The Book I Avoided…Until Now
A review of The Power of Less by Leo Babauta
I got to be honest. When I hear the words — “limits” “limitations” or “less” — I instinctively cringe, because I have always associated these words with something negative. So, when I first heard of the book — The Power of Less: The Fine of Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential …in Business and in Life by Leo Babauta — a few years ago, I brushed it off.
{Now that title is a mouthful, so I’ve shortened it to The Power of Less for the rest of this article.}
Then COVID-19 happened…and I began reflecting on the limitations we have experienced in the last 2 years as a result of this global pandemic. I decided to check out The Power of Less and discuss it with my book club this year…and I’m glad I did as it helped give me a totally different perspective on what less, limitations, and limits…mean in context.
The author shares a powerful observation at the beginning of the book that caught my attention and changed the way I looked at these words. He said,
We live without limits. And while that freedom can seem fun at first, after a while it gets to be too much…It weakens us in so many ways. It dilutes our power and effectiveness…It tires us out so that we don’t have the energy to handle the important stuff.
I’m going to take a sip of my fresh, squeezed lemonade and let that sink in! No limits weakens us — WOW!
Moving on to the review…this book is divided into 2 sections. The first section outlines the principles of the power of less and the 2nd section is putting these principles into practice. The author’s writing style is easy to follow. I love the analogies he uses at the beginning of the book of the 2 reporters and haiku poetry to illustrate the power of less concept.
The concepts and tips he shares are simple. It’s putting the tips into practice — on a consistent basis — that is the challenge — at least for me! Leo Babauta recognizes this and that is why he shares how he put the power of less to work for him and the results he has achieved on his popular blog site — Zen Habits. If I had one, small criticism about this book, it is that I would have loved to read more of the author’s personal story and antidotes in this book instead of having to go to his blog to read it.
I encourage anyone who is feeling overwhelmed because your mind or your life is cluttered like the picture above — read this book!
If you are ready to make real-life changes but don’t know how to start — read this book!
My “sip and read” rating: 4 glasses of fresh, squeezed lemonade out of 5
Keisha is a book lover and facilitator of Sip & Read w/Keisha — a virtual book club for people who invest in themselves and know the hidden treasures found in a good book. We also like to enjoy our favorite “liquid” refreshments as we discuss our latest reads.
You can connect w/me on IG @sipandreadkeisha. Email me at sipreadgrow@gmail.com
