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Life Is Messy Journal
Can someone who has been devastatingly broken be healed and become more beautiful and more loveable than ever before? The Life Is Messy Journal can help you see that the answer to this question is "Yes!" As you will soon discover, arriving at this conviction will be no easy feat. The journal in your hands will be your own messy and imperfect grappling with this question. If at any point you find yourself lost, confused, or disoriented, return to this question. It is the North Star we are exploring. Whatever topic we are discussing in the pages ahead, though they are vast and varied, we will never be far from this question. In each section you will find just four This is not a manual for how to free yourself from the messiness of life. It's not a step-by-step process or a one-size-fits-all solution to heal brokenness. This journal is simply a vehicle to help you slow down in your life, collect bits of insight that will help you face your mess, and find within yourself the answers to some of the most important questions you will face on the path to flourishing.
176 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2021
31 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Kelly
192 books1,412 followersMatthew Kelly is a best-selling author, speaker, thought leader, entrepreneur, consultant, spiritual leader, and innovator.
He has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, 5 million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than 50 countries.
Today, Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.
In his early-twenties he developed "the-best-version-of-yourself" concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than twenty-five years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, "Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?"
Kelly's personal interests include golf, music, art, literature, investing, spirituality, and spending time with his wife, Meggie, and their children Walter, Isabel, Harry, Ralph, and Simon.
He has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, 5 million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than 50 countries.
Today, Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.
In his early-twenties he developed "the-best-version-of-yourself" concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than twenty-five years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, "Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?"
Kelly's personal interests include golf, music, art, literature, investing, spirituality, and spending time with his wife, Meggie, and their children Walter, Isabel, Harry, Ralph, and Simon.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 30, 2021
Matthew Kelly said it himself, this book is raw, unpolished, real. There are no chapters, but rather the book is set up with journal entries. So yes, sometimes it is hard to connect one entry to another, or you may have to read a sentence over and over again to understand the meaning, but there is also so much meaning here. Kelly’s questions drive into your soul. As always, he makes you reflect on your life and figure out how to be the best-version-of-yourself.
March 20, 2022
Blech. This is the first and last book I read by this author. So many pages filled with so many words that just didn’t amount to anything. Do not recommend.
January 27, 2022
This book was highly recommended by a friend and neighbor. I can see why it resonated so deeply with him, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I have had my share of life’s messy moments, days, months and years and I often felt that the approach here conflicted with my approach to my personal experiences and/or was a little too black and white. I’ll stick to the ideas I’ve worked out for myself and keep on keeping on with what my experiences have shaped me to be and what they continue to shape me into.
January 10, 2022
“what is the essential ingredient of the good life? goodness itself” (kelly, 2021).
January 12, 2022
For me , this is Matthew Kelly’s best book ! I loved it from start to finish , a must read for everyone
January 9, 2022
If your parents were good people, this is everything they ever told you or wanted you to know about life.
April 7, 2022
It’s what you do with the mess that determines everything.
Acceptance is the only way to make peace with the mess.
Someone who has been broken and healed can be more beautiful, and more loved, than ever before.
The unexpected is either a curse or an opportunity. We get to decide.
Maybe getting lost is exactly what we need.
There is wisdom in the mess.
Find a quiet place, sit down, close your eyes, acknowledge gods presence, breathe deeply, talk to him briefly about his your life has left you empty, and ask god to fill you.
Life should be lived with maximum Intentionality.
Gossip is a destroyer of relationships. It breeds distrust and bitterness.
Anytime the value and individually of a person are denied, that person is being dehumanized.
✨ empathy is a leading indicator of human flourishing, while lack of empathy is a signal that a person is in a dehumanized state.
The problem isn’t that life is difficult. It is supposed to be difficult. The people is that we expect it to be easy or we try to make it easy. All our efforts to avoid the difficulties of life lead us away from everything that is deeply satisfying.
What are you avoiding that you should be confronting? ✨
Inspiration stimulates our creativity, and creativity affects everything.
5 stages of grieving are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
Physical wounds get worse and can become life threatening if you ignore them. Emotional wounds respond in exactly the same way. ✨✨✨
The harder you work the more luck and success you attract. 🍀🍀🍀
If we cannot learn to be comfortable with uncertainty, we cannot learn to live amidst the mess.
The four absolutes:
Honesty - is it true or is it false?
Unselfishness - how will this affect other people?
Purity - is it right or is it wrong?
Love - is it ugly or is it beautiful?
Genius is taking the complex and making it simple.
The secret to living a meaningful life is to strip away everything that is meaningless.
First costs - buying the car
Second costs - maintain the car
Third cost - time
Work on being free to say no and your he’s will be more focused, meaningful, and powerful than ever before. What you say yes to determines everything.
The quality of our relationships is determined by the quality of our relationship with ourselves.
Character is moral excellence.
If you want to discover yourself, dedicate yourself to growing in a very specific virtue each month.
Do you feel like you are doing what you are born to do? How many other people have you helped become successful, happy, educated? How many lives have you improved?
What is the essential ingredient to the good life? Goodness. Love. Kindness. Gratitude. Compassion. Generosity.
Acceptance is the only way to make peace with the mess.
Someone who has been broken and healed can be more beautiful, and more loved, than ever before.
The unexpected is either a curse or an opportunity. We get to decide.
Maybe getting lost is exactly what we need.
There is wisdom in the mess.
Find a quiet place, sit down, close your eyes, acknowledge gods presence, breathe deeply, talk to him briefly about his your life has left you empty, and ask god to fill you.
Life should be lived with maximum Intentionality.
Gossip is a destroyer of relationships. It breeds distrust and bitterness.
Anytime the value and individually of a person are denied, that person is being dehumanized.
✨ empathy is a leading indicator of human flourishing, while lack of empathy is a signal that a person is in a dehumanized state.
The problem isn’t that life is difficult. It is supposed to be difficult. The people is that we expect it to be easy or we try to make it easy. All our efforts to avoid the difficulties of life lead us away from everything that is deeply satisfying.
What are you avoiding that you should be confronting? ✨
Inspiration stimulates our creativity, and creativity affects everything.
5 stages of grieving are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
Physical wounds get worse and can become life threatening if you ignore them. Emotional wounds respond in exactly the same way. ✨✨✨
The harder you work the more luck and success you attract. 🍀🍀🍀
If we cannot learn to be comfortable with uncertainty, we cannot learn to live amidst the mess.
The four absolutes:
Honesty - is it true or is it false?
Unselfishness - how will this affect other people?
Purity - is it right or is it wrong?
Love - is it ugly or is it beautiful?
Genius is taking the complex and making it simple.
The secret to living a meaningful life is to strip away everything that is meaningless.
First costs - buying the car
Second costs - maintain the car
Third cost - time
Work on being free to say no and your he’s will be more focused, meaningful, and powerful than ever before. What you say yes to determines everything.
The quality of our relationships is determined by the quality of our relationship with ourselves.
Character is moral excellence.
If you want to discover yourself, dedicate yourself to growing in a very specific virtue each month.
Do you feel like you are doing what you are born to do? How many other people have you helped become successful, happy, educated? How many lives have you improved?
What is the essential ingredient to the good life? Goodness. Love. Kindness. Gratitude. Compassion. Generosity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2022
Honestly, I picked this book up because it was free at a funeral for my boyfriend’a grandfather.
But I felt compelled to pick it up, and I am glad I did!!! It was a very realistic self help book. Abs I felt it will help me at the point of life I’m at. It’s not the basic steps for self help; but points in to really dive deeper with the reality of life and how it’s hard, but how to get the most out of it.
I truly feel if I implement some of these things, I can live a fuller and happier life.
It was a nice quick read, and full of little gems. I really enjoyed it!
But I felt compelled to pick it up, and I am glad I did!!! It was a very realistic self help book. Abs I felt it will help me at the point of life I’m at. It’s not the basic steps for self help; but points in to really dive deeper with the reality of life and how it’s hard, but how to get the most out of it.
I truly feel if I implement some of these things, I can live a fuller and happier life.
It was a nice quick read, and full of little gems. I really enjoyed it!
March 17, 2025
This journal is a companion to the book of the same title, but it can easily stand alone. For me, the Life is Messy Journal by Matthew Kelly is great for a season of self reflection. It provides about 75 opportunities to respond to unique and varied soul searching questions. Whether you are pressing the reset button at Lent or just want a time to focus on where you are in your journey through life, this little book can help with that process. It could also become the basis for, say, a weekly small group share or might be the perfect gift for your dear friends.
April 22, 2023
Quick read that immediately captivated me. It didn't hold my attention like it promised though - where were all the messy things he was going to share? There were not a lot of personal stories as promised. The Holocaust and the story of the personal friend he went to visit one night are the best of the book. I am glad I read it but I wouldn't recommend or read it again. Not even a great encouragement book that I would want to reflect on.
August 16, 2022
I recommend this book to anyone seeking more self-compassion or personal guidance, especially when relationships or ambitions feel too daunting. This was an easy yet fulfilling read for a time in my life that has been very messy. The writing can feel very basic, but the messages are tools and advice that is easy to implement into my daily life.
January 27, 2022
I really enjoyed the book! I liked that it wasn’t heavily focused on Bible verses and more about the feelings and allowing us to relate to what you went through and how to connect it with the basic teachings of our faith ❤️☺️
April 10, 2022
Not a "normal" book in that it felt more like a collection of thoughts extracted from Kelly's personal journals and expanded. I like his thoughts on a Personal Philosophy and intend on using my annotations & notes in the book to form that for myself.
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March 30, 2022Thought provoking read. I I ntend to read again at another time. See if I gain more insight.
June 24, 2022
This book was good. It’s something I don’t usually read but I enjoyed reading it. He makes you feel better about yourself in this book. I would recommend it to anyone with low self esteem.
August 21, 2022
U gotta be kidding me? I thought life was neat! Right in the trash with this crap.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews