There is a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from trying to force your way out of a life that simply refuses to move. Sometimes it is a job that has become a dead end. Sometimes it is a relationship that feels emotionally stuck. Sometimes, there is no obvious problem at all—just the persistent feeling that you are lost, restless, and somehow falling behind. And when life refuses to cooperate, our first instinct is often to try harder. We overthink. We plan. We analyze every possibility. We replay conversations. We try to control every outcome. We convince ourselves that if we just work a little harder, think a little deeper, or hold on a little tighter, something will finally change. But what if the constant effort to control everything is actually keeping us stuck? That is one of the central ideas explored in John Purkiss's The Power of Letting Go . Drawing from his experiences in banking, consulting, and headhunting, Purkiss explores how meditation and mindfulness ch...
We spend so much of our lives trying not to be sad. We distract ourselves. We stay busy. We scroll through our phones. We tell people we're "fine" even when we're not. Sometimes, we even feel guilty for being unhappy—as if sadness is something we've failed at. But what if sadness isn't something we are supposed to escape? What if we are supposed to feel it? That is the question at the heart of Helen Russell's How to Be Sad , a book that made me think differently about one of the most uncomfortable emotions we experience. A Story That Begins With Loss Russell's earliest memory is the death of her sister. Her parents divorced soon afterwards, and her mother never received the support she needed to properly grieve. Growing up, Russell learned something many of us learn in one way or another: how to hide sadness. Smile when you don't feel like smiling. Carry on when you're exhausted. Push difficult feelings somewhere deep inside and preten...