I’ve made no secret of feeling burnt out lately. In fact, this review is coming a couple weeks after I’ve finished the book. This month, I needed a book that wasn’t going to feel too heavy, and I wanted to know I would like it. That made it an easy choice. I had an unread installment of Thich Nhat Hanh‘s How To series. It was a recent addition to my shelf, and exactly what I needed.

Summary:

Each book in Thich Nhat Hanh’s How To series takes a brief but deep look at a daily aspect of life. How to Dream is the one that specifically focuses on ambition. Within, the Buddhist monk and renowned peace activist shares his thoughts on setting goals for the future and working to achieve them. Readers do not need to share his religion to find great value in his wisdom and perspective.

My Thoughts:

Hanh’s work is always uplifting and inspiring. He always writes with a profound clarity. His use of metaphor makes life’s challenges feel refreshingly simple without trivializing them. I liked getting his perspective on aspiration and goal-setting. There’s a great focus on doing so in a healthy way. That includes not only mental and physical health, but also the health of the community and the world. It’s not often that those latter aspects arise in these discussions, though they warrant addressing.

I read through this one in an afternoon while dealing with burnout. It was exactly what I needed in that moment. I find that is usually the case when I pick up one of Hanh’s books. By the time I finished, I felt largely renewed and was able to see my situation with fresh eyes. I definitely recommend this one, especially if you’re struggling with decisions about your path forward.

Content Warnings: Depression, Grief, Overconsumption, Climate Change, War

After I Finished How to Dream

Once I finished How to Dream, I grabbed a book that’s been sitting in my TBR pile for longer than it should have waited. My cousin recommended it to me ages ago. She knows my literary tastes well and shares many of them. I like to take her advice in that department. I’d picked up the first book of the series some months back, but advance reader copies were taking up a lot of my time. Taking November off of due dates, I finally had time to pick this one up. I flew through it, and immediately had to grab the sequel!

My next review will be for Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett.