Why Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain is a Must-Read

“Upbeat tunes make us want to dance around our kitchens and invite friends for dinner. But it’s sad music that makes us want to touch the sky.”

~Susan Cain

Have you ever heard the saying, "life is bitter-sweet"? The book Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain explores this concept in depth. Oprah Winfrey herself has recently picked this book as her February read, and I agree with her choice as it was my February read as well. Bittersweet offers a unique perspective on the human experience that is insightful, honest, and thought-provoking. It's a must-read for anyone who has ever felt the beauty and pain of life, or who is looking to cultivate a deeper appreciation for the bittersweetness at the heart of our existence. 

Cain takes readers on a journey of self-discovery, exploring the meaning of joy and sorrow, and how embracing the bittersweet can help us grow and become more resilient. One of the things that I loved about this book is that Cain blends her own personal memoir with research, making it feel like you're reading a conversation with a friend.

It's a reminder that life is not always easy, but that doesn't mean there isn't beauty in the struggles or the transitions. Cain challenges us to embrace our pain and channel it into something that can help us grow, whether that be through art, writing, or starting a new career. It's a powerful message and one that resonated with me deeply.

She writes, “And I’ve concluded that bittersweetness is not, as we tend to think, just a momentary feeling or event. It’s also a quiet force, a way of being, a storied tradition-as dramatically overlooked as it is brimming with human potential. It’s an authentic and elevating response to the problem of being alive in a deeply flowed yet stubbornly beautiful world.” 

Cain also explores the concept of grief and how we can learn to live with it. Grief is something that we all experience but rarely talk about. It's a difficult and painful emotion, but Cain argues that it's also an important one. By learning to sit with our grief, we can learn to live life to the fullest. It's a message of hope that I think we all need to hear.

“Bittersweetness shows us how to respond to pain: by acknowledging it, and attempting to turn it into art, the way the musicians do, or healing, or innovation. Or anything else that nourishes the soul. If we don’t transform our sorrows and longings, we can end up inflicting them on others via abuse, domination, neglect. But if we realize that all humans know-or will know-loss and suffering, we can turn toward each other. This idea-of transforming pain into creativity, transcendence, and love-is the heart of this book.” 

If you're looking for a book that will inspire and challenge you, then I highly recommend picking up Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole. Whether you've been through a difficult time in your life or simply want to cultivate a deeper appreciation for the bittersweetness of existence, this book is a must-read. 

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Please comment below to let me know what you wrote about or learned from this. I would love to hear from you!

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