The Universe Loves A Trier: Discovering your Weaknesses and Building Armour for the Journey of your Life (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780646882284)

When I turned the ripe old age of nineteen (practically ancient, right?), I found myself sitting across from my dad for what I thought would be a real, grown-up conversation. I puffed up my chest and rattled off my impressive "achievements," cramming every ounce of my teenage wisdom into the conversation. My dad sat there, silently taking it all in. Then, when I finally ran out of steam, he leaned forward, locked eyes with me, and said the words that would echo in my soul forever: "Raymond, you're a mug."
And just like that, the spell was broken. We talked, and within minutes, I realized the old man was right. Why hadn't I been privy to these life-changing insights earlier? Oh, that's right-because I'd been too busy knowing everything.
Fast forward a little, and I found myself "freed up" (read: sacked) from my first three jobs. I was convinced it wasn't me-it was them. Why was everyone else so difficult? Still, I wasn't about to be crushed by little things like unemployment. Armed with a dwindling bank account and an oversized ego, I set off on a solo adventure around the world.
I hopped on a secondhand Triumph motorbike in London and roared across Europe and beyond. Broke and begging in Italy, hitchhiking through the Middle East, camping under starry skies, trying (unsuccessfully) to save someone drowning in Kashmir, and nearly becoming a tiger snack in Sumatra..
By the time I got back to Australia, I was a changed man. That whiny "why me?" kid had morphed into someone who could weather just about anything. From running marathons to earning a black belt, captaining rugby teams to managing sales teams, life started looking up. So, what changed?
The answer came to me somewhere between being stranded, scammed, dumped, and dumbfounded across the globe: what to do when you don't know what to do. Through sheer chaos and blind luck, I discovered that certain consistent actions lead to better results. Who knew? (Certainly not nineteen-year-old me.)
Oscar Wilde said it best: "Education is a wonderful thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is useful can ever be taught." I'd learned the hard way, and I realized the lessons I picked up weren't just personal-they were universal.
In retirement, I decided to give back by sharing these hard-earned insights with high school students. Let's face it: today's teenagers are navigating a minefield of anxiety, purpose, and social media trends. The response has been so encouraging. After 100 presentations, 84% of students rated the sessions 8.5 to 10 for positively changing their lives. Even some headmasters wrote glowing recommendations (and those guys are tough to impress).
This led to my book: a 17-chapter guide for young adults, full of practical, actionable skills. It's sprinkled with humour and personal stories that'll make you laugh, cringe, and maybe even say, "what a Wally!" Each chapter comes with a summary and an action plan, tackling topics like building lifelong friendships, overcoming challenges, managing anxiety, and setting meaningful goals.
The final chapters include a personal Letter of Commitment and a Toolkit to help readers unlock a life well-lived. It's not a textbook-it's real talk from someone who's been through the wringer and come out the other side.
If I'd had access to these ideas at fifteen, my life might've been even better. So here's my pitch: give this book a shot. It might just help the next generation turn their mug moments into masterpieces.


Author: R. L. Armstrong
ISBN-10: 0646882287
ISBN-13: 9780646882284
Publisher: R. R. Bowker
Language: English
Published: 12/27/2023
Pages: 380
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.12lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.78d