Tag books

Now Read This: Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

I have joined enthusiastic readers around the globe in applauding Matt Haig’s books. He creates characters and stories with intriguing themes and compelling stories.

Reasons to Stay Alive is Matt Haig’s very personal story. He opens his heart and his mind as he describes his long battle with depression and anxiety. His book presents important realities about mental illness and overflows with strategies he has tried over the years. He writes that other people’s stories of suffering and survival have comforted him.

Here is a taste of the book’s topics:

Depressives don’t seek happiness; they seek to be free of pain. They feel like no one is going through what they face.

Anxiety added to depression can be a deadly cocktail.

Why do so many more men than women commit suicide?

Mental illness is just as much an illness as cancer, so don’t tell someone who is suffering to “cheer up.”

Travel and exercise can be antidotes to some symptoms.

The world is designed to make us feel like we need more, leading some to become depressed and/or anxious. Happy people are not good for the economy. The more we join the race to acquire stuff, the more it makes life speed by, effectively shortening it.

There are ways to slow down the mind and reduce anxiety. The book includes a list.

A thin skin is an enemy of mental wellness.

It is impossible to think just happy thoughts, but it is possible not to become the bad thoughts if you accept all your thoughts.

If you want to explore related books, Anxiety Relief by Russell Kennedy and Toxic Positivity by Whitney Goodman are two I have reviewed that complement Reasons to Stay Alive. Drop me a note or comment on this post if you have other books to recommend.

Ten Years Later, a New Camino Calls

Reg Spittle 13 Comments

Ten years ago, Sue and I stood at O’Cebreiro, in the final phase of our journey on the Camino de Santiago.

Our arrival in Santiago was bittersweet. We welcomed the chance to rest our feet after a month on the trail, but didn’t want our greatest adventure to end.

For me, the journey was as much internal as it was a walk through Spain. My Merrill shoes protected my feet, but the Camino exposed battles my heart had fought my entire life.

When we returned home, my heart led me to the keyboard, where I told my story, which has found readers in ten countries. Many have written to me to say my book (Camino Sunrise: Walking With My Shadows) resonated, even helped them feel the hope I found on the Camino. I am so grateful that they shared their stories.

Sue and I have continued to walk, traveling on distance trails throughout Europe and on the John Muir Trail in the tallest mountains of California. I described our adventures during four treks in five countries in Trippin’ Through My 60s: When Adventure Calls, the Trails of Europe Answer.

Next week, Sue and I will put on the same red backpacks we wore in 2013 and walk another Camino that traverses a country. Another historic trail that pilgrims have walked for centuries. This time, we will walk in France. The path is known as the Way of St. James, the GR65, the Le Puy Route, or the Via Podiensis.

I will post occasional photos here and Sue will do much more on our website (carryoncouple.com) that has documented our adventures.

I have done what I can to prepare my body for its new challenge of walking nearly 500 miles. As usual, I am nervous about where my feet will take me. But I know one thing. My heart yearns to return to the trail.