I recently read “The Courage to Be Disliked” by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga and was immediately drawn into its profound debate dialogue between a philosopher and a discouraged, pessimistic, and frustrated young man.
Main Themes:
- Power of Self-Realization: This book reaffirmed my belief that we all have the capability to shape our own destiny. It emphasizes that our past doesn’t have to define our present or future; it’s the beliefs and goals we hold now that truly matter.
- Relationship Dynamics: The book echoed my feelings that most challenges we face revolve around our relationships. And it is our relationship to ourselves that informs all other relationships.
- Life’s Essential Tasks: The three life tasks—work, friendship, and love—resonated with me. The amount of fear (anxiety, mistrust) or love (hope, faith, trust) we approach any given situation or relationship with determines its potential for success.
- Seeking Genuine Freedom: One of the boldest points was that seeking validation from others can be a prison. True liberation and inner peace come from the bravery to be authentic, even if it means facing criticism, or rejection.
- Community Contribution: Contributing to others rather than just seeking personal gains has always been a major focus of mine. By focusing on what we can offer to our broader local or global communities, we can feel a deeper sense of connection, purpose, and fulfillment.
Key Personal Reflections:
- I’ve often sought to stand out and be special, but this book made me question: What if the pursuit of being so unique is causing my imposter-syndrome?
- On the contrary, I was also intrigued by the concept that feelings of inferiority can be a push to do better. A little ego can be good, as long as it doesn’t take over.
- It reminded me to ask myself the same questions I ask my coaching clients, to avoid missing out on my own opportunities. “What do I really want?”
“The Courage to Be Disliked” offers tools for personal growth, inner peace, and improving relationships. It inspires you to have the courage to follow your own unique path by embracing the idea that you have control over your life’s direction, as long as you chose to believe that is the case.
I’ll close with some musings of mine that I found in notes app on my iPhone from over a year ago. I shared it in a post yesterday, but it’s worth re-sharing:
What if our pronouns were (We/Us/Ours)
Becoming more #authentic isn’t about finding your one “truest self”.
There’s no such thing.
It’s developing the #conscious #awareness necessary to choose to create your most alive and positively impactful expression of life. That’s the gift of free will.
From intense bliss, joy, and peace, to raging despair, embarrassment, or anger.
Embracing the wholeness of life. Riding the wave that is ‘everything’.
Bridging the practical to the magical.
Connecting the physical experience with the metaphysical universe.
It’s the audacity to embrace that each breath is an opportunity for self-rejection or self-redemption.
It’s the ability to simultaneously own your impact on other people’s feelings while staying unattached to how that one mistake or triumph defines you as an individual.
We are the collective whole of our best and worst moments. We are one.
What if the #purpose of life was never just about what we’ve been through and how it’s shaped us as individuals?
What if it’s always been about our collective shared experiences, as endlessly diverse members of the same human family?
What would be different?
