Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?
Back in early 2025, I was suggested Atomic Habits by James Clear, of which I only wound up reading starting from May 2025. This one, however, was a willing purchase from myself. However, it was not the first or only book I owned from Dr. Julie Smith - I first bought Open When... earlier on with the idea that I could probably read it as and when I felt like I needed its advise, something I thought the book was meant to be. Even if it is true, it really was not a good motivator to pick it up... because I haven't for a long time now. For this book, however, I mentioned in my previous review that the urge to read this came naturally as I felt quite lost when it came to my identity. The problem was more multi-leveled, actually - I've been mentally broken for years now, and I don't think I have quite recovered from it yet. Forming and strengthening habits can help with maintaining one's identity, but this shouldn't be done simply to mold one's self into an identity imposed by others. I've been in therapy for about three and a half years now, but regardless... reading this book felt like a regular journey with Dr. Julie as my therapist, and I sorely regret not keeping the habit of writing stuff down as I progressed through this book.
I will be revisiting this book someday to properly retain some life advice I will need to navigate through repairing myself. But for now, as we draw close to this year's Chinese New Year season, I have an urge to revisit a book I read haphazardly for a book circle meet at church about a year and a half ago.