Do Nothing to Change Your Life: Discovering What Happens When You Stop

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Stephen Cottrell

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Pages: 96 (Paperback)

ISBN: 071514118X

Pub: Church House Publishing

Pub date: 2007-05-01

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 6021

Reader Reviews:

A missed opportunity (0/0 people found this helpful)

I knew this book was about Christianity when I bought it but it would be easy not to realise. Consequently I was intrigued to see how far an atheist could 'go along' with the book and whether I could still take a positive message away.

The title and packaging suggest that this book was attempting to reach beyond the traditional audience for religious literature and to attract an audience keen on self-help who might find the practical message helpful and therefore be willing to consider the spiritual message too. I read this at the same time as 'Happiness' by Matthieu Ricard which whilst clearly suffused with Ricard's Buddhist faith provides a message for all.

Unfortunately Cottrell had only just begun to discuss how pausing and reflecting might change your life for the better before he switched to the importance of a belief in Jesus Christ. He never really took up his initial point again.

I could see the book being helpful to someone who is already a Christian or pretty much ready to become one. A longer, subtler book might have had something to say to a wider audience.

A lovely lovely look at the gift of stepping back (6/6 people found this helpful)

Many of us today are bowed down by our need to be busy, productive people. In hurrying around, Cottrell (the bishop of Reading)'s thesis is that we miss out on being the complete humans God wants us to be. Rather, if we chilled out more, we'd be happier as a result.
So far, so obvious, you might say, but Cottrell makes his points with choice stories, depth of understanding and yet a light touch, which make this short book a delight, and a much-needed prompt. Superficially, he's just saying "take it easy once in a while"; at a deeper level, he's saying that God is present to us, if we'll only stop to take him in.
If you're an agnostic or atheist, enjoy this Christian take on how you might approach life in a different way (and really suck the marrow out of it.)
If you're a liberal Christian, take this as manna from heaven, reminding you of what you've always guessed about God's purpose for each of us.
If you're an evangelial Christian, read this to understand where liberals are coming from, and why they too want to share Jeussu Christ with the world.
Sure, it isn't perfect; it's a bit vague and waffly towards the end, but there's so much good here, that's a tiny quibble. When I put the book down, I sat still in a chair for 15 minutes and prayed. It was wonderful.

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