Image: The Not So Big Life by Len Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)
Synopsis: Len's Star Rating: 6 out of 10. A well-written, process-oriented self-help book with many exercises to help the reader develop mindfulness and pursue self-actualization.
BY LEN LANTZ, MD, author of unJoy / 11.27.2020; No. 23
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Star Rating – 6 out of 10
Rating guide: 1 = horrible, 5 = average and 10 = wow
Author
Sarah Susanka
About the author
Sarah Susanka is an architect who has written a series of books following her bestseller, The Not So Big House, which launched a revolution in residential architecture across the US. She is a member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects and a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council.
General description
The Not So Big Life is a book that the author refers to as a blueprint for life in which she expands her approaches of creating and inhabiting a home to existing and growing as a person. She uses architectural principles and stories from her own life to illustrate her major assertions and recommendations and she includes exercises at the end of most chapters to encourage the reader to start practicing right away. Topics covered in this book include:
Keeping a journal or notebook to record and refer to in your steps toward personal growth
Making time in your schedule to find your inspiration
Paying attention to your dreams
Observing yourself more accurately
Allowing natural outcomes to occur rather than forcing them
Practicing mindfulness and meditation
Unique and most important aspects
The Not So Big Life is quite different than the home design books that Sarah Susanka is best known for. Her writing is contemplative, so this book is not a quick read compared to her other books. Another substantial difference from her other books is that her focus is more on process than on outcome. Her writing style and structure of content are at the same high level as her home design books. Her approach contrasts with many other self-help books that promise to deliver outcomes quickly. Several of the concepts that she supports have a spiritual, Buddhism-leaning viewpoint as she seeks to guide the reader through existential questions. Other important elements in this book include:
Self-assessment exercises
Ideas for self-actualization
Meditation ABCs
Addressing excessive busyness and overconsumption
An exercise to show to yourself that “I am not that thought”
The case for quality over quantity in different aspects of life
Best quotes
“What I discovered from the process of creating a place for my inner life is that when you make the time and the space for what you long to do, everything else shifts to accommodate it. In my experience it never works the other way around. If you wait until there’s time to do what you want, you’ll be waiting until your eighty-fifth birthday.”
“So every purchase has strings attached. It will require a long-term commitment from you if you become its owner, and that in turn will keep you a little busier than you would otherwise have been. That extra busyness also makes it a little more challenging to show up in the rest of your life, to be truly present in whatever it is you are doing.”
Who would enjoy this book?
Readers who are looking for a self-help book that is process-rich and incorporates spiritualism and mindfulness would likely enjoy The Not So Big Life.
Who would not enjoy this book?
Readers who are looking for an outcome-oriented self-improvement book or who would be put off by spiritual language and viewpoints might not enjoy The Not So Big Life.
Conclusion
The Not So Big Life is a well-written, process-oriented self-help book with many exercises to help the reader develop mindfulness and pursue self-actualization.