I was lucky enough to be introduced to Gavin Oattes’ work last year in the form of self-development books aimed at kids. This time round I am reviewing his latest book, Life Will See You Now – which is aimed at adults.

Description

Life Will See You Now is a rousing, uplifting anthem that will inspire you to put down your phone, rediscover what truly matters and completely rethink what ‘making it’ in life actually means.

A personal development title with a difference – there’s no step-by-step guide and no map to change your life – instead, it provides you with hilarious, real life inspiration, motivation and energy to figure it out for yourself and rediscover that wee piece of magic you had when you were just five years old.

When it comes to personal development books I tend to gravitate towards the same people, Brene Brown, Tim Robbins etc, so it was good to read one which was completely different and which added some Scottish humour (something which you’ll always find in Gavin’s books). This book arrived on my doorstep at the perfect time as I was stuck in that limbo of figuring life out, afraid to put myself out there while also starting on some personal inner-child work.

The book starts off with Gavin taking us back to childhood in Scotland and an incident in front of his peers which led to him developing a fear of public humiliation. However, later on in life he was able to reframe this by becoming a stand-up comedian.  Inspirational already, in my opinion!

Next was an exercise called ‘Letter from 4-Year-Old Me,’ which is an opportunity to write a letter to yourself from the 4-year-old you offering you some advice for life. I loved this and it’s an exercise that I believe everyone should do. I often find myself going back to my inner-child and thinking, what would little me say to me right now?

There are little pockets of motivation and encouragement throughout the book reminding you not to let challenges stop you from succeeding in life, and how important it is to push through those moments. There is also lots of positive psychology and at times it felt like your best friend was talking to you, holding your hand through the tough times to remind you that you’ve got this!

My favourite chapter was Chapter 3- Never Be Afraid Of Your Own Style.’ The section on small but significant victories really stood out to me, especially as a mum. I always encourage my daughter to celebrate all her small wins, whether that’s receiving positive feedback from her tennis coach or trying something new for the first time. This section also gives the reader a reminder that everyone is making it up in life, we all have to start somewhere and it’s so important to focus on your journey instead of comparing yourself to someone else’s journey. Something else which is covered is regrets and how we can self-reflect on that during our personal journey.

I loved the quotes which you’ll find throughout the book and how direct Gavin is. “Don’t be a dick” is generally great advice for life. Thank you Gavin! I love that he just says it as it is, something which can sometimes be lacking in personal development books which sometimes take life far too seriously!

Another great read, Gavin Oattes never disappoints.