I’m not one for self-help, inspirational, fix your inner demons type books. But The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson caught my interest – mainly due to the word f*ck in the title.

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“Don’t hope for a life without problems. There’s no such thing. Instead, hope for a life full of good problems.”

– Mark Manson
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck – A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

To be honest, I have read a couple of books similar to this one, but they sucked in comparison. I only skimmed the pages and was smart enough to not buy the books, but to borrow them from our local library. I did the same with this one, opting to try before I buy in case it was just as hokey as the last reads. But after reading The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (and I actually read it cover to cover) I bought a copy of my own to re-read when needed. You can get your own copy here.

Before delving into the book itself, here’s a brief back story on the author, Mark Manson.

• He started out as and still is a blogger. His blog, Mark Manson, is about honest life advice, relationships, and making the most of the lives we’re living.
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is his first novel. His second book, Everything is F*cked, is in stores now.
• Mark is a married 35 year-old living in New York.
• Mark has a degree in international business from Boston University.

“Giving too many f*cks is bad for you.”

– Mark Manson
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck – A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

On to the book.

First off, this novel doesn’t read like your typical self-help kinda book. It’s written as if your best friend in the world is talking to you and shaking some sense back into you. This books writing style grabs your attention and keeps you honed in like your favourite movie. I really couldn’t put it down.

The basic run-down of this book is to not give a f*ck about things in your life that are out of your control – per Mark Manson. And to actually give a f*ck about your values and ethics. Which, of course, we do have control of. It’s actually a pretty simple concept and Mark goes into great detail on how you can practice – not giving a f*ck.

“Often the only difference between a problem being painful or being powerful is a sense that we chose it, and that we are responsible for it.”

– Mark Manson
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck – A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

Have you ever had a close friend or family member call you out on your shit? That’s exactly what this book does – or it did for me anyways! I’ve evolved (only word that fit best) over the past year and not all of my growth was by choice – or positive for that matter. I’ve gained a shit-tonne of weight over the past year or so (for me anyways) and I’m only just recently coming to terms with my new size. I’d still like to tone up and get healthier, but I’m not in that mind-set right at the moment. I also started this blog last year and I’m so proud of myself that I did. This outlet has been truly therapeutic for my well-being. I hope to continue this journey for quite some time.

Truthfully, I’ve made some adjustments in how I approach how I live my life and my general outlook on my relationships and goals. I try to exude confidence in myself and hold my head up high. I’m working on making good life choices and following my dreams and aspirations – hence my blog. But mostly I’m trying my best to not be so critical, controlling, and so f*cking serious all the time. Life is too short. Sure there will be pain, but it should be a learned experience – not a pity party.

Do yourself a favour and read this book. You may not gain as much from it as I did, but if it makes you think about how you live your own life when you read it, than it’s totally worth giving a f*ck about.