Chasm: A Deep Journey into Meaning and Wholeness

by Bob Goulet

When you take your last breath, will you look back and smile deeply? Or will you look back and wish you had lived differently?

If that moment were your very next breath instead of your last, would your answer change?

In Chasm, Bob shares his improbable life journey from tormented child, tragedy, and inmate in one of the world's toughest prisons to his transcendence into wholeness. He shares his deepest struggles, dead ends, achievements, and messy transformation into a being more peaceful and aligned than he ever imagined. Along the way, you may find yourself inspired to cross your own chasm and become more fully alive.

Is there really anything more important?

Genres: Nonfiction

257 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 12, 2022

Reviews

[Steve]

When someone hands me a book and tells me what a great read it is, who am I to let it gather dust on the shelf? Having now finished it, my thoughts are torn. On the one hand I want to applaud a person who has apparently gained heightened self-awareness and confidence in his path forward. On the other hand, what to make of someone who unintentionally killed two persons through an act of gross recklessness as a young adult? By Mr. Goulet’s account, a journey that included an advanced education following prison, a healthy dietary and exercise regime, mindfulness training and psychotherapy has led ultimately to emotional and spiritual wellbeing. The encounter with Tony Robbins was reported with a lengthy enthusiasm that will likely give pause to any sceptic of that chiseled mediagenic phenom. We read that progress is even more remarkable with the purchase of the Tony Robbins Platinum Partnership.

Then there are the many questions this book raised. What penalty or penalties should someone in this position face? Is 3 ½ years in a hard-core Florida prison – yes, it’s as bad as we imagine – sufficient given an initial 12-year sentence? Should he be permitted a free life following his release with the ability to accumulate a large amount of personal wealth? Where are the families of the victims in this tale? While the author expresses great sorrow, his regret is mostly compressed into the first portion of this work, the remainder describes experiences lacking remorse for the past. Is this apparent achievement something we should applaud?

I don’t read much, if any, of the self-improvement genre because my snobbery gets in the way. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out there are thousands of personal journeys published every year, each claiming their own special significance. I’m easily reminded of my sister’s fawning adulation for Lance Armstrong’s It’s Not about the Bike: My Journey Back to Life upon its publication. To be fair, every work should stand for itself; I need to avoid being overly prejudiced. Perhaps this work could serve as source material for additional writings in support of anti-natalism, temperance, automobile safety, penal reform, therapy and communication skills, among other topics.

If I were in the author’s shoes, I think I would feel guilt for my actions every day for the remainder of my life. How can I be sure? Because I carry the shame for a medley of petty misdeeds; every day I shake my head at some regrettable distant memory. Just imagine if I had a felony to dwell on, especially one involving multiple deaths. I experienced this read as a standard “man overcomes adversity” tale, much in need of a capable editor as it is heavily sprinkled with minor literary annoyances. Rather than a retrospective account, I think this tale would be much more interesting in diary form, reading of his struggles presented through authentic recurrent reporting.

[norma baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

An autobiography of two lives

This is about the stages in the author's life:
traumatic childhood
drugs and alcohol in his teens
major mistake leads to prison
employment after prison release
higher education
career paths and creation of a business
paths to personal fulfillment
sharing conclusions with the reader
He begins with daily reactions to the situations in his life but at midlife he finds his way to living a deliberate mindful life.