Are You Chasing Rainbows?

by Alison R. Russell

A personal and practical insight into emotional maturity and why adults sometimes behave like children. Have you ever looked at an adult and thought, Oh grow up Why do adults sometimes behave like children What do they gain from doing so What can they do about it This book is a personal and practical insight into emotional maturity, using personal observations of adult and child behaviour. It will help you Tell the difference between childlike and childish behaviour in yourself and others. Understand what leads to the sayings, Oh Grow up, Act your age and many others. Recognise when a frightened child can hijack an adult body. Know why EQ (emotional intelligence) is not the same as IQ. Discover the healing in accepting what cannot be changed. Learn that what you want is not the same as what you need. Stop old and unhelpful behaviour patterns. Change something small and experience a big difference. Feel good enough. Grow up.

267 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2013

Reviews

[Robert Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know that I sometimes behave like children. It's like there's a whole bunch of them running around inside my head, and all of them want different things. One wants to be rich, another wants a spare, bare existence; one wants to travel the world, another wants to sit in the back garden on a sunny day; one wants to be spiritual and reclusive, another wants to be sociable and materialistic. One of the children tells me that there's time and space enough to be all these things and I say stop your yapping, I'm trying to write a review of this fine book.

And it is a fine book. Written by someone who has been nurse, manager, public speaker, carer, psychotherapist and now, writer - the author has seen her fair share of the ups and downs of people's spirit.

So much for her credentials - what about her style of writing? This is an easy read. There are not too many long words and attempts to impress thereby. Her experiences all seem to be rooted 'around here' so there is plenty to be familiar with and yet more than enough universal images that should appeal to all of you that are over there.

There were one or two spelling mistakes and a few errors of logic and perception, but not enough to detract from the overall usefulness of the book.

And for me, this is a really useful book. Actually, it might have been written for me. Joking aside, it seems that I am full to the brim with child. I act like a child, sulk like a child, wheedle like a child, get upset like a child and basically do pretty much everything in this book apart from suck my thumb.

Thanks to this book, I'm now aware of what I do, am reasonably aware of why I do it and have a fair idea of what I need to do to grow up!

But do I want to grow up? That, I guess, is the biggest obstacle to overcome when reading a book like this - you gotta want to improve if you stand any chance of getting better.

It's really easy, and sometimes incredibly rewarding, to get stuck in certain kinds of behaviours. For example, I read most of this book whilst on a 17 mile hike around the cycle-paths of York on a gloriously sunny day and I wouldn't want to give that experience back for anything. Trouble is - the reason I had that experience is that I got in a strop with my wife - I can't even remember what for now - and stormed out of the house with little more than a book (this book) in my hand and the desire not to come back until one of us felt suitably sorry.

What a child!!

So actually - if you want to change, you'd be much better to decide to want to change rather than read this, or any book. But if you want pointers as to why or how to change, then this book will give you everything you need, and a little bit more.

Enjoy your journey.