The first segment of this book is a retelling of his "great life to near death to great life to financial ruin to great life" story (which was published before his "great life to rare cancer to great life" chapter.) I'll give him this: he is superbly adaptive to his circumstances, and God bless him for that. But the core notion that life SHOULD be lived, MUST be lived, at 100% in order to have an exceptional, happy, fulfilled life is utter bunk.
I like Tony Robbins' approach--live life with passion. Absolutely. But to think that most humans are living in mediocrity completely invalidates (not to mention judges) how others find happiness. I know people who live to fish, that being out on the water every weekend is what they live for. Some of them even make their living fishing. Are they living their lives to their full potential? Who knows? Are they happy? They say they are, so who are we to say that's a life of mediocrity?
I know a guy who lives like Hal Elrod describes--full on, all the time, super successful, incredibly rich. The guy called me the other day drunk, sobbing, completely unhinged because he is so desperately unhappy, being unable to process his father's dying and the neglect he experienced as a child. Millionaire. Living full blast. Suicidal.
What seems to be missing from Mr Elrod's treatise is a broader view of what a truly successful life includes. I am capable of a ton more than what I'm doing right now. But I've lived in the spotlight, I've made my mark in my area of military psychiatry through public speaking and published articles. But I am happier now than I ever was back then. I work quietly without fanfare, explore back roads, hike when the weather is good, visit family and friends as time allows, read new books on my occasional day off, and attend as much good theater as possible.
For me, getting up early is not so I can do all the things that will maximize my potential. It's to leisurely make a cup of coffee, sit and enjoy it while I watch the sky lighten, make the bed (maybe), and a couple of times a week, head over to my community YMCA and enjoy the fellowship of an accepting, nonjudgemental community while I do whatever my body thinks would feel good. That is joy.
Could I do more? Yep. But I have no need to. I'm intellectually stimulated every day at my job, spiritually enriched within my religious community, in the peak of health at 60 years old, despite these unpleasant 20# I have gained these past 5 years, and think I have a pretty fabulous life, especially in comparison to 80% of the rest of the planet.
Berating myself for not doing as much as I am physically, intellectually, and emotionally capable (which Mr Elrod's unwavering message would lead some to do, I think) is the opposite of living a grateful, fulfilling life. So I can't endorse this particular message, although if it's helping others find a path to enrichment, that's great. But this path is definitely not the only, or even the best, path for many of us.
BTW, I have no trouble whatsoever stating my life's purpose: to ease the suffering of whoever is near me at any given moment. Not remove their suffering. Not ease the suffering of every living soul on the planet. Just make each individual feel a little less pain, a little more hope, a little more confident, a little less scared, a little more love. Simple. And achievable. Don't need a book to figure that out.
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