User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
really beautiful messages to reflect on and to aid healing, but it was too repetitive, sadly
Rating: really liked it
I have never encountered this author or his work before reading this book but was not surprised to learn, after finishing the book, that he began his thoughtful journey during a meditation course focused on the self. There is material on self-awareness, personal relationships, and society at large, but it all comes back to self.
Life is trauma and recovery. Not trauma as we often think of it, perhaps, but the trauma of “jealousy, anger, doubt, and low self-worth.” And the recovery “is not about managing your emotions; it is about managing your reactions to your emotions” because “our reactions tell us what our mind has internalized from our past experiences.” And since each and every one of us has different experiences, everything starts with self. I can’t truly have a healthy relationship at any level if I don't understand myself first.
His vision of self is a very healthy one. He doesn’t promote participation awards. But he does suggest, rightly so, I think, that we “throw away the idea that you need to pause your life until you are fully healed.” Life is motion. “How many times have you been unable to fully enjoy a special moment because you couldn’t stop thinking about what was missing?”
If you study Buddhism at all you will find a lot of familiar ground here although he only once, if my search worked correctly, mentions the word Buddha or Buddhism. That is very much to his credit, I think. Our language is not healing us at the moment, whatever language it is that you identify with. (And, yes, language does have both meaning and consequences.)
There is a big emphasis on listening and what he refers to as “selfless listening.” As a consultant whose name I can’t recall once asked “Are you listening to respond [selfish] or to learn [selfless]?” (I paraphrase.) On a related note, however, he reminds us “not every thought is valuable.” (The old joke about not wanting to belong to any club that would have me as a member comes to mind.)
It’s a good book and a very quick read. I read it in one sitting. I admire his studious avoidance of jargon and popular lingo although he lost his five stars toward the end when his prose started reading ever so slightly like a social manifesto. It’s a manifesto I agree with, for the most part, but manifestos of any stripe aren’t doing any of us much good at the moment.
His perspective alone would have made a valuable contribution. He didn’t really need to tie it all up in a bow and it is a bow that will sadly turn some readers off.
And I admit to sighing on almost the final page when he wrote, “fortunately, humanity is in the process of maturing. we are young, [his pen name means young people] but we are more open to learning, growing, and reorganizing our world than ever before. it is up to us to make compassion structural. [last sentence in italics]” (He uses no capitalization.)
How I wish that were true, but I fear it isn’t yet. I do, however, think his compass is sound and points in the right direction. Life is motion. The key is to move ahead. And he is right when he asks and answers the question “which comes first—inner work or working to make the world a better place? the answer is that both can happen at the same time.”
Rating: really liked it
I am certain that this work will help some people and some will find it very useful. But for me it's not good poetry and it's not self help I need at this moment. Really just seemed like mantras or good advice with line breaks:
"find a partner who is as committed to
supporting you in good times as they are
in the tough moments of growth and healing.
coming together as imperfect people can be
challenging, imperfection can sometimes cause
unintentional conflict, especially when one is
going through a moment of inner turbulence."
I hope that someone finds solace and guidance from it, but it was not the book for me.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
This was Instagram poetry at its finest, albeit more experimental in terms of length and rhythm. It was simplistic, pretty pointless, and oh yes, endless, to the point where the same idea kept repeating in multiple poems, and the volume wasn't the shortest, either.
It has a target audience of Rupi-Kaur-press-space-&-share-life-advice fans.
Rating: really liked it
Every page for me was a gift. Yes, some were reminders of what I have heard in the past, but beautifully said. I read it during my time off and it really helped me relax and come back to my self. I also took the opportunity to reflect on my relationships and see where I can improve on with the advice this book provides. I've seen mixed reviews about this book and glad that I read it for myself. Like many things, somethings might work for someone, but not for someone else. Super fast read even for someone as slow of a reader as me.
Rating: really liked it
An insightful and impressive poetry collection of emotions, relationships, healing, self-awareness, growth, releasing, acceptance, communication, vulnerability, and love. Yung Pueblo is the pseudonym of Diego Perez, who was born in Ecuador, raised in Boston, lived in New York City, and returned to Massachusetts. He was inspired to write this body of work after seeing the power of healing and transformation while attending a silent vipassana mediation course. He and his wife continue to meditate. There were a lot of poems that I loved, and here are a few of my favorites:
how many relationships would have
gone a different way if the goal were
not just to find harmony as a couple,
but to also find harmony
as individuals?
ask yourself:
is the connection real if there
is not space to be vulnerable?
attributes of a good friend:
they feel like home
they are honest with you
they remind you of your power
they support you in your healing
they have a revitalized presence
they hold a vision of your success
they support you in new adventures
they lift you up with joy and laughter
they bring out the best version of you
give love, but don’t exhaust yourself
be peaceful, but don’t become passive
have patience, but don’t settle for less
trust yourself, but don’t develop arrogance
be open to love, but don’t force a connection
have goals, but don’t chase after each craving
hurt travels through time
from one person to another
this unwanted heaviness moves
from the past into the present
and then into the future
one of the most heroic things
anyone can do is break the line of hurt
when people heal themselves,
they stop the hurt from multiplying
and their relationships become healthier
when people heal themselves,
they also heal the future
This is a book I would like to own. 4.5 stars.
Rating: really liked it
This is another book to put on my bedside and pick up on bad days.
5 stars
Rating: really liked it
Not my thing. Couldn’t get through it all, had to stop at around 60%. I felt like I was being told what to do, think, feel, and how to live by someone who… I’m sorry, what are your qualifications? Instagram?
Maybe this is palatable on Instagram in small doses, but I cannot sit here and read nearly 300 pages of it.
Rating: really liked it
0/10 do not trust the Goodreads Choice Awards poetry finalists💀
Rating: really liked it
2 stars
Self help statements in the guise of poems. The content isn’t bad, but I’d have rather read the ideas in essay format, expanded upon & explained better. These poems just didn’t feel very poem-like to me.
[What I liked:]
•Some poems are generic self help/therapy/mindfulness concepts; some are reflections on the poet’s own experiences. I preferred the latter, though those still were vague enough they felt generic. There were a handful of poems I connected with, that resonated enough to bookmark to come back to later.
•The ideas expressed in the poems are worthwhile, solid concepts about communication & emotional health my therapist would approve of. There are also some Buddhist teachings mixed in, which are interesting.
[What I didn’t like as much:]
•The poems read like self help platitudes in free verse form or in long paragraphs. Nothing particularly special or sparkly or piercing about the language.
•A lot of the poems are repetitive—the same ideas expressed multiple times throughout the volume without much meaningful variation.
[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]
Rating: really liked it
Less poetry, more one long fortune cookie.
Rating: really liked it
I can't decide if I love this book,
Or hate it,
Which is a strange place to be.
So I gave it a three.
Rating: really liked it
If y'all don't know Yung Pueblo, you are seriously missing out. Follow him on his socials, sign up to get his writings delivered to your inbox, pick up a copy of CLARITY AND CONNECTION, and prepare to be blown away. Yung is a genius, and this is a book to be savored, to be read in fits and starts because you need time to digest the gorgeous prose and ruminate on how his messages apply to your own life. It’s pages are meant to be highlighted and dog-eared because they are crammed with nuggets of wisdom on personal transformation, building self-awareness, and deepening your connection with the people around you. Out now, and worth every penny
Rating: really liked it
Various thoughts on topics revolving around authenticity, compassion and simply being okay and growing as a person.
I very much like the format, which sort of reminds me of a contemporary Meditations, the poetic style and the messages!
Rating: really liked it
Heal yourself, but don’t rush
Help people, but have boundaries
Love others, but don’t let them harm you
Love yourself, but don’t become egotistical
Stay informed, but don’t overwhelm yourself
Embrace change, but keep pursuing your goals.
I needed to hear a big majority of these poems. I’ve been feeling overwhelmed and drained but this is something I definitely needed to read.
