Transforming Pain Into Purpose

Transforming Pain into Purpose: My Story of Mental Illness, Addiction & Redemption
by Allan Kehler
Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing
Review by Toby A. Welch  
$19.95 ISBN 9781778690495

Everyone you meet is going through something. Everyone has a story. Those are two facts I try to focus on when I meet people. Transforming Pain into Purpose is a literary reminder of that – you never know what struggles someone is trying to survive. 

I couldn’t put Transforming Pain into Purpose down; I devoured it in one sitting. (It’s a medium length book, clocking in at 130 pages including the resources at the back.) Kehler’s story kept me drawn in from the first chapter. What an interesting journey he has been through! His life has been touched by sexual abuse, alcoholism, anxiety, manic episodes, self-harm, depression, loneliness, gambling, suicide, shame, and bipolar disorder, among other things.

A romantic at heart, I loved reading about how Kehler met his now-wife, a strong, compelling woman named Tanya. I won’t spoil the story for you but I will say they didn’t meet on a dating app like most couples these days.

Kehler’s writing is simple yet powerful. He conveys what he is trying to say with as few words as possible and never uses a fancy word when one with less syllables will work. For example: “Sometimes gifts are disguised in ugly wrapping paper.” Beautiful! I love this trait in writing. 

Kehler gives us all of himself in this powerful memoir. His vulnerability is so deeply refreshing in our modern world where lives are often overly curated. That openness gives readers a sense of authenticity that is lacking in most memoirs. He doesn’t waver from sharing things out of fear of being judged. For example, Kehler has an overwhelming terror of catching and touching fish. And he shares the deep shame he felt when his son sat on his lap as he read his baby a book. One of the most soul-wrenching examples was when Kehler joined an eight-week long men’s support group. I still get goosebumps thinking of his experience. Those are just three examples from over a hundred in these captivating pages. 

Saskatoon-based Kehler is a much sought after international keynote speaker. That fact doesn’t surprise me as his story is a fascinating one. I’ve added to my bucket list to get to one of his events when he is next in Western Canada. (Just reading about the lengths Kehler went through to become an accomplished speaker is an impressive story in itself.)

It’s very rare that I suggest a book is recommended reading for everyone but that is the case with Transforming Pain into Purpose. I can’t imagine anyone not getting something from it. This spellbinding memoir needs to be moved to the number one spot on your Books I Must Read This Year list!

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM