Summary of The Why Café by John Strelecky: One evening, a man finds himself in a strange café, lost in the middle of nowhere. There are three questions on the menu handed to him: Why are you here? Do you fear death? Are you fulfilled? As he wonders about his reason for existing, these questions will change his life.
By John Strelecky, 2009, 154 pages.
Chronicle and summary of The Why Café by John Strelecky
Preface from the author John Strelecky
Before he begins his story, the author John Strelecky explains that:
- The story of The Why Café is now a best-seller published in 27 languages across the planet.
- The success of the book made him realise just much human beings are fundamentally the same. No matter their culture or country, they wonder at the same thoughts, ask and seek the answers to the same questions.
- This story was written in a very particular context and state of consciousness: the author tells how he felt transported, as though guided and that his only goal was to describe an experience that changed his life. The Why Café was written from start to finish in just 21 days.
Prologue
At a time when he was questioning his life, John Strelecky decided one day to completely disconnect from his work. In order to do this, he took a few days’ holiday.
Although he did not hate his job, at the time he was wondering what was the point of spending all his days at work, trying to climb the rungs of the ladder that would eventually lead him to work even more. He became aware that what he was doing was repeating the programme that had been ingrained in him at school by people who themselves had always done what had been ingrained in them at school.
On the road to his holiday location, the author had a strange experience. Lost and confused, he ended up, hardly knowing how he got there, at the end of a dark and lonely road. Just as he felt that he had lost his way in life, he was literally “unsure of exactly where I was going or why I was moving in that direction.”
John Strelecky ends the prologue by casting doubt on the truth of this story. But he concludes that it doesn’t really matter whether the story is true or not. What matters is that his life changed that evening.
Chapter 1
In the first chapter, we meet John Strelecky in his car, on the motorway, stuck in a traffic jam surrounded by discontented drivers. After waiting for more than an hour, he heard that the road was completely blocked by an overturned tanker that was filled with a chemical product. The only suggestions the police could make were to wait until the road was cleared, cleaned and reopened, or to turn back and take a minor road. John chose the second option.
Chapter 2
Before leaving, John had printed out the main route to his destination as shown on the internet, and he had taken this itinerary with him. Without a road map, he found it difficult to get his bearings. Very soon, John was completely lost. A series of intersections and useless signposts such as “Old Route 65” only added to his confusion. He realised that he had not seen another car on the road for at least fifty kilometres. The place was totally deserted. Houses were few and far between. As he passed fields and forests, John tried to trust his sense of direction to tell him which direction to take. His eyes were glued to the fuel tank as the needle dropped lower and lower. He began to worry about running out of petrol, but he continued to drive along as it was now much too late to turn back.
He fumed to himself. The trip was supposed to be the opportunity to relax and recharge his batteries, he thought. But so far, it had brought nothing but frustration and annoyance. As dusk fell, John, afraid that he was going to run out of petrol, began to think about pulling over and spending the night in his car by the side of the road. The next morning would certainly bring a solution, he thought resignedly.
Chapter 3
Suddenly, against all hope, John spotted a light at the end of a path. As his fuel gauge was in the dangerous red zone, he drove towards it, surprised to see signs of life in such an unexpected location.
The light came from a lamp-post that hung above a small white building. A blue neon sign announced: “The Why Café”. John parked in the little car park, near three other cars.
Exhausted, he walked into the café. When he pushed open the door, a bell tinkled and an appetising aroma ticked his nose, reminding him that he was very hungry.
Chapter 4
The new, old-fashioned décor at The Why Café created a cosy effect. The counter, tables and plush red seats made this unlikely spot in the middle of nowhere feel quite welcoming.
John sat down on one of the comfortable seats. The waitress appeared. Her name was Casey. John said hello and briefly told her about his misadventures.
Casey held out a menu. On the cover of the menu was written “Welcome to The Why Café” John immediately noticed some words, just beneath, in small print: “Prior to ordering, please consult with our wait staff about what your time here could mean.”
Inside the menu was a list of the usual dishes – breakfast, sandwiches, started and salads, main courses, etc. On the back, however, there was another somewhat strange text:
“Items to ponder while you wait:
- Why are you here?
- Do you fear death?
- Are you fulfilled?”
John began to realise that he had arrived in a very unusual place.
Chapter 5
Despite some misgivings about this strange place, John decided to stay. After all, he didn’t really have much choice, he thought.
But he couldn’t help wondering about the three questions on the back of the menu. Before placing his order, he asked Casey what his time there could indeed mean, as he had been instructed by the words on the front of the menu.
But the answer from the waitress only left John more confused. Casey told him that when customers left The Why Café, they were generally not the same as when they arrived. That is why the owners had decided to “share with them a little of what they might expect, in case they aren’t quite ready for what they originally thought they could handle”.
Chapter 6
Watching Casey go into the kitchen, John noticed the man in charge of preparing the food through the hatch in the wall. He and John exchanged a smile and a wave across the room.
Then John reread the first question on the back of the menu. “Why are you here?”. Casey returned and interrupted his reverie. She explained that the man he had waved to in the kitchen was called Mike, that he was the owner of The Why Café and that he did all the cooking himself.
Then she adopted a serious tone. Casey suggested that Mike change the question as he was clearly asking himself about it. She suggested that he read it a way that meant that it would be addressed to nobody but him. In her opinion, this would change everything.
Inexplicably, John claims that at that precise moment, the sentence written on the menu began to change. Instead of reading: “Why are you here?” he could now see written, in the space of a moment, “Why am I here?”.
John began to worry. How could that have happened? When he asked Casey about it, she continued without answering: “It’s not a question to be taken lightly. […] But when you go beyond glancing […] and then ask it of yourself – your world changes.”
Chapter 7
Finding meaning in life
John was beginning to understand that the question on the menu meant much more that he had originally thought. It was not just asking why people came to the café. It went much further than that.
Casey confirmed: “That’s correct. […] It’s not about the café. It’s asking why someone exists at all.”
When he thought about it, John realised that he had already asked himself that question. For some years now, he had been wondering about the higher meaning of his existence. It was true that he had never experienced any real difficulties, despite the odd moment of frustration. He had friends, he had a decent job. His life was pretty good. Having said that, he had always felt, somewhere inside, a “feeling that I couldn’t quite explain.”
Fulfilling your reason for being
As they continued to talk, Casey confirmed that asking the question about the meaning of life is like opening a gateway. Some people ask themselves the question, and then forget. But the people who really want to know the answer to the question “Why am I here” cannot ignore it.
According to Casey:
“Asking the question creates the drive to seek out the answer. Once someone finds the answer, an equally powerful force emerges. You see, once a person knows why they are here, why they exist, their reason for being alive, they’ll want to fulfil that reason. It’s like knowing where the X is on a treasure map. Once you’ve seen the X, it’s harder to ignore it. It’s harder to not go after it. In this case, once somebody knows why they are here, it will be emotionally, and even physically more difficult to not fulfil that reason.”
Finally, John thought that is was perhaps sometimes better not to ask the question at all and simply carry on with life like before.
In any case, for John and Casey, it is clear that each person is free to decide for themselves whether to forget about the question or whether to think about it.
Chapter 8
As John reflected on the crazy situation in which he had found himself, and remembered that he was really just there to eat, fill his tank with petrol and rest for a few hours, Mike appeared beside him.
John shared his thoughts with Mike about the questions that were written on the menu.
Mike offered to explain some of the techniques that people use to find their answer. But first, he would bring him his order. However, once he had served the food, Mike left the table to chat with the couple sitting in the neighbouring booth.
Chapter 9
John was famished. He thoroughly enjoyed his food and was beginning to feel much better. He happily accepted Casey’s company when she suggested they continue their conversation. During their discussion, John became aware that something extremely simple, but very exciting was happening. “Once someone knows why they are here, they do whatever they want that fulfils that reason.”:
“My mind was spinning. I had never really thought of things in this context before. Much of my life had been spent making decisions in response to other reasons, like family advice, cultural pressures, and people’s opinions. This was something different.”
John realised that his purpose for existing could become real in a variety of ways: by becoming an artist, a doctor, a builder or an accountant to help others, or even by becoming a millionaire.
To fulfil his purpose for existing he would have to work out how to do it and learn how to use his time to achieve that goal. And in order to do that, John came to the conclusion that the best thing to do would be to explore and try as many different avenues as possible in relation to his PFE or Purpose For Existing. Casey was in complete agreement. In fact, she was of the opinion that in today’s world, we have never had so many opportunities to be informed, to meet all sorts of people and get to know all sorts of different cultures. We can experience many more and diverse experiences than at any previous moment in history.
At this stage in the conversation, John realised that:
- Our limits are not related to what is accessible. We set limitations on ourselves.
- He spent his time doing what most people do, and not what he really wanted to do. And this was because he did not know the answer to the question “Why are you here?”
Chapter 10
The story of the sea turtle as told by Casey
Stimulated by the conversation, Casey brought up an experience from her own life, an encounter with a big green sea turtle. She explained that the story had taught her a lesson about life that she wanted to share with John.
One day, while she was sea snorkelling, Casey saw a sea turtle a few metres away from her. Fascinated, she watched it swim and decided to follow it. But even though there was nothing holding her back, Casey could not catch up with the turtle. In the end, it outpaced Casey, who was exhausted. The same thing happened again the next day.
By observing the turtle, Casey understood why. She noticed that in order to swim so quickly, the turtle never tried to fight the waves. Instead, it made use of them. To do that, it strategically alternated between periods of swimming and periods of simply floating. Casey, on the other hand, continued to swim all the time, without following the current, without stopping. She noticed that her method worked at first, but she soon became tired and rapidly ran out of the energy required to fight the waves:
“As wave after wave came in and went out, I became more and more fatigued and less effective. The turtle kept optimising his movements with the movements of the water, though, which is why he was able to swim faster than I could.”
The life lesson taught by the sea turtle.
John worked out the lesson he could learn from the story of the green sea turtle like this:
“If you aren’t in tune with what you want to do, you can waste your energy on lots of things. Then when opportunities come up to do what you want, you might not have the strength or time to spend on them.”
Casey agreed, noting that everything we find ourselves doing, all the time and energy we devote are, in fact, what other people want us to do (activities, services offered, holiday destinations, places to eat, television programmes…) taking us further away from our PFE. She pointed out that in her story:
-
- The waves she faced can represent all the people, activities and things that were trying to capture her attention, her energy and her time, but that were unrelated to her PFE.
- The waves that pulled back out to sea can represent all the people, activities and things that helped her to realise her PFE.
According to this metaphor, we can understand that the more time and energy we spend on the waves that crash onto the beach, the less time and energy we have to put into the ones that take us out to sea. This perspective helps us to be selective about how we spend our time every day.
Consciousness of all the wasted time
After Casey’s story, John began to work out how he usually divided and filled his time. He became aware of all the time he was wasting on things that did not interest him (such as opening unwanted mail).
Shocked at what he had discovered, he decided to carry on with the exercise.
Chapter 11
The story of the happy fisherman and the businessman on vacation
At this point, Mike, the owner of The Why Café, returned to John’s table. It was his turn to tell a story. It was a story about a businessman who treated himself to an exotic holiday to escape the pressures of work. He met a fisherman from the village. The fisherman seemed to be the happiest man in the whole village.
During a discussion with the businessman, the fisherman told him about his daily life. It was a simple one, and every day was almost identical to the previous one. He had breakfast with his wife and children, then left to go fishing while his children were at school and his wife painted. In the evening, the family ate the fish he had caught, and this was more than enough to feed the whole family. The fisherman even returned some to the water sometimes, because he had caught too many. Then he took a nap and walked with his wife on the beach every evening. Together, they would admire the sunset while their children played in the ocean.
The businessman was astonished. He asked him, if there are so many fish, why don’t you fish all day long, sell them, make money and grow your business? Little by little, he could buy more boats, and then employ teams of fishermen, until he became the head of an international fish distribution company, the businessman wondered enthusiastically.
He continued his train of thought enthusiastically. Once the fisherman had made lots of money, he could retire and do what he wanted. He could spend time with his family, go fishing (although there would probably be fewer fish by then), walk on the beach with his wife and watch his children playing in the ocean (although they would be adults by then).
Perplexed, the fisherman wondered how any of that made sense.
Why not do what we want to do now?
Mike questioned John about this story. Then he told him about how he became aware of the fact that he was only working towards the goal of retiring:
“I realised that for me, every day is an opportunity to do whatever I want. Every day I have a chance to fulfil the answer to the question that you glimpsed on the back of the menu. I don’t need to wait until ‘retirement’.
It seemed so simple. Nevertheless, John realised, once again, that he was not doing what he wanted. Why? He thought about this. It was probably because he based the choice of his studies on the job opportunities they would lead to. And, as he did not hate his job, he focused on earning more and more money and he naturally settled into a routine.
In conclusion, Mike said:
“Why is it that we spend so much of our time preparing for when we can do what we want, instead of just doing what we want right now?”
Chapter 12
A new character is introduced in this chapter of The Why Café: Anne. Mike introduced her as a friend. She had been sitting at the next table until now, but the owner of The Why Café asked her to join John because he believed that she could offer an interesting point of view about the last question.
As she told her story, Anne insisted on three important ideas:
Advertisers manipulate us by acting on our fears and our desire for self-realisation.
Anne was highly qualified in marketing and had worked for a long time as the head of an advertising agency. Her business allowed her to understand that advertisers can make us do what they want simply by playing into our fears and our desire for self-realisation. The messages they bombard us with are of course very subtle: the goal is to make us believe that we will be happy once we have a specific product or service and that we will not be happy until we have it.
Believing that happiness can be acquired through products and services leads us into an impasse
Furthermore, for Anne, thinking that happiness can only be achieved through products or services restricts us financially, which leads us to do things we don’t want to do.
Anne explained the impasse we end up in. We look for a job to pay for all the products that are supposed to fulfil us. But, in order to buy all these products or services, we have to spend a lot of time doing that job. We are dissatisfied with the situation and this creates frustration. This leads us to consume even more:
“We hope that those things will bring the fulfilment that our daily work life does not. Unfortunately, the more we purchase, the more bills we have, and therefore the more time we need to spend at work so we can pay for everything. Since time at our job is not really the way we want to spend our life, more time at work results in more feelings of unfulfilment because not we have even less time for the things we want to do.”
In the end, people find themselves “forced” to work for a long time and to do things that do not correspond to their purpose in life. “The end result is that they keep looking out into the future for when they don’t have to work anymore and then they can do what they want.”
John was beginning to see things from a different angle.
Perhaps it was time to question himself.
Anne talked about her own experience. Working non-stop, as a young woman, she filled in the lack of free time with material things. It was a way of rewarding herself for all the hard work, a form of merit. But as she spent all her days at work, she never had the chance to enjoy her purchases.
One evening, Anne decided to put a stop to this life. An unexpected form of questioning led her, gradually, and through a series of thought processes, to completely change her daily life. She stopped rewarding herself with material things. Instead she treated herself to time (initially one hour, then two, then three) to do the things that she really liked to do (reading, walking, exercising…). She focused entirely on what she wanted to do.
Chapter 13
It was time to tackle the second question on the menu at The Why Café, the question: “Do you fear death?”
For Anne, this question is related to the first one. Death is one of people’s most common fears. In particular among people who have never asked themselves what their reason for existing might be. She explained her point of view: at a subconscious level, these people fear the day they will die because they know that every passing day brings them closer to a future in which they will no longer have the opportunity to do what they want. Whereas people who know their mission in life and who choose to work towards it are not afraid that they will not have the opportunity to do something because they are already doing it every day.
When Anne left him, John felt different. He felt that he had learned something. He thought about:
- His definition of happiness, success and fulfilment. He realised that they had been determined by others, in particular through all the “hidden” messages around him (advertising, etc.).
- The impact that a life lived with knowledge of his purpose for existing could have on his daily life and how he looked upon death.
Chapter 14
Things now turn to the third question written on the back of the menu of the Why Café. “Are you fulfilled?”
John doubts his ability to succeed
John first asked himself a question: if he did identify his purpose for existing, would he be able to act in accordance with it? Then he wondered whether he would be able to provide for himself if he changed his way of life? And would he be able to live his new life to the full?
The answer seemed obvious to Casey. In her opinion, fulfilling your purpose for existing is quite simply uplifting. Doing what you like best with the goal of fulfilling your reason for existing can only be motivating and enjoyable. And passion is a source of excellence, she claimed, because:
-
- Passion leads us to want more, to work even in our free time.
- When we are passionate about something, we “re-energise” ourselves when we do it.
- We become enthusiastic and positive, and we have no difficulty finding work as people want to include us in their business.
John’s doubts about his ability to earn enough money to live by his passion
John approved of what Casey was saying, but he wondered about money. There was no guarantee that he would make enough money to live off his new activity.
Faced with these doubts, Casey asked John to imagine the worst possible scenario. What would it be?
After thinking for a while, John arrived at the conclusion that in the worst case scenario, he would simply have to choose to do something else. In addition to this, the trap of buying things to fill a lack of personal fulfilment, made with the goal of escaping a frustrating everyday life and to release the stress caused by a job that he did not love would, in this case, become much easier to avoid. When we do something we love, we are far less consumed by this need.
From that point on, buying less means having fewer needs and fewer concerns about money.
Chapter 15
Success seems to favour passionate people
After a spell in the kitchen Casey returned with a thought. The question of money was clearly one of the challenges facing people when they try to live in accordance with their PFE.
The waitress went on to ask John to make a list of the things that applied to all of the people around him who were passionate about what they did. John noticed that they:
-
- Were happy
- Really enjoyed what they were doing
- Were confident: they knew that things would happen the way they intended;
- Were lucky: good things always happened to them.
Casey confirmed that she had noticed (among customers at The Why Café) that unexpected things happened to people who sought to fulfil their reason for existing, exactly when they needed it most. She explained that the people concerned all recognised this phenomenon, but different people perceived it differently. According to how they interpreted it, it could be:
- A mystical expression of a higher being,
- The natural course of things,
- or Luck
But Casey offered another explanation for this phenomenon: the theory of exponential numbers.
The theory of exponential numbers
The theory goes as follows: if we say something to someone and ask them to tell other people, and those other people tell other people, then our message will reach a much larger number of people than the person we spoke to first. It is the same principle as a chain letter.
And because the people sharing the message are passionate, they are obviously going to pass on their enthusiasm for what they are doing. The other people will get caught up in the enthusiasm and generally get on board to join them in their mission, and even help them. To do that, they will talk about them with the same passion, and the same emotions that have been passed onto them. According to Casey, it is a very contagious process.
Chapter 16
When Mike brought over a generous dessert, John summed up the discussion he had just had with Casey. People who know why they are here and have identified what they want to do to accomplish their reason for existing are “completely confident they’ll be able to do those things. And when they try to do them, events occur to help them succeed.”
The reasons why people do not pursue their reason for existing
John went on to question Mike about what could hold people back from pursuing their PFE.
For the owner of The Why Café, these reasons are personal and unique to each person, unique to each situation. However, he explained that he had noticed four recurring reasons that lead people to not achieve their reason for existing. He believed that it was because these people:
-
- Have no idea about the concept of a purpose for existing
- Think that they have no purpose for existing
- Do not allow themselves to achieve their purpose for existing. They know what it is, but because of family or religious pressures, their background or education, they do not allow themselves to pursue it.
- Do not succeed in taking control of their own fulfilment in the face of those who try to convince them every day that their happiness depends on their product or service.
Finally, John understood that people “don’t need someone else’s permission or consent” to become what they want to become. We control our own destiny.
“We each control our own destiny.”
Mike wanted to tell a story he heard from a friend as an illustration of the idea that we are all in control of our own destiny.
That friend was a golfer. He often dreamed that he had to hit a ball placed in a situation that was impossible to succeed in. The golf ball was balanced on the edge of a window. The golfer hated these nightmares that were so frustrating. Until one day, in his dream, he realised that he could simply move the ball to another place. He picked it up and put it down in a place where he could hit it without any hindrance. The man woke with a strong feeling that he had just become fully aware of something major,
“something that once he knew it seemed so obvious, but hadn’t before”.
Mike explained that his golfer friend ended the conversation by saying:
“Despite what we may be taught to believe, or what we hear in advertising, or feel when we are stressed out at work, we each control every moment of our lives. I had forgotten that, and was trying to adjust to all kinds of other influences, as I was letting them control my life. Just like no-one really cared about where I hit the golf ball from except me, in life only you truly know what you want from your existence. Don’t ever let things or people drive you to the point where you feel you no longer have control over your own destiny. Be active in choosing your path, or others will choose it for you. Just move the golf ball!”
In a few words, he had summed up the power of choosing your own destiny.
Chapter 17
The meal, or the breakfast, was coming to an end. It was already 5.15am. But John still did not know how to go about finding his PFE, what method to employ.
Using a humorous anecdote in a relaxed atmosphere, Casey helped John to understand that we alone are responsible for finding the answer. It is not just about waiting for the answer to come. We have to actively seek out the answer ourselves. And to do it “there is no single answer for everyone.” Different processes can be used: the feelings we get when we listen to music, meditation, reflections raised by ideas or stories that come from our reading, retreating into nature, talking with friends, etc.
What we must remember is that we are definitely the only ones who can find our answer. In fact, that is why many people begin the process in a solitary way, distancing themselves from “the external ‘noise’, so they can focus on what they really think.”
Finally, Mike and Casey repeated that some people:
- Identify their reason for existing by experimenting with new experiences, looking at new ideas, cultures or perspectives; because these discoveries are “resonate” with them.
- They can experience their new awareness physically, in the form of shivers, a surge of energy, tears of joy, a sense of “déjà-vu” or that “they always knew”.
Chapter 18
In the penultimate chapter of The Why Café, Mike, when questioned by John tells his own story. And once again, it is a tale of a sudden awakening of consciousness.
Mike’s story
Mike tells John that several years earlier, he lived a very hectic life. He combined a job with studies, and had a parallel ambition to become a professional athlete. Every minute of his existence was planned.
One summer, Mike went on a trip to Costa Rica. While there, after an incredible day, as he contemplated the spectacular sunset, he had an epiphany. He expressed that moment with emotion:
“I remember looking out at the entire scene and coming to the realisation that while I had been planning every minute of my life for the last two-and-a-half years, this scene had been repeating itself every day. Paradise had been just a few hours’ plane flight and some dirt roads away, and I didn’t even know it existed. And I realised, not only had it existed for the two-and-a-half years I was so busy, but the sun had been setting there, and the waves had been crashing upon the beach, for millions, if not billions of years.”
What changed after Mike became aware
When he experienced his moment of realisation, the younger Mike suddenly felt very small. His problems, his stressful concerns and his worries about the future now appeared insignificant to him:
“I sat there, faced with the unbelievable beauty and grandeur of nature and the realisation that my life was an infinitesimal part of something much bigger. I was struck by the thought, so why am I here? If all the things I thought were so important really aren’t, then what is? What is my purpose for existing? Why am I here? [These questions] were always with me until I figured out the answers.”
John Streleky sums up this passage a little later in the book. “Viewed from a big picture perspective, our stresses, anxieties, victories and losses account for little. Yet it is in the face of our apparent insignificance that we find meaning.”
Chapter 19
It was time to pay the bill. When he left The Why Café, John felt invigorated.
A new day was dawning. A day that would begin with a question: Why am I here?
Epilogue by the author John Strelecky
The epilogue reveals what happened to John Strelecky after he spent that evening in an extraordinary café.
The author tells us that after his visit to The Why Café, he made several changes to his life.
John Strelecky’s long road to identifying his PFE.
We first learn that during the holiday that followed his visit to The Why Café, John continued to think about the question: Why am I here? But in reality, finding the answer to that question took him a long time.
To succeed, like Anne, he had to spend some time every day doing something he loved. He then went on to try a number of new things (like Casey suggested). He did this to broaden his horizon and his vision.
The decision to act
Finally, everything became clearer for John Strelecky – his purpose for existing and the ways to achieve it – when he could no longer put off making a choice: live to achieve his PFE or just exist. He admits that the decision was not an easy one to make:
“…This is the place where most people end their journey. They peer through a hole in the fence, and can clearly see the life they would like to have, but for any number of reasons, they don’t open the gate and walk into that life.”
In fact, each person will experience this realisation and make the decision to act at different moments in their life. Some people do it when they are young, others later in life, and some people will never do it. It does not matter. “It can’t be rushed and it can’t be anyone’s decision but theirs.”
What made John Strelecky open the gate to the other side of the fence and live his PFE was, he says, something Anne said during the night he spent at The Why Café: “You can’t fear not having the chance to do something if you are doing it or have already done it.” And the only thing that he now admits to regretting is that he did not make these changes earlier (despite being convinced that he was probably not ready to make them before he spent the night at the Why Café).
Conclusion about The Why Café by John Strelecky
The key messages from John Strelecky
Each reader will have their own interpretation of the story told by John Strelecky. And each person will find a number of messages and avenues for thought in The Why Café.
However, several major ideas do seem to be stand out. I think it is interesting to summarise them:
- It is very likely that we will face at one time or another in our lives the question about what our existence means. If we decide to look more deeply into the question, the thought process will often lead us, when we feel ready, to a form of awareness that will determine our future.
- Understanding our purpose for existing adds consistency and intensity to our daily lives. It is a powerful source of motivation to do what we are passionate about, what really counts for us. It can offer precious help when it comes to finding the means to succeed, to overcome our doubts, seize opportunities and realign with our most profound convictions.
- When we have determined the path to follow to achieve our purpose for existing, we finally realise that we are only person who can decide on our actions and, in that way, we can have full control over our destiny.
What the book The Why Café teaches us
There is a strong chance that reading The Why Café by John Strelecky will lead you to a profound re-examination of the meaning you want to bring to your life.
As part of this introspective process, you may understand the brakes that have been holding you back in life and overcome them. In the end, even though the story is a short one and “we’ve heard it all before”, John Strelecky unfolds a tree of possibilities. Throughout the story, he asks us to consider our life from new perspectives. It may lead to a genuine form of realisation, or at least a “booster” effect on your personal realisation. Furthermore, this is probably why thousands of readers have confirmed that John Strelecky’s book has the power to transform lives.
Finally, the plot of the story is extremely simple but captivating, and readers can easily identify. John Strelecky knows how to dole out the suspense from the very first lines. He successfully holds the reader’s attention. The Why Café can easily be read in one sitting.
I would particularly recommend this book to people who are familiar with the genre and anyone who has not experienced this “existential” stage of questioning. It can offer your many avenues for thought and perhaps even some answers.
Strong points:
- The lines of thought lead us to genuinely question our lives and offer a different angle from which to examine our life.
- This could be a source of motivation when it comes to facing our fears and shaping the life we want to live.
- A simple, yet captivating story, with moments of suspense.
Weak points:
- Depending on how open you are to this kind of reading experience, you may find the book to be a bit too “nice”.
- The messages are certainly powerful, but they do not go beyond the level of becoming aware.
My rating : 
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