The Lost Together Book Club | The Wellbeing Pick
““you have to get to work being your own coach instead of your own worst critic”
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Have you ever read a non-fiction book and had an idea spark, but then die again because hours passed and you forgot it? Have you ever wanted to do the exercises, answer the questions, and take the wisdom offered in the latest bestseller, but then left that space behind when you closed its pages?
Or have you learned some new way to well-being only to be confused about how that sits with that other piece of advice you liked that said something equally as valid, but opposite? Have you felt just a little like you were flailing with all the things to do that feel contradictory rather than complimentary, or all-encompassing rather than life-enhancing?
Or. Or, have you ever felt alone with your emotions, your thoughts, and your life and you thought maybe others felt like this too? You were sneakily suspicious that they did. (Just think about all those readers of The New York Times or Sunday Times bestsellers which must mean we’re all thinking about this too?) You believe that other people have felt this way, experienced this as well, and felt just as lost. You just didn’t know where to find them.
All of this is a preamble for telling you why I’m starting a book club and why I’m doing it differently. At its heart is the question: what if we could shift the self in self-help to a kind of collective support? Could we learn all the things together, bring a sense of acceptance and curiosity back into our days, and integrate just the bits of science that resonate into our lives?
So this is how it’ll work:
I’ll take the Culture Therapy piece from If Lost. I’ll cover mostly books, but I may also bring in podcasts, TV series, magazines — really anything that can help navigate life and all that life now contains.
I’ll add in a coaching framework — taking what we’re reading and exploring and seeing how, and whether, to integrate it into our actual lives.
And we’ll add in the familiarity and community that comes with being part of a book club. Think slightly awkward, but kind of connecting, moments together.
At the beginning of each month, I’ll announce the selections: a mix of books you might already have on your shelves with new releases you’ve been looking forward to reading.
Mid-month, I’ll send some ideas/questions/exercises that stood out for me and invite you to practice them together.
And — here’s the fun bit — I’ll organize a get-together on Zoom focusing on each book, coaching around what came up for you, and seeing where the book took you.
For this kick-off month, the Wellbeing Pick is:
This book is designed as the complete toolkit – it’s filled with the lessons we could learn through years of therapy, but that should really be available to all of us before we even sit on that couch.
What’s the baseline for our emotional and mental well-being?
What are the foundational approaches to better navigate our everyday lives?
How can we build a practice when we feel good that serves us when we’re feeling bad?
We added this because it’s a book to live through and by, with concepts to integrate and exercises to complete.
We’re curious about what happens when books go beyond reading, and this one’s a case in point: how might we actively nurture our good mental health when we spend time with it?
To join this month’s Lost Together Book Club head to Substack.
