[Book Review] : That Little Voice In Your Head by Mo Gawdat

This book was an accidental read because it wasn't my choice but I needed a book to read offline. It took me months - slower than usual - to complete. I didn't think I was actually going to finish this, in fact there were countless times I thought I should just give up reading. I am so glad I persisted. There was just something about this book that kept me going.

Inspired by the life (death) of his late son Ali, Mo Gawdat shows how we can overcome that negative inner voice inside us by optimising and questioning our thought process. The book is filled with practical exercises and many AHA moments that will get you pondering about your current 'voice' - "who is talking?"

I love how Mo wrote the book using reference from his 30 years of IT / Engineering background.

Our brains are nothing but sophisticated computer system. They are highly predictable in their operations. You don't necessarily need a silent brain to be happy. All you need is a positive, useful brain. You brain will do what you tell it to do. It's time to start your training.

One of my (many) favourite parts is learning to tell my mind to "SHUT UP" (whenever it trash talks) and giving it a nickname - Sally (don't ask, it sounded right for me). And Sally is clearly a slow learner and she has been very spacey recently, which we will save it for another post. 

And my biggest takeaway from the read was the last part of the book which talks about GIVING. I have always been into decluttering, minimising and anti-hoarding. But they are mostly connected to physical stuff and this chapter helps me to look within to understand what do I truly need to let go of. It made me realised both giving and receiving is a flow of life. Nothing is ever truly ours and giving is in fact the best thing we can do to live a more purposeful and fulfilling life.

I can't recommend this book enough to say how much I have enjoyed the slow-mo process of reading it and allowing some of the concepts to seep in slowly (overtime with practice). As Mo wrote...

Make happiness your priority. Invest in your happiness. You can do anything you set your mind to. Your brain is like a computer. You can adjust the code that runs it. With practice, you can become anything that you want to be.