Status
Checked out
Library Notes
This book is available from the Mental Health Wellness and Resource Centre (MHWRC) in the Galleria (inpatient side) on Level 2 of West 5th Campus. The MHWRC is similar to the Family Resource Centre, but is geared to support those with lived experience. Please call 905-522-1155 ext. 35406 for more information about how to borrow materials from the MHWRC.
Description
F**k It has taken the world by storm, helping countless people to relax, let go, stop struggling and finally do what they want; to ignore what everyone else is telling them and go their own way. This now classic text has been updated with inspirational new material from John C. Parkin. In this inspiring and humorous book, John suggests that saying F**k It is the perfect Western expression of the Eastern spiritual ideas of letting go, giving up and finding real freedom by realising that things don't matter so much (if at all). It's a spiritual way that doesn't require chanting, meditating, wearing sandals or eating pulses. And it's the very power of this modern-day profanity that makes it perfect for shaking us Westerners out of the stress and anxiety that dominate our meaning-full lives. So, find out how to say F**k It to all your problems and concerns. Say F**k It to all the 'shoulds' in your life and finally do what you want to do, no matter what other people think.… (more)
Physical description
8.5 inches
User reviews
LibraryThing member jmchshannon
I love snark, also called sarcasm. I tend to use it frequently, much to everyone else's chagrin. When I saw this title on NetGalley, I thought I would be getting a wonderfully funny, irreverent book with a tongue-in-cheek presentation of philosophy. In a way, F*** It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way is
Touted as akin to Taoism and other spiritual beliefs, the main premise of the F**k It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way philosophy is letting go. Indeed, there is merit in this idea of letting go and the freedom one uses the phrase. According to Mr. Parkin, "The one thing you'll always do when you really say, 'F*** It' is relax" and "problems can't exist in the face of total relaxation" (p. 88-89). Mr. Parkin wants us to say the phrase to everything we do because it releases us from attaching too much meaning, too much pressure, too many expectations to everything we do. If one sits and thinks about it, and considers all the times where one has flung up his or her hands and declared "f*** it!", Mr. Parkin is indeed on to something.
At first glance, it may appear that Mr. Parkin is attempting to tell the reader to ignore the laws and values of society, to just do his or her own thing. However, that is not true. Rather, Mr. Parkin is attempting to help the reader free him/herself from all the obligations and to allow one to enjoy everything has to offer. In essence, life is too short to stress about anything at all. Say "F*** it" (and truly mean it) and that stress disappears. It is not a giving up but a relaxation of one's expectations of one's job, society, and of life.
Parkin makes an excellent argument about his new philosophy. He uses children as a metaphor for life. Children notice every small detail and revel in them. They truly stop and take time to smell the roses. Somewhere along the way, they forget to relax and enjoy the details and get wrapped up in the big picture. As a result, they stop relaxing and stop enjoying life. Again, Mr. Parkin circles back to the idea of relaxation and letting going of meaning. Letting go of meaning is letting go of pressure and stress, which will in turn bring more good things to you. It's very Tao-esque, is it not?
Unfortunately, what starts out as tongue-in-cheek good fun takes a turn for the serious when Mr.Parkin starts exploring the idea of chi and forms. As soon as he moves on to this idea of movement and releasing chi, the book loses some of its charms. It is such a juxtaposition that it undoes any of the learnings from the previous first-half of the novel. I personally enjoyed the irreverence and humor of the first half of the book and felt a bit like Mr. Parkin began to take himself too seriously. He has some great ideas and provides plenty of food for thought, and I personally wish he would have left the forms and chi discussion alone.
I chose this novel on a whim and am glad I read it. I know that his ideas have some value because I have personally felt how calming it is to say "F*** it" in certain situations. It does release tension and stress and helps me focus my energies on more important things, i.e. things under my direct control. Those easily offended by profanity should not read this book, although I suspect that the title alone is enough of a deterrent in that aspect. Those who are willing to step out of the philosophical box will enjoy Mr. Parkin's ideas or at least come away with food for thought. In the end, F*** It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way may not be prize-winning literature, but it is enjoyable and worth the read for its fresh approach to life and all its demands.
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indeed that but so much more.Touted as akin to Taoism and other spiritual beliefs, the main premise of the F**k It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way philosophy is letting go. Indeed, there is merit in this idea of letting go and the freedom one uses the phrase. According to Mr. Parkin, "The one thing you'll always do when you really say, 'F*** It' is relax" and "problems can't exist in the face of total relaxation" (p. 88-89). Mr. Parkin wants us to say the phrase to everything we do because it releases us from attaching too much meaning, too much pressure, too many expectations to everything we do. If one sits and thinks about it, and considers all the times where one has flung up his or her hands and declared "f*** it!", Mr. Parkin is indeed on to something.
At first glance, it may appear that Mr. Parkin is attempting to tell the reader to ignore the laws and values of society, to just do his or her own thing. However, that is not true. Rather, Mr. Parkin is attempting to help the reader free him/herself from all the obligations and to allow one to enjoy everything has to offer. In essence, life is too short to stress about anything at all. Say "F*** it" (and truly mean it) and that stress disappears. It is not a giving up but a relaxation of one's expectations of one's job, society, and of life.
Parkin makes an excellent argument about his new philosophy. He uses children as a metaphor for life. Children notice every small detail and revel in them. They truly stop and take time to smell the roses. Somewhere along the way, they forget to relax and enjoy the details and get wrapped up in the big picture. As a result, they stop relaxing and stop enjoying life. Again, Mr. Parkin circles back to the idea of relaxation and letting going of meaning. Letting go of meaning is letting go of pressure and stress, which will in turn bring more good things to you. It's very Tao-esque, is it not?
Unfortunately, what starts out as tongue-in-cheek good fun takes a turn for the serious when Mr.Parkin starts exploring the idea of chi and forms. As soon as he moves on to this idea of movement and releasing chi, the book loses some of its charms. It is such a juxtaposition that it undoes any of the learnings from the previous first-half of the novel. I personally enjoyed the irreverence and humor of the first half of the book and felt a bit like Mr. Parkin began to take himself too seriously. He has some great ideas and provides plenty of food for thought, and I personally wish he would have left the forms and chi discussion alone.
I chose this novel on a whim and am glad I read it. I know that his ideas have some value because I have personally felt how calming it is to say "F*** it" in certain situations. It does release tension and stress and helps me focus my energies on more important things, i.e. things under my direct control. Those easily offended by profanity should not read this book, although I suspect that the title alone is enough of a deterrent in that aspect. Those who are willing to step out of the philosophical box will enjoy Mr. Parkin's ideas or at least come away with food for thought. In the end, F*** It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way may not be prize-winning literature, but it is enjoyable and worth the read for its fresh approach to life and all its demands.
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LibraryThing member vlcraven
The tag for this book could be: Taoism Made Easy or Eastern Philosophy for the Cynic. John C. Parkin lays down some 'Attachments are excess baggage' for those of us who probably use the F word too much. Parkin covers energy fields and breathing, as well as a healthy dose of Buddhism, and makes it
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accessible and entertaining. Spend an afternoon with this book and it will change the way you view and react to your world for the better. Show Less
LibraryThing member seph
This book has changed my life ...probably. I'm really not going to spend too much time pondering that point, actually. All I know is that I've been anxiety prone my whole life. Even as a young child I couldn't sleep until I'd mentally planned out how to rescue my family in case of fire or break-in,
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every night. Heavy anxiety has been darkening my door near constantly lately, and after reading this book, I'm as relaxed and content as a child ...some other child though, not the ball of stress eight year old I used to be. It's a very interesting read. It made me laugh a lot, it made me pretty uncomfortable at times, and there may have been misty eyes at one point. It's a simple philosophy, but it's more complicated than that. There's a lot to think about here, or not. I definitely feel so much better though, with this fresh perspective and permission to just be. I feel like a new woman. I hope it sticks. It would be fun to be a new woman every day. It sure would keep my husband on his toes at least. Show Less
LibraryThing member BookDivasReads
F**k It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way definitely has shock value, if for no other reason than for its title and provocative word choice. Mr. Parkin stresses that by saying "f**k it," we can learn to let go, relax and simply give in to the flow of life. Saying these two little words can alleviate most
In some ways I can understand why saying "f**k it" is equated to the ultimate spiritual way. When we say "f**k it" we begin to appreciate all that life has to offer, taking the good with the bad and accepting that both are necessary parts of life. These two words can, according to the author, offer a freedom and release that are equal to most religious or spiritual disciplines but without the judgment of I'm right and you're wrong and therefore will burn in hell. By saying these two words and living with the philosophy they embody, you can learn to eliminate worry, a desire for things and end with being satisfied with who you are as a person, where you are and what you are doing.
Mr. Parkin does explain, quite nicely and often with a humorous twist, how one should say "f**k it" to jobs, family, friends, etc. He isn't saying that you have to give up your job (unless you want to) or your friends and family (again unless you want to), but rather by saying these words to these situations and people we release any ability they may have to cause us stress. Other than the profane word choice, I don't find that this is all that different from others in recent years, such as "don't sweat the small stuff" or even "let go and let God." Having said that, if the more traditional religious/spiritual paths (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Taoism, etc.) aren't for you, then this may offer a starting point to being able to let go, relax and enjoy the ups and downs that is life.
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of the stress and stressors in our lives because we will no longer take things so seriously, especially those things we cannot change.In some ways I can understand why saying "f**k it" is equated to the ultimate spiritual way. When we say "f**k it" we begin to appreciate all that life has to offer, taking the good with the bad and accepting that both are necessary parts of life. These two words can, according to the author, offer a freedom and release that are equal to most religious or spiritual disciplines but without the judgment of I'm right and you're wrong and therefore will burn in hell. By saying these two words and living with the philosophy they embody, you can learn to eliminate worry, a desire for things and end with being satisfied with who you are as a person, where you are and what you are doing.
Mr. Parkin does explain, quite nicely and often with a humorous twist, how one should say "f**k it" to jobs, family, friends, etc. He isn't saying that you have to give up your job (unless you want to) or your friends and family (again unless you want to), but rather by saying these words to these situations and people we release any ability they may have to cause us stress. Other than the profane word choice, I don't find that this is all that different from others in recent years, such as "don't sweat the small stuff" or even "let go and let God." Having said that, if the more traditional religious/spiritual paths (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Taoism, etc.) aren't for you, then this may offer a starting point to being able to let go, relax and enjoy the ups and downs that is life.
Show Less
LibraryThing member 14geronimo
Reads like a novel, always entertaining yet deceptively profound and simple.
LibraryThing member librarymary09
Great insights and I liked the irreverent language too. :)
LibraryThing member librarymary09
Great insights and I liked the irreverent language too. :)
ISBN
1401955711 / 9781401955717