You can't be happy if you don't face life, and part of facing life is accepting that there are five big life challenges and embracing the challenges.

The five true things are: (1) everything changes and ends, (2) things do not always go according to plan, (3) life is not always fair, (4) pain is part of life, and (5) people are not loving and loyal all the time.

Just realizing that these are five challenges that everyone faces, and just thinking about ways to accept these rather than fleeing from these...this helps.

Off to a new reader! I'm mailing this off in the Small Box of Small Books Bookbox...

I am taking this book out of the Small Box of Small Books Bookbox.

It is hard to write about things that are unseen, nontangible things. It is funny that the author uses the word, "thing" to describe concepts or perspectives. It is amusing to note that the cover of the book shows a picture of lemons and then underneath it a glass of lemonade, two pictures that reminds all of us of the popular saying, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." However, this book seems to not be accurately described by that popular saying. This book could be more accurately summarized by something like, "If life gives you lemons, accept the existence of lemons and the beauty of the lemons, ackowledge the sourness of the lemons, and possibly use the lemons to flavor good food, etc." It is Western Culture that wants desperately to sweeten the sourness of the lemons.

In a world that is becoming increasingly crazy and cruel, the voice of wisdom speaks quietly. The author, a psychotherapist, uses Buddhist perspective to help the reader deal with a cruel, unfair world that is always changing. Change is something that we all know exists, but sometimes, and most certainly now, change will surprise us, and usually not in a good way. So, it is good to read this book and recognize the changing and unfair nature of life in this world and the truth that we cannot control most of what is happening around us. Finally, life is painful, and people "are not loving and loyal all the time". Let's be blunt. People can be cruel and evil, and many people together can be cruel and evil. So, deal with it, and this book helps you to deal with these "things" in a way that will help you to not become a cruel and evil person. Perhaps, you will become more compassionate and more mature, if that is what you want.

This book was left in the Little Free Library. It was released for the 2023 April Showers/May Flowers release challenge.