El presente libro es esencialmente un manual sobre cómo el lector puede implementar en su vida diaria la llamada Terapia de Aceptación y Compromiso (ACT por sus siglas en inglés). Uno de los principios fundamentales de la ACT consiste en aceptar los pensamientos y sentimientos negativos en lugar de luchar contra ellos, o de utilizar estrategias de control de forma excesiva. Para poder fundamentar sus explicaciones, el autor utiliza la dicotomía entre el yo pensante y el yo observante: el primero es esa parte nuestra que está continuamente generando pensamientos y contándonos historias, evaluando todo cuanto nos sucede y cuanto nos rodea; mientras que el segundo se limita a percibir el mundo tal y cómo es, a leer y sentir, y en definitiva, observar todo cuanto vivimos en le momento presente. Letting the radio play on without giving it much attention is very different from actively trying to ignore it.” – p. 66

A grande rasgo, el autor propone percibir nuestros pensamientos como lo que son, solo palabras, y prestarles atención solamente si son útiles para poder construir una vida plena y llena de sentido. Y este último es el otro gran elemento de la ACT. Para ello, el autor define qué entiende por "una vida plena y llena de sentido" y propone identificar nuestros valores, o dicho de otra forma, qué es más importante para nosotros, y emprender acciones y objetivos para vivir en consonancia con estos valores. First you make room for your feelings and allow them to be exactly as they are. Then you ask, "What can I do right now that is truly meaningful or important?" The main goal is to engage in meaningful activities, no matter how you feel.The book explores a number of tools you can use to accept your experience of those things and make choices that will make you feel good long-term. A gem. Russ Harris provides the most approachable primer to what you will learn in a long course of ACT, one of my favourite modes of therapy. This book is geared slightly more toward the clients and patients than the therapists, but contains so many exercises that can be used in session. It looks at upping awareness of the pernicious cycles we get bogged down in, while nudging us in the direction of a value-driven life, as opposed to a goal-driven one. For me, it’s the perfect combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy, Eastern practices, mindfulness, emotion-focused therapy, and a big one, existential therapy. If you are willing to read just one self-help book - this is the one. Especially if you prefer advice on how to find out what you like and why you are better off behaving in a certain way, to 'just so' statements about beliefs you must adopt and the way you should think-feel-behave to achieve a specific goal / way of life some guru says is best.

Dr Russ Harris is a medically-qualified doctor, stress consultant, executive coach, trainer, author, and a leading authority in the powerful new paradigm of Psychological Flexibility. (This is a revolutionary new development in human psychology that enhances performance, reduces stress, and improves health and wellbeing.) Dr Russ regularly presents workshops on Psychological Flexibility at both national and international psychology conferences, and has a thriving business traveling around Australia running training seminars for psychologists, coaches and a variety of health professionals. It must reveal something if I feel cagy about advertising that I've read a book subtitled "How to Stop Struggling and Start Living." Who doesn't imagine people are paying way more attention to your insecurities than they really are? "Gracious, I didn't know Josh was struggling! The poor dear. Let's make him some soup." But the second half of the book, either Harris got less annoying or either I learnt to look past my annoyances, because Harris starts to make clear that control strategies that do not harm you are not bad and that you should try whatever works for you and let go of the parts that don’t help. And although I haven’t experienced some major change in my life (yet), there is a truth to most parts of ACT, especially that connecting to your values and taking action accordingly will help you create a more meaningful life. I also think it’s true that we shouldn’t always want to fight bad feelings and just let them be instead. But there are some areas in life where I don’t think ACT is enough. I still believe that if I have certain bad thoughts, I should argue with them; not because I want to control them or believe I can’t handle them otherwise, but because in some situations “acceptance” is not the solution. Moreover, I believe that this also lies within ACT — when you have an unhelpful thought or urge and think about whether it brings you closer to your values, isn’t this a form of “helpful” arguing with yourself? Even the Dalai Lama has said: ‘The very purpose of life is to seek happiness.’ But what exactly is this elusive thing we are looking for? Try telling a victim of rape or severe domestic violence, for instance, to “just make space” for their anger and shame and trauma. Or telling a grieving wife who lost her husband of 60 years and is now potentially homeless with no support that she should “accept” her fear and heartache and helplessness. I suppose that ACT might be appropriate after some time has passed and folks like this are experiencing more stability, but I also think that there are some things that need deeper exploration than ACT can offer.After our first session, I got instant results. Over the weekend that followed I had many changes to indulge my addiction and I had the desire, but I was able to use ACT to make values-based choices. At that point, my knowledge of the principles of ACT was rudimentary. Dealing with conflicting values (e.g., work vs. family): sometimes you'll need to focus more on one value than another--find the best balance you can. Ask, "What's most important at this moment in my life, given all my conflicting concerns?" Then choose to act on that value, rather than wasting your time uselessly worrying about what you might be giving up or missing out on. Defusion: Recognizing thoughts, images, memories, and feelings as what they are – just words and pictures – without fighting them, running from them, or staying too focused on them