The Half-Known Life

Throughout this book I found myself feeling that I wanted to push back on the content, but I never really could. That is the sign of a good book. The author is challenging, direct, and maintains compelling arguments. I frequently read books about values, authenticity, and creating a simple life of what matters, and this book fits in its own category in a lot of ways. This would be a wonderful book to read in a book club, with friends or coworkers. I think the direct and challenging content would create wonderful dialogue. I cannot give higher praise to a book than to say it creates important dialogue. I was thankful to get a chance to read it. I think there are spaces that could be a little softer in terms of content, but the points were still undeniable.

This book is your wakeup call, to stop living a half-life; to instead see possibilities and opportunities for learning rather than risks, to get your priorities right (and it ain't getting more likes on Instagram), and to being grateful for what you already have.

Or in Lindner's own words:

"The Half-Known Life challenges conventional thinking about success, identity, and personal change. It’s about what’s real and exploring answers to the right questions, perhaps allowing you a different life perspective and helping you to take the first step toward change."

As Lindner sets out very clearly in his book, our 'priorities change when time becomes precious'. With limited time left, we typically reevaluate what's important. Why not do it now? Before you have a time limit to your life?

The book is jam packed with the wisdom gathered by Lindner after his two cardiac arrests, and various coaching discussions with his clients (who he doesn't always agree with when it comes to priorities).

If you need a kick up your backside to live your life to the full, then this is the book for you. If you love motivational quotes and thoughtful sentences, this is also the book for you.

Please see below for a few of the sections I highlighted when reading this book;

#People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. —(Maya Angelou)
#If you aren’t living, you’re dying.
#A good education teaches someone how to think, not what to think.
#If friendships have no room for honesty, then they aren’t friendships.
#Would you rather be right or be happy?

Finally, for many of us, another wakeup call: "your purpose is to be alive and experience your life. Instead, we work, are exhausted, and add things to the to-do list quicker than we can complete them."

Good book with a few slow parts. Nothing that made me want to stop reading just slowed down the pace of the book a bit.