Adds a valuable new dimension to perception of willpower
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This book can actually be summed up in a couple of sentences: Willpowercomes from recognising you have a choice. A choice to stop doing but moreimportantly - a choice to do. And this is the crux of the matter - toomany of us say "Oh, I can't do this and I must not do that.'
Truewillpower comes from saying: "I could do that IF I WANTED TO" but I choosenot to. There is real peace in realising that just because I want to stopdoing something does not necessarily mean I am denied it. Otherwise thelaw of rebellion comes in - the more I CAN'T have it, the more I wantit!
If there were a downside to this book for me it would be that the authorfocuses on the obvious habits to give up - smoking, overeating and so on.There are many more habits than that! But she has done us all a realservice in identifying some of the possible components of willpower, andas usual the most useful information (above) is often the mostparadoxical. Although not Eastern wisdom the principles remind me of suchstatements as:
"Give it up to get it back" and "non-attachment"
I do reccomend this book although if you want a more cognative approach tothinking about willpower I would go for something like The Secrets ofPersonal Mastery by Michael Hall.
All the best
Douglas
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