Living a Life that Matters
by Harold S. Kushner
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Book Summary Information
Author: Harold S. KushnerEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-08-20
ISBN: 0385720947
Number of pages: 176
Publisher: Anchor
Book Reviews of Living a Life that Matters
Book Review: Love The People Closest To You
Summary: 5 Stars
Having recently read, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People," I was ready for more.
But then, because of the strength of the messages that will be with me for a long time, as a result of having read that book, I was at first impatient with "Living a Life That Matters."
Though there was something that called me to this book, I needed to read other things first.
And I'm pleased to have found my way back to this book, to finish it, knowing that this too has many lessons that have imbued my pyche.
In chapter order, here are some messages of this wonderful book:
1. The Two Voices of God
To be good and to matter.
2. How to Win By Losing
"When we defeat the still small voice of God inside us, we lose." The lesson here is to face your "fire-blowing dragons in life," knowing that there are lessons for you in doing so. Ride out your pain, knowing that you are weeding outyour garden, and preparing to plant sucess, love and happiness seeds in the garden of your mind.
3. What kind of Person Do You Want To Be?
In this chapter there were 2 places in which I disagree with Rabbi Kushner: One, he describes a person, on page 38, who did some horrible things are being, "a good man tormented by urges he knew were wrong but could not control." And the other place, on page 39, he say's, "It may be that some people are born without the ability to develop a fully functioning conscience, in the same way that some people are born ith a malfunctioning limb or organ or lacking an enzyme that is necessary for normal life."
Wouldn't recognition of someone's short-comings, and loving support around this person solve these problems?
Muh. Questions and thoughts to ponder for some time.
An excellent point in this chapter is that to be human is to never stop asking ourselves, "What kind of person do I want to be?"
As we ask this question, it becomes easy to endlessly grow, and to see a reflection of our love in others.
4. Wild Justice: The Seducive Pleasure of Getting Even
"The ambivalence in getting even is that our consciences condemn it even as souls crave it."
The challenge of revenge and mattering are beautifully explored in this chapter. The solution can only come from within yourself.
5. Shalom: The Quest for Integrity
Becoming a person of integrity occurs when you surrender to life, on life's terms.
6. Family and Friends: We are Who We Love
Questions that are explored in this chapter are:
Where am I going with my life?
What kind of person will I grow up to be?
What is the point of falling in love?
What are genuine friendships?
Where is God?
7. Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Give someone else's life story a happy ending
8. Why We Matter to The World
"...Ralph Waldo Emerson: 'To ve the world a bit beter, whether by a healthy child, a gardn patch, or a reemed social condition; to know that even ne life has breathed easier because you lived - that is to have succeeded.'"
I hope that the survival of Rabbi Kushner's ideas increase meaning in the lives of billions of people's lives.
Summary of Living a Life that Matters
Most of us need to feel that we matter in some way; perhaps this explains the high value placed on titles, corner offices, and even fleeting celebrity. But most of us also need to feel that we are good people. In this luminous yet practical book of spiritual advice, Harold Kushner bridges the gap between these seemingly irreconcilable needs, showing us how even our smallest daily actions can become stepping stones toward integrity.Drawing on the stories of his own congregants, on literature, current events and, above all, on the Biblical story of Jacob, the worldly trickster who evolves into a man of God --Kushner addresses some of the most persistent dilemmas of the human condition: Why do decent people so often violate their moral standards? How can we pursue justice without giving in to the lure of revenge? How can we turn our relationships with family and friends into genuine sources of meaning? Persuasive and sympathetic, filled with humanity and warmth, Living a Life That Matters is a deeply rewarding book.
A person's longing for significance--which can lead to excessive ambition, moral compromise, and preoccupation with status--often stands in conflict with a longing to be good. In Living a Life That Matters, Harold S. Kushner (the Massachusetts rabbi whose bestselling books include When Bad Things Happen to Good People) suggests that the most successful lives are the ones that most effectively manage and resolve that conflict. For example, Kushner retells the biblical story of Jacob, in a chapter whose lesson is named by its title, "How to Win By Losing." Hamlet, Dirty Harry, and Exodus are a few of the dozens of examples he cites while elaborating on the essential lesson of this book: that success and significance converge in every act of love, generosity, and self-sacrifice that we make for our families, friends, and communities. --Michael Joseph Gross
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