Pablo Tricci’s DON’T SETTLE, CHOOSE TO FEEL GOOD is a self-help book that covers a broad swath of ground. The book reads like a compendium of useful ideas rather than a single principle or set of principles to be adhered to, and this is to Tricci’s credit. There is much of use here on subjects including values, gratitude, and healthy living. The section on “leaving a legacy” enthusiastically advocates the ideas of Stephen R. Covey, whose bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People remains a touchstone of the self-help genre 35 years after its publication. Similarly, the section on money management and incorporating good advice (such as keeping a budget and spending carefully) is simple, straightforward, and intuitive.
At times, there are misfires. Much of what Tricci says about mindfulness makes sense, though that will be cold comfort to the countless millions who simply don’t have time to practice it. This issue is one that Tricci has to grapple with: because so much of his message here involves being in the moment and contemplating life and its wonders free of mental encumbrances, it becomes necessary to acknowledge that some people, being weighed down by the pressures of work and home commitments, simply can’t do that—or at least not in the way he advocates. An unfortunate corollary of this is that Tricci implicitly rubbishes (or at least places less value on) much that many people actually do in their lives that brings them joy. At one point, “Why do people think sex is such a pleasurable activity?” is posed in all seriousness, the “bodily satisfaction” it brings notwithstanding. Shortly afterwards, we hear that “Unfortunately, many people spend more time thinking about what car or house to buy, or where to travel, instead of putting all their energy into enjoying the moment they are living in” with little consideration given to the possibility that anticipation brings enjoyment, too—or even that one can be totally absorbed in such tasks. Multitasking comes in for a bashing, but is implicitly recommended a few pages later: if “we are carrying out a[n everyday] procedure” and “take advantage of that ‘magnificent moment’ to listen to music, read or do anything that allows us to be present and enjoy that moment”— well, what is that if not multitasking?
While such sections take the wind out of one’s sails, as does the sometimes overly tricksy style—the 18-page thought-experiment at the beginning could have been easily dispensed with—they by no means compromise the whole. What Tricci has done is take important and wise axioms and make them palatable for the average reader. That is no small feat, and it makes DON’T SETTLE, CHOOSE TO FEEL GOOD worth reading.
Pablo Tricci’s DON’T SETTLE, CHOOSE TO FEEL GOOD offers much practical and useful advice for better living.
~Craig Jones for IndieReader