ILLUSIONS and MY REALIZATIONS

I’ve always been skeptical of books that sound too dreamy. Maybe it’s the existentialist in me. So when I picked up Illusions by Richard Bach, I didn’t expect much. Just another philosophical read. But page after page, it got under my skin.

Existentialism says life has no set path. We create our own meaning. Illusions leans another way. It says reality bends to belief. That idea bothered me. If belief can change everything, then what about pain? Regret? Loss? I've been through enough to know life isn’t that simple.

Still, it made me think. Maybe control isn’t about changing events. Maybe it’s how we look at them. I’ve spent years trying to make sense of life’s mess. But what if I’m not supposed to fix it... just live it?

One line stayed with me: “Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they’re yours.”
It hit me. I’ve used labels like “introvert,” “not good at numbers,” or “too emotional” to stay small. I never meant to. But those words became excuses. Beliefs that boxed me in.

And then there’s this: we can’t save everyone. I’ve tried. I’ve poured myself into friends, thinking I could help them see what I see. But growth? It’s personal. You can’t drag someone to their awakening. You just live your truth and let them find theirs.

Illusions didn’t change my life. But it held up a mirror. Reminded me that I can shape my reality, not by pretending bad things didn’t happen, but by choosing what meaning I give them.

That might not be magic. But it’s powerful in its own quiet way.