If you’re a fan of therapy and Jonah Hill, you might enjoy “Stutz,” a new documentary film made by Hill, on Netflix. In it, L.A. therapist Phil Stutz shares some of the “Tools” he’s created for clients over the years, for getting immediate relief from some of the most pressing problems of daily life. One of the most memorable moments of the film is when Jonah reveals a problem he’s been grappling with, that he was keeping from Phil. A great example of how “the obstacle is the way” (what Jonah was ashamed to confess is arguably the most impactful aspect of the film). The film also captures the rawness of a person who has faced his pain and let himself be vulnerable in front of another person. I loved it.
In this 1-minute audio clip, actor Hank Azaria talks about his therapist, Phil Stutz, who co-authored “The Tools,” which I wrote about in an earlier post on this site. I thought I liked Stutz when I read the book. Now I love him.
This book gives you 5 tools for addressing the most common problems we all deal with every day. The first tool is so good, I had to put the book aside for a few days, because I didn’t want to continue reading until I’d fully processed it. When I talked to other people whom I’d recommended the book to, they reported the same thing. And the two guys who wrote the book? You’ll immediately love them. And what’s weird is you’ll feel like they love you, too, because their caring and decency come through so strongly. And you’ll enjoy the story of their client, Vinny, the comedian who rises and falls and rises again.
Random lines from the book:
“Most human beings never leave their comfort zone”
“You get trapped in ‘the maze’ when you feel unfairly treated by someone and can’t let go of it. It’s as if the other person has moved into your mind and taken up residence. While you’re obsessing, life passes you by.”
“We feel compelled to acquire thing after thing. Yet we don’t enjoy each new item for long; once we possess it, we shift our focus to the next thing. Consumerism misdirects the natural human desire for a relationship with higher forces by convincing us that higher forces exist inside the magical something. Next time you see a group of shoppers frantically burrowing through the sale items at a department store, tell yourself you’re witnessing a hunt for cosmic magic.”
“Human beings are only happy when they are reaching toward their highest potential.”
“Failure, demoralization and paralysis all become opportunities for us to exercise a godlike creativity. If you can do this, you’ve marked yourself as a creator, independent of outer achievements. You become fearless.”
