A Personal User’s Manual For The Human Experience

Do you come with an instruction manual?

Imagine if you had one that described how you function.

Or better yet, what if we had a general user's guide that helps us function as a human being in this crazy and sometimes difficult world. A Human User's Manual is what I'd call it.

We all could use some instruction from time to time on handling our daily lives. Wouldn't it be great to have something that gives us direction in today's world?

I actually found such a thing.

I found this extremely helpful and uplifting book called A User's Manual For The Human Experience, by Michael W. Dean. Using his own success in life, Michael discusses personal improvement, self-development and personal productivity.

He helps with areas of improvement by explaining how to get through life, how to deal with life, how to accept it for what it is and how to deal with difficult situations that are part of everyone’s life. He did a great job at that. I really felt the title of his book was right on target, “A User's Manual For The Human Experience.”

Michael had a difficult life where he started out having made a number of mistakes. He was involved with drugs. He befriended the wrong people. He also had other difficulties, as he fought with depression. But he won!

He did many things right! As time went on, he picked himself up on his own, with his own strength. He explains how he achieved personal growth in such a way that the reader can relate and apply the same knowledge.

This book works for anyone, not just recovering addicts. The ideas that one gets from reading “A User's Manual For The Human Experience” can be used in all aspects of life. I know, because I had already applied to my life so much of what I had learned from Michael.

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“A User's Manual For The Human Experience” truly is what the title says. Michael covers many real life issues that we live with every day, but with little understanding of how we succeed or fail with these issues.

For example, he talks about how New Year’s resolutions don’t work. Honestly now, have you ever really kept one of your resolutions? Michael will save you from this agony of defeat from now on.

He instructs how to recognize the things in our life that are good. He explains that we are allowed to tweak these things to work for us.

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He simplifies all the rules we were taught growing up, by reducing them to “The Only Two Rules In Life.” Everything else relates to those two rules. Simple. He explains how, in a manner that is easy to understand. And the new understanding we get from his book makes life a lot easier.

I especially liked how Michael defined things in his own ways. He gave things meaningful names. Such as something he calls Serenity Vampires, or SV’s. These are people you want to avoid. He helps you recognize who they are and how they can drain you of your energy.

After reading his description, I realized I had allowed a number of SV’s into my life and I became aware of how they were negatively affecting me. I didn’t even know it until I read Michael’s book. Knowing this one thing alone was worth it.

I am sure we all have areas in our life that are detrimental to us. Michael talks about how you can take detriments in your life, and turn them around to become attributes. We all need that. He helps the reader understand and appreciate how someone giving you a hassle might simply be having a bad day.

Avoid Becoming a Victim

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He also talks about how to avoid becoming a victim. He defines something he calls a “Professional Victim.” That is one, as he explains, who repeatedly reenacts their grief over something horrible that had happened to them.

Michael Dean guides us by explaining that victims are not forced to remain in their rut, they choose to remain there. He makes it simple by talking about himself, and how he got over it.

Michael explains, in easy to relate terms, how he recognized his own shortcomings and, instead of being a victim, how he made the necessary changes in his life to get to a place of being a happy person, a good friend, and a good husband to his wife. He found a wonderful wife who is a compliment to himself. He makes it clear how he recognizes her talents and reinforces his appreciation for having her in his life.

Be Aware Of The Good Things We Have

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How many of us actually do that with our partner in life? How many of us are aware of the good things we have? There are many reasons why we all need a user’s manual for the human experience.

If you are a writer or creative in any way, “A User's Manual For The Human Experience” will be even more enlightening for you, because Michael Dean talks about how he wrote the book.

Imagine, writing about a book in the same book in which he wrote about writing it! It’s like putting two mirrors together, facing each other, and falling into infinity. Well, maybe not. Anyway, that helped me too, since I am also a writer.

Michael uses his life experiences to explain how to handle life in a successful manner, how to appreciate what we have and understand why we may not be allowing ourselves to have more. He includes hints and solutions to help us help ourselves.

Michael Dean's book really is a user’s manual for the human experience. If you feel lost or frustrated with life in any way, read his book.

Copyright © 2009 Glenn Stok