EXORCISING YOUR EXCUSES

Neilson’s debut holistic self-help book examines the ways that excuses can interfere with a healthy lifestyle.

The author, a personal trainer, claims that “if you have fallen short of any goal in your life, you can always trace your result back to an excuse.” Such excuses, the author asserts, come from self-sabotaging beliefs and negative conditioning, among other sources, and he emphasizes the importance of affirmations, positivity, and the act of smiling in achieving and maintaining an optimal state of health. His 60-day plan insists on adequate sleep, meditation, and hydration, and he urges readers to eat vegetables daily and reduce “time wasters.” Most of these ideas are not new, though the packaging—charts, graphs, “exorcism” activities to get rid of one’s excuses—may be. Acronyms abound, as when the author insists that readers create a “CCV” (“Crystal-Clear Vision”): a written mission statement for one’s life. He also advocates a “Triple-A Solution” comprised of awareness (acknowledging when one makes excuses), acceptance (taking ownership of the excuses), and action that opposes said excuses. Overall, this is a thought-provoking self-help book that provides an extensive plan to change unhealthy behaviors. That said, some claims are dubious, such as, “many of us believe today that we are living in the real world when we are actually living in a world created by the beliefs that we unconsciously allow into our minds.” Others are simplistic: “When you eat like crap, you feel like crap. When you feel like crap, you think like crap. When you think like crap, your life becomes crap.” It also troublingly presents statistics without any specific source: “Other highly respectable organizations have stated that up to 70 percent of cancers are preventable through healthy nutritional practices.” In addition, the frequent mentions of God in the text may not appeal to readers who don’t see exercise and eating habits as spiritual dilemmas.

A comprehensive but flawed wellness manual.