quit your day job.

Full disclosure here. This book is as hokey as all-get-out. There’s no two ways about it. It’s full of goofy exercises, faux “handmade” artwork, and oversimplified ideas. In many ways, it’s exactly what one would expect from a self-help book written by the same guy who started the rubber bracelet craze.

But, God help me, I love those lame bracelets. As much as I like to think of myself as an idealist, I’m a sucker for the worst kind of material junk imaginable. Generally speaking, I’m in denial about my various shortcomings, this one included, and I’d never dream of picking up a book like this. But a few months ago, my family took me on a vacation as a surprise birthday present. While in line to check in to our hotel, I got an email from my boss, letting the staff know that the company was about to fold, and that everyone would be out of a job.

Did I mention that it was my birthday? My wife and I spent the next half hour or so trying to figure out what we were going to do next, how we were going to pay for the then-upcoming holiday season, and whether or not it was ethical to sell a lung on eBay. And then we remembered that we’d been saying that a job —any job— is only a channel, and not the source of good and security, and that there are always other channels. We have always said and believed that no force or circumstance can keep one’s good from them, and so here was an opportunity to live up to that ideal. It’s great when the universe steps up to cash the spiritual checks you’ve been writing. Whatever.

Later we figured out how to save the company. We’ve had some ups and downs, but now we’re doing better than ever. But in that moment I was really struggling to stick to my guns. I needed a sign. And there, in the hotel gift shop, was What’s Your Red Rubber Ball?! If the cover hadn’t been leaking goofy all over the place, I’d never have seen it. But there it was. I was weak. I bought it.

And I’m very glad I did. WYRRB is an exploration of the notion that everyone has a calling, an inspiration, a ball that their heart wants to chase through life. Happiness and success are directly proportional to one’s ability to be true to this pursuit. Not only was it what I needed to hear in that moment, but I recognized that it’s a version of something I’ve always felt that the world needs to hear. Reading this book in that moment was a big reason why I decided to start this website.

The better part of the book is devoted to exercises designed to help the reader dig past their own assumptions about themselves and arrive at a clearer understanding of what really makes them happy. And I have to admit that the physical nature of the exercises made the point of the book more compelling and effective.

It seems to me that, at its core, WYRRB is based around the concept that life is a game. That means that it can be fun, and it also means that there are rules to learn. But knowing the rules means you can win. The trick is to decide to play.

Isn’t there some saying about judging a book by its cover? I’ll have to look that up.