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The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose
Do you ever feel that if you weren't so busy you would be happier, healthier, more effective, more fulfilled...and maybe even a better person?
Once every twenty-five years or so, a book comes along that perfectly identifies our common search and struggle for happiness, and teaches us how to find lasting fulfillment in a changing world. This is that book. Not since M. Scott Peck published The Road Less Traveled have we experienced a voice as refreshing and authentic as Matthew Kelly's.
The Rhythm of Life will help you to bring into focus who you are and why you are here. Through this book Matthew Kelly will help you discover your legitimate needs, deepest desires, and unique talents. He will introduce you to the-best-version-of-yourself and lead you to a life filled with passion and purpose.
Here are just a few of the timeless creeds that he presents in The Rhythm of Life...
"You were born to become the-best-version-of-yourself. This is your essential purpose. Embrace this one solitary truth and it will change your life more than anything you have ever learned. In every situation, ask yourself, Which of the options before me will help me become the-best-version-of-myself?"
"Everything is a choice. This is life's greatest truth and its hardest lesson. It is a great truth because it reminds us of our power. Not power over others, but the power to be ourselves and to live the life we have imagined. It is a hard lesson because it causes us to realize that we have chosen the life we are living right now."
"The measure of your life will be the measure of your courage. Courage animates us, brings us to life, and makes everything else possible. Fear stops more people from doing something with their lives than lack of ability, contacts, resources, or any other single variable. Fear paralyzes the human spirit. Life takes courage."
"Energy is our most valuable resource, not time. The rhythm of life is a way of life that brings our legitimate needs, our deepest desires, and our unique talents into harmony with each other. The result: passion, purpose, and energy."
Kelly has a way of thinking and writing that cuts through the stifling clutter of our everyday lives and delivers a clarity that is both refreshing and liberating.
Once every twenty-five years or so, a book comes along that perfectly identifies our common search and struggle for happiness, and teaches us how to find lasting fulfillment in a changing world. This is that book. Not since M. Scott Peck published The Road Less Traveled have we experienced a voice as refreshing and authentic as Matthew Kelly's.
The Rhythm of Life will help you to bring into focus who you are and why you are here. Through this book Matthew Kelly will help you discover your legitimate needs, deepest desires, and unique talents. He will introduce you to the-best-version-of-yourself and lead you to a life filled with passion and purpose.
Here are just a few of the timeless creeds that he presents in The Rhythm of Life...
"You were born to become the-best-version-of-yourself. This is your essential purpose. Embrace this one solitary truth and it will change your life more than anything you have ever learned. In every situation, ask yourself, Which of the options before me will help me become the-best-version-of-myself?"
"Everything is a choice. This is life's greatest truth and its hardest lesson. It is a great truth because it reminds us of our power. Not power over others, but the power to be ourselves and to live the life we have imagined. It is a hard lesson because it causes us to realize that we have chosen the life we are living right now."
"The measure of your life will be the measure of your courage. Courage animates us, brings us to life, and makes everything else possible. Fear stops more people from doing something with their lives than lack of ability, contacts, resources, or any other single variable. Fear paralyzes the human spirit. Life takes courage."
"Energy is our most valuable resource, not time. The rhythm of life is a way of life that brings our legitimate needs, our deepest desires, and our unique talents into harmony with each other. The result: passion, purpose, and energy."
Kelly has a way of thinking and writing that cuts through the stifling clutter of our everyday lives and delivers a clarity that is both refreshing and liberating.
320 pages, Paperback
First published November 10, 1999
About the author
Matthew Kelly
187 books1,169 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 - 30 of 279 reviews
December 16, 2010
From the title it sounds as though this book is going to be full of nothing but self-help feel-good bullshit, and it was, but a lot of it was actually decent.
I'm going to start with all the things I hated first, to get it out of the way. In the first third of the book, Kelly hardly mentions God at all, and when he does it's very non-denominational, but by the time we're halfway through the book it's like he's forgotten to be PC and we're hearing Bible stories and casual mentions about the power of Jesus to help us. This is NOT billed as a Christian book on the cover blurb, so I was a little shocked, but Kelly doesn't really go overboard with it--it's more like he just assumes that all his readers will have the same belief system he has. It got on my nerves, but most of what he says really can be applied to any belief system--for example he goes on and on about prayer, but just substitute "meditation" or whatever and it's applicable. No excuses, Kelly definitely should have tried harder on this front to make his book work for a wider audience, but whatever.
Other issues were that Kelly uses a LOT of cliches throughout the book, and although you can tell he means it earnestly, sometimes it comes off sounding hollow. I mean, yes, follow your dreams, but how many times have we been told to follow our dreams? He also uses many examples from the lives of famous successful people. When it's someone not as obvious, like the manager of the Beatles, it was interesting, but pulling out these stories from Mother Teresa's or da Vinci's or St. Francis's lives didn't feel as compelling to me. Even though I might not have read the story before, it felt like I had read the story before, you know? Also, again with the lack of diversity--most of the examples are from the lives of white Western Christian people. He'll toss Gandhi or Mandela onto a list but he didn't really go outside his immediate comfort zone to explore a successful person from a different culture. There were also a few things he says that are just blatantly erroneous. For example: "History also teaches us that the Roman Empire gave way to a wonderful period in history: the Middle Ages. Culturally, socially, politically, economically, and spiritually, the Middle Ages were a vibrant and vital time of growth, discovery, and progress" (285). Um, what? There's so much wrong with that statement that I'm just going to give him the benefit of the doubt here and assume he meant to say the Renaissance, but still. Had his editor just given up by this point?
All that aside, Kelly does have some valuable points to make in this book. He genuinely wants all people to be able to become their best selves and find happiness and peace. Kelly believes that people are happiest when we're working towards becoming the best versions of ourselves; he acknowledges that fun and pleasure are part of enjoying life, but what you really need to do are to take responsibility, work hard, and believe in what you're doing in order to find happiness. Everything we do is a choice, so choose to follow your dreams and believe in yourself. All those examples from the lives of famous people illustrate that what they have in common is they believe that nothing is impossible and that they can achieve their dreams. The techniques that Kelly advocates for success are simple: understand that you have basic needs (not just food, water, shelter, but also love, healthy relationships, healthy food, exercise, intellectual stimulation, and spiritual growth). Acknowledge that these needs are legitimate, and make sure they are fulfilled, every day. Take time to pray (or meditate, or have quiet time to yourself in the garden, or whatever) because it recharges your spirit; take one day a week to rest, and beyond that, work hard and never give up on your goal, never forget for a moment what it is you want to accomplish. It's a system that makes sense to me, which is why I kept reading. Recommended if you're interested in a life plan like this (and can either sympathize with or set aside the Christian stuff).
I'm going to start with all the things I hated first, to get it out of the way. In the first third of the book, Kelly hardly mentions God at all, and when he does it's very non-denominational, but by the time we're halfway through the book it's like he's forgotten to be PC and we're hearing Bible stories and casual mentions about the power of Jesus to help us. This is NOT billed as a Christian book on the cover blurb, so I was a little shocked, but Kelly doesn't really go overboard with it--it's more like he just assumes that all his readers will have the same belief system he has. It got on my nerves, but most of what he says really can be applied to any belief system--for example he goes on and on about prayer, but just substitute "meditation" or whatever and it's applicable. No excuses, Kelly definitely should have tried harder on this front to make his book work for a wider audience, but whatever.
Other issues were that Kelly uses a LOT of cliches throughout the book, and although you can tell he means it earnestly, sometimes it comes off sounding hollow. I mean, yes, follow your dreams, but how many times have we been told to follow our dreams? He also uses many examples from the lives of famous successful people. When it's someone not as obvious, like the manager of the Beatles, it was interesting, but pulling out these stories from Mother Teresa's or da Vinci's or St. Francis's lives didn't feel as compelling to me. Even though I might not have read the story before, it felt like I had read the story before, you know? Also, again with the lack of diversity--most of the examples are from the lives of white Western Christian people. He'll toss Gandhi or Mandela onto a list but he didn't really go outside his immediate comfort zone to explore a successful person from a different culture. There were also a few things he says that are just blatantly erroneous. For example: "History also teaches us that the Roman Empire gave way to a wonderful period in history: the Middle Ages. Culturally, socially, politically, economically, and spiritually, the Middle Ages were a vibrant and vital time of growth, discovery, and progress" (285). Um, what? There's so much wrong with that statement that I'm just going to give him the benefit of the doubt here and assume he meant to say the Renaissance, but still. Had his editor just given up by this point?
All that aside, Kelly does have some valuable points to make in this book. He genuinely wants all people to be able to become their best selves and find happiness and peace. Kelly believes that people are happiest when we're working towards becoming the best versions of ourselves; he acknowledges that fun and pleasure are part of enjoying life, but what you really need to do are to take responsibility, work hard, and believe in what you're doing in order to find happiness. Everything we do is a choice, so choose to follow your dreams and believe in yourself. All those examples from the lives of famous people illustrate that what they have in common is they believe that nothing is impossible and that they can achieve their dreams. The techniques that Kelly advocates for success are simple: understand that you have basic needs (not just food, water, shelter, but also love, healthy relationships, healthy food, exercise, intellectual stimulation, and spiritual growth). Acknowledge that these needs are legitimate, and make sure they are fulfilled, every day. Take time to pray (or meditate, or have quiet time to yourself in the garden, or whatever) because it recharges your spirit; take one day a week to rest, and beyond that, work hard and never give up on your goal, never forget for a moment what it is you want to accomplish. It's a system that makes sense to me, which is why I kept reading. Recommended if you're interested in a life plan like this (and can either sympathize with or set aside the Christian stuff).
April 21, 2010
This book as absolutely AMAZING!! This book hits your life on so many levels, there is no doubt in my mind that after reading this book you will be not just one, but multiple steps closer to your best version of yourself. As a Sales Manager, my offices sales literally tripled while reading this book. I gave up simple things like fast food and pop because of this book in a quest to bring myself closer to a greater version of myself. I recommend this book to everyone, I have multiple copies to lend out to my friends and families, and Ive given this book as a gift many times. It will impact your life!
July 23, 2013
Author Matthew Kelly discovered at a very young age the varying degrees it takes for people to reach some sort of level of success through occupation or public service, and began connecting the dots on how it connects to spirituality, emotions, body, mind, etc.
As a frequent reader of personal growth books (saw a sign of personal growth instead of self help at a bookstore and have quite an attachment to using the former instead), I think this is a fairly average book.
While I wouldn't say that this book is entirely just average, it kinda hits that level and stays there. To be honest, a lot of the syntax used doesn't flow. Every sentence or so feels a bit forced, and many paragraphs don't feel complete. At some point you may find yourself -as I did - feeling like you were going around in circles. The language/grammar/metaphors/analogies are quite cliche, and many of the chapters seem to run together; Kelly's messages are quite repetitive. In some chapters, you could do shots to how many times he uses the same phrases over and over and over again. I think overall it doesn't get very spiritually meaty until the half way mark or 30 pages until the end.
This book isn't completely without merit. Nuggets of wisdom, personal aha moments were discovered here and there. Personally, I enjoyed Kelly's use of stories and examples both from scripture and public figures to cement his messages and lessons deeper.
The trajectory of your life is based on your decisions, actions and thoughts. You have a choice of the meaning you make of your life or not. You can live for a purpose or not. You can stay at Point A - unsure of where you're going. You can thrive for a Point B which is some vision you hold yourself - big or small - and do all that it takes to get there.
The biggest lesson I took away from this book is that whether you don't take action or don't make a decision, you're still making a decision, you're still choosing NOT to do something. I found that I would rather be a human being about something rather than nothing.
"The measure of your life will be the measure of your courage."
As a frequent reader of personal growth books (saw a sign of personal growth instead of self help at a bookstore and have quite an attachment to using the former instead), I think this is a fairly average book.
While I wouldn't say that this book is entirely just average, it kinda hits that level and stays there. To be honest, a lot of the syntax used doesn't flow. Every sentence or so feels a bit forced, and many paragraphs don't feel complete. At some point you may find yourself -as I did - feeling like you were going around in circles. The language/grammar/metaphors/analogies are quite cliche, and many of the chapters seem to run together; Kelly's messages are quite repetitive. In some chapters, you could do shots to how many times he uses the same phrases over and over and over again. I think overall it doesn't get very spiritually meaty until the half way mark or 30 pages until the end.
This book isn't completely without merit. Nuggets of wisdom, personal aha moments were discovered here and there. Personally, I enjoyed Kelly's use of stories and examples both from scripture and public figures to cement his messages and lessons deeper.
The trajectory of your life is based on your decisions, actions and thoughts. You have a choice of the meaning you make of your life or not. You can live for a purpose or not. You can stay at Point A - unsure of where you're going. You can thrive for a Point B which is some vision you hold yourself - big or small - and do all that it takes to get there.
The biggest lesson I took away from this book is that whether you don't take action or don't make a decision, you're still making a decision, you're still choosing NOT to do something. I found that I would rather be a human being about something rather than nothing.
"The measure of your life will be the measure of your courage."
June 14, 2015
This is the only book that compelled me to try to buy 10 copies so I can give them away to others to read. I think it is one of the most succinct manuals for happy loving I have ever read and I have been studying happiness for years now. Everything that intuitively seems right to me about life and everything that is wrong with the current world and predominant thinking the author very eloquently spells out. I must have highlighted every second sentence. I will without a doubt be re reading this book in the years to come and it goes down onto my list of the top 3 most influential books of my entire life.
October 9, 2007
rhythm of life book highlights:
The Rhythm of Life presumes the following: Everything is a choice. "Our
choices echo through our lives and into eternity." We choose our
responses to life circumstances. Kelly, an Aussie, writing this book
before the age of thirty, says the ultimate meaning and purpose of
life is to become the best version of yourself. He lays out a Point A
to Point B spectrum. Point A represents your 'present self' and the
ultimate purpose of life is to be on the journey to Point B (the best
version of yourself). Although at first this sounds pretty hedonistic,
Kelly qualifies this assertion with a strong emphasis giving ourselves
to others and in turn finding ourselves in the process.
Although not exclusively, Kelly often refers to Christian spiritual
themes and historical figures. He quotes an the Egyptian monk
Athenasius, "The glory of God is the perfection of the creature."
Kelly speaks against common definitions of happiness focusing on
success, pleasure, or fun. Kelly says happiness comes when you know
what your purpose of life is and you are seeking it or living it. How
do you determine your purpose in life and best version of yourself?
Kelly says that the intersection of your desires, your talents, and
your needs will reveal your life purpose leading to the best version of
yourself. Kelly encourages living with excellence in all you do and
criticizes the all too prevalent enemy of excellence: minimalism. "The
minimalist is always asking, 'What is the least I can do?'" He says
that it is a cancer on society breeding mediocrity. He contrasts this
with examples of great leaders and achievers who have a life
orientation of doing the most they can do furthering their journey
toward Point B. Repeatedly referring back to Thoreau's famous quote,
"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation" Kelly says that addictions
are too prevalent while self-discipline is lacking in western culture.
He says that addiction is the enemy of self-discipline, freedom, and
our own dignity.
Another theme throughout The Rhythm of Life is a focus on being rather
than having or doing. Our first question to others is almost always,
"So, what do you do?" We all too often define success in terms of what
we do rather than who we become. He challenges the reader to examine
how you define success. He quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson: "To laugh often
and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of
children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the
betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in
others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a
garden patch, or redeemed social condition; to know even one life has
breathed easier because you have lived: this is to have succeeded."
Kelly challenges you to examine your perception of the world. He ends
the book stating two fundamental principles to live by: 1) People are
made to be loved; 2) Things are made to be used. Do not mix these up.
Kelly sprinkles motivating stories throughout his book with the
assertion that "we become the stories that we tell."
The Rhythm of Life presumes the following: Everything is a choice. "Our
choices echo through our lives and into eternity." We choose our
responses to life circumstances. Kelly, an Aussie, writing this book
before the age of thirty, says the ultimate meaning and purpose of
life is to become the best version of yourself. He lays out a Point A
to Point B spectrum. Point A represents your 'present self' and the
ultimate purpose of life is to be on the journey to Point B (the best
version of yourself). Although at first this sounds pretty hedonistic,
Kelly qualifies this assertion with a strong emphasis giving ourselves
to others and in turn finding ourselves in the process.
Although not exclusively, Kelly often refers to Christian spiritual
themes and historical figures. He quotes an the Egyptian monk
Athenasius, "The glory of God is the perfection of the creature."
Kelly speaks against common definitions of happiness focusing on
success, pleasure, or fun. Kelly says happiness comes when you know
what your purpose of life is and you are seeking it or living it. How
do you determine your purpose in life and best version of yourself?
Kelly says that the intersection of your desires, your talents, and
your needs will reveal your life purpose leading to the best version of
yourself. Kelly encourages living with excellence in all you do and
criticizes the all too prevalent enemy of excellence: minimalism. "The
minimalist is always asking, 'What is the least I can do?'" He says
that it is a cancer on society breeding mediocrity. He contrasts this
with examples of great leaders and achievers who have a life
orientation of doing the most they can do furthering their journey
toward Point B. Repeatedly referring back to Thoreau's famous quote,
"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation" Kelly says that addictions
are too prevalent while self-discipline is lacking in western culture.
He says that addiction is the enemy of self-discipline, freedom, and
our own dignity.
Another theme throughout The Rhythm of Life is a focus on being rather
than having or doing. Our first question to others is almost always,
"So, what do you do?" We all too often define success in terms of what
we do rather than who we become. He challenges the reader to examine
how you define success. He quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson: "To laugh often
and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of
children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the
betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in
others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a
garden patch, or redeemed social condition; to know even one life has
breathed easier because you have lived: this is to have succeeded."
Kelly challenges you to examine your perception of the world. He ends
the book stating two fundamental principles to live by: 1) People are
made to be loved; 2) Things are made to be used. Do not mix these up.
Kelly sprinkles motivating stories throughout his book with the
assertion that "we become the stories that we tell."
September 10, 2013
I was cleaning out a low sitting cabinet in my kitchen when I found a package that looked like it had been there for awhile. I opened the dusty package to find this book inside. Upon reading the first four pages, I couldn't help but notice how much this book seemed to be directly speaking to me, as I can apply the thoughts and encouragment to many choices and circumstances I'm experiencing in my life right now. This book and I seemed to have found one another at the right time, and I have to laugh because the universe never fails to smash me in the face!
July 26, 2010
wow, what a great inspirational book. i found so much of what was said to be true and yet the need to be reminded is strong. the idea that without a plan or goal, we will feel frustrated and exhausted and out of control makes sense. i realize we can make the best of plans and something change but it makes sense to have an idea of what you want from life and to set goals and try to work to achieve them daily will point you toward the path of the best version of yourself. i like the thought that courage is not the absence of fear but the acquired ability to move beyond fear. at this point in my life, i don't want fear to be the reason i'm not doing the things i want to do or working toward my highest good. i would rather shoot for the stars and land on the moon....
March 2, 2015
This is the story of a motivational speaker from Australia who ran himself too hard and then realized he needed to take care of his legitimate needs as well as pursue his main goals in life -- and he gives advice from what he has found to be true/useful in living a satisfying life. Some nuggets of wisdom, but overall somewhat tedious and clumsy.
One's legitimate needs are physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Get enough sleep, pray or meditate regularly (the classroom of silence), and take one day a week to renew and recharge.
The basic point that developing good habits of self-care and self-enrichment will help you to accomplish everything else in life is something it is good to be convinced of and reminded of. He encourages you to come up with a life motto or mantra and repeat it to yourself all the time.
Edited to add full disclosure: I listened to an unabridged audio CD of the book (the CD was by Recorded Books, not the abridged version by Simon and Schuster). I probably would have found it not so tedious if I had read a hard copy, because I could have skimmed the slow parts.
One's legitimate needs are physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Get enough sleep, pray or meditate regularly (the classroom of silence), and take one day a week to renew and recharge.
The basic point that developing good habits of self-care and self-enrichment will help you to accomplish everything else in life is something it is good to be convinced of and reminded of. He encourages you to come up with a life motto or mantra and repeat it to yourself all the time.
Edited to add full disclosure: I listened to an unabridged audio CD of the book (the CD was by Recorded Books, not the abridged version by Simon and Schuster). I probably would have found it not so tedious if I had read a hard copy, because I could have skimmed the slow parts.
Read
January 12, 2016Matthew Kelly asks us 'What do you want from life?' - And then he guides us not only on a path to explore and reflect on this question - but equips us to navigate life's challenges and opportunities. Simon Sinek challenges us to the 'Why?' of what we do and who we are. Steven Pressfield defines the inner warrior in us and helps us identify and battle 'Resistance', Brene Brown demands we 'Rise Strong' and Matthew Kelly guides us on the journey to discover the truth of who we are so we can make the best decisions for our life. It takes work - the discipline of pursuing and living your authentic life - and this book outlines an excellent framework. Starting with an hour a day of reflection, writing, meditation, prayer - as the foundation for pursuing a successful life- Matthew casts a vision for the effort and reward of pursuing meaning in life.
August 7, 2016
I saw a poignant passage from this book posted on Tumblr recently and cross checked it with Google Books to learn that it was from this book. The first 150 pages had me fully engaged - I was busily highlighting statements and bits of wisdom throughout parts 1-4. Even though this is a self help book, if you come upon it with the right mindset and at a time that you have a need for a book like this, you'll learn something. I'm an atheist, so the second half of the book being so heavily christian and prayer/sermon focused was a dealbreaker for me. When you tell me you don't believe in evolution and that all the world needs is more prayer and spirituality, I lose interest. But do read it for the first half.
February 8, 2017
This book couldn't have come at a better time. I've heard so many good things about this author, but this is the first book that I bought from him. I love how it discusses that where we are at now are because of all the choices that we have made in the past.
I find myself to be a quiet person whom usually think that my opinions doesn't matter much, but after reading this book, I have a choice to make, either continue to live in an inner shell, or be the person who I was meant to be.
Matthew Kelly shares information that deep down we already know, but need to have someone say to us. I'm just beginning to become the best version of myself, and be whom I was meant to be. I will find myself reading this book again, and again.
I find myself to be a quiet person whom usually think that my opinions doesn't matter much, but after reading this book, I have a choice to make, either continue to live in an inner shell, or be the person who I was meant to be.
Matthew Kelly shares information that deep down we already know, but need to have someone say to us. I'm just beginning to become the best version of myself, and be whom I was meant to be. I will find myself reading this book again, and again.
December 4, 2016
This was such a beautiful read (I actually heard it on audible). Having the author who wrote the book read it made the experience more meaningful in a way. I read (heard) it at a time when I needed it too, I've learned so much from it.
There are parts that make reference to Christianity/Biblical stories as a Muslim I value and respect that especially since it relates in many ways to Islamic beliefs.
I highly recommend giving this book a read ❤️.
There are parts that make reference to Christianity/Biblical stories as a Muslim I value and respect that especially since it relates in many ways to Islamic beliefs.
I highly recommend giving this book a read ❤️.
September 29, 2012
Matthew Kelly is the Catholic Tony Robbins. This is the most inspirational book I have ever read. I feel like it was written for me, and I should just read it over and over again. The secret to happiness lies within these pages. Everything he says just makes sense. I truly hope this book will redirect the rest of my life. So yes, I guess you could say I liked it!
August 4, 2012
Having read three of Matthew Kelly's books, it is difficult to pick a favorite. He inspires and his writing flows. This is not easy to accomplish when the topic is our life. Our daily relationships shape much of our experience, yet many people move through life without making the effort to understand and grow with those around them. What a world this would be if most people did!
September 7, 2015
This is a really good inspirational and motivational book. It looks at finding what you want in life, finding the best version of yourself and living the life you were born to live . A lot of really useful and thought- provoking stuff. A lot of common sense stuff that you inherently know but this book really does a great job of crystallizing it.
August 20, 2020
I only made it about halfway through this library (Kindle) book, which I checked out as it was referred to in "Rediscover The Saints". I enjoy the brief reflection/prayer style in his more recent books. Matthew Kelly has a lot of good things to say, but in his early writing I feel like it is not well focused / organized and prefer his talks.
February 25, 2011
I didn't finish this, and sent it back to the friend who'd loaned it to me. I feel badly, b/c I love listening to Matthew Kelly's talks on CD. Somehow, his words are just flat on paper. There were still many good things in the book, but I just couldn't get into it enough to keep reading.
March 14, 2012
This is one of the better books I have read. I enjoyed the message as it rang clear to me...how can I become a better version of myself. The idea to set a time daily to read and contemplate is another idea that I am trying to implement.
November 12, 2012
I think this book had a lot of great ideas and information. It seemed to be a little disorganized jumping from one idea to another quickly without a bridge. I heard Matthew Kelly speak when he came to Oregon and his talks were wonderful and I have enjoyed his other books.
June 25, 2014
Another thought provoking book by Matthew Kelly. I enjoyed reading this book and found it helpful. I was able to apply the concepts not only to my spiritual life but to other areas of my life as well.
November 21, 2014
A wonderful book from a wonderful author! I have read 3 or 5 of his books since discovering this author and this one has been my favorite. I will keep this as a resource book for future reads and assistance in living every day with Passion and Purpose!
November 4, 2014
A compilation of many of the ideas in the personal development movement. Less sterile and business like than some, almost conversation like and easy to absorb. I took down plenty of notes and quotes and will read again.
August 29, 2016
Good book, makes sense, but a lot of it is geared towards the spiritual. Author believes that is the only way to become the best version of yourself. That everything is based on whether or not you have a belief in something bigger than you. I suppose I agree.
February 5, 2017
Realistically optimistic view of life and all that each day offers us. The role of religion in the book took away from my enjoyment of some parts of the book as I found these less applicable to my life but otherwise an inspirational and empowering read.
July 10, 2008
Really good. It's one I read again and again, noting new things in the margins. I think it's his best.
September 19, 2013
Such a great book. I got it from the library and could not put it down. Really makes you think what it important about your life and how you should be the person that God meant you to be.
Shelved as '2016'
May 3, 2016I recommend this book. Heard about it on a Hal Elrod podcast and decided to purchase on Audible - quick but profound read.
May 16, 2017
Excellent! Serious food for thought. Inspirational. I want to buy a copy to have on hand to re-read and re-inspire myself!
April 25, 2024
Very inspiring - I lot of great nuggets that I have already started implementing. Love that my faith (Catholicism) was prominent in the book, but I didn't feel like it was being forced as an idea throughout. Was a little hard to finish towards the end, but overall, this is a book I would read every couple of years for inspiration.
July 24, 2023
This is an excellent book for anyone looking to find out how to live a more authentic and purposeful life. In the book, Kelly encourages and teaches individuals how to dig deep and find their own unique rhythm in life.
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