Title: Dying To Live Your Life: Why Does It Take Facing Death To Live Your Best Life?
Author: Lisabeth Mackall
Publisher: ReadersMagnet LLC
ISBN: 978-1-949981-17-9
Pages: 186
Genre: Non-Fiction
Reviewed By: Arron Washington
Pacific Book Review
Death is inevitable. That is something every living human knows. There is no one individual who is immortal. Knowing that at the end of it everyone will die makes us try to live the best life we can. There is an urban adage that says we all live once. The adage is true, but what does living one’s best life entail? Being free to do anything? Exploring the world? Meeting people from different backgrounds? Being of help to the needy? Why does it take facing death for us to live our best life? This book answers these and many other questions. I knew this is the book I needed after getting into the second chapter.
The book starts by the author Lisabeth Mackall telling her story as a loving wife to her husband who had been involved in an accident. I found it impressive that she called her husband a brave warrior. It showed that she had faith that he would survive the near-fatal crash. Reading about the husband made me emotional for a minute. What I had not prepared was reading about the wife being diagnosed with breast cancer even after suffering when her husband had crashed a car. How unfair can life be? Reading that brought tears to my eyes. The author documented her journey through cancer treatment. That she wrote down the events adding dates like a journal made me empathize with her pain. Life, of course, changed a bit because of cancer, but she still conquered all. I admire that Lisa did not bow down to the disease. She refused to be a victim and went on with her life.
Lisabeth Mackall takes the reader through every step of her journey. I enjoyed that she talked about everything, not sparing any minute information. At no point did I feel as if she was giving out too much information. Telling her story not only creates awareness, but also gives us an insight as to what cancer patients go through. The author is a warrior because she did not let the disease take advantage of her. I read in agony how some days were painful for her. Remembering how life was before misery struck her was an excruciating experience. Lisabeth Mackall’s pain and recovery journey was another emotional experience. To deal with mental pain, the author stated that she prayed, meditated, tried to focus and tried to breathe to deal with her struggles. Having a solid support system is key when you are going through such struggles.
Dying To Live Your Life teaches us about embracing life the way it is, taking care of ourselves, showing optimism and having a positive attitude during bad days, and moving on when terrible things happen to us. Lisabeth Mackall’s story is not only encouraging but also inspiring. I see a brave persona in her. I applaud her for how she handled her situation.
This book is a great read that will leave you with tears in your eyes because of how strong the author is. Lisabeth Mackall deserves everything good that the universe can offer. This book is well-written and choreographed journey that will inspire you to be better than you were before you read it. If you’re like me, this book will remind you that there’s lessons to learn if we look for them, and purposes in the journey if we seek them.
