This post records what I have read and my reflections.
Next Good thing
Reading Digest
Chapter 1- 3
The Marcos worked as graphic designer and got fired.
He tried to find a new job but still failed to land on a job after 6 months.
To sustain his family spending of 2 kids, he did uber in the night while keep applying for the job.
One day, he received an email from his father sharing a exerpt from bible. A voice came up that he should do the next good thing. And that unfolds the whole story.
- I kind of relates to Marcos’ situation.
Chapter 4
Marcos volunteered to care for Joe, an old stroke survivor in his region. It turned out that Joe is a wise man and guided Marcos through several life issues.
Chapter 5
It turned out that Joe is a mentor and also a coach for public speaking.
.…I believe every person is put on this earth with a passion to do something….
They found their calling or what they were put on the earth to do. Those people would do that work whether anyone paid them or not, and it was that passion that fueled them enough to stand up in front of a group of complete strangers and talk about it. (page 75.)
I call this finding the song we came here to sing. Find that and you are on your way to a fulfilling and happy life where you will want to share it with others. (page 76.)
- I reflected on my self about why I did not do well on public speaking. Did I find my song? Did I work on something that I am enthusiastic about, so that I am willing to share? Or, I am just too shy to do public speaking.
Chapter 6
Some minor accident happened when Marcos was taking Joe to lunch. A driver was barely hitting them when Marcos was guiding Joe in the parking lot.
Marcos was furious about that, but Joe did not put this accident in mind for too long.
… Don’t let someone else put their bad day on you. You cannot control how you feel if you are letting others do it for you. Don’t let someone else define you. (Page 92.)
- Could the news, some short clips on social media also play a role of controlling how you feel? If I secluded from this social media, how do I define my happiness?
Chapter 7
Joe made an email offer about Ukulele lesson that Marcos could teach and make some money, but Marcos was afraid of doing it.
… hiding can be okay at first, but it is important to understand why we are hiding.
But, then, they changed the topic to “why you are here?”
Chapter 8
Marcos was deciding whether he should apply for a job and Joe was helping him to build up some confidence.
… Positive beats negative. … And instead of saying you can’t do something or that you have never done something they ask you about - turn it around and beat that negative with a positive like, I helped someone do that, or I’ve always wanted to accomplish that , or building a campaign like that I look forward to completing. People love to hear that and what’s more, they love to help people reach their goals. (Page 131.)
Chapter 9-10
Marcos got some interview invitations. But, he disappointed Joe because he did not post what he jotted down in the journal as promised.After bugging him for a day, he apologized in the next day.
Is inaction just another form of hiding?
At last, Joe wanted Marcos to be a doer and to say it loud as language has so much power.
I’m a doer.
- Maybe not just make “I am a doer” as a post-it note. Say it out loud.
…maybe that talent is a path to something else, something more meaningful. Miss the turn sign for that path and your talent can become a dead end instead of a wonderful journey.
- Something you’re good at doesn’t mean you should keep doing well on the same path. At last, it all goes to the same question: why?
Joe talked about how he deal with problem. He mentioned that dealing with a problem is like looking at “You Are Here” map at the mall.
… Just pick up your red dot where you are now and move it to the place you want
- What Joe suggested is that don’t remain stuck in one spot. Be a doer.
Chapter 11
Marcos went to a dinner with his friends. He tried to share some idea he got from Joe, though his friends are still doubtful.
Doubtful people have doubtful lives.
- I think I am still doubting about how to always stay positive when things go completely out of my control. I still can not stay positive when dealing with the visa status in US, the job market so far and so forth.
Chapter 12
Marcos went to a job interview in Christian university. He thought he would nail the job interview until the last moment which was about the code of conduct in Christian university. Poignant questions about sexual identity and gender identity made him think about what his trans son was suffering. At last, he could not tolerate their culture about excluding some minority groups in the their Christian world, and then, terminated the interview.
Elliot was dealing with the friendship. His friends were not happy when he exposed too much about his mental health, and was being too dramatic, drawing too much attention. Elliot was ignored when he went to a coffee shop to meet his friends. He made a scene by throwing a coffee cup at one of his friend who drove him crazy.
Chapter 13
Marcos got good news right after finishing the last job interview; However, what awaiting him was his son’s attempted suicide. While sending Elliot to ER, he was mad at his son because he was not able to protect his son and it would cost a lot of money without insurance during unemployment.
Chapter 14
Marcos was expecting to get some guidance from Joe. He wondered why life is so hard.
… it will feel like you want to pull back, but you can’t. When you want to protect yourself, that’s when you need to make yourself even more vulnerable. On days like today, being someone else’s anchor of positivity will be the hardest thing you ever do - but it will also be the most important.
Since Marcos was about to onboard his new job. It was a time to say goodbye to Joe and to interview a new care giver. Marcos was wondered why Joe picked the less qualified candidate until he realized how he looked like several months ago.
Joe wanted someone who has life issues to care him, so that the care giver could get guidance from Joe and Joe could get help from the care giver. That is the way Marcos got hired as a care giver.
… Every morning that I open my eyes is another day that I get to sing my song. I sing about how wonderful life is and how lucky we are to be here. I sing it as bravely as I can now. I sing it so that others can hear and join in. I treat each new daily day as a fresh opportunity to be a positive example and to help everyone around me.
Chapter 15
Marcos narrates how he integrated what he learned from Joe’s to his work environment and how he gave other coworkers advices.
One day, he got an email saying Joe passed away.
Chapter 16
Marcos listed lessons he learned from his journal. He described the day he attended Joe’s funeral. He also reckoned that he wanted to post what he learned from Joe’s.
I just listed a few of them:
- Find Your Song and Don’t Hide: embrace the gift and share it with people
- You Get by Giving.
- Ask for Help: ask the universe and make it loud
- The Power of Next: When something doesn’t work, just move on
- You Are Here: identify where you are and where you want to go.
- Positive Beats Negative: use positive words
Reflection after reading
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The way editors made the chapters might not be perfect for the first few chapters. It feels like a journal and it is as it turned out.
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Not too much religious things but more in general guidelines in lifes.
Bao-Jhih Shao
A software engineer writing something to keep the memory.
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