Book

Notes on a Nervous Planet

Written By Matt Haig

🚀 The Book in 3 Sentences

  1. You can only change the things you can control, focus on them and don’t stress or feel guilt on the things you can’t
  2. Accept the way you are, embrace it, understand it and use it to change the way you interact with the world
  3. The world is unique to the individual, we all live in Earth but we all interpret it in different ways

🎨 Impressions

I adored this book, each chapter focusing on a different aspect of life and how the modern world is affecting us all with ways to deal with the often overwhelming nature of modern life. The book is written from such an authentic place I thought I was having a conversation with Matt Haig. It is a book I will return to when I need to put a certain thing in perspective or need advice on a part of life as every chapter is filled with incredible advice.

How I Discovered It

A video by GQ with Will Poulter weirdly, he was saying the book is something he has on him permanently and I get why now.

Who Should Read It?

Everyone, literally a book for everyone.

☘️ How the Book Changed Me

  • Appreciate where I am and grateful for what I have and what’s important to me
  • Perspective on social media, that it doesn’t always serve as a benefit to me and if I don’t enjoy it the best to do is turn it off
  • To love myself more, that society seems to value and accept the fact that we are all self-deprecating and hard on ourselves when we should love who we are more
  • No one is thinking about the little things I am, people are so in their own heads and we should worry less
  • Appreciate the now
  • Stay away from the news if it’s not making you feel good
  • Physical health and mental health are combined, helping one helps the other
  • Reading is the most social thing you can do as it’s a dialogue between you and one other person

✍️ Quotes

  • “US general Omar Nelson Bradley offers a chilly echo today ‘Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about killing than we know about living'”
  • “Never be cool. Never try to be cool, Never worry what the cool people think. Head for the warm people. Life is warmth. You’ll be cool when you’re dead”
  • “When life gets tough, aim for those beige emotions”

📒 Summary + Notes

Not going to summarise and take notes cause there’s that much in the book I would read a chapter instead when I want to.

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