Looking for a great book? Learning about personal finance is great for your financial wellness but I broadened my horizons this year to work on my mental health as well so I picked up Michael J. Fox’s book No Time Like the Future. I know it seems like an odd choice for mental health, after all it’s not the typical self help book, definitely not penned by Brené Brown but it had some amazing lessons throughout sprinkled with his wit and humour.
I don’t want to spoil it for anyone but I will share takeaways. The most lesson that stuck with me the most is benefit of the doubt. He insists that he and his wife have not always had the easiest marriage but one thing they always gave each other is the benefit of the doubt. This gave them the strength and understanding to endure an onslaught of difficult situations, which is definitely an understatement. The best thing about the philosophy of giving the benefit of the doubt is it can apply to any situation. Realizing that everyone is having their own struggles and usually that person isn’t trying to cause harm is actually freeing.
The next point that I took to heart is his optimism, it’s not eternal though, in fact that is a major theme, how an optimist can’t possibly stay positive all the time. Through a few extreme wake-ups, Fox realizes that it’s ok to not be ok. Being kind to yourself, especially when things are at their worst, is important to make sure you can get back to the good times.
Beyond those lovely life lessons, his writing is charming, sweet and funny. I highly recommend this book for something light, fun and surprisingly heartwarming.