Showing posts with label Pugilistic Dementia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pugilistic Dementia. Show all posts

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Equanimity: The Spirit Within by Samuel D. Bartoli

Equanimity: The Spirit Within 
by Samuel D. Bartoli




Memoir, Self-help
January 2014 
Buy on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Book:

Equanimity: The Spirit Within is a story about a man’s search for meaning as he comes to terms with losing everything that he knew and valued.

After winning the 1992 Southern California Middleweight Golden Gloves Boxing Championship, Bartoli was ready to punch his way to professional stardom. However, his boxing career was cut short when he developed a form of Pugilistic Dementia, which caused him to have chronic headaches, slowed motor skills, slurred speech, shaky hands, and impaired vision.

Bartoli came to terms with losing the one thing he loved most in life. In his journey, he realizes that his self-worth is not measured by how many punches he can give or take or media headlines and public praise. He learns that real self-worth is defined by his relationship with God.

In Equanimity, Bartoli gives advice and scripture that readers can apply to coping with life, counting blessings, discovering potential, demystifying love, banishing worry, ending suffering, having faith, and handling mistakes.

Equanimity is a life-changing book that will help anyone solve problems, overcome fears, and develop a better relationship with God.

About the Author:


Samuel D. Bartoli is the author of Equanimity: The Spirit Within, published by Halo Publishing International in January 2014. He lives in Los Angeles, CA where he invests his free time coaching teens at a youth center.


 My review:

I had never heard of Pugilistic Dementia before, but it makes sense...in one of those sports that doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to me. But that's not the point. People take pride in identifying themselves with something they can do well, no matter what it is. Samuel Bartoli is one of those people who can re-define himself after something he did well didn't work out anymore. And that's a lesson all of us can learn.

Bartoli's memoir is filled with observations, some heavy-duty study and definitions such as tackling the meaning of one of my favorite phrase, carpe diem--latin for seize the day--to sharing quotes from ancient leaders from all over the world, philosophers and even poets, such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Attitude is important, so is humbleness, Bartoli says. This little book is filled with great reflections and a multitude of Scripture to back up the theme that a life with faith makes a person a real champion.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys seeing how pieces of life from antiquity to present times fit together, and who could use some encouragement.