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A Short Guide to a Happy Life
From the New York Times bestselling author of Alternate Side, Anna Quindlen’s classic reflection on a meaningful life makes a perfect gift for any occasion.
“Life is made of moments, small pieces of silver amidst long stretches of tedium. It would be wonderful if they came to us unsummoned, but particularly in lives as busy as the ones most of us lead now, that won’t happen. We have to teach ourselves now to live, really live . . . to love the journey, not the destination.”
In this treasure of a book, Anna Quindlen, the bestselling novelist and columnist, reflects on what it takes to “get a life”—to live deeply every day and from your own unique self, rather than merely to exist through your days. “Knowledge of our own mortality is the greatest gift God ever gives us,” Quindlen writes, “because unless you know the clock is ticking, it is so easy to waste our days, our lives.” Her mother died when Quindlen was nineteen: “It was the dividing line between seeing the world in black and white, and in Technicolor. The lights came on for the darkest possible reason. . . . I learned something enduring, in a very short period of time, about life. And that was that it was glorious, and that you had no business taking it for granted.” But how to live from that perspective, to fully engage in our days? In A Short Guide to a Happy Life, Quindlen guides us with an understanding that comes from knowing how to see the view, the richness in living.
“Life is made of moments, small pieces of silver amidst long stretches of tedium. It would be wonderful if they came to us unsummoned, but particularly in lives as busy as the ones most of us lead now, that won’t happen. We have to teach ourselves now to live, really live . . . to love the journey, not the destination.”
In this treasure of a book, Anna Quindlen, the bestselling novelist and columnist, reflects on what it takes to “get a life”—to live deeply every day and from your own unique self, rather than merely to exist through your days. “Knowledge of our own mortality is the greatest gift God ever gives us,” Quindlen writes, “because unless you know the clock is ticking, it is so easy to waste our days, our lives.” Her mother died when Quindlen was nineteen: “It was the dividing line between seeing the world in black and white, and in Technicolor. The lights came on for the darkest possible reason. . . . I learned something enduring, in a very short period of time, about life. And that was that it was glorious, and that you had no business taking it for granted.” But how to live from that perspective, to fully engage in our days? In A Short Guide to a Happy Life, Quindlen guides us with an understanding that comes from knowing how to see the view, the richness in living.
50 pages, Hardcover
First published October 31, 2000
138 people are currently reading
7986 people want to read
About the author
Anna Quindlen
87 books4,662 followersAnna Marie Quindlen is an American author, journalist, and opinion columnist.
Her New York Times column, Public and Private, won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1992. She began her journalism career in 1974 as a reporter for the New York Post. Between 1977 and 1994 she held several posts at The New York Times. Her semi-autobiographical novel One True Thing (1994) served as the basis for the 1998 film starring Meryl Streep and Renée Zellweger.
Her New York Times column, Public and Private, won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1992. She began her journalism career in 1974 as a reporter for the New York Post. Between 1977 and 1994 she held several posts at The New York Times. Her semi-autobiographical novel One True Thing (1994) served as the basis for the 1998 film starring Meryl Streep and Renée Zellweger.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,027 reviews
February 9, 2017
This world would be a much better place if people who read books like this would look beyond their initial "cliché" reaction, and actually think about why counsel like this becomes so common. Perhaps because it reflects a deeper truth to which we should pay attention? As Quindlen says "You are the only person alive who has sole custody of your life." That being true, then counsel such as hers (whether original or not) that helps us to see what will bring happiness and joy to ourselves and others is priceless. This small book takes minutes to read, but a wise reader will think about its teachings for far longer, and then act upon them.
Get a life!
Get a life!
September 17, 2023
Catching up…
This will not be a typical review. It is more a reflection of how this book made me feel.
There is a brief moment in Anna Quindlen’s ‘A Short Guide to a Happy Life’ where she describes an encounter with a homeless man.
He is staring at the ocean. He looks at her and says…
“Look at the view, young lady. Look at the view.”
There is so much about his life that demands more attention, and yet for him, that was the most important thing he felt needed to be done at that moment.
His life presented…Present moment living.
Anna Quindlen goes on to share…
“And every day, in some little way, I try to do what he said. I try to look at the view. That’s all. Words of wisdom from a man with not a dime in his pocket, no place to go, nowhere to be. Look at the view. When I do what he said, I am never disappointed.”
In this simple direction of “look at the view” we are being given an opportunity to take time to really see what is right in front of us.
Sometimes there are just simple words in a book that gives us moments to pause and reflect.
And…
That is all we need to appreciate and understand, what we needed this book for in the first place. It was here at the right and perfect time. When we needed it most. To see how important the view was to us.
February 12, 2012
I don't read or browse through self-help books much. You get to a certain age, however (42, in my case) and, if life deals you a bad hand (over and over...and over again), the questions grow and the answers become elusive or impossible to grasp.
Some on-line article or magazine mentioned this little book--talk about drifting through a day! I can't recall where I read about this. I got it from the library. Whoever wrote about it was right, it takes less than fifteen minutes to read. And while it's nothing earth shattering, Quindlen's simple ruminations on living a fuller, richer, happier life made me aware of the precious minutes, seconds I've let slip by with nary a notice.
I was struck by one line in particular: "Think of life as a terminal illness." She's right, of course...it is terminal. This small tome has inspired continued practice of letting go of worry and fear, which only weaken and waste time. Like forgiveness, you let go several times a day, an hour. It, too, proves a difficult task, but offers priceless rewards.
I will read this each day until it's due back at the library, and check it out again and again until I can afford a copy for my "one day" little library/reading room.
P.S. the photographs may bring out the warm fuzzies in you, too.
Some on-line article or magazine mentioned this little book--talk about drifting through a day! I can't recall where I read about this. I got it from the library. Whoever wrote about it was right, it takes less than fifteen minutes to read. And while it's nothing earth shattering, Quindlen's simple ruminations on living a fuller, richer, happier life made me aware of the precious minutes, seconds I've let slip by with nary a notice.
I was struck by one line in particular: "Think of life as a terminal illness." She's right, of course...it is terminal. This small tome has inspired continued practice of letting go of worry and fear, which only weaken and waste time. Like forgiveness, you let go several times a day, an hour. It, too, proves a difficult task, but offers priceless rewards.
I will read this each day until it's due back at the library, and check it out again and again until I can afford a copy for my "one day" little library/reading room.
P.S. the photographs may bring out the warm fuzzies in you, too.
August 11, 2010
Oh my, what a waste of 20 minutes. This book is full of cliche after cliche. Glass half empty type stuff. I learnt nothing except to avoid this author in the future. You are better off listening to Monty Python's 'Always Look On The Bright Side of Life'... more mentally stimulating than this 'guide'.
November 30, 2023
Short, but sweet. It's calming and inspirational.
This is something we probably all need to read a couple of times a year :)
This is something we probably all need to read a couple of times a year :)
November 26, 2021
Honestly, If I hear/read 'Life is short' one more time, things will be whooped.
I mean the 'advises' in this book....goddamn..... "Kiss your mom, hug your dad" wtf?
I mean the 'advises' in this book....goddamn..... "Kiss your mom, hug your dad" wtf?
May 21, 2007
this book was first realized as a speech given at by Ms. Quindlen at my college commencement. in the past 10 years i have read and re-read these words that i still recall so fondly. the experiences in my life have allowed me to see the intelligence and honor in anna's words; the worth of success that is measured in no other terms than the family that surrounds me; and the nummber of times a day i can smile for no reason whatsoever. it is a constant source of strength and a reminder that happieness is nothing to be ashamed of.
March 1, 2017
1. Show up. Listen. Try to laugh.
2. You cannot be really good at your work if your work is all you are.
3. Get a life, a real life. Not a manic pursuit of the next promotion.
4. Turn off your cell phone. Keep still. Be present.
5. Get a life in which you are generous.
6. All of us want to do well, but if we do not do good too then doing well will never be enough.
7. Knowledge of our own mortality is the greatest gift God gives us. It is so easy to exist rather than to live… Unless you know a clock is ticking.
8. We live in more luxury today than ever before. The things we have today our ancestors thought existed for just the wealthy. And yet, somehow, we are rarely grateful for all this wealth.
9. The hardest thing of all is to learn to love the journey, not the destination.
10. This is not a dress rehearsal. Today is the only guarantee you get.
11. Think of life as a terminal illness.
12. School never ends. The classroom is everywhere.
13. Always stay ready to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Remember ... Gratitude is the best Attitude (taken from comments from Serene)
Most of these statements from http://jamesclear.com/august-2015-books
2. You cannot be really good at your work if your work is all you are.
3. Get a life, a real life. Not a manic pursuit of the next promotion.
4. Turn off your cell phone. Keep still. Be present.
5. Get a life in which you are generous.
6. All of us want to do well, but if we do not do good too then doing well will never be enough.
7. Knowledge of our own mortality is the greatest gift God gives us. It is so easy to exist rather than to live… Unless you know a clock is ticking.
8. We live in more luxury today than ever before. The things we have today our ancestors thought existed for just the wealthy. And yet, somehow, we are rarely grateful for all this wealth.
9. The hardest thing of all is to learn to love the journey, not the destination.
10. This is not a dress rehearsal. Today is the only guarantee you get.
11. Think of life as a terminal illness.
12. School never ends. The classroom is everywhere.
13. Always stay ready to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Remember ... Gratitude is the best Attitude (taken from comments from Serene)
Most of these statements from http://jamesclear.com/august-2015-books
September 10, 2017
Nothing really new here,but that doesn't diminish its value.Simple messages are usually the best.Lots of nice pictures to go along with lots of lovely thoughts.
January 20, 2016
Brilliant -- written with such clarity on life, how we live each day and what is important to remember! A must read!
May 13, 2018
I love Anna Quindlen, and in this book she gives some advice for people who need a reminder of how to live a happy life. This week a read a few self help (full coincidence, but it was great), "get control of your life" books, don't take to hard the ups and downs etc. I loved In Conclusion, Don't Worry About It by Lauren Grahamand liked some of the advice Unf*ck yourself. Napraw się! by Gary John Bishop. Quindlen is different, she really does want to concentrate on non-work.
She talks of how easy it is to fall into a lot of work: People don’t talk about the soul very much anymore. It’s so much easier to write a résumé than to craft a spirit. And that no one regretted of spending not enough time in the office (probably not 100% true, but we get the idea): Don’t ever forget what a friend once wrote to Senator Paul Tsongas when the senator had decided not to run for reelection because he’d been diagnosed with cancer: “No man ever said on his deathbed I wish I had spent more time at the office.” Don’t ever forget the words on a postcard that my father sent me last year: “If you win the rat race, you’re still a rat.” Or what John Lennon wrote before he was gunned down in the driveway of the Dakota: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
Anna's change happened when she was in college and her mom died from cancer. She realized that life is glorious, and that we should have no business taking it for granted. And that she was never again going to be able to see life as anything except a great gift. And that we should be there, for ourselves and for others: I no longer consider myself the center of the universe. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh.
Love the small things, enjoy them, embrace the little gifts of life, they are everywhere. We just need to open our eyes, and love the people around us.
Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze over the dunes, a life in which you stop and watch how a red-tailed hawk circles over a pond and a stand of pines. Get a life in which you pay attention to the baby as she scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a Cheerio with her thumb and first finger. Turn off your cell phone. Turn off your regular phone, for that matter. Keep still. Be present. Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Each time I look at my diploma, I remember that I am still a student, still learning every day how to be human. Send an e-mail. Write a letter. Kiss your mom. Hug your dad.
Look at the view, enjoy your time here, you will not be disappointed. 4 stars.
She talks of how easy it is to fall into a lot of work: People don’t talk about the soul very much anymore. It’s so much easier to write a résumé than to craft a spirit. And that no one regretted of spending not enough time in the office (probably not 100% true, but we get the idea): Don’t ever forget what a friend once wrote to Senator Paul Tsongas when the senator had decided not to run for reelection because he’d been diagnosed with cancer: “No man ever said on his deathbed I wish I had spent more time at the office.” Don’t ever forget the words on a postcard that my father sent me last year: “If you win the rat race, you’re still a rat.” Or what John Lennon wrote before he was gunned down in the driveway of the Dakota: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
Anna's change happened when she was in college and her mom died from cancer. She realized that life is glorious, and that we should have no business taking it for granted. And that she was never again going to be able to see life as anything except a great gift. And that we should be there, for ourselves and for others: I no longer consider myself the center of the universe. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh.
Love the small things, enjoy them, embrace the little gifts of life, they are everywhere. We just need to open our eyes, and love the people around us.
Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze over the dunes, a life in which you stop and watch how a red-tailed hawk circles over a pond and a stand of pines. Get a life in which you pay attention to the baby as she scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a Cheerio with her thumb and first finger. Turn off your cell phone. Turn off your regular phone, for that matter. Keep still. Be present. Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Each time I look at my diploma, I remember that I am still a student, still learning every day how to be human. Send an e-mail. Write a letter. Kiss your mom. Hug your dad.
Look at the view, enjoy your time here, you will not be disappointed. 4 stars.
November 11, 2017
Best lines in this book: "Life is made up of moments, small pieces of glittering mica in a long stretch of gray cement. It would be wonderful if they came to us unsummoned but particularly in lives as busy as the ones most of us lead now, that won't happen. We have to teach ourselves how to make room for them, to love them, and to live, really live."
I don't fully agree with it but it sounds fine. This book came out in 2000 when "work-life integration" wasn't yet coined. It debunked this obnoxious tiring line: "No man ever said on his deathbed I wish I had spent more time in the office." Unfortunately, Quindlen also mentioned this here (p. 46). Work-life integration is making your workplace fulfill your employees' purpose (mission/vision) in life. For example, surveys say that millennials prefer to work in companies that do community projects. Not the annual trips to the orphanages or home for the aged but companies that have successfully woven social consciousness into the fabric of the employees' lives in the office.
I also had an office mate, God bless her soul, who the day she died, told her mum that she wanted to go to the office to help closing the company books. She was one of our accountants and year-end has always been a busy day for their team and she was concerned about her team mates who were her closest friends. I now suspect that whoever originally said those words was from decades past and someone in the first world (rich country) where people can retire comfortably with some money left to their children when they're gone. For us Filipinos, work is life. Take a man's job away and he is no longer himself. Whether we like it our not, our work defines us. We get fulfillment in life by working. And if a person loves his job, work ceases to be work but fun like doing a hobby.
For me, as a Filipino in the city, a better way to say this line is: "No Filipino ever said on his deathbed I wish I had spent more time in traffic." Oh God, that's the one that is killing us all. Fix that and we can have more quality time with our families and love ones and do a frequent stop to smell the roses.
I don't fully agree with it but it sounds fine. This book came out in 2000 when "work-life integration" wasn't yet coined. It debunked this obnoxious tiring line: "No man ever said on his deathbed I wish I had spent more time in the office." Unfortunately, Quindlen also mentioned this here (p. 46). Work-life integration is making your workplace fulfill your employees' purpose (mission/vision) in life. For example, surveys say that millennials prefer to work in companies that do community projects. Not the annual trips to the orphanages or home for the aged but companies that have successfully woven social consciousness into the fabric of the employees' lives in the office.
I also had an office mate, God bless her soul, who the day she died, told her mum that she wanted to go to the office to help closing the company books. She was one of our accountants and year-end has always been a busy day for their team and she was concerned about her team mates who were her closest friends. I now suspect that whoever originally said those words was from decades past and someone in the first world (rich country) where people can retire comfortably with some money left to their children when they're gone. For us Filipinos, work is life. Take a man's job away and he is no longer himself. Whether we like it our not, our work defines us. We get fulfillment in life by working. And if a person loves his job, work ceases to be work but fun like doing a hobby.
For me, as a Filipino in the city, a better way to say this line is: "No Filipino ever said on his deathbed I wish I had spent more time in traffic." Oh God, that's the one that is killing us all. Fix that and we can have more quality time with our families and love ones and do a frequent stop to smell the roses.
May 15, 2019
5 Stars- A super quick read with a big message. I loved this inspiring book that explains why it’s so important to live your best life. Thanks Amy for loaning it to me!!😘
December 11, 2019
This little book, only 50 pages long, deserves a place on your “permanent” keepsake bookshelf, along side of such self-help gems as William Bennett’s The Virtues, Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends, Russell Conwell’s Acres of Diamonds, Og Mandino’s The Greatest Salesman in the World, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking and The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale.
Goodreads member John of Canada said, Nothing really hew here but that doesn’t diminish its value. Simple messages are usually the best. Lots of nice pictures to go along with lots of lovely thoughts.”
Goodreads member John of Canada said, Nothing really hew here but that doesn’t diminish its value. Simple messages are usually the best. Lots of nice pictures to go along with lots of lovely thoughts.”
March 9, 2016
Such an inspiring book! I'm happy to have read this during the darkest hours of my life! Thank you Anna Quindlen for this amazing book. I highly recommend it to someone who is missing out a lot on his life and to those who feel like the world is closing in on them.
Show Up. Listen. Try to Laugh.
Show Up. Listen. Try to Laugh.
May 28, 2018
I got this for free from The Book Thing www.bookthing.org (totally worth a road trip to Baltimore). It was a quick read, encouraging readers to appreciate the simple joys in life and remember what's important in the end.
October 22, 2018
While some may note this as trite and corney, I liked the simplicity of it all. The suggestion of turning off all phones and enjoying silence spoke to me. I've grown to dislike the sound of the phone, and the sound of people talking on their phones in public places. Somehow we are all running in place. I feel it when I enter the office building. As the elevator takes me up to the second floor, I feel a tad of tension, anticipating a busy day. Taking time to slow down is what I hope retirement brings.
December 15, 2024
Don’t forget to look at the view 🌅
February 24, 2017
“Life is made up of moments, small pieces of glittering mica in a long stretch of gray cement. It would be wonderful if they came to us unsummoned, but particularly in lives as busy as the ones most of us lead now, that won’t happen. We have to teach ourselves how to make room for them, to love them, and to live, really live.”
Anna Quindlen is one of my favourite writers. I love her fiction and, having read a number of her novels, sought out some of her non-fiction pieces. A Short Guide to a Happy Life gives us a lovely little lesson in how to live deeply everyday, making the most of every moment. Having lost her mother at the age of nineteen, Quindlen became very aware of the preciousness of life and in this wonderful short book, advises us all to never take things for granted.
This has a number of little pearls of wisdom. Some, you will already have heard (quotes from a US Senator and John Lennon) and most that are Quindlen's own. Her words are as beautiful and as touching as always, and the images within the book are very sweet.
Quindlen's approach is an interesting one. She believes that one can learn to be happy. "Think of life as a terminal illness, because, if you do, you will live it with joy and passion, as you ought to do." This is something I've been thinking a lot about lately; happiness. More and more, I have been believing that happiness is, in fact, a choice. You might find Quindlen's view of life as a terminal illness odd, but either way the overarching message is very clear: Love the journey. Enjoy the view.
"A Short Guide to a Happy Life is a treasure of a book; one you can read in one sitting or one you can keep coming back to when you need it, as I do.
Anna Quindlen is one of my favourite writers. I love her fiction and, having read a number of her novels, sought out some of her non-fiction pieces. A Short Guide to a Happy Life gives us a lovely little lesson in how to live deeply everyday, making the most of every moment. Having lost her mother at the age of nineteen, Quindlen became very aware of the preciousness of life and in this wonderful short book, advises us all to never take things for granted.
This has a number of little pearls of wisdom. Some, you will already have heard (quotes from a US Senator and John Lennon) and most that are Quindlen's own. Her words are as beautiful and as touching as always, and the images within the book are very sweet.
Quindlen's approach is an interesting one. She believes that one can learn to be happy. "Think of life as a terminal illness, because, if you do, you will live it with joy and passion, as you ought to do." This is something I've been thinking a lot about lately; happiness. More and more, I have been believing that happiness is, in fact, a choice. You might find Quindlen's view of life as a terminal illness odd, but either way the overarching message is very clear: Love the journey. Enjoy the view.
"A Short Guide to a Happy Life is a treasure of a book; one you can read in one sitting or one you can keep coming back to when you need it, as I do.
September 12, 2011
Anna Quindlen is one of my favorite author's and she has kept her position with this story story. She won me over my Junior year of high school in AP Lit when we read How Reading Changed My Life and it was true, reading had changed my life.
In this book she takes the time out to explain how we; the earth, as a whole forget how to live in the moment. We're always striving for the next best thing, or something else that will make us more happy than what we already have, when in reality we could fulfill all our needs just by paying the slightest bit of attention to the world and the people around us. There are so many beautiful things that we take for granted, and so many people we love that don't get enough attention from us. It's definitely something to think about and try to rectify.
The pictures added a great texture to the philosophical words on each page!
In this book she takes the time out to explain how we; the earth, as a whole forget how to live in the moment. We're always striving for the next best thing, or something else that will make us more happy than what we already have, when in reality we could fulfill all our needs just by paying the slightest bit of attention to the world and the people around us. There are so many beautiful things that we take for granted, and so many people we love that don't get enough attention from us. It's definitely something to think about and try to rectify.
The pictures added a great texture to the philosophical words on each page!
June 7, 2013
Short and sweet. If you are familiar with Anna Quindlen's work, she doesn't disappoint here. Her voice comes through clearly and consistently. Her perspective is non-judgmental and approachable. She punctuates herself so simply, I am always left surprised such an order of words could initiate a deep internal conversation for me. "It's so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit."
She doesn't spend the time talking about those who are happy vs. those who aren't and why- which is what I find happens with a lot of these sort of books. She is just offering an enlightened reminder of what we forget all to often- life is short, be grateful and appreciate even the smallest miracles, privileges, feelings.
It is a great coffee table read. Her overarching message for me: "I am still a student, still learning every day how to be human." I walked away from it with a spurt of energy and renewed motivation. What more could you ask for of 50 pages?
She doesn't spend the time talking about those who are happy vs. those who aren't and why- which is what I find happens with a lot of these sort of books. She is just offering an enlightened reminder of what we forget all to often- life is short, be grateful and appreciate even the smallest miracles, privileges, feelings.
It is a great coffee table read. Her overarching message for me: "I am still a student, still learning every day how to be human." I walked away from it with a spurt of energy and renewed motivation. What more could you ask for of 50 pages?
May 22, 2015
Uplifting, inspirational....a vitamin B12 shot for spirit!
December 9, 2023
Read this digitally through the Free Library of Philadelphia on Libby.
You should all read this. This was like a breath of fresh air. I, believe it or not, read the entire thing during bar karaoke at Zembie’s. I was feeling out of it so I read this quick little one.
I think this is a perfect little reminder of perspective and almost felt like a practice in mindfulness. It’s light and it’s airy and I’m grateful for it.
Not a profound or super intimate review, but I’ll keep this one with me for a while.
You should all read this. This was like a breath of fresh air. I, believe it or not, read the entire thing during bar karaoke at Zembie’s. I was feeling out of it so I read this quick little one.
I think this is a perfect little reminder of perspective and almost felt like a practice in mindfulness. It’s light and it’s airy and I’m grateful for it.
Not a profound or super intimate review, but I’ll keep this one with me for a while.
October 14, 2008
So if you have time to read this book review, I’d venture that you also have time to read this book. ;-) I read the whole thing while putting the kids down for a nap. No, not while they were napping — while they were getting ready to nap. (Granted, it does take forever to convince Logan to try to nap. He’s kind of growing out of them.)
This book is titled A Short Guide to a Happy Life, and Quindlen’s not kidding about the “short” part: fifty pages, all double-spaced with huge margins, many of those pages filled with beautiful photography.
I kind of wished it was longer.
When I read I Am a Mother (Jane Clayson Johnson), I was struck by the number of quotes from Anna Quindlen. Her name sounded familiar — I know I’ve run across her quotations elsewhere before (though I can’t exactly remember where). I perused the library catalog and picked this book of hers (there were several — she’s a writer!) to put on hold.
The message in this was a beautiful one: life is in the moments, and we should enjoy the simplicity of them. Don’t get so caught up in your to-do list or your job that you miss out on what’s really important.
And I can see why Johnson couldn’t resist quoting Quindlen over and over; nearly every paragraph was “quotable.” Here’s my favorite:
Life is made up of moments, small pieces of glittering mica in a long stretch of gray cement. It would be wonderful if they came to us unsummoned, but particularly in lives as busy as the ones most of us lead now, that won’t happen. We have to teach ourselves how to make room for them, to love them, and to live, really live.
A simple book with a simple message — and yet with such lasting consequences.
This book is titled A Short Guide to a Happy Life, and Quindlen’s not kidding about the “short” part: fifty pages, all double-spaced with huge margins, many of those pages filled with beautiful photography.
I kind of wished it was longer.
When I read I Am a Mother (Jane Clayson Johnson), I was struck by the number of quotes from Anna Quindlen. Her name sounded familiar — I know I’ve run across her quotations elsewhere before (though I can’t exactly remember where). I perused the library catalog and picked this book of hers (there were several — she’s a writer!) to put on hold.
The message in this was a beautiful one: life is in the moments, and we should enjoy the simplicity of them. Don’t get so caught up in your to-do list or your job that you miss out on what’s really important.
And I can see why Johnson couldn’t resist quoting Quindlen over and over; nearly every paragraph was “quotable.” Here’s my favorite:
Life is made up of moments, small pieces of glittering mica in a long stretch of gray cement. It would be wonderful if they came to us unsummoned, but particularly in lives as busy as the ones most of us lead now, that won’t happen. We have to teach ourselves how to make room for them, to love them, and to live, really live.
A simple book with a simple message — and yet with such lasting consequences.
April 7, 2009
http://smallworldreads.blogspot.com/2...
Anna Quindlen's little book is, indeed, short. I read it in about 15 minutes. It's a sweet book that probably started as a blog post and morphed into a tiny, happy book with photos. This is good, practical advice to find treasures in every day life. Like this:
I think of [my life:] in all its small component parts: the snowdrops, the daffodils; the feeling of one of my kids sitting close beside me on the couch; the way my husband looks when he reads with the lamp behind him; fettuccine Alfredo; fudge; Gone with the Wind, Pride and Prejudice. Life is made up of moments, small pieces of glittering mica in a long stretch of gray cement.
I can totally relate to that. In fact, I try to do this once or twice a week (on my other blog) in a very tangible way by participating in Three Beautiful Things. I should do this everyday because I could certainly find a plethora of beautiful things in my daily life. Read this book when you need to be reminded of what really constitutes a life well lived, or buy it to give with a graduation or wedding present.
Anna Quindlen's little book is, indeed, short. I read it in about 15 minutes. It's a sweet book that probably started as a blog post and morphed into a tiny, happy book with photos. This is good, practical advice to find treasures in every day life. Like this:
I think of [my life:] in all its small component parts: the snowdrops, the daffodils; the feeling of one of my kids sitting close beside me on the couch; the way my husband looks when he reads with the lamp behind him; fettuccine Alfredo; fudge; Gone with the Wind, Pride and Prejudice. Life is made up of moments, small pieces of glittering mica in a long stretch of gray cement.
I can totally relate to that. In fact, I try to do this once or twice a week (on my other blog) in a very tangible way by participating in Three Beautiful Things. I should do this everyday because I could certainly find a plethora of beautiful things in my daily life. Read this book when you need to be reminded of what really constitutes a life well lived, or buy it to give with a graduation or wedding present.
March 13, 2013
I really think this short book is a big waste of money. I received it this weekend as a birthday gift. I read it in one short setting as it is only about 45 pages long, mostly pictures. I did not think there was anything of value here. I guess the message is "be grateful for what you have"? She should feel grateful that anyone would throw down $13 or more for this. Please don't waste your money. There is little to no content here.
September 25, 2014
"All of us want to do well. But if we do not do good, too, then doing well will never be enough."
Keep Still... Kiss your Mom. Hug your Dad p. 20-23
Life is glorious p. 23
http://lunawings.blogspot.com/2014/09...
2 blog posts actually, but the second one is not finished yet :)
"Think of life as a terminal illness, because, if you do, you will live it with joy and passion, as it ought to be lived." p. 45
Keep Still... Kiss your Mom. Hug your Dad p. 20-23
Life is glorious p. 23
http://lunawings.blogspot.com/2014/09...
2 blog posts actually, but the second one is not finished yet :)
"Think of life as a terminal illness, because, if you do, you will live it with joy and passion, as it ought to be lived." p. 45
June 4, 2016
Her perception of life changed dramatically when her mother died. She talks about life before and life after. My life changed when I was diagnosed with cancer and my perception has never been the same. Her words are positive and hopeful. Wise words to live by. A great way to spend 15 minutes of your life!
September 30, 2016
This was an extremely quick read, but so many quotes in it that I really love. I will probably definitely read the whole thing again (seriously <30 minutes) and write down some thoughts.
December 27, 2016
Quick read, full of pondering moments.
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