The subtle art of not giving a f*ck! by Mark Manson

It depends on where you are in life and your age when you read a book like this - actually that goes for a great number of the self-help books out there.

The younger you are and the sooner you figure out what truly works for you, the better off you'll be. Not necessarily better off in regards to money, although that can be part of it, but just better off in how you decide and shoulder what’s important or necessary for you to function as the best version of you and not just living up to others’ expectations/trying to impress others/living life filtered through social media/keeping up with the Jones’ madness.

It’s not simply not giving a fuck, it’s also choosing those right things, for you, to actually give a fuck about.

I am something of a t-shirt fanatic. One of my most recent purchases:

https://customizedclothings.com/products/retro-yoga-im-mostly-peace-lov…

That’s about as close to seeing my own personal mantra manifested as a quote or adage or proverb.

I'm very much a laid-back person, a big believer in paying things forwards, sharing wisdom and usually being the Pollyanna of most gatherings. However, I realize that time is a limited commodity for me and I simply have very fucks, if any, fucks left to give. I love myself too much to filter what is going on in my head/body/heart, especially if it might help someone else feel less alone or more empowered as they deal with something crappy. I don’t let the negativity that others cling to harsh my own personal mellow. Life is going to kill all of us eventually but I’ll be damned if I will shorten my life with the stresses and bullshit that I’ve seen others embrace. I don’t give a fuck and I ain’t got time for that.

I’ve been fortunate to have had some amazing life experiences, many of them due, at least in part, to my saying “yes, fuck it, let’s do this” or even “no, fuck no, I’m done with this” - if a self-help book can help you get out of your own way, then that’s great. The sooner you personally grasp how best to function through the shitty and less-shitty parts of life and how you can’t take most of what happens in this life personally [as in “why did this happen to me? Why me?” No one is that special, buttercup, life happens, this isn’t the Matrix and you ain’t Neo], the better off you’ll be… this is Manson boiled down to his essence ala “Feedback Loop of Hell” and the whole “seeking/desiring more positive experiences is in itself a negative experience” because you feel that things in your life are lacking. The more you “aim” for happiness, the less likely you’ll hit it… you’ve got to take all that life hits you with, good, bad or otherwise and make the most out of all of it.