“Notes to Myself – My sturggle to become a person ” by Hugh Prather.
I got this book some 7-8 years back. The title appealed me the most and led me to select the name of the blog on the title. But I had to select another as “Notes to myself” has been adopted by many bloggers.
In the morning while having the breakfast I was reading this small book and I come across with this passage and it seems to have been written by me, written for me, it simply refelcts my state of mind.
When I first began trying to be myself, I at times felt trapped by my feelings. I through that I was stuck with feelings I had, that I couldn’t change them, and should’nt try to even if I could. I saw many negative feelings inside me that I didn’t want, and yet I felt that I must express them if I were going to be myself.
Since then I have realized that my feelings do change and that I can have a hand in changing them. They chage simply by my becoming aware of them. When I acknowledge my feelings they become more positive. And they change when I express them. For example, if I tell a man that I don’t like him, I usally like him better.
The second thing I have realized is that my not wanting to express a negative feelings is a feeling itself, a part of me, and if I want not to express the negative feeling more than I do, then I will be acting more like myself by not expressing it.
Another line which hit me very hard ….
My trouble is I analyze life instead of live it
Observer 
I saw many negative feelings inside me that I didn’t want, and yet I felt that I must express them if I were going to be myself.
Ya, I also belive in same. Sometimes I know that I am feeling negative, still I express it. I dont want to collect all the negative inside my heart, becoz when it burst, its becums more dangerous.
I share whatever I feel for the person even negative, atleast it will help me to understand his point also.
Probabaly, this is one of the reason for me for being sad. I am unable to express negative feelings , which may hurt the feeling of other people or create other consequences. So suppression of expression of negative feelings makes my heart deteriorate.
Infact, I have tried, successfully, to chage the feeling being aware of them and resultuing in positive feelings. But unable to convert with all such feelings filled in my heart.
Dont worry; good things happen with nice people like you.
I dont believe that you can have a negative feeling, you are such a positive thinker man. Still if it comes, that means the other person has done something very wrong. You dont have to convert the feelings to postive, best is tell that person bluntly whatever you are feeling. That person will also has to understand you.
Kya yaar main tumhe kuch zada he lecture de dete hun hehehehe. (yeh hindi main hi likhna accha hai)
I dont, never, blame a person, personally. It is the attitude which makes wonder why people behave like such a way. I let go. I cant change the world, I have to change myself, and I do that all the time. Try get adjust with the people , circumstances and I have developed a kind of flexiblity. Ofcourse, flexiblity do no always mean I am happy with the circumstances, sometime reluctantly I choose to be flexible rather rigid. But generally I tend to change myself then trying to bent some else.
Never mind lecturing me. That is an advice from one friend to another. Infact, whenever you feel lecturing, and cannot find anyone around, you can lecture me. 🙂
JV. you always make me smile. I will definaly lecture you and eat all your brain, I know you wont mind it.
Have a nice day ahead 🙂
I am happy to know that.
Hello JV
I’m just a passerby. I am a hugh prather fan myself. if you have time do take a look at his book, ‘standing on my head’, is beautiful to read it.
=) true happiness will come when you realised that you’ve stopped searching for answers!
Have fun!
Thanks Ling for the recommendation, I will definately include the book in my must-read list.
Thanks again.
Hey JV
This is a truly wonderful book and I kinda bumped into it occasionally at a bookstore 3 years back. Sometimes, there is just one book in the rack, and you aint sure…
You dont know if its a bestseller ( then there would be many ) or if its the one which the shopkeeper just wants to be disposed with…
Again, the issue of overtly analysing things, than just doing that. So, I just picked up the book without any further thought.
:-))
Anyway, I picked it up and it has been a wonderful experience and a immensely valuable addition to my collection of books.
take care
Prem
I love the randomness of the WWW! I stumbled on your blog tag surfing on Lata, and then came to this. I love Hugh Prather, have that book under my bed and dust it off from time to time and read it. I used to listen to his show on and internet radio station that no longer exists. He has a set of columns here http://www.beliefnet.com/author/author_92.html. I actually wrote him (using the email he gave on the internet radio show),2 times in my life, in moments of dispair and he wrote back with excellent insight. You have a great blog!
Thanks Prem and Sitaji for sharing your expereinces. Apologies for not replying timely.
Hi, I read Hugh Prathner’s Notes to Myself in 1988. My old landlady Annie S Kitcherside had brought it back from a trip in Canada. Richard Carlson put it very simply. To have negative feelings you first have to think the thought in your head. Solution? Read Carlson’s “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” . Replay those thoughts, change them to positive and watch your happiness grow. Richard died last year aged 45 but he has more of an internet footprint than Prathner. In saying that , when I want to feel spaced out, I read Notes to Myself again. god bless. KRIS CARLSON RUNS THE http://WWW.DONTSWEAT.COM website now in Richards honor. treasure yourself !!!
i had this book many many years ago when it first came out. i have not had it now for a number of years and need to get another copy. -it was not the only hugh prather book i had and i do not recall the title of the other but it was beautifully illustrated with pencil drawings of indians, snakes, spiritual beings and american flags. it was the story of a party’s trek in a dreamlike environment. there was fear and notknowingness and exploration and observation in the ostensibly first person account of the dreamlike trek. a most wonderful and curious book, very magical of both light and dark qualities, and very very trippy… i believe it very relevent to today and again, a book i need to replace -if possible.
john farwell
oklahoma city, oklahoma, usa
I love this little book. I picked it up when I was in my late teens. I had quite forgotten about it until today. I was trying to recall a quote and looked up Hugh Prather. I then found many other quotes from this book and was surprised at how much these lines have affected my life in general. Either they had a profound effect on me as I read them… or I simply related to them and the meaning behind the words stuck. Anyway, I am still unable to find the quote so I’m hoping someone can help me here. The quote says something like *guilt is an imperfect form of knowledge… the trick is to do something about it before it paralyzes you* but I know something is missing. I no longer have the book in my posession so if any of you have it and know what quote I am referring to please post it here. Thanks in advance…
freespirit
by the way… the book I am referring to is notes to myself…
Sir,
I have read a summary about this book but I want to read this book. Please let me know how shall I get this book.
Thanking you,
yours sincerely
Jagadindra Raychoudhury
E.mail jrc_best@yahoo.co.in
Its worth buying and reading!!
You can buy at any online bookstore, here is one link
http://www.flipkart.com/notes-myself-hugh-prather-my/0553273825-b0w3ftdg8b
This book had a powerful message for me in a time of great need.
can i get its summary plz…………………..
You have a nice blog. “Notes to Myself” is a very inspirational book. I, too received it many years ago and found it to be very thought-provoking. Sadly, the wonderful book’s author, Hugh Prather, passed on during this last year:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Prather
“it couldn’t have happened any other way then the way it did”. My favorite quote.
I’m uncertain whether you’re one of my family members to be aware of my problem to this level.
Mind blowing blog and extremely useful! Thanks a lot!
I love this but then again I love just about everything Hugh Prather writes. I have given away so many copies of Notes to Myself in the original version that I did not keep one for myself or at least I can’t find it. Any ideas on where I can find one?