Accepting Life on Life’s Terms: Taoist Psychology for Uncertain Times by Chris L. McClish

Basing his advice on the Eastern philosophy of the Tao Te Ching, counselor Chris L. McClish presents an appealing guide to self-help psychology in Accepting Life on Life’s Terms: Taoist Psychology for Uncertain Times.

An explanation of Taoism winds through the narrative, with an emphasis on accepting what is and what isn’t doing harm. McClish declares that it may be relatively easy to accept that we can’t control circumstances, but it is harder to control ourselves. Always exploring the roads less traveled, McClish has established a list of self-limiting factors he calls ACE: Avoiding, Controlling, and Escaping. He counters these with his Taoist approach called The Four L’s: Look, Listen, Label, and Let It Be.

McClish has devised many of his therapeutic techniques after much personal struggle – with mild autism, some childhood tragedies, and most recently, a challenging, debilitating illness – which gives the book a real sense of purpose and import. The concept of genuine acceptance and finding happiness within despite outward trials is part of a deeply personal creed that McClish has experienced and now shares with others, and thus will help readers integrate his advice into their own lives. His writing engages, with many short exercises that demonstrate the elaborate excuses and unclear thought patterns many of us unconsciously utilize.

Though the cover of the book is less than impressive, McClish has organized his book well, dispensing genuine wisdom with gentle humor, for an accessible work of Taoist philosophy.