"The Untethered Soul" by Michael Singer

Ok, I finally finished this book. I didn't read much over the last eight weeks because I've been recovering from a sports injury. I was dumbfounded when I picked up this book after a long hiatus. Like, what am I reading? What type of motivational self-affirmational bullshit is it?

This feeling didn't go away until I read the last chapter. All the things that Michael describes are great, and some people do need this book. It's just that I've been so deep into philosophy and mindfulness already that I can no longer hear the same things repeated a thousand times. Anyway, the whole book opens up a new way of looking at your life and existence. I would even guess that it shows how things really work.

• Who is it—you? Who's the aware (or maybe non-sentient?) being reading these words? Are you truly different from me writing these words?
• A sprinkle of cognitive psychology: events don't affect you; how you process them in your mind does.
• Some things don't need fixing; some suffering is just that—suffering, and sometimes, it only controls you if you're trying to fix it. Sometimes, when you let go of the suffering, it vanishes.
• Learn self-awareness and mindfulness. People can't naturally look at themselves from a third-person point of view; you need to master this skill.
• Being loving, kind, and open to new things will help with inner energy.
• Learn to let go; this is one of the most critical skills.
• Live itself is a gift; if you choose to be happy, you will be happy.
• Death doesn't take anything from you if you live fully.

None of the points made in the book are cheesy. They all take root in deep philosophical thinking. Well, maybe writing this summary was even more important than reading the book itself.