ONCE

Timely, deeply thoughtful-no better description for the book Once. Its pithy, monosyllabic title rouses a desire to get beyond its beautiful cover and explore. The book's point of departure is the sobering fact that while life may seem a revolving door, it is really a one-way journey. While aspects seem to repeat, they only share similarities with new occurrences, each event or opportunity is unique. Happily, Once insists that we can seize opportunities and possess the ability and right to self-define more than we know or practice. The book offers brilliant and easily accessible ways to a fuller, more rewarding existence. In his own words, author Dr Timothy Barrett makes it clear why he wrote: 'I have been concerned about people living less than best lives for some time, starting with my own reflection based on the reality that there are no second chances, another chance, maybe, but no repeats.'Well-worth heeding, Barrett is a physician and trained psychiatrist, a world traveler, former Olympian and intellectual who has written this highly readable and accessible small volume from a deeply personal space: the fount of challenging professional experiences and the courage and honesty to share personal experiences. Attracting international respect, Barrett maintains an active practice and, by invitation, has conducted workshops and participated in professional and government-level conferences on mental health worldwide. 'These are the times that try men's souls.' Here are words of the 18th century philosopher Thomas Paine, which perfectly capture the tenor of the angst-ridden, pandemic-weary, 'what's next'- fearful 21st century, which has brought increasing stresses and losses. Even more important, Once is a needful alternative to social media platforms that emphasize overnight fortunes, exempting us from taking responsibility for our lives. Once offers the following pertinent points of Barrett's professional experience and beliefs with faith, humour and an undeniable intelligence and sincerity:Our failure to take advantage of opportunities because we do not call them opportunities;Our penchant for comfort-seeking leading to mediocrity and preventing us from growing and developing into our best selves;Not understanding our uniqueness and therefore self-worth, leading to unfortunate comparisons;We have one chance to live this life, so let's do it to the best of our knowledge and ability;Last but not least, we must remember to never leave God out of the equation. Once is a cheerleader for life more abundant and should stand the test of time. It is not to be missed by people who value life or would like to learn how to do so joyfully.