Outrageously Fulfilling Relationships (book review)

I received a complementary copy of this book for review purposes.  The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.

“Earth is a school,” Randy Ferguson writes early in his book Outrageously Fulfilling Relationships: An Outrageous Guide to Creating Uncommonly Blissful Partnerships.  “The purpose of this school is to teach us the lessons we need to mature as human beings … to learn to live congruently with our basic nature which is one of love.”  For those of you in “earth school” like me you will find the book packed with valuable insights on how to improve the quality of your relationships.

Outrageously Fulfilling Relationships is an easy read.  Not a big book (111 pages) I liked how it was divided into short, easy to digest chapters (28 in all).  I read a chapter or two each night before going to sleep.  Ferguson emphasizes changing from within, and not being dependent on other people.  “Discover the key of bringing your joy to a relationship, rather than trying to squeeze joy from a relationship,” he believes.

As a person who tends to avoid conflict, I liked the author’s view that conflict is natural in healthy relationships.  In a chapter titled “The Gift in Upsets” he writes “give up the expectation that upsets should never occur … and discover how to move through the upset, as fast as possible.”  He goes on to list eight steps to move through troubling circumstances.  I’ve put a bookmark in this chapter, especially, and I will refer to next time I am stuck in a negative emotion.  With other chapters like “Eight Relationship Myths that Lead to Disaster”, “Overcoming Jealousy”, “Restoring Love in Your Family”, and more there are plenty of insightful nuggets spread throughout the book on a variety of issues we all encounter in “earth school”.

Do you have a goal for the new year?  Ferguson encourages the reader to give it his or her all.  “If you are 90% committed, your task will be very difficult.  If you are 100% committed, your task will be relatively easy.  Generate in your heart that 100% commitment, and get ready to kick some butt.”  These words caused me to ponder how committed I was to a project I am working on, and encouraged me to give it my all.

Ferguson is a dynamic speaker who I had the pleasure to hear last month.  I wondered if his book would be as good as his talk.  It is!  “As you practice the principles described in this little book, the quality of both your relationships and your life will be significantly enhanced,” the author says.  Now it is up to me to put into practice the many helpful “earth school” tips Ferguson reveals in his book.