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This Is How
This Is How: Proven Aid in Overcoming Shyness, Molestation, Fatness, Spinsterhood, Grief, Disease, Lushery, Decrepitude & More. For Young and Old Alike. | Augusten Burroughs
18 posts | 33 read | 20 to read
If you're fat and fail every diet, if you're thin but can't get thin enough, if you lose your job, if your child dies, if you are diagnosed with cancer, if you always end up with exactly the wrong kind of person, if you always end up alone, if you can't get over the past, if your parents are insane and ruining your life, if you really and truly wish you were dead, if you feel like it's your destiny to be a star, if you believe life has a grudge against you, if you don't want to have sex with your spouse and don't know why, if you feel so ashamed, if you're lost in life. If you have ever wondered, How am I aupposed to survive this? This is How.
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rachelk
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I thought this was going to be a series of stories from his life told as a snarky send up of self-help books. Imagine my surprise when I discovered (by chapter two) it is a sincerely written self-help book. I do appreciate his ability to reframe the way most of us see problems or experience trauma as well as his take on how to survive it. This book resonated with me, but just know that it‘s not a typical self-help book or a typical Burroughs book.

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SkeletonKey
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Current audiobook. Some of this seems like terrible advice, some of it seems quite helpful. Giving it a good go.

#selfhelp

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ItsAnotherJen
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"if you want to be more confident, you do not need to add anything more to your personality or your skill level.
In fact, you already have too much of something.
Because confidence is not the presence of anything at all. Confidence is a reduction of your own interest in whether others are thinking about you and if so, what they're thinking"
".. to be more confident you need to give a whole lot less of a shit about what other people think of you"

britt_brooke I love Augusten. 💚 4y
77 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Erinreadsthebooks
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Y'all...I've already done the #mariekondo to these books. These duplicates are coming out of my keepers 😐😒 3/3

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Cspen113
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Hoping to finish this one up tonight. My little buddy is keeping me company while I read. ❤️❤️😺 #catsoflitsy

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Cspen113
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This thing with wearing sunglasses to combat the 11,000 degree heat....does it make sense to anyone else?? I read that like 🤨🧐🤔. Nope. Maybe he meant sunscreen??? Or maybe I got lost somewhere....🤪

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Cspen113
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If I were to make a scale, this would be in my top 5. Early morning when the world is still asleep and the bite is still in the air, reading while my little man watches the birds wake up. A nice, hot coffee is the only thing that would make this better. ❤️❤️❤️❤️. Happy Sunday, everyone!!

rubyslippersreads 😻😻😻 6y
Briget66 Looks so perfect there! 6y
Cspen113 @Briget66 Thank you!! 6y
28 likes3 comments
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Cspen113
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Up next!! I‘m pretty excited about this one. Should be fun!!

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TiredLibrarian
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Asking for recommendations:

I've been feeling pretty depressed and worn down by life lately. Looking for books that give you hope and inspiration. What are your favorites? Note: not looking for inspirational/Christian fiction, or anything overly sappy or superficial. The tagged book is one that really speaks to me.

Thanks for your input, Littens. ❤

hermyknee It made my ♥️ happy 6y
See All 29 Comments
Aimeesue In a kind of off kilter way, I was really inspired by A Man Called Ove, in a “real communities CAN be built” sort of way. People connecting and seeing each other for who they are… and still liking each other. (edited) 6y
JPeterson I really enjoyed Jenny Lawson‘s book 6y
Aimeesue @JPeterson Ditto. Furiously Happy is great. (I have a raccoon who visits my porch every night. Should I put this book in the window?😄) 6y
mcipher Jenny Lawson‘s books - funny and weird but they make you feel not so alone, like you are part of a tribe. I agree with @Aimeesue about Ove, too. It doesn‘t feel that way at first, but then it‘s SO feel-good. 6y
wanderinglynn Agree with @JPeterson & @Aimeesue Furiously Happy as well as her 1st book, Let‘s Pretend This Never Happened. Then in a similar vein as A Man Called Ove (which I also second), I suggest 6y
Rcoco I really loved 6y
alysonimagines The astounding diversity of people portrayed in this one book lifts me up because it‘s a reminder that there are so many other humans walking with me on this journey called life, and every single person has a unique story with their share of struggles and dreams. (edited) 6y
Velvetfur 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho, I always recommend that one for inspiration as it's sweet and it's an adventure 😊 6y
Weaponxgirl I'm weird with what uplifts me sometimes. But reading about amazing people in horrible times sometimes give me hope. Such as Paul rusesabagina who inspired the film hotel rawanda. Obviously it's a true account of the genocide so makes me cry but someone doing the right thing regardless makes me feel better. Like I say I'm weird but it gives me strength mentally when I read about these people 6y
Bookwomble The Summer Book by Tove Jansson: A young girl and her grandmother spend summers on an island in the Gulf of Finland. Gentle and beautiful. 6y
Aimeesue @alysonwrites Great pick! I follow Humans of New York for the same reason. (edited) 6y
knittedgnome I am not religious at all but I adore The Book of Joy. It's conversations with the Dali Lama and Desmond Tutu. Really insightful. 6y
alysonimagines @Aimeesue Yay! Sometimes it helps to just remind ourselves we‘re not alone in the human struggle. 6y
alysonimagines @Bookwomble I love Tove Jansson‘s Moomin novels and comics, but I haven‘t heard of this book. I‘ll have to try it! 6y
Bookwomble Her adult fiction is less well known, but just as magical. The Summer Book is semi- autobiographical and the love oozes off the page, entirely without mawkish sentimentality. 6y
Trashcanman Where ya been? 6y
Lauram @Trashcanman I don‘t know Tired.Librarian at all, but I‘ve wondered the same. I hope all is well. 6y
Trashcanman I'm honestly a little concerned, please tell me to go to hell or something. Hope you aren't depressed any longer. 6y
Trashcanman @Lauram still nothing 🙁 6y
Lauram @Trashcanman I‘m sorry to read this. 6y
Trashcanman 😔 You ok? 6y
Trashcanman im going to put you on a milk carton. 6y
erzascarletbookgasm Are you okay? You haven‘t been on Litsy for a while. I hope all is well. 🙏 5y
56 likes1 stack add29 comments
review
Meg15825
Pickpick

This book is pretty much my bible. I‘m not sure if it gets more relatable than Augusten Burroughs.

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Meg15825
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“Which is why I think it‘s important to consider that billions of years before we were students and mothers and dog trainers and priests, we were particles that would form into star after star after star until forever passed, and instead of a star what formed was life; simplistic, crude, miraculous.

And after another infinity, there we were.

And this is why for you, anything is possible.” -#augustenburroughs #myfavoritewriter

SamHeartCoffee Amazing quote. 6y
Godmotherx5 Welcome to Litsy! 6y
Gezemice Welcome to Litsy! You will like it here 😊 - And of the quote: I sometimes do think of that. How we all come from the same star. It is a very peaceful and happy thought. (edited) 6y
See All 8 Comments
RaimeyGallant Oh and some of us put together Litsy tips to help new Littens navigate the site. It's the link in my bio on my page in case you need it. 6y
Kaye Welcome ✨✨✨ 6y
BookwormAHN Welcome to Litsy 😸 6y
Jess7 Welcome to Litsy!!! So glad you‘re here! #LitsyWelcomeWagon #Whotofollow | Checkout @Chelleo ‘s awesome YouTube #LitsyHowto videos if you have any questions!!! 6y
25 likes8 comments
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AEBowenPhD
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This book has some lovely bits but, on the whole, feels very dated and very male.

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LLColbeck
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Pickpick

A 'self-help' book where there is cursing and no false positivity? Fuck yeah!

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ashlinisme
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Because you can survive it. Augusten Burroughs will tell you how. #truths #maybookflowers

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Dorianna
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⬇️Rest of quote in comments for those who can't see. ⬇️
"You know, sometimes just giving yourself permission to feel any emotion without judgement or censorship can lessen the intensity of those negative emotions. Almost like you're letting them out into the backyard to run around and get rid of some of that energy. ⬇️

Dorianna "Optimism is pretty much an essential quality if you want to be a relatively happy, contented person. But a positive outlook can't be purchased through a few affirmations thrown against a mirror. Optimism sprouts from the knowledge they you are in control of your own life, not your past and not those around you. Part of being in control is taking responsibility for how you feel. This means not just admitting to uncomfortable feelings but then 7y
Dorianna examining your circumstances to see what can be done to change those feelings at the source. Real optimism is not a pep talk you give yourself. It is earned through the labor involved in emotional housekeeping. 7y
17 likes2 comments
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MaleficentBookDragon
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On to the next #audiobook for #24in48 #readathon
#update - a little in and I'm not feeling it right now. I'll put it aside until later.

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javadiva
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I was hesitant about this book, but now I regret not starting it sooner. It is like having a therapist for a good friend talking over coffee. I have been taking so many notes, shedding tears, shouting in agreement. I am so surprised how much Burroughs gets it. As a grieving parent, the chapter on loss has been balm to my aching heart.

Louise I remember enjoying this book very much when I read it. He is unflinching in his observation of things! 7y
8 likes1 stack add1 comment
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wonga
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not really a self-help book, more like a friend giving you advice and maybe a "kick in the pants." i find myself going back to it when i need encouragement or motivation. very no-nonsense :) chapter headings include "how to not live happily ever after...how to be thin...how to be fat…how to fail." good stuff! #LitsyRiotLive #BooksToLiveBy

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