{"product_id":"the-universe-loves-a-trier-r-l-armstrong-9780646882284","title":"The Universe Loves A Trier: Discovering your Weaknesses and Building Armour for the Journey of your Life","description":"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: \u003cb\u003e\"Raymond, you're a mug.\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd 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 \u003ci\u003eeverything.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFast forward a little, and I found myself \"freed up\" (read: \u003ci\u003esacked\u003c\/i\u003e) from my first three jobs. I was convinced it wasn't me-it was \u003ci\u003ethem.\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003eI 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..\u003cbr\u003eBy 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?\u003cbr\u003eThe answer came to me somewhere between being stranded, scammed, dumped, and dumbfounded across the globe: \u003cb\u003ewhat to do when you don't know what to do.\u003c\/b\u003e Through sheer chaos and blind luck, I discovered that certain consistent actions lead to better results. Who knew? (Certainly not nineteen-year-old me.)\u003cbr\u003eOscar Wilde said it best: \u003ci\u003e\"Education is a wonderful thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is useful can ever be taught.\"\u003c\/i\u003e I'd learned the hard way, and I realized the lessons I picked up weren't just personal-they were universal.\u003cbr\u003eIn 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).\u003cbr\u003eThis led to my book: \u003cb\u003ea 17-chapter guide for young adults, full of practical, actionable skills.\u003c\/b\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003eThe final chapters include a personal \u003ci\u003eLetter of Commitment\u003c\/i\u003e and a \u003ci\u003eToolkit\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003eIf 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 \u003ci\u003emug moments\u003c\/i\u003e into masterpieces.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e R. L. Armstrong\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0646882287\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780646882284\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e R. R. Bowker\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/27\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 380\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.12lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.78d","brand":"R. L. Armstrong","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46545847845119,"sku":"9780646882284","price":15.47,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_353d1605-fc6c-4cba-afa4-496fec7c1f12.jpg?v=1738183500","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-universe-loves-a-trier-r-l-armstrong-9780646882284","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}