“I am Andy Grant. I am a husband, writer, speaker, transformational energy coach, actor, adventure traveler, photographer, children’s book author, life-long learner, teacher, toy designer, film maker…. In short, I am a lover of life.
But I have not always been this way.”
Still Here: How to Succeed in Life After Failing at Suicide by Andy Grant, is an incredibly motivating and uplifting book. It is designed to help anyone who is dealing with depression and suicide thoughts, to turn their life around for the better.
Andy has decades of first hand experience with depression and suicide attempts. He has been at the bottom and worked his way back up into the light. He shares with his readers all the methods that helped him turn his life around. Not only do you get a first hand re-telling of Andy’s experiences, you also get numerous resources like mental exercise methods, uplifting quotes, additional articles and research sources.
“Offer a little help, just a little kindness to people. A smile to a stranger can be the highlight of their day. It can literally save a life.”
My Thoughts
I’ve had my fair share of dealings with depression through-out my life. I’ve never considered myself quite “normal”. I was a rebellious teen metalhead in my youth, I listened Goth music and dressed like someone who cuts themselves for fun. (Though I never did anything of the sort)
But I did feel lonely. I often experienced weeks and even months where I didn’t want to see anyone, talk to anyone or be involved with the world in any way.
To some extent this has carried into my adult life. I’ve lived alone most of my life. My biggest relationship of nearly 4 years with a woman I’d been in love with since grade school ended abruptly with a betrayal. Since then, the depression of loneliness has been a regular, if inconsistent companion.
Andy’s book is like a torch in the darkness of a cave. Shining the light and showing the way to freedom, to ditch the negative thoughts and push away the weight of negative experiences.
“…be like Mr. Spock from Star Trek – say “Fascinating” and let it go.”
I’ve never been one to count on others for help, but I can most definitely appreciate Andy’s book and am very glad I happened upon it. Andy hits the nail on the head. We can choose to be positive, we can choose to be happy.
“We all have the power and the ability to CHOOSE a different thought, to focus our attention on something else…”
“… to quote my good friend Yoda… “Try not! Do or do not. There is no try.”
I can only imagine what my life would have been like if I had been exposed to something like this in my youth. Depression and suicidal thoughts have almost always been something of a forbidden topic in most social circles. And going back in time to my youth, some 15 years ago, this was even more true. The Internet was only starting to wake up and most depressed people were still sitting alone in their homes with no-one to turn to.
This is no longer the case. Everyone with even a temporary access to the internet can grab a copy of Andy’s book and discover the tools needed to defeat their depression. To see the positive things in life and to become more happy.
“Believing that something is possible opens yourself up to so much more – simply believe that it’s possible!”
Andy writes with true passion. The passion of someone who has been there and done it all. Been through it all. The bad and the good. And he knows what it is like. And that makes his writing that much more compelling and yet comforting. He is not judgmental, but more of a friend.
Quality
The book is very well written. A very nice, casual, blunt tone that makes you feel like the author is sitting right in front of you, really doing his best to help you out.
The book has a few formatting issues here and there. Possibly some font discrepancies, some letters or symbols not quite appearing right. A couple of typos, but nothing serious. All-in-all, it’s a quality read and the minor issues don’t detract from the messages it contains.
Price
At the time of this review, the book is priced $2.99 which is a bargain. At an estimated 80 kindle pages, the book isn’t long, but it doesn’t have to be. The message it contains is so powerful, that it can save countless lives. It’s hard to put a price on such a positive effect that this book produces. Well worth the price.
“Keep taking the smallest steps you can in any given moment to create the life you want.”
Conclusion
A great book for not only those suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts, but also for those who are influenced by either of those things in their lives. And even the people who think they are generally doing quite alright, will find great wisdom and insight in this title. When it comes to depression and suicide, it’s not enough to just be able to handle those things yourself – it’s also important to recognize the signs in others and to know how to help them out.
Remember – you can CHOOSE to be happy, despite any temporary circumstances. You can choose to THRIVE!
Learn more and get in touch with Andy on his website and social media accounts: Facebook and Twitter
Get Andy’s book on Amazon Kindle:
