This book changed the direction of my life!

M.Scott-Peck’s pioneering self-help book takes the reader on a journey and offers a compass via real life stories and personal examples which encourage spiritual growth in an age of anxiety.

First published in 1978, this book was a slow burner and never became a best seller until 1983. Today sales are estimated at something close to 8 million worldwide. So, as you might imagine, there are a range of reviews out there. My simple and highly personal offering via this KA READ is this, if you haven’t already tried this book, please do.

Relationships, values & spiritual growth are at the heart of each chapter. Scott-Peck leaves no emotion unturned in his quest to demonstrate his basic premise….. life IS difficult and once you acknowledge that, it ceases to be so. Unpacked, once you accept responsibility, you can make better choices.

Covering traditionally challenging topics such as; the myth of romantic love, the presence of evil in a world created by a benevolent God, mental illness and the author’s own spiritual crises. The fundamental assertion of this engaging book is that once we know the worst, we are free to see what is beyond it. Now THAT is a road less travelled.

This is NOT a fluffy book, there are some deep challenges. Self-control is the essence of Scott-Peck’s brand of self-help. For example he says: ‘Without discipline we can solve nothing. With only some discipline we can solve only some problems. With total discipline we can solve all problems.’ This rule is a constant light being shone on some of the gaps and inconsistencies in my own life.

Yet, if we can somehow find a way of delaying gratification, our reward is the key to psychological maturity.

Discipline is not only about ‘growing up’ though. The application of discipline also lay in accepting reality and in the appreciation of the tremendous range of choices that exist.

Ok, this book can appear a tad pious in parts, even too prescriptive for some. Yet, there is always a richness in the real life stories shared. Some of those stories scream a warning, others offer a quiet remedy. All of them demonstrate the transformative power of our roads less travelled.

Perhaps my biggest joy in reading this book, is the prominence it affords love itself. Simply put, LOVE is the fuel on the road less travelled? As Scott-Peck explains, many of us think of love as a romantic feeling often unseen and occasionally decorated with flowers (nothing wrong with that by the way). No, what Scott-Peck invites the reader to consider and possibly re-evaluate is LOVE as ACTION. This book treats love as a verb, love as an active decision. Love in action and I love that!!!
There is no doubt, this classic best selling book will seem a little too simplistic for some. For numerous others it has proved full of life-changing insights. Give it a go and see what journey you end up taking.