Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Book Review: The Wisdom to Know the Difference



Some books just speak to you.  Some books are written in such a way that you feel the author is your buddy chatting with you in your living room.  Kelly Wilson is that buddy, and his humble but heartfelt words are recorded in this book.

I don’t want to sound cheesy or philosophical, but this is such a relief after reading 2 other therapy books where I felt I was being lectured.  This book is not telling you what is right.  It’s not telling you what will work, or even how to do it.  It is much like AA – this is what worked for us, come and see.  Use what you can, and forget the rest.

That is what makes this book so refreshing.  The author doesn’t assume to have a monopoly on knowledge about addiction rehabilitation and recovery.  He did it, he’s helped others do it, and he wants to share what worked for them.

Kelly Wilson was one of the developers of ACT therapy – and this is a workbook for substance abusers to use to guide them toward recovery.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:
"Just because behavior is understandable does not make it good or acceptable."
Humility does not mean humiliation. It is the dignified choice to willingly forgo status to offer resources for the good of others. - John Dickson
"Lots of things make us feel better that do not make us do better."
“Many people live their lives by circumstance rather than on purpose.”
“Values are intrinsically rewarding.”
“That year, life got a very firm grip on my ears, and jerked my head out of my ass.  And you know what?  Once you get the feces wiped from your eyes, you can see a lot of things.”
"If I ever get what I deserve, you do not want to be standing next to me." – Mick
"Raise our eyes toward perfection, and be ready to walk in that direction. It will seldom matter how haltingly we walk." - AA 12 & 12 book
"Do the next right thing."from Alcoholics Anonymous

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