about things. Uhhhh I think I'll pass.

[Tonkica · Rating 5 out of 5]

O - DLI - ČNA!!!
Simpaticna i duhovita i pametna (skoro kao i ja :P )!!
Jednostavno, JE - BE ME - SE! :D

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most inspirational books I have read this year. It manages to explain a lot of Eastern philosophy so simply; something that many hundreds of thousands pages in many different books have tried to go into so much detail about.

When you say fuck it, you are giving up your tension in whatever you are saying it to, and replacing it with a mind open to whatever happens next. And as your psychological tensions weaken, your physical ones start to disappear too.

However, what John Parkin does so particularly well is provide the narrative of the "Fuck It Method" in a humourous and care-free way; brilliantly echoing the very concepts he's trying to teach. And beneath all the profanity and saucy jokes is a huge amount of knowledge that people in the East have been doing for years.

If you have spent forever looking for the right self-help/meditation/spiritual book then I'd hugely suggest you go for this one and experience a refreshing change from the usual "I can change your life" bore. And if it doesn't work, say fuck it and move on.

[James Norbury · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not get on well with this book. I appreciate the idea but it is a very simplistic view of a complicated idea which could end up with negative consequences if read by someone in the wrong mindstate. I would not recommend it.

[Irena Bučić · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ne znam mogu li ovo završiti sada. Knjiga mi nikako nije legla. više me iznervirala s nekim stvarima nego što sam mogla govoriti jebe mi se za ovo, jebe mi se za ono. Njemu je dosadno u životu bilo i nije ima što raditi i nije zna što će od sebe pa je napisa nešto samo da napiše i onda je ovo napisa. Nekako mi je najgori dio recite jebe mi se hrani, kao u smislu da bolest ne postoji da se sva hrana može jesti da je sve u našoj glavi i našem stavu. (recite to celijakičarima). I tu se prilično bazira na gluten, zdravo i nezdravo i tu me već pridobio da se ne slažemo i ovaj dio koji sam pročitala shvaćam ko neko prepucavanje uglavnom između mene i njega i možda ostatak pročitam kad me inspiracija uhvati ili ako budem bolje volje za gospodina koji živi u italiji. Eto
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eto nije mi vrag da mira - morala sam je dovršiti da mogu dalje nataviti :P

[Margo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Taking my queue from this title - life's too short for this nonsense !!

[Vivian · Rating 2 out of 5]

F**k It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way definitely has shock value, if for no other reason than for its title and provocative word choice. Mr. Parkin stresses that by saying "f**k it," we can learn to let go, relax and simply give in to the flow of life. Saying these two little words can alleviate most of the stress and stressors in our lives because we will no longer take things so seriously, especially those things we cannot change.

In some ways I can understand why saying "f**k it" is equated to the ultimate spiritual way. When we say "f**k it" we begin to appreciate all that life has to offer, taking the good with the bad and accepting that both are necessary parts of life. These two words can, according to the author, offer a freedom and release that are equal to most religious or spiritual disciplines but without the judgment of I'm right and you're wrong and therefore will burn in hell. By saying these two words and living with the philosophy they embody, you can learn to eliminate worry, a desire for things and end with being satisfied with who you are as a person, where you are and what you are doing.

Mr. Parkin does explain, quite nicely and often with a humorous twist, how one should say "f**k it" to jobs, family, friends, etc. He isn't saying that you have to give up your job (unless you want to) or your friends and family (again unless you want to), but rather by saying these words to these situations and people we release any ability they may have to cause us stress. Other than the profane word choice, I don't find that this is all that different from others in recent years, such as "don't sweat the small stuff" or even "let go and let God." Having said that, if the more traditional religious/spiritual paths (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Taoism, etc.) aren't for you, then this may offer a starting point to being able to let go, relax and enjoy the ups and downs that is life.

[Henry Mishkoff · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave this book one star, but that's only because a zero-star rating was not available.

[Karina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although interesting, the book is too informal and flippant to be of much use - it's full of platitudes and is of that annoyingly repetitive writing style that just doesn't work for me. Like many books of it's genre, it's more about grabbing attention and telling some anecdotes, than actual strategies for dealing with situations. It spends more time trying to convince you of it's worth than providing value.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought I got rid of this once and for all, and then Goodreads sends me a mail next day to remind me of it. Here it goes then: it was horrible, so painful, it just made me more miserable. The whole book can be summed up in 1-2 sentences. For me it remains the proof that the courageous people will win over the world - not because their work is good, but because the good authors are just shy in their closets. No matter how much he tries to prove that all theories work (or don't work) in the same way, he still ends up picking one and sticking to it in the end. No, I will not learn Tai Chi, thank you very much.
I want my time back.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love snark, also called sarcasm. I tend to use it frequently, much to everyone else's chagrin. When I saw this title on NetGalley, I thought I would be getting a wonderfully funny, irreverent book with a tongue-in-cheek presentation of philosophy. In a way, F*** It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way is indeed that but so much more.

Touted as akin to Taoism and other spiritual beliefs, the main premise of the F**k It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way philosophy is letting go. Indeed, there is merit in this idea of letting go and the freedom one uses the phrase. According to Mr. Parkin, "The one thing you'll always do when you really say, 'F*** It' is relax" and "problems can't exist in the face of total relaxation" (p. 88-89). Mr. Parkin wants us to say the phrase to everything we do because it releases us from attaching too much meaning, too much pressure, too many expectations to everything we do. If one sits and thinks about it, and considers all the times where one has flung up his or her hands and declared "f*** it!", Mr. Parkin is indeed on to something.

At first glance, it may appear that Mr. Parkin is attempting to tell the reader to ignore the laws and values of society, to just do his or her own thing. However, that is not true. Rather, Mr. Parkin is attempting to help the reader free him/herself from all the obligations and to allow one to enjoy everything has to offer. In essence, life is too short to stress about anything at all. Say "F*** it" (and truly mean it) and that stress disappears. It is not a giving up but a relaxation of one's expectations of one's job, society, and of life.

Parkin makes an excellent argument about his new philosophy. He uses children as a metaphor for life. Children notice every small detail and revel in them. They truly stop and take time to smell the roses. Somewhere along the way, they forget to relax and enjoy the details and get wrapped up in the big picture. As a result, they stop relaxing and stop enjoying life. Again, Mr. Parkin circles back to the idea of relaxation and letting going of meaning. Letting go of meaning is letting go of pressure and stress, which will in turn bring more good things to you. It's very Tao-esque, is it not?

Unfortunately, what starts out as tongue-in-cheek good fun takes a turn for the serious when Mr.Parkin starts exploring the idea of chi and forms. As soon as he moves on to this idea of movement and releasing chi, the book loses some of its charms. It is such a juxtaposition that it undoes any of the learnings from the previous first-half of the novel. I personally enjoyed the irreverence and humor of the first half of the book and felt a bit like Mr. Parkin began to take himself too seriously. He has some great ideas and provides plenty of food for thought, and I personally wish he would have left the forms and chi discussion alone.

I chose this novel on a whim and am glad I read it. I know that his ideas have some value because I have personally felt how calming it is to say "F*** it" in certain situations. It does release tension and stress and helps me focus my energies on more important things, i.e. things under my direct control. Those easily offended by profanity should not read this book, although I suspect that the title alone is enough of a deterrent in that aspect. Those who are willing to step out of the philosophical box will enjoy Mr. Parkin's ideas or at least come away with food for thought. In the end, F*** It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way may not be prize-winning literature, but it is enjoyable and worth the read for its fresh approach to life and all its demands.

[Ana Mardoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

F**k It / 978-1-401-92759-2

I really like the philosophy behind this book - the idea contained herein is that we need to stop stressing so much over everything ("Am I good enough? Holy enough? Peaceful enough? Loving enough? A good enough spouse, child, parent, employee, person, citizen?") and just say "f--- it" to things that we can't control (and even quite a few things that we can) and learn to relax a little. It's the Total Perspective Vortex of books - you're not important, and you never will be important (not on a universal scale, at any rate), so you might as well live the best life you can and not stress over the details. And while all that philosophy CAN be explained in just those few sentences (or even just in the title!), there's a lot more here to delve into, in terms of HOW to actually live that philosophy and be happy.

It's a philosophy I can get behind; a philosophy that I would *love* to see spread and adapted and adopted all over the world. So this book gets an A+ from me on the philosophy angle, hands down.

Having said that, I feel like readers should be warned that the writing here could use the touch of a good editor. The book is written in a very stream-of-consciousness style, almost a mad dash of "hey-I-just-figured-out-this-whole-secret-to-happiness" writing that leaps all over the place. The chapters provide some loose organization, but overall the writing just isn't very tight - even though it is deep, clever, and amusing at times. I almost can't help but feel that this writing style was a conscious decision - even the foreword lampshades the fact that a true "f--- it" philosophy follower can best express their dedication to the philosophy by churning out a slap-dash foreword! (Quite amusing actually.) So I almost feel churlish pointing it out at all, except that I'm concerned that some readers may be put off slightly by the looseness of the writing, no matter how much I might agree with the fundamental philosophy contained herein. I suspect, though, that this will be a personal preference that depends on the reader.

I do most definitely recommend this book if you don't mind a bit of tongue-in-cheek consciousness streaming mixed in with your philosophy.

NOTE: This review is based on a free Advance Review Copy of this book provided through NetGalley.

~ Ana Mardoll

[Vicky · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the premise of this and wanted so much to like the book. I didn't even finish it.

What this book is, is nothing more than journey into one man's rambling thoughts about society and spiritually. It's a constant contradiction - if things don't matter to you, they can't bother you. You can be free if nothing matters to you. While I appreciate this is a spiritual concept that works for many, I actually think a lot of things matter.

I found some of his writing quite offensive. "If you want to stick your finger up at the driver next to you and speed off, fuck it, just do it." Ah what?! As a female driver who sticks to the speed limit I am quite often on the receiving end of this and let me tell you, there is nothing spiritual about it.

While I can see what he's trying to say - fuck it, don't worry about people who don't like you. Don't like your job? Fuck it, get a new job, I think he takes it a bit too far when he states that we should go from activists to pacifists to not caring about the planet, because it doesn't "matter".

Perhaps I've got spirituality all wrong, but as far as I'm concerned I'm here to look after and show kindness to the other people on this planet, along with look after the planet and animals, and things most definitely matter to me.

Perhaps I should say fuck it to worrying about what people think of me. Yes, I'm working on that, but I didn't need this book to remind me of that.

Probably I'll just say fuck it to worrying about what John Parkin would think of this review, and next time he sticks his finger up at me on the motor way for going too slow I'll take some deep breaths, say fuck it and slam my breaks on.

I don't even know why Hay House published this, it's so below par of what they usually do. Get some Gabby Bernstein, Doreen Virtue, Kyle Gray or Abraham Hicks instead.

x

[Ola]

In effect of many different life experiences I turned / allowed myself to turn into spoiled, stubborn beyond the limits of reason, addicted, measuring his worth by the chaos he unwinds (That's Rowling, nice one, eh?) mofo and after multiple failures I've been seriously considering changing myself, switching to different patterns, introducing some sort of self-discipline and things like that (I still believe it's not the worst way to achieve all this but it's not easy and certainly not quick). I'm so lucky I noticed this book on time!

I'll tell that as a secret to everybody who somehow doesn't know this yet that different, really, really bad impulses can be felt in equally natural way as these which are absolutely harmless. The first ones are within you too, and they, too, pushily shout: Come on, fuck it. Do it. DO IT. As Kurt Cobain nicely put (a dead heroinist, I'd like to underline this): Every drug addict has said 'fuck it' more times than they can count.

____________

Wskutek różnych doświadczeń życiowych jestem rozpuszczonym, upartym do granic rozsądku, uzależnionym, mierzącym swoją wartość chaosem, który rozpętuje (to Rowling) lujem i po wielu porażkach zastanawiałam się poważnie nad zmianą siebie, swoich wzorów poznawczych, samodyscypliną i tego typu rzeczami (Nadal uważam, że to najlepsza droga, nie jest jednak łatwa i z całą pewnością nie szybka), szczęśliwie jednak trafiłam w Empiku na te książkę!

Zdradzę w sekrecie tym, którzy jakimś cudem jeszcze tego nie wiedzą, że różne bardzo, bardzo, złe impulsy dają się odczuć tak samo naturalnie, jak te zupełnie niegroźne. One też są w środku i równie natarczywie krzyczą: No dawaj, fuck it. Zrób to. ZRÓB TO. Jak ładnie napisał Kurt Cobain (martwy heroinista, zaznaczam): Każdy narkoman powiedział 'pierdolę to' więcej razy, niż potrafi zliczyć.

[Cath Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Agile Living is about creating a multi-dimensional, flexible and resourceful mindset and lifestyle that welcomes variety, change and uncertainty. Like an agile dancer that moves and changes easily, to create something beautiful, Agile Living is about having a mind that moves and changes easily to create something beautiful. So I’m always interested to find out more about what makes us stiffen up, go rigid, hold back or get stuck in our dance, and how we can dissolve that and go back to our natural, agile state. Because that’s how I see it… we’re naturally agile, but some stuff gets in the way and stiffens us up and then we need to find the stiff parts and stretch them out again to return back to our multi-dimensional, flexible, resourceful, agile self that moves easily through the world, creating and being what we love.

The Fuck It Way is all about finding the stiff parts, where we’re not dancing well with life, and stretching them out and limbering them up again and returning to this naturally agile state, where we loosen up, relax and begin to move easily through life, and of course enjoy the dance.

The Fuck It Way provides simple, counter-intuitive wisdom presented with wit and humor, to help you to relax, face your fears and live the life you really want to and enjoy the journey along the way.

If you're curious to learn more and want to get the coaching tools I've extracted from Fuck It, I've featured the best ideas from Fuck It, along with an interview with the author at The Bottom-line Bookclub - http://www.bottomlinebookclub.com/201...

[M.V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many people rate books depending on whether they understand the content or not. Or, better said, whether or not their expectations are met. I used to think one should also bring in the factor of language and style, and be more professional about it. This means this book should have a much higher average rating than it gets, according to myself.

But fuck it.

This book, needs more stars than available. It is flowing, funny, and if you are not an uptight ass, you will feel something incredible. Amazing liberation. Fuck it, I even read it in less than 24 hours. That does not happen with many non fiction books, I tell you. This was just so page-turn friendly.

I will start handing out a lot of fucks in life. Thanks John C. Parkin for making sensible sentences out of something the deepest parts of me have never been able to communicate.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Eckhart Tolle and a rowdy, four-letter loving sailor/bartender/badass had a child (go with it), this would be the result. This is for the anti-"new age" person. The person who is a little more rough around the edges, the person who doesn't want to hear about Jesus, and "Being" and everything in between. It is more for someone who wants a little more straightforward way of thinking about this whole concept of letting go and not caring. I think the process he suggests (um...f*ck it to just about anything that causes you pain of any time) is simple, to the point, and works. Let it go. F*ck it. He even talks at the beginning of the book about how the phrase just feels good to say, for cultural reasons. So, f*ck it, give it a try.

[Deniz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Türkiye'de ilk yayımlandığı zamanlar bir arkadaştan alıp okumuştum kitabı, daha şimdi aklıma geliyor. O zamanlar herkes kitabın ne ile ilgili olduğunu dahi bilmeden, sadece ismi "Siktir Et" olduğu için almıştı. Ben de "neden herkes bu kitabı okuyor?" diyerek başlamıştım. Adam siktir et sözünü bir yere sıkıştıracağım diye ölmüş bitmişti sanki, kendime yararlı bulmadığım gibi sevmemiştim de. Belki içinde gerçekten stresten kurtaracak şeyler vardır ama kitabı okurken bitsin artık diye ekstradan stres yarattığını, son sayfasını okumadan "siktir et lan" diye fırlattığımı hatırlıyorum. En azından ismi uygunmuş.

[Gigliola Conte-Patel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, there were some very spiritual bits that were a bit wishy washy but what I enjoyed is applying the adage Fuck It to everything that creates tension or resistance. It's a book that urges the reader to accept what is and not to resist or judge. Example - you get angry because someone cuts you off in traffic and then you judge yourself for giving into road rage. Don't. Anger is simply and emotion and is no better or worse than peaceful resignation. It is what it is.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apart from the first chapter and the whole "I'm so brilliant go do a F**k It retreat or an online course" at the end of the book, I absolutely devoured this. It really puts things into perspective and I think the whole idea of F**k It is a great one to try and apply to life as much as possible. It's another one of those books I think most everyone should read. I feel like I've already learned to relax more and I've already learnt to let things go easier, just a day after finishing. It's funny as it seems such a logical theory, and I do think to a certain point before reading the book I was already quite F**k It minded, but now I can be it in a more mindful way. Basically, if you haven't read this it's about not making such a huge point about things and just thinking, as the title puts it, F**k It. The author applies this method to almost every aspect in life and he does it well. I've laughed out loud reading this book in public. It's snappy, it's quirky, it's witty and it is at times hilarious. I did, as the author recommended, skip the parenting part, as I am not one, but I can imagine the method also working well there. So people, read this book, and just F**k It all and be happy. F**k money, f**k politics, f**k the weather, f**k your boring job, f**k stress and f**k what other people think of you. F**k most things and enjoy life. Pretty good message I would say. All to a certain extent of course.
There's also some interesting stuff about spirituality in general in there and about learning to work with chi, which was new for me, and also pretty f**ing interesting.
Even if you're not spiritually inclined, perhaps especially then, you should definitely give this book a try. I'd say it's a spiritual book for not particularly spiritual people. I think anyone could learn something from the F**k It mind set and even if you just apply it to one part of your life it could make all the difference.
Good stuff. :)

[𖤐MxBookWitch➳ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve had this Book for ages & I’ve actually read it once before...But I didn’t add it on here for some reason & I can’t remember when I first read it, so fuck it! 😜

This was an apt Book to read on New’s Year’s Eve-Basically about all of the struggles of life & how {& why} to say fuck it to them all! 😄

I didn’t agree with *everything* the Author was saying-As is often the case with these kind of Books. But most of it resonated a lot & was presented in a funny, relatable way. 👍🏽

I recommend this to everyone! 🌍

[Cab · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe it's just me, but I got about 1/2 way thru reading this book and I was so annoyed with the narrative style that I said "Fuck It" and gave up. So maybe I did learn something.

[Anya Blackhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely worth reading more than once.

[Dominic Gowland · Rating 1 out of 5]

fuck this.

[Lili · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ko rečete K**C GLEDA, popusti krčevitost, s katero se nečesa držite (bolečina).
Ko rečete K**C GLEDA, se predate toku življenja.
Ko rečete K**C GLEDA, se nehate sekirati.

Ko sem prijela knjigo v roke (zopet zaradi izziva), nisem vedela, kaj bom brala. Platnica je enostavno ustrezala izzivu in knjiga je čakala na branje verjetno več kot 10 let 🙈

Že sam uvod me je navdušil. Tja do polovice knjige sem se nasmejala do solz. Mislim da je prevod fenomenalen. V knjigi avtor na res zelo enostaven in zabaven način opiše, kako si lahko olajšamo življenje, obenem pa pokomentira, naj ga ne jemljemo preveč resno (življenje in avtorja 😉).

Super knjiga!

[Prinses · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dit kon echt veel korter. Overbodige scenario's, de pessimistische blik op het leven en ongevraagde meningen maakten het erg moeilijk om doorheen te lezen. Ik denk dat ik toch maar direct overstap naar mediteren met Winnie de Poeh.

[Stavroula · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest view on our feelings! The text is well written and funny. I found it helpful to deal with anxiety.