Book Review: Think and Make It Happen

I'm sure that Dr. Cury is well respected for his psychiatric background and insights. However, "Think and Make It Happen" does not leave the reader with an uplifting or positive outlook on life. What one would imagine being an uplifting and creative book is weighed down with psychobabblish terms and over-the-top explanations.

The front of each chapter gives an overview, and the end of each chapter makes suggestions for group or personal thought. Dr. Cury suggests that the book be read and experienced over a 12-week period. He takes the reader on a journey through his own depression, while giving the reader lists of diagnostic terms and definitions. I doubt that unless the reader is a pre-med student or psychiatric intern the book will not be finished or digested as a tool to overcoming anything.

Quoting Dr. Cury in the Introduction he states, "Lest anyone consider me a pessimist, let me clarify: I seek to be a realist—I'm a psychiatrist who loves live and continuously writes about what I observe and analyze. But I am also a therapist and researcher who wants to contribute to the quality of life of my patients and society at large." And therein is part of the problem, this is a book better suited for a psychiatric journal review than a book for the person looking to be uplifted and a positive direction in overcoming for a biblical perspective of life.

Using Jesus Christ as the role model but overshadowing Jesus with Dr. Cury's own experiences in clinical terms was just too much.

Practical Living Is Like a Cake Mix

I started a discussion some time in the summer over at Christian Women Take Root in a group called Practical Christianity. Its been quite a discussion, with women coming in from time to time posting their thoughts. But I think of the topic in another sense, and that is what is practical living? Period.

An analogy would be something like this: We go to the store and buy a cake mix expecting to make the perfect, yummy cake. Opening the box we find most of the ingredients and hope we have the rest of them in the cupboard or refrigerator. Practical means we checked the box for needs before leaving the store. Unfortunately, some don't.

We send out kids to school and other types of training, then wonder why they still aren't able to do anything practical in life. Now I know this doesn't speak to all kids nor all people. But let's take it as a general statement. I know a lot of people who have gone to the universities through the land and still not able to think beyond the end of their nose, let alone finger tips. Yet they are really bright! Anybody else know what I'm talking about? So here is my definition for those who fall into this category:

I know three young men who earned full scholarships to college, and yet not one of them went. Instead of college they went into the fields that they enjoy--one is a carpenter turned home builder/developer; another had a football scholarship (4 yr) he now owns a franchise for a restaurant and runs it daily; the other works on airplanes--loves it.

Practical living means we find our place, do it well, and life is good. Forcing kids and people into improbable situations only makes for frustrated employees and employers, disgruntled families and lack of motivation for the common good of all society.

You're awesome--do something that creates a positive in your life!