Matthews, Andrew. Follow Your Heart. New York: Price Stern Sloan, 1997.
ISBN 0-8431-7491-9
Follow Your Heart is like a short course in the major concepts of happy living. That Andrew Matthews wrote it in a light, simple style gives it and advantage over many similar self-help books.
Matthews sees life as series of lessons. Our job is to learn, change and improve. Instead of fighting against and imperfect world, we learn to be better people and make the world a little better in the process. We’re not here to change the world, but to change ourselves.
In this light, success is more about being happy and having peace than about having money and the trappings of wealth. A person who does what he loves to do often finds he doesn’t need much. A person who develops his talents into excellent skills often finds himself equipped to make plenty of money.
This kind of success is available to everyone. Matthews says, “The universe has no favorites.” The universe is governed by natural laws and we can all understand and use them. Matthews discusses some of these laws. The laws aren't easy ways to get what you want. The laws require patience and effort. This relates to another of Matthews’ precepts, “When you fight life, life always wins.”
One of the ultimate things we can do to be better and help others be better is to love others. According to Matthews, the great expressions of love are forgiveness and acceptance. People aren’t going to be perfect and aren’t going to follow all the rules me make up for them. When we free others from our hurts and expectations, we free ourselves from self-imposed misery, too.
Follow Your Heart isn’t especially original in its message and methods, but neither are many other self-help books. Where it stands out is in a style that is straightforward, lighthearted, humorous and brief.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Attitude is Everything by Jeff Keller
Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar
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