[Book Review] Too Much is Not Enough by Andrew Rannells

During this pandemic, so many random things happened, especially after spending total 10 months stay at home (and counting). I always like musicals. It always has a special spot in my heart. But, as I’m living in Indonesia and the access to Broadway is very very limited, I only got to watch musicals from Movies or TV series. But, as Disney+ streams Hamilton and HBO Go had Newsies, my love to musicals grow and grow. I spent hours in a da watching clips from any other musicals. I found many bootlegs (ups, sorry) and watched it over and over. I even learned how to do belting! Terribly, of course. Not for anyone’s consumption. Dedicated only to my (poor) husband.

So, I watched (and re-watched and re-watched again and again and again) the Falsettos Broadway revival Live from the Lincoln Center. Somehow, this guy who’s playing Whizzer really hooked me up. I knew him from many clips I watched before. Like I knew he was one of the King George III, replacing Jonathan Groff for 5 weeks while Groff had to do filming for Looking. I saw him in The Intern. Somehow his interviews appeared in my Youtube suggestions. I watched him sing and liked his every performance. So, at the time I saw him in Falsettos, I was already half a fans. After falsettos, half a fans becoming an obsessed fans. Book of Mormon, The Boys in the Band, The Prom, The New Normal, Girls, Black Monday, even his Lincoln Center concert. I watched it all. Not only once, but many many times. Again, my poor husband has to bare with me with all my obsession. Haha!

So, yeah, I Bumped into this book simply because I’m Andrew Rannells fans. I knew some of the stories already from many interviews, but most of the story he wrote here are new to me. So in the eye of a fans, we still can get to know Andrew more. But how about if you’re not a fans? What’s in it for your from this book?

This book is about his stories before those shows we know him from. It really stopped before he got Hairspray’s Link. So if anyone of you want to know his story behind Book of Mormon, Girls, Falsettos, you won’t get it. You’ll get the story behind how he becomes who he is now.

Typically a memoir book, we’ll find out about his childhood and many of his firsts. Some of his stories had been told through many interviews though (like that story about when he auditioned for Rent), but still Andrew got a real talent in writing. It’s fresh, witty, hilarious and touching at the same time. I could hear his voice reading his sentences. I laughed hard so many times. I got teary eyes when I read “Josephine”. I felt terrible somehow during “My Second Date with Brad”. And I could feel the desperation, especially during “Everything Is Rosie”. The way of his writing makes the readers can exactly feel and be there within his stories.

But the point of this book is not only from his fresh ways of storytelling. It’s the stories itself. It’s about the courage to face your biggest fear. The hurts feeling after so many rejections. The strength to keep your dream alive. It’s about how you accept yourself, let yourself feel the sadness or frustration just to strengthen back your will. He reminded us that it’s normal to forget your dream over something more secure. But he never gave up. His boldness to come out of his comfort zone just to get back on track to reach his dream is really inspiring. If he stayed in that secure jobs he had, he wouldn’t got those 2 Tony Nominations!

If you need a light and hilarious book that also boost your motivation, I highly recommend this book. Thank you, Andrew!

My verdict 
1. Storyline : 4.9/5.0
2. Writing way : 4.75/5.0
Total : 4.8/5.0

Day 4, Quote 4, by Bill Gates

“I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.”

Bill Gates

When I read this quote, I was super thrilled! Why? Because I totally can relate! Hahaha!

So, sorry before if it’s not an inspiring post from a quote (yea, like I ever write any inspiring posts. hahah!). I just want to share a silly story about my life, as a lazy person. Who feels affirmed and justified after reading the quote.

I am known among my friends that I’m much of an effortless person. When it’s suddenly raining, I won’t run because….I’ve been wet already, why would I run? And running on the rain is quite dangerous cause it could be slippery, isn’t it? Haha, I know, I know. It’s been always like that. If I don’t see it fits (the way I see it fits) or effective.

But, come to think of it, this thinking about found an effective way to do something has been started since I was a kid. I remember when I need to do some chores, I created a path in my mind. Like, which “route” I need to take so I don’t need to pass through the same place, in my own house, and do the chores based on that order. Like creating a circle line in my head, so it’d reduce the “production time” to finish all of it as fast as I could. Worse, (or maybe better?), I could be too judgy to other people when I think they should so things more effective way.

Anyway, It’s always been like that since then. Every time I do my work checklist, I always think which way to do it as fast as I could…simply because I’m too lazy to have overtime. All I can think is I want to have more spare time for other things. To have that so-called work-life balance. I know, in the other side, it could affect the result. But, as to do things fast is already being my nature, I’ll just need to focus on how to do the things right.

Day 3, Quote 3, By Unknown (about Mom)

“Life doesn’t come with a manual, it comes with a Mother.”

Unknown

IMHO, no quote more true about Mom than I wrote above. I mean, if you (Indonesian) still remember long time ago we had books called Buku Pintar, I believe we’re still looking for more of answers to our Mom than that books. Nothing more true that when we’re seeking for a manual for our life, we always go to our mother. When we had our first boyfriend/girlfriend. When we couldn’t decide an important things in life. Or….when we didn’t know when the leeks go into that soups. Ha! Aren’t we all?

Mother – Daughter relationship always special yet unique for me. For sure we love each other, but still, sometimes we argue things that we can’t even remember the causes. But then again, we always ends it with stronger bond than ever. Mothers are always daughter’s guardian angel, the compass in their children’s life. On the other side, daughters are always mother’s soul, the purpose in their life. They think that, they’re everything for each other.

My mom and I are blessed that we’re close to each other. When I was still in school, after I’ve done my homework and study (what a diligent student, I was, huh? haha!), I always spent almost an hour just to talk with my mom before I went to bed. I talked about almost everything, tho mostly about school, considering I was only a teenager. Up until now, I always call her when I need her advises. Sometimes, over a silly things such as how to cook things, which clothes to wear during business trips, how to manage my housemaid, or when I need to choose one of her purses that I’d like to borrow for any kind of occasion. Mostly, of course, over some important things in life.

Well, I think a “manual” is too underrated. Like I said, she is a compass in my life.

Day 2, Quote 2, by Shantideva

Whatever joy there is in the world

Arises from wishing for others’ happiness.

Whatever suffering there is in the world

Arises from wishing for your own happiness.

Shantideva

This year is definitely an irregular year. Everything turns upside down, it makes us questioning our purpose. We start thinking, is everything that used to makes us happy still the same? Or is it getting biased now? Are we put ourselves too much, or do we care our loved ones enough? What do we need, is it being loved? is it loving? or simply….striving and thriving?

A friend of mine share the quote in the group one day. It is a reminder of old saying that “we need to put others first before ourselves”. That we can attain such joy after we see our loved ones happy. That too much ambition could lead us to disappointment and suffering. A reminder that it is easy to be happy once others are happy.

Is it? Easy?

These uncertainties we’re having these days create many ambiguities. We were too stressed that everything becomes so biased. We’re forgetting our plans, giving up our initial hopes, and shifting our purpose. We don’t see far to the future, we just chase what is in front of us. We tend to think it’s the only way to makes us survive. We’re becoming too focus on ourselves, and less aware about the suffer that happens around us.

But, we’ve forgotten a simple, yet most important, goal. Happiness. Worse, we’ve forgotten, that we need home to have that. That the home must be welcoming, warm and full of love to make us feel safe and content. Your closest friends are your home. Your family is your home. Your community around you is your home. It’s where the happiness lies.

So, don’t you wanna try what the quote saying?

Day 1, Quote 1, by Bob Iger

Don’t start negatively, and don’t start small. People will often focus on little details as a way of masking a lack of any clear, coherent, big thoughts. If you start petty, you seem petty.

Robert Iger, The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

Bob Iger’s book, The ride of a Lifetime, was one of the book that open my eyes this year. It really inspired me that it’s not impossible being a CEO in a big company, even if you started from the bottom, as long as you have faith in yourself, push the best out of you and great will to step up to the top.

Many quotes inspire me from the book. But only 1 quote that struck me in the heart. It didn’t give excitement from the feeling of inspired. Instead, it stabbed me hard.

All my life, I always be a generalist. I never have any deep skill. I learned how to play piano, never good at it. I learned many languages, I never be really fluent in it. I like to write, yet my writing is still mediocre (hopefully it’s getting better). I learn lots lots of things in my life, but nothing from it I become master of. And to make it worse, I always stop what I learn before I finish it. I got bored or felt enough, and eager to learn another new thing. Not only I start small, I end petty.

I think and think so many times. Should I change it? Should I focus on one skill? Should I be specialist, as it seems like easier to get attention. Or even a clear career path. Should I choose one skill, learn it deeply, and have something that I can really put as my main strength ?

But then again, the quote said about not masking a lack of big thoughts. What if to learn it all is part of it? What if to have a will to never stop learning is not to start smart at all? The quotes, anyway, remind me of something. To never give up learning. Stay focus as knowledges are never small. And indeed, it’s not petty at all.