Book Reflection: Stop with the BS

Book Reflections are the anti-book review. It’s not an objective account of the book’s content, but a personal reflection of how it touched my life.

2013 — three years ago

When I first read the book in 2013, I was no different from most of my peers. Charging headlong in a corporate career, occasionally peering over the fence to ponder a more entrepreneurial life.

Stop with the BS was a godsend then, written so frankly by Shane Mac onboard Amtrak’s Coast Starlight. The entire book was composed over 24-hours. Each chapter is a short, to-the-point story of his musing. Oftentimes, those topics were about challenging the norm, stepping outside the comfort zone, and doing the unexpected.

At the time, I marveled over the fence, seeing the “greener” pasture, and wondered how I could make my way there.

Amtrak's Coast Starlight. One day, I'll get to ride on it!

2016 — now

I picked up this book again yesterday, and I was amazed that my perspective has completely transformed. When I quit my 9-to-5, I eliminated many unnecessary activities. I’m actually living some of the principles I read a few years ago.

What did I realize through this process?

Well — doing things outside my comfort zone is really damn hard.

That’s expected, I suppose; it’s called the comfort zone for a reason. Learning is a funny process where at the beginning, everything is painful. (Oh gosh, I remember when I taught myself calculus; hugging the book to sleep certainly didn’t help.) Yet, it gets easier and easier over time. At some point, it may even become comfortable, second nature.

Here are two things that I want my future self to keep in mind:

Remember that going outside the comfort zone is not a walk in the park. It’s gonna kick you in the butt.
Rather than resisting the pain, accept and embrace it. It leads to growth, and it’s worth the struggle. (Otherwise, don’t even start.)

The train ride that Shane Mac took while writing the book is so fitting of its story — it really is a journey. Be resilient, and don’t lose the urge to continue growing.

PS: I tried this new writing technique, of non-stop writing for 20 minutes. Just putting down thoughts. And then going back to edit it. It amazes me a) how much I can write in 20 minutes, b) how long editing takes.