TheChoice

I recently read The Choice: Embrace the Possibleby Dr. Edith Eger (2017).

 

This book is a memoir by EE, who was a survivor of Auschwitz in the 1940s. She later migrated with her family to the U.S., eventually earning a doctorate and become a licensed psychotherapist. 

 

My top takeaways:

·      The hunger to be free, embrace life, and to know and be ourselves is the fundamental desire of humans.

·      Suffering is universal but victimhood is optional.

·      Expression is the opposite of depression.

·      Stress is the body’s response to a demand for change.

 

My favorite quotes:

“All your ecstasy in life is going to come from the inside,” my ballet master had told me. (p. 37)

 

“A good definition of being a victim is when you keep the focus outside yourself, when you look outside yourself for someone to blame for your present circumstances, or to determine your purpose, fate, or worth.” (p. 204)

 

“…Our painful experiences aren’t a liability—they’re a gift. They give us perspective and meaning, an opportunity to find our unique purpose and our strength.” (p. 237)

 

“Time doesn’t heal. It’s what you do with the time. Healing is possible when we choose to take responsibility, when we choose to take risks, and finally, when we choose to release the wound, to let go of the past or the grief.” (p. 263)

Eger’s story of survival, resilience, and forgiveness is simply amazing.