Ponder Post: Wokini

My last reviewed book was Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks discussed in my post for December 19, 2016. In that post I noted I had read everyone of Sparks' books except Wokini,  which he co-authored with Billy Mills. My interest was aroused as to who Billy Mills was so I looked him up in Wikipedia. Billy Mills is a Gold Medalist from the1964 Olympics in Tokyo. He is a member of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Tribe, was raised on an Indian reservation, and is currently an inspirational speaker. His win in the 10,000 meter track event is considered one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history. Partly because of my desire to be able to claim that I had read every one of Nicholas Sparks books, and partly because of my curiosity about this author partnership, I located and purchased the 1990 publication Wokini: A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Self-Understanding. Wokini, translated from Lakota means "new life, a life of peace and happiness."

I had received my copy in the mail from Amazon on November 12, 2016 but it has taken me until mid-February to complete this 6" x 6" by ½" small book. Granted, a lot has happened in the intervening three months considering the holidays and our challenging medical issues, but I did carry this book around with me in my handbag to medical appointments and the like. Why did it take so long to finish? I do not want the protracted completion to be misconstrued as a lack of the book's quality so I will explain.

The first reason is purely aesthetic. The book is printed in brown ink and the lack of a black and white contrast makes it tiring to read especially in low light conditions on the go. Perhaps later editions were printed more traditionally but I do not know. The second reason may be my timing in reading it. Certainly I wanted to be happy even during our trying misadventures, but were these really the appropriate conditions to be learning that skill? Maybe yes – it was certainly a time of great incentive but also a time of great distractions. Third, trivial but compelling, the book is so small I kept misplacing it around the house! Wokini was decent enough though, that I did not want to give up on it. I finally determined one afternoon to just sit down and complete the book.

Wokini is written in a Native American legend storytelling style that is a unique vehicle for a self-help book. And no denying it, this is a self-help book. The book "blends traditional Native American beliefs (which rely on meditation, thoughts, dreams, and love of nature's beauty) with modern therapeutic principles (positive thinking and an understanding of happiness)". It is meant to be read slowly and considered carefully. Some folks refer to this consideration as meditating. Meditation does not work for me but pondering does. It is all semantics. Rushing through the book without thought is just checking a box and not absorbing the concepts. Slow is good – interrupted, not so good. Sometimes a disjointed read like I just did does not do a book justice. So afterward I sat down and browsed through the book once again, outlining what I had read. That way I could cherry pick from what I thought was valuable to me and perhaps put those ideas into practice.

The backbone of the book is seven pictures, each representing a lesson. Each image symbolizes a concept. For example, take the central one of fire. A man does not need fire to live but it does make his life more pleasant to cook his food and be warmer.  I summarized the message of these first five pictures, from left to right. 

1. There are no external happiness sources - not fame, not wealth, not even health
2. Happiness is an emotion that makes you feel a certain way and which only you can control 
3. Happiness should be a personal goal; though not required to live, it improves every aspect of life
4. Happiness is something each of us can control – the secret is how
5. Happiness largely depends on the way you view yourself and the world around you

It is the fifth, a constructive point of view of ourself and the world, that we as humans seek to master. Ten actions (ten sticks) are given for this fifth picture. I picked the four that spoke loudest to me and explained my interpretation of them. 

• set new and interesting goals
  Goals keep you looking forward, not wistfully backward.
• adjust to life accordingly
  I need to be willing to discontinue (without guilt) volunteer activities that no longer mesh with me, to take certain medications (without complaint) as a part of life, to accept (without self- judgment) my choice and rate of  task completions 
• never be a perfectionist
  Not being a perfectionist is a hard one for me, but it is so true that the need for perfection can be a real downer. Angela Walters, a quilter whose work I follow, continually reminds her students of Theodore Roosevelt's quote "Comparison is the thief of joy"
• learn to see the others' point of view
  I found this very perceptive. How can you be happy if you know you have upset someone else?

This is my image collage to remember these four guidelines to happiness: goals, adjusting, perfectionism, point of view.

There are two other pictures on the book cover. The small sixth one between the authors names stands for balance in life and its importance in maintaining happiness. The large seventh image of a gold quadrant centrally located show the four seasons of the year as a reminder that change is sometimes necessary. These overarching concepts are easy to lose sight of but are so true.

I recommend this book, but based on my example I would be remiss to claim it is a quick read. However, it is a worthy read and I plan to implement some of the guidelines.

I will set myself some new and interesting pleasure reading goals. I aim for reading 24 books a year - one every other week. I only made it to 19 in 2016 but I am happy with that. I had to adjust to life accordingly and give up perfectionism at the end of the year. Here are some of my options I am considering for 2017. It is an eclectic mix of drama, adventure, romance, history, humor, kid lit and a bit of self-help that I think may cover a variety of points of view. If a book does not appeal I will adjust accordingly. See? I did take home some messages from that wee book that took me three months to read. Give Wokini: A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Self-Understanding a try.