Book Review | The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim

Welcome to my first ever book review!

Let me admit something first, I am very new to the well-being and self-help space. I have recently come to the realisation that there’s so much more to life than just earning money, and the idea of ‘success’ needs to be revised to include things that go beyond materialistic pleasures.

And The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim serves as the biggest validation of this thought. I could not have been introduced to this book at a better time in my life.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the learnings I acquired from reading this book and why you should take out some time from your busy schedule to read this one.

OVERVIEW

The human mind is so full of thoughts of the past and the future that we truly forget to live the moment in which we are at present.

I, too, find myself dealing with multiple things at once. Building a career, finding time for loved ones, romanticising the past, feeling uncertain about the future, the list goes on and on.

Thankfully, the author has meaningful advice on approaching various aspects of our lives, from navigating our relationships to dealing with burnout at work, choosing a career path, handling comparisons and following our hearts.

As someone who does not enjoy reading wordy books that much, this one is super easy to read with so much wisdom conveyed in such few words.

The book cover itself is fascinating, with the beautiful illustrations inside having the power to transport you to a world that offers nothing but peace, hope and positivity.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Being mindful is a choice

One of the major lessons that this book taught me is that while mindfulness in every aspect of our lives is the way to live, it truly is a choice when it comes to implementing it in real life.

“If you would like to sleep more peacefully, as you lay your head on the pillow, think of the people whom you are grateful to, or the times you helped others and felt good about yourself. It will warm your heart, gifting you with more peaceful sleep.”

- Haemin Sunim

Although the advice given by Haemin Sunim to practise mindfulness in all aspects of our lives may seem obvious and easy to implement, it often requires a little extra effort that most of us are too lazy to put in.

The best part is that as you progress, you will be able to realise that learning to become aware of ourselves and our emotions is a task that requires constant time and effort.

2. Personal space is crucial in every relationship

In an extremely interesting chapter, the author talks about the art of maintaining relationships.

Art of maintaining relationships = Sitting by a fireplace. If we sit too close, too much heat will cause discomfort. Sitting too far will deprive us of love.

As someone who goes through periodic episodes of distancing herself from friends, the biggest takeaway for me was the realisation that putting in less effort to check up on loved ones would also distance me from the warmth of their love.

But this does not imply that I am refrained from taking out time for myself, as doing this would only make me appreciate their presence.

3. Some insights to make your life simple

• All of us spend our time worrying about what others may think of us. We want every person, including strangers we meet for the first time, to like us, despite knowing that we don’t do the same with others.

“When someone does not like us, it’s not our problem but theirs. Not everyone will like us. This is a problem only if we let it bother us.”

• We often get disappointed when faced with rejection, often at job interviews. But what is needed here is a change of perception and not self-criticism. Perhaps there’s something out there that’s better suited for us than what is being offered at present. Perhaps, it’s about us not being the right match for the job, and not about blaming ourselves for not having the talent to master in the field.

HOW TO READ

In my opinion, this book is definitely not something that you need to read in a single go. As suggested by the author himself, this book can be an amazing experience full of calmness and learning if read slowly.

I suggest you read both the prologue and epilogue first to understand what the book is about and realise the significance of slowing down every now and then.

There are 8 chapters overall covering several aspects of our lives, consisting of a short write-up followed by a beautiful piece of advice by Haemin Sunim. I personally felt that reading one chapter at a time gave me much more time to reflect on his teachings and find ways to implement them in my life.

ROUNDUP

To sum up, The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down is a must-read regardless of the stage at which you are in your personal growth journey.

This is a book that you will find yourself referring to again and again while navigating through life. It is the best dose of peace you need before heading to sleep every night.

I guarantee that no matter the whirlwind of emotions you are experiencing right now, there is some life advice for you in this book to navigate through this complexity. Rest assured, you will be constantly reminded of these words in moments when you’ll need them most.

Buy at Amazon(India) : The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down

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