Real Life: Preparing for the 7 Most Challenging Days of Your Life

This is an excellent book for self improvement. I had rented it first at the library and half way through I knew I had to have it. Highly recommend.

I work with a nonprofit helping out of work people and I've scored this a recommended read in my resource library (see www.careerjockey.org/categories/book-reviews/). Losing your job is traumatic. You lose your ability to provide for your family. It brings on financial stress. It comes with feelings of betrayal, shame and guilt all at the same time. If you relied on your work to bring purpose and significance to your life, that was taken away from you. You are now left with finding a way to fill the emptiness. You may be asking yourself. "Who am I? Why am I here? Why am I alive?" All these can lead to anxiety, depression, and even thoughts of suicide. Dr. Phil has NOT written a cliché "feel-good" book filled with platitudes. He has written a practical guide for dealing with very difficult times and the feeling and attitudes that typically accompany them. You can sum up the book with the following statement, "As tough a time as this may be for you and as bad as you may feel right now, there are others that have gone before you. And they can serve as witnesses that not only can you survive this, but you can become a better person for having gone through it." From surveys he has taken, Dr. Phil has selected seven days that in his opinion provide the biggest challenges you are likely to face in your lifetime. I expected them to be concrete, but they are more like states your reach in your life as a results of life events. And I believe the seven are right on. Of the seven, four ring very familiar to those that have lost their jobs and are looking for work. These four are: 1. The day your heart got shattered by the death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a friend, life dream or career. 2. The day you realize you lived your life as a sellout. You have been living in fear of failure or fear of disappointing others. You have let your authentic self down. 3. The day you realize you are overwhelmed and are no longer in control. You cannot meet the demands placed on you. 4. The day you have lost your sense of purpose and meaning in life. Consider this book for taking care of your emotional, mental, and spiritual well being whether your handling this transition well or not.

"Dr. Phil" McGraw is blessed with common sense and the ability to communicate to the masses about life. He does not disappoint in "Real Life: Preparing for the 7 Most Challenging Days of Your Life." In it, Dr. Phil has brought to bear his experience, wisdom, and that of many great philosophers and psychologists in coping with the seven most challenging days of life. These include: the day your heart shattered; The day you realize you have lived your life as a sellout; the day you realize you are in over your head; the day your body breaks down: the day the mind breaks down; the day addiction takes over; and the day you have lost your purpose and have no answer to the question "Why?" Dr. Phil's stated goal of this book is "to do two things: one, believe in yourself enough to know that these days might make you bend but not break...; and two, provide certain specific skill sets and mental and emotional strategies to make the most of our God-given gifts, traits, and characteristics." McGraw reminds us throughout the book that life is about choices made and choices to be made - we have the privilege and ability to choose a path that leads to joy and purpose. He urges us to begin now - become informed, and develop clearly thought out coping strategies for difficult times now. Each section of the book contains exercises to identify your life status, and strategies to prepare for and/or deal with the seven great crises of life. He notes that religion can provide a sense of being part of something greater than yourself, and that in and of itself can help you discover a deeper part of life, and help you move through any crisis. "Real Life" provides a common sense approach to finding one's way back to a life of joy and purpose. There is something for everyone and with the present global economic meltdown which will be a catalyst for many of these crises, the book could not have come at a better time.

As with all Dr. Phil's books you always see a part of yourself in them. Sadly I have already lived some of these "most challanging days" & this book helped me to understand them more. Thanks Dr. Phil!

While I'm not quite at the end right now, (38 pages left) I find this book brilliant. It is such a big help and great tool for practically everybody. It's a little bit like a manual for your life, just like you'd get a car manual in your new car or a manual on how to operate your computer etc. It's well written like his books always are and easy to follow and comprehend. From the loss of a loved one, or general heartbreak or addiction etc, there is advice and information on how to cope in these terrible situations and crises. There are 7 days that are coming to us all and he tells us how to cope and what to do when they hit. It's about planning and preparation for what is ahead. He breaks the chapters into three different parts - here's what the day is; here's what to expect and getting back to better days. He helps you deal with guilt (like if you have burried someone you love and then some time later comes your first laugh and you feel so bad for laughing when your loved one is gone). He also talks in the book about fear and adaptability breakdown (for example not being able to deal with stress at work or in your marriage or with the kids etc and you say that you are so overwhelmed that you can't adapt anymore) and how to move on and get on with life one step at a time and one challenge at a time. He talks about going to the doctor and hearing bad news and then what to do after that (keep your self image strong and powerful so you know you have the ability to move forward) and how to reach out to friends and family for support. I do love how he isn't preachy. He really is just helping us get prepared for inevetable days that are definately coming because he knows how hard they are to deal with. It's easy to understand and read and it's very relatable, because even if you haven't gone through some of these situations yourself, you most probably know someone that has and you know that you will down the road. I am really enjoying this book and with only another 38 pages to go, I can highly recommend this already.