amber's book club (abc) discussion
January 2024: "Lucky Me"
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Part III - Wins and Losses
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The way I’ve come to understand his luck, having read more of the book is this; he met just the right level of adversity that he as a human could handle (and then some). His has a great ability to explain why other great humans in his community might not have been able to make it in the way he did - due to their level of adversity or their biology (with the crack epidemic being a big factor). I really admire his skill to mentally turn challenges into opportunities to grow - and also the way he looks at the core-human & their skills below the suffering.
Emotions are so important—feeling them, understanding them, and processing them. It took me until recently to learn how to do this properly/effectively. And he’s doing so at a young age. Sooo awesome. I love how he’s remembering things out of chronological order in the book because he’s putting more focus on the lessons rather than the telling of his story. What he went through in his childhood and youth is what made him who he is today. And he’s proud of that (and should be!!).
I appreciate his ethical need to be transparent and honest with his clients. Those of us who work in fame based industries have all been tempted to tell our stars what they want to hear because it would sometimes be an easier path to take; but kudos to those of us who don’t. Putting people over money is always necessary.
Mod
Beautiful. The title continued to mean something different to me after every chapter. His mental toughness should be studied, I'm ready for the Ted Talk.
Mod
Wow! Thank you for bringing up the part about the chronological order. I had to go back and reread a few pages because I was like wait he said he was 6 again he was just 8 lol. By the end, I really appreciated it and your context makes me appreciate it more.
(1) I learned the importance of self reflection through therapy, so I’m wondering if Rich has gotten any therapy. If not, I’d love to know how he became aware enough to start self reflecting and processing things.(2) I struggle with allowing myself to experience emotions fully. I will acknowledge them and immediately start thinking of solutions. I give myself very little time to sit in it and FEEL it. I tend to overextend myself in other ways in order to keep myself distracted from my emotions. That overextension leads to illness and injuries that force me to sit still. I’m currently learning how to be more still and present to process without God having to force me. Lol
(3) I’m not picking up on any survivor’s remorse yet. I may not be listening closely enough.
(4) That statement is a testament to my life. I tell my little cousins we’re rare. Most times, people are either book or street smart. Being both gives you the ability to learn whatever you want and courageousness required to do what’s needed to succeed. Some of the best rappers turned businessmen have street backgrounds.
(5) I like the play on the title, especially considering people call him lucky for how he met and started working with LeBron. You never know what people have to go through to learn what’s needed to receive their blessings.
1. The story of his mother walking away from him with the money really got to me as well, especially when he said that she held the money tighter than she ever held him. Since reading the first chapter of this book, I’ve gained new awareness of my own life experiences. Amber, as you stated, a good book can be therapy.2. Thinking before action isn’t a cliché. I used to despise thinking thoroughly because I thought it was overthinking. That’s until I realized that acting too fast without realizing the consequences can lead to some unrecoverable situations. Despite how something may make you feel, it’s always important to speak from the mind before you speak from the heart. Not everyone may understand your heart. I think putting up walls can be good at times, especially when approaching those who lack respect for you.
3. I believe that he does. It seems no matter how far he moved away from his original grounds, he always felt the need to go back no matter how much progress he made in the opposite direction.
4. I agree. Like Marla, I was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. There’s this saying that “If you can make it in Mississippi, you can make it anywhere.” Now, I don’t know how true that is, but I can say that because we don’t have as many resources as other places, it can prompt you to create those resources yourself. That allows you to see the floor plan before the structure, which can be very helpful when navigating in other places.
5. When I first read the book’s title, I took it as him saying it sarcastically. Now, I’m torn between him meaning it sarcastically and literally. I feel like every aspect of his life is lucky. The dice games, the attempted robberies, those could have all ended differently. Instead, we’re reading his memoir.
Side note: I was gut-wrenched when he said he had purchased a large quantity of cocaine. I was not expecting that twist.
2.) The book emphasizes the importance of emotional control, but it also raises the question of whether it's possible to be too in control of our emotions. Rich was deprived, as a kid, of the opportunity to truly feel and express his emotions. What's the value of allowing yourself to experience and process emotions fully? Is there also value in putting up walls?
3.) Is there any indication that Rich experiences survivor's remorse?
4.) "This is why those of us that can beat the odds and overcome negative environments have an unbelievable head start, if we only realize the gifts that our struggles have given us." How does this quote make you feel?
5.) Has your perspective on the book's title shifted since reading about Rich's experiences? What aspects of his life do you consider to be lucky?
**If this section raised any other thoughts/questions for you, please share! We love to hear from you.**