Review of The Shaolin Way

From Amazon:

In THE SHAOLIN WAY, Steve uses inspirational stories from his own life to illustrate 10 important principles of individual growth – like getting rid of Ego, Learning to lose Control, not being a Victim and the power of Self-Worth – to prove that everyday people can overcome their own demons – not with fancy kung-fu kicks, but with the mindset of the ancient Shaolin Fighting Monks, who strive for enlightenment every day, and who have become an inspiration throughout the world.

In The Shaolin Way, Steve DeMasco frames self-improvement in the context of Shaolin/Buddhist teachings. He uses his experiences in the martial arts (Shaolin kung fu in particular) and in life to give the reader some powerful coping tools for day-to-day living.

Overall this book is excellent. DeMasco’s stories are inspiring and his Shaolin lessons are easily accessable to anyone without a martial arts background. For example, DeMasco suggests that one need not sit like a monk and meditate. Rather, the person stuck living in the 21st century can make any task a meditative one. Gardening, walking, reading a book, or even blogging are all possibilities here. The point is to focus your mind on something other than the day-to-day stresses of life. Simply put: You have to unplugg.

Another example of his practical advice comes in the form of something he calls the 80/20 rule. 20 percent of the things in life are beyond your control. So you need to adopt the mindset that you should control that which you can control and learn to accept the fact that 20 percent will have to be let go.

I liked this book so much that I plan to buy a copy and have Mrs. Patterson read it. Consequently, I also give it a very high recommendation to you.

-BCP