BOOK REVIEW
Serena’s Pick
“The reason is that we are far too comfortable being lazy and sticking to our current habits.” By Serena Peck
I
picked up this book in January 2021 when setting new goals for myself. I was reflecting on how different life has been a year into the COVID-19 pandemic and needed some inspiration. That’s when I discovered “Don’t Stop Won’t Stop” by Alec Moonee. Reading the reviews, it was described as a short read to open your mind, written with enthusiasm and insight. So, I decided to give it a try and am so grateful for my decision. Moonee begins with the idea that many of us are merely existing, not living. You may have heard a statement like this before, but have you unpacked it? He proceeds to describe very common examples of this. Moonee says, “Every day, you spend hours and hours going through YouTube or Netflix browsing through endless lists of content and shows…you can comfort yourself by rationalizing just how you had nothing more to do”. Yikes. I know I can’t be the only 34 | IMS MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2021 PUBLIC HEALTH
student guilty of this, especially during a time of online school and endless lockdowns. Moonee continues with this idea by asking the reader questions and introducing moments in the book to pause and reflect. He encourages us to think about what we are doing when we are the happiest and to identify things we want to do, but are too afraid to start. Questions began to flood my mind. What am I doing when I spend time on YouTube or Netflix? I am watching other people do the things that I want to do! Next, he proposes his five—step system to find what we all may be missing: passion, personality, or purpose. In chapter one (step one), Moonee describes some of the invisible barriers we face that can stop us from finding our passion. “The reason is that we are far too comfortable being lazy and sticking to our current habits”, he says. Okay. It is starting to come together. How often have I made excuses for not doing things that make me happy?
Moonee proceeds to take you through the steps of recognizing poor habits, reflecting on why they occur, and describes solutions for it. As the chapters and steps progress, they become more specific and task—oriented. For example, chapter four is about making small daily changes and setting achievable goals for yourself. It can be as small as learning a new task or hobby for ten minutes a day. These small actions can help us find our passion and put us back on track for a happy and purposeful life. For me, I started doing yoga every day for at least ten minutes and it has been amazing. Did I use the five—step system? Not in its entirety. However, reading this book gave me the push I needed to make real changes within myself. So, if there are passions or hobbies you want to work on, this book may bring you one step closer to finally getting them started. It is important to take time, reflect, and find that passion, so we can stop existing and start living.
