“We have no limits, but we put them on continuously, every minute of the day.”
The main advantage of this book is that it has no pretensions. A desired simplicity, not sought after, which has the merit of highlighting its main message: learning to love yourself in order to be happy.
Taking inspiration from her life, the author tells what was the tortuous path that brought her closer to Buddhism. A door opened by the sky of encounters, fortuitous circumstances and a dream have allowed her over the years to approach a world apparently light years away from her conception of life.
The historical and religious explanation of Buddhism is reduced to the bare minimum. A bird’s-eye description to give an overview, sufficient both to teach some rudiments on the meaning of meditation, but also to ignite the flame of curiosity (perhaps with other readings?) about a religion without god. At least that’s how it was with us.
What other effect has reading had? It made us feel good. Difficult to explain, it was as if he had helped us take a deep breath to the full heart, driving out the accumulated negativities. Reading a book capable of making us question some aspects of everyday life is a wonderful experience. As much as we strive to create insurmountable problems or to close ourselves in a hedgehog when interpersonal relationships take an unwanted turn, the only truth is that it takes very little to be happy. Accept what happens and turn negativity into an occasion because everything arises from us, and we are the only ones who can change the way we face the world. We are the answer to the questions that we do not have the courage to ask and they wear us out from within.
We would recommend reading the book to indulge in a well-deserved pampering, like a chocolate after a bad day. Stopping the frantic search for something abstract to feel better helps to better taste the chocolate and enjoy the little moments of happiness.
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Rossana Campo, Happy for who you are, Giulio Perrone Editore, Roma, 2012
