What do you think?
Rate this book
Somebody Should Have Told Us!: Simple Truths for Living Well
What if peace of mind, beautiful feelings, little or no stress, wonderful, healthy relationships and greater effectiveness, were right at your fingertips, and you held the key but didn't realize it or didn't know how to use it? That is what "Somebody Should Have Told Us "
This book is about how we all have a state of perfect mental health and wisdom inside us that can only be covered up by our own thinking, and how our use of our power of thought creates the "reality" we see, out of which we then think, feel and act. Here are ten simple but profound truths for living well, arising from three spiritual facts that, once grasped or truly realized, can transform one's life. This book has the ability to spawn insights that change the lives of those who come to understand the simple, yet profound wisdom contained in this book. In fact, it already has.
This book is the essence of self-help, in that it points people inside themselves for all answers. It shows people how to access their own essence whenever they need to. It shows people how they create their experience of life moment to moment. The book is written in an easy-to-understand manner with many stories of how people's lives have changed. When we were growing up nobody told us what this book points to, but somebody should have told us And it's never too late.
About the Author
Jack Pransky, Ph.D. is founder/director of the Center for Inside-Out Understanding. He authored the books, " A Story of Hope for the Inner City and Beyond, Parenting from the Heart, Prevention from the Inside-Out; The Critical Need" and co-authored "Healthy Thinking/ Feeling/Doing from the Inside-Out" prevention curriculum for middle school students. Pransky has worked in the field of prevention since 1968 in a wide variety of capacities and now provides consultation, training, counseling and coaching from the inside-out, throughout the U.S. and internationally. He is also cofounder/director of the nonprofit consulting organization, Prevention Unlimited, which created the Spirituality of Prevention Conference. In 2001 his book, "Modello" received the Martin Luther King Storyteller's Award for the book best exemplifying King's vision of "the beloved community," and in 2004 Jack won the Vermont Prevention Pioneer's Award. Jack can be contacted through his website at www.healthrealize.com.
This book is about how we all have a state of perfect mental health and wisdom inside us that can only be covered up by our own thinking, and how our use of our power of thought creates the "reality" we see, out of which we then think, feel and act. Here are ten simple but profound truths for living well, arising from three spiritual facts that, once grasped or truly realized, can transform one's life. This book has the ability to spawn insights that change the lives of those who come to understand the simple, yet profound wisdom contained in this book. In fact, it already has.
This book is the essence of self-help, in that it points people inside themselves for all answers. It shows people how to access their own essence whenever they need to. It shows people how they create their experience of life moment to moment. The book is written in an easy-to-understand manner with many stories of how people's lives have changed. When we were growing up nobody told us what this book points to, but somebody should have told us And it's never too late.
About the Author
Jack Pransky, Ph.D. is founder/director of the Center for Inside-Out Understanding. He authored the books, " A Story of Hope for the Inner City and Beyond, Parenting from the Heart, Prevention from the Inside-Out; The Critical Need" and co-authored "Healthy Thinking/ Feeling/Doing from the Inside-Out" prevention curriculum for middle school students. Pransky has worked in the field of prevention since 1968 in a wide variety of capacities and now provides consultation, training, counseling and coaching from the inside-out, throughout the U.S. and internationally. He is also cofounder/director of the nonprofit consulting organization, Prevention Unlimited, which created the Spirituality of Prevention Conference. In 2001 his book, "Modello" received the Martin Luther King Storyteller's Award for the book best exemplifying King's vision of "the beloved community," and in 2004 Jack won the Vermont Prevention Pioneer's Award. Jack can be contacted through his website at www.healthrealize.com.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
115 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 28, 2018
Some of the content is downright sensible, but it's written like an MLM sales pitch, replete with testimonials and questionably well-remembered "conversations." Even when the author is discussing something I know to be true, red flags are waving and alarm bells are ringing.
One of my favourite elements is that you don't *do* anything. You just get it! And if you don't get it then maybe you should go on a three principles course? The system is flawless--it's not even a system!--so any criticism just means you don't get it yet.
It's incredibly cult-like, too. There are great sages that changed the paradigm for everyone that met them. There are epiphanies where Doubting Thomases are eventually proven wrong after years of sin... There's even a foundational text!
I read the whole thing. In part because there were rare points that reminded me of things that are easy to know and easier to forget. The largest part was simply because I wanted to see how overt the proselytising would get. Pretty overt. It's a shame, because it detracts from the parts that are useful and do make sense.
One of my favourite elements is that you don't *do* anything. You just get it! And if you don't get it then maybe you should go on a three principles course? The system is flawless--it's not even a system!--so any criticism just means you don't get it yet.
It's incredibly cult-like, too. There are great sages that changed the paradigm for everyone that met them. There are epiphanies where Doubting Thomases are eventually proven wrong after years of sin... There's even a foundational text!
I read the whole thing. In part because there were rare points that reminded me of things that are easy to know and easier to forget. The largest part was simply because I wanted to see how overt the proselytising would get. Pretty overt. It's a shame, because it detracts from the parts that are useful and do make sense.
April 7, 2015
As somebody who is exploring the "Three Principles" idea, I found this book by Jack Pransky to be highly illuminating.
The author doesn't offer advice, nor tips, nor techniques in this book -- and yet thanks to a style of writing that is very easy to read, you find yourself understanding the concepts he shares and how they might apply to your own life.
For anyone who has read a lot of self-development books (of which I am one) it might feel strange not to have any actions to take upon reading this book. Not to have to dash off and change anything. Despite that, I came away feeling good about how I might tackle future challenges.
The biggest personal learning I took from this book is to not trust your thinking when you're in a low mood -- tired, angry or upset. I've already found it a powerful lesson.
I'm sure I'll be revisiting this book often.
The author doesn't offer advice, nor tips, nor techniques in this book -- and yet thanks to a style of writing that is very easy to read, you find yourself understanding the concepts he shares and how they might apply to your own life.
For anyone who has read a lot of self-development books (of which I am one) it might feel strange not to have any actions to take upon reading this book. Not to have to dash off and change anything. Despite that, I came away feeling good about how I might tackle future challenges.
The biggest personal learning I took from this book is to not trust your thinking when you're in a low mood -- tired, angry or upset. I've already found it a powerful lesson.
I'm sure I'll be revisiting this book often.
September 18, 2017
brilliant! simple but thought provoking
June 1, 2024
More victim-blaming "your thoughts create your reality" nonsense.
June 9, 2018
The problem is that they have! We weren't listening or our old habits were too largely ingrained. Effectively, there is one big idea in this book: 'Our thinking is our experience of the world. Our thinking is our life.'
Within the endless stories of people who Pransky has helped is this great paragraph: 'Every time we feel an emotion such as anger, frustration, stress, jealousy, guilt, anxiety, worry, fear, depression, we are at a fork in the road. One path of the fork is to see this emotion coming from the outside world; that is, somebody doing something to us or something about our circumstances. The other path is to see the emotion arising from our own thinking, from ourselves. As long as we believe our emotion is coming from the outside world we're stuck feeling that way until the outside world changes. When we see our emotion is coming FROM OUR OWN THINKING, we know it will dissipate when our thinking changes because our thinking always changes eventually.'
Unfortunately, this is a typical American self help book which claims that even the most miserable life can be turned round with a few magical words. Even though I knew my thinking will effect my feelings AND I was reading a book telling me this (over and over again). I still found myself getting stressed not about what happened but my interpretation. Sadly, Pransky has no advice about how to take this from known knowledge into our everyday lived life.
Within the endless stories of people who Pransky has helped is this great paragraph: 'Every time we feel an emotion such as anger, frustration, stress, jealousy, guilt, anxiety, worry, fear, depression, we are at a fork in the road. One path of the fork is to see this emotion coming from the outside world; that is, somebody doing something to us or something about our circumstances. The other path is to see the emotion arising from our own thinking, from ourselves. As long as we believe our emotion is coming from the outside world we're stuck feeling that way until the outside world changes. When we see our emotion is coming FROM OUR OWN THINKING, we know it will dissipate when our thinking changes because our thinking always changes eventually.'
Unfortunately, this is a typical American self help book which claims that even the most miserable life can be turned round with a few magical words. Even though I knew my thinking will effect my feelings AND I was reading a book telling me this (over and over again). I still found myself getting stressed not about what happened but my interpretation. Sadly, Pransky has no advice about how to take this from known knowledge into our everyday lived life.
March 5, 2024
Someone should have told us indeed.
This book is about four simple yet powerful concepts:
1- you have the power to create any thoughts
2- you have the power to believe those thoughts
3- behind all your thoughts there’s peace of mind and wisdom that’s always there and available (if your mind quites down enough to hear it)
4- observing our emotions is the best way to know the quality of our thoughts (and whether we should trust them). If we are feeling down then their quality is not great and we should wait for our mind to calm down before acting. If we’re feeling “good emotions” (like compassion, humility, gratefulness,etc) than we’re at or near our health and wisdom and we can trust our judgement.
For me the most amazing part is that some of these actually goes against convencional wisdom (and against the current psychological paradigm afaik), yet (at least point 1 and 2) are obviously true.
For example, a big difference from normal psychological therapy would be that you don’t really need to fix or solve any past traumas to feel better. In fact frequently talking and reliving these traumas would probably be the complete opposite of what you’d want to do ir order to get better.
Long story short I think it’s really worth the read and for some it might be a life changing book.
This book is about four simple yet powerful concepts:
1- you have the power to create any thoughts
2- you have the power to believe those thoughts
3- behind all your thoughts there’s peace of mind and wisdom that’s always there and available (if your mind quites down enough to hear it)
4- observing our emotions is the best way to know the quality of our thoughts (and whether we should trust them). If we are feeling down then their quality is not great and we should wait for our mind to calm down before acting. If we’re feeling “good emotions” (like compassion, humility, gratefulness,etc) than we’re at or near our health and wisdom and we can trust our judgement.
For me the most amazing part is that some of these actually goes against convencional wisdom (and against the current psychological paradigm afaik), yet (at least point 1 and 2) are obviously true.
For example, a big difference from normal psychological therapy would be that you don’t really need to fix or solve any past traumas to feel better. In fact frequently talking and reliving these traumas would probably be the complete opposite of what you’d want to do ir order to get better.
Long story short I think it’s really worth the read and for some it might be a life changing book.
July 10, 2014
This book is beyond phenomenal. Had I read this 2 years ago I probably wouldn't have been as affected by it. Not because it wasn't accurate then but because I would have said it was too simply to be this easy. I was in my own way. This is a book that I will undoubtedly be reading repeatedly and often. It really is just as simple as he makes it out to be. Hands down the most effective self help book I've ever read.
December 4, 2010
This book is so phenomenal. I wish that more people were aware of the insight this Author speaks of. Would read this book over and over again.
November 12, 2014
Great. Life changing
February 5, 2025
Do you want to have less on your mind? To be less stressed and anxious and instead live more in a quiet, beautiful feeling? This book will explain how every beautiful feeling we searched for outside is already within us and that only our thinking can stop us from seeing it.
For me, this was the most relatable, deep and clear book about 3 Principles that I've ever read.
I liked that Jack included stories of people who attended his 3P seminars and showed how the teaching affected them. And I also liked that he included extensive parts of his conversations with clients which helped me to see this understanding "in action".
I was introduced to 3 Principles through a better-known The Inside-Out Revolution: The Only Thing You Need to Know to Change Your Life Forever by Michael Neill. And while I'll forever be grateful that that book found me, Jack's work is much more intimate, like talking to a calm, wise friend where he shares what helped him and many others applying it to different life situations.
Reading some stories included in the book I kept thinking: "My problems are NOTHING in comparison to what those people went through." And yet they were able to see their life differently and forgive their past and people who did them harm.
We create our experience of life by believing our thinking, and then try to change our outer circumstances to feel ok inside. But it's not about the outside. It's about how our thoughts create our experience and how when we realize that, everything changes.
Why nobody ever told us that?
For me, this was the most relatable, deep and clear book about 3 Principles that I've ever read.
I liked that Jack included stories of people who attended his 3P seminars and showed how the teaching affected them. And I also liked that he included extensive parts of his conversations with clients which helped me to see this understanding "in action".
I was introduced to 3 Principles through a better-known The Inside-Out Revolution: The Only Thing You Need to Know to Change Your Life Forever by Michael Neill. And while I'll forever be grateful that that book found me, Jack's work is much more intimate, like talking to a calm, wise friend where he shares what helped him and many others applying it to different life situations.
Reading some stories included in the book I kept thinking: "My problems are NOTHING in comparison to what those people went through." And yet they were able to see their life differently and forgive their past and people who did them harm.
We create our experience of life by believing our thinking, and then try to change our outer circumstances to feel ok inside. But it's not about the outside. It's about how our thoughts create our experience and how when we realize that, everything changes.
Why nobody ever told us that?
February 15, 2019
Hodgepodge of boasting, well known ideas from other sources & questionable anecdotes. The author describes what's commonly referred to as "mindfulness". While most sources would say it's more of a journey where you progressively get more mindful until potentially reaching "enlightment", this book claims you can just "get it" without any hard work. That's the TV dinner form of spirituality.
In order to make up some substance that appear useful, he uses the word "thinking" to describe "habits" so it would appear as if we can magically change them without much effort. Possibly, by going to his seminar. Instant inspiration anyone?
In order to make up some substance that appear useful, he uses the word "thinking" to describe "habits" so it would appear as if we can magically change them without much effort. Possibly, by going to his seminar. Instant inspiration anyone?
October 27, 2018
Great Read
It brings it home just how much how thinking can effect the way we behave and best ourselves up emotionally. This book has given me a good understanding how to control that.I will read this again as I feel it would only benefit to reinforce the understanding.I would highly recommend this to anybody.
It brings it home just how much how thinking can effect the way we behave and best ourselves up emotionally. This book has given me a good understanding how to control that.I will read this again as I feel it would only benefit to reinforce the understanding.I would highly recommend this to anybody.
May 19, 2019
Simple and thought provoking, especially with regards to challenging your own intrinsic bias and thought processes.
The stories are a bit meandering at times, but the three key principles are a stand out and easy to apply in day-to-day life.
It’s a pleasure to read a book that is simply written, and doesn’t need to hide the “golden nugget” in 400+ pages of content.
The stories are a bit meandering at times, but the three key principles are a stand out and easy to apply in day-to-day life.
It’s a pleasure to read a book that is simply written, and doesn’t need to hide the “golden nugget” in 400+ pages of content.
March 4, 2020
This is possibly my favourite book on the 3 Principles mainly because of it's simplicity. It's very easy to follow and to understand. It's one I've returned to again just recently and after a period of time, it has made more sense to me. I would recommend this as a starting point for anyone who wants to learn about the 3 Principles.
October 18, 2025
This is the best book I have read on the inside- out revolution. I never really got the concepts until I read this book. It contains stories of people who have attended the courses and how it affected them. I struggled with the definition of “Mind” before reading this, but it appears it is the same as the collective unconsciousness and makes sense.
December 8, 2018
Simple and Life-Changing
The Three Principles Jack Pransky teaches us in this book are so very simple, yet if you understand and use them, they are Life-Changing! Amazing book. It's like a summary of all other self-help books with the three simple principles.
The Three Principles Jack Pransky teaches us in this book are so very simple, yet if you understand and use them, they are Life-Changing! Amazing book. It's like a summary of all other self-help books with the three simple principles.
September 19, 2021
3 principles and simple truths. Our experience of life is created from our thoughts, which we control and are solely responsible for. Waking up to this and transforming this knowledge in to wisdom is the hard part!
August 10, 2025
what an absolutely amazing book
I’m loving 3 principles books and this is one of my favorites so far. Hands down, amazing. I would recommend this to anyone; especially if you already know about the 3 principles, but anybody for sure still.
I’m loving 3 principles books and this is one of my favorites so far. Hands down, amazing. I would recommend this to anyone; especially if you already know about the 3 principles, but anybody for sure still.
February 3, 2019
Brilliant book. Jack knows what he is talking about.
February 26, 2019
You don’t have to believe your thoughts.
April 1, 2021
Good intro into the 3 Principles methodology.
August 18, 2021
Excellent Book
Very simple concepts that work. This book can be transformational for people who want to understand how we all make our own reality out of life. Well worth the read.
Very simple concepts that work. This book can be transformational for people who want to understand how we all make our own reality out of life. Well worth the read.
October 17, 2024
It's true someone should have told us. But because they won't, thankfully, there's this book. And this authors other books
February 3, 2023
game changer
Amazing insights the missing pieces of the self help puzzle. Wish I’d found it years ago
When I started my self help journey.
Amazing insights the missing pieces of the self help puzzle. Wish I’d found it years ago
When I started my self help journey.
January 27, 2016
A simple yet very poignant book by Jack Pransky, on the three principles behind what makes up the human experience of the world. An easy read, but still, with a lot of really significant insights! And I have to say, once I grasped this myself, a few years back, I too had the notion the title implies: "Why oh why didn't anybody tell me this is how it works? It would have saved me so much heart aches and pain!".
February 15, 2009
My intro into Heath realization... taking his seminars and enjoying them....Looking forward to reading his next book...
October 10, 2012
Wow :)
May 3, 2015
Fantastic! I feel compelled to look into the Three Principles more.
February 6, 2016
a good chatty book with the answer to it all
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews