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What did you learn from “And Then I Met Margaret”?

Posted: 02 Jan 2018, 02:13
by Joy Christine
:techie-reference: Hello fellow book lovers and Online Book Club reviewers! I was lucky enough (or did the right book find me at the right time, hence not leaving it up to chance or luck?) to be able to select “And Then I Met Margaret“ in late December to review. So far I think this is going to be an amazing book to start 2018 off in the frame of mind and positivity that is my goal for this new year and the rest of my life. I don’t know how many of you can identify but last year was the hardest year of my life. I picked this book to review for the lessons I can learn and apply to my life. I would love to know what lessons y’all learn and how you plan to apply then to your lives! Happy New Year!

Re: What did you learn from “And Then I Met Margaret”?

Posted: 02 Jan 2018, 06:57
by HouseOfAtticus
To be honest, I don't believe in the idea that our destiny is in our own hands. But I did learn the importance of having a strong belief system.

Re: What did you learn from “And Then I Met Margaret”?

Posted: 02 Jan 2018, 08:28
by Sahani Nimandra
This book reminded me of lot things since each had something to say. But I really liked the chap. 14 advice that he gave: "Look where you want to go in life, not at where you don't want to go...don't hesitate at the corners; excuses will slow down your progress...one successful corner can lead to another and result in a positive chain reaction...listen for the thumping sounds in your journey through life - thet mean you are drifting out of the lane and heading for a crash...and perhaps the biggest of them all...Life gives you many opportunities to learn how to navigate through the world safely; there's no better teacher than experience. But, eventually you must become your own instructor if you plan to win". I actually noted it down. The other was in chap. 17 about personality :" cheerfulness in the face of rudeness, tolerance in the face of discourtesy and forgiveness in the face of intrusiveness". I just love these two advices

Re: What did you learn from “And Then I Met Margaret”?

Posted: 02 Jan 2018, 09:46
by fergie
I think my main take-away from it - although there were many great lines, as Sahani says above - is to be very aware of the people around you in life and the lessons they can all teach. That lessons may come quite randomly from someone you don't know well, or bump into in a shop. You don't need lifestyle gurus and expensive courses in motivation and how to live, just look at those around you and keep your eyes and mind open. When I think about the people in my own life, there are constant examples of people who've done really well, often against adverse circumstances, because they've kept going and kept cheerful. And others who are endlessly negative and show how not to live life.

Re: What did you learn from “And Then I Met Margaret”?

Posted: 02 Jan 2018, 11:35
by lavellan
I learned the importance of having confidence in yourself and being willing to learn from her others. I don’t think this book can help with everyone’s and every problem, but it can serve as a helpful reminder to be more positive in the situations you can control.

Re: What did you learn from “And Then I Met Margaret”?

Posted: 02 Jan 2018, 11:38
by Insightsintobooks729
The main thing I learned was that everyone around you can be a teacher. I also liked the part about looking towards what we want and not what we don't.

Re: What did you learn from “And Then I Met Margaret”?

Posted: 02 Jan 2018, 21:42
by shalom113
I learned that "its the little things in life that count" not always the big events. That life consists of " not how many breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away" and that, " you can't direct the wind, but you can adjust your sails".

Re: What did you learn from “And Then I Met Margaret”?

Posted: 03 Jan 2018, 04:23
by AliceofX
To be honest I really can't say I learned anything. The thing that bothered me about the book is that for some people just leading a normal, boring life is a struggle, going through a day without becoming a mess is an achievement. The problem with And Then I Met Margaret is I never felt the author faced any real adversity in his life. Here I'm proud of slowly crawling out of a hole and he's talking about building castles.

Re: What did you learn from “And Then I Met Margaret”?

Posted: 03 Jan 2018, 04:44
by Gikonyo Caroline
There are many lessons I picked among them is to have the courage to be myself, the value of integrity and ethics in business,standing for what I believe,treating others with grace, taking responsibility for my life, quit whining, learn lessons from failure , there are no limits except those I accept and believe to be so, listening to my instincts, controlling my emotions so that am cheerful in the face of rudeness, am tolerant in the face of lack of courtesy, and forgiving in the face of intrusiveness.

Re: What did you learn from “And Then I Met Margaret”?

Posted: 03 Jan 2018, 05:09
by pinklover
HouseOfAtticus wrote: 02 Jan 2018, 06:57 To be honest, I don't believe in the idea that our destiny is in our own hands. But I did learn the importance of having a strong belief system.
I agree with you. We don't know what is ahead of time. We don't know the future. I just believe that his life is also unique as well as ours. Some will get rich but others will not even if how hard they work for it. It is only By the Hands of God.

Re: What did you learn from “And Then I Met Margaret”?

Posted: 03 Jan 2018, 05:49
by nadiadeana
Insightsintobooks729 wrote: 02 Jan 2018, 11:38 The main thing I learned was that everyone around you can be a teacher. I also liked the part about looking towards what we want and not what we don't.
I agree with this. Even in real life, I've come to realise that there is a little something you can take from everyone to make your life better.

Re: What did you learn from “And Then I Met Margaret”?

Posted: 03 Jan 2018, 07:37
by Sincerely
Through the stories in the book, i learnt that in life we meet unexpected gurus who inspire us to reach for our goals and inspirations.I also learnt that kindness is an act of self interest it always reciprocates in beautiful ways .Another thing i learnt is that for you to achieve your goals, along the way there are many challanges and setbacks but you have to be strong and you should not pull back at any point if anything you should learn from them and come back stronger.

Re: What did you learn from “And Then I Met Margaret”?

Posted: 03 Jan 2018, 10:04
by kandscreeley
I don't think I necessarily learned anything new, but I did have some ideas that were already rolling around in my head reinforced. I think you need to be true to yourself. It's easy to say, but it's hard to learn. So, I think hearing it multiple times is the way to go.

Re: What did you learn from “And Then I Met Margaret”?

Posted: 03 Jan 2018, 10:16
by fergie
The main thing I learned was that everyone around you can be a teacher.
And I guess, also, that you yourself can be a teacher, even if you're not setting out to be one!

Re: What did you learn from “And Then I Met Margaret”?

Posted: 03 Jan 2018, 13:12
by Lg_99
kandscreeley wrote: 03 Jan 2018, 10:04 I don't think I necessarily learned anything new
Pretty much this. I did not learn anything new. However, I did like the emphasis the author gave to "working your way to the top." Life is not easy, so people should not expect to have everything handed to them; if they truly want something, they need to fight for it.