Awaken the Starlight Within isn’t the usual personal development book. It is hard to categorize. If I’d needed to put any label on it, it’d be “philosophical book.”
The English word philosophy comes from the Greek word philosophia which means “love of wisdom.” And love of wisdom is the most apt description of this book.
If you love wisdom, you need to read Awaken the Starlight Within.
CONs
1. The Preamble.
The author goes into deep details at the beginning of the book to explain what it is, how it is structured and how you can use it.
He goes into too many details. This preamble takes about 5% of the book. I hate reading about what I’ll read. I much prefer just to start reading.
2. Too Bold of a Promise.
In the beginning of the book, Issac Robledo says:
Anyone who is tired of recreating the same hurtful or meaningless cycles in their lives will find this book inspiring and practical.”
That’s a bold statement right there. Too bold in my humble opinion. Don’t take me wrong, this book is great, and I’ll give you a deep dive into different aspects of its greatness in the PROs section of this review. But it is not a guarantee of anything. So, “the Anyone” described above may find this book inspiring and practical. But will they? It is up to them.
Reading Awaken the Starlight Within can be life-changing or can be just another book you consumed. It’s up to a reader what will happen as a result of the lecture.
However, I must admit this book has the life-changing potential.
PROs
1. The Author Is Up to His Word.
For Issac Robledo’s defense, I found everything he wrote in his introduction to be true. He didn’t try to sugarcoat the fact it is not the common personal development book. He mentioned some concepts may be waaaay “out there” for me to accept. He encouraged a reader to read with a critical mind and filter his content through the reader’s life experience. The author set up the expectations, and Awaken the Starlight Within lives up to them.
It was everything he said and then more.
2. The Depth.
Issac doesn’t shy away from any important topic. Love. Presence. Purpose. Time. Beliefs. Death. Work. Success. And more; I cannot recall all the subjects he covered in Awaken the Starlight Within.
Also, he doesn’t just brush off those enormous topics. He dives deep into them. He challenges you to grapple with them, to draw your own conclusions and live with them.
Love of wisdom is not like cat movies on social media. It is deep stuff that makes you think. That makes you cringe. That cleanses you if you get out of your comfort zone and actually reflect on those huge-as-life topics.
3. Reinforcements.
It is not that Awaken the Starlight Within will only challenge you and blow your mind around the clock. You will find some reinforcements for your existing personal philosophy.
I found them for myself. When it comes to ruthless honesty and responsibility [link to EBY] I felt like I could write the exact same chapters. Yes, it’s not true I’m responsible for everything in my life. I cannot control so many factors, including my closest ones. But, yes, embracing the full responsibility for everything in my life prevents me from ever switching into the victim mindset.
Or the idea that following the news is like willingly drinking a poison. I knew it already. But reading the above words made me realize how enormously stupid was my own consumption of media.
4. Great Reading Experience.
I admit, it is easy for me to enjoy a deep read. I yearn for such topics. I’m kind of a philosopher myself and I love to reflect over deep issues. I’m definitely biased.
However, Robledo wrote Awaken the Starlight Within in a way that it is hard not to stop by and ponder some statements. This book makes you think, reflect, pause, ponder.
The quality of reading is one thing. But the author also made the book easily digestible. The chapters are short and to the point. They are ideal for spending some time just with yourself and your own thoughts. You can read a few paragraphs and wonder how the ideas are resonating with you. And you can do it in the middle of the busy-ness of your daily life – waiting for a train, waiting in a queue, or sitting on a toilet 😉
5. Awesome Quotes.
Speaking of quality of reading – just read a few quotes from the book; they are amazing:
The best time to conduct an experiment in your life is when something is not working well for you. If what you are doing is failing, then you might as well try something new and see if that helps you to improve.”
Neglecting personal needs, the lives of people important to us, or our health and wellness means we have forgotten the fundamentals.”
To the universe, we are less than a grain of sand. But our ego refuses to acknowledge that seeking to make itself greater than it is.”
The ego is simply your symbol of yourself.”
Become a reservoir of undying hope.”
Summary
Awaken the Starlight Within is a great book. I find it would be hard to read it and not improve yourself. I recommend it for anyone interested in philosophy and self-improvement. I recommend this book especially for those who feel stuck in their life.