John C. Parkin - F**k It (Revised and Updated Edition): The Ultimate Spiritual Way

Everyone can relate to F**k It.

THE TIMES SATURDAY REVIEW

This book makes me smile and, more importantly, clicks my brain into positive mode.

FEARNE COTTON

The self-help phenomenon we can all swear by.

EVENING STANDARD

F**k It. I was practising the words. They rolled around my head. We need to say F**k It when were out of sync with the natural world; it helps us go with the flow.

THE OBSERVER

John combines Wayne Hemingways style with Eddie Izzards flights of surrealism.

THE GUARDIAN

Self-help for the time-poor and psycho-babble intolerant.

MARIE CLAIRE

Something making you unhappy? One mans F**k It therapy teaches us to let go.

METRO

This year, dare to say F*** It I did it. I relaxed, let go, told the truth, did what made me happy and accepted everyone I dont feel like a martyr and I had real fun.

RED MAGAZINE

A Western take on the Eastern idea of letting go Ive felt stress kicking in, and thought F**k It! There is real freedom in that.

THE LONDON PAPER

The perfect book to help.

NOW MAGAZINE

Refreshing, funny and inspirational, say F**k It and buy this book.

SCARLET MAGAZINE

I am utterly inspired by John and his brilliant book I believe its a major contribution to the human race.

STEPHEN RUSSELL, BAREFOOT DOCTOR (19542020)

Saying F**k It really is spiritual.

REV M. TOWNSEND

John and Gaias first F**k It workshop in 2005 was a sell-out. And through their books, retreats and workshops the couple have since taught thousands of people worldwide the F**k It philosophy.

THE SUN

BOOKS

F**k It: Be at Peace with Life, Just as It Is (2018)

F**k It: Do What You Love (2016)

F**k It Is the Answer (2014)

F**k It Therapy (2012)

The Way of F**k It (2009)

AUDIOBOOKS

F**k It Therapy (2015)

The F**k It Show (2010)

Published in the United Kingdom by:
Hay House UK Ltd, The Sixth Floor, Watson House,
54 Baker Street, London W1U 7BU
Tel: +44 (0)20 3927 7290; Fax: +44 (0)20 3927 7291; www.hayhouse.co.uk

Published in the United States of America by:
Hay House Inc., PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 920185100
Tel: (1) 760 431 7695 or (800) 654 5126
Fax: (1) 760 431 6948 or (800) 650 5115; www.hayhouse.com

Published in Australia by:
Hay House Australia Pty Ltd, 18/36 Ralph St, Alexandria NSW 2015
Tel: (61) 2 9669 4299; Fax: (61) 2 9669 4144; www.hayhouse.com.au

Published in India by:
Hay House Publishers India, Muskaan Complex,
Plot No.3, B2, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 110 070
Tel: (91) 11 4176 1620; Fax: (91) 11 4176 1630; www.hayhouse.co.in

Text John C. Parkin, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2022

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or otherwise be copied for public or private use, other than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews, without prior written permission of the publisher.

The information given in this book should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice; always consult a medical practitioner. Any use of information in this book is at the readers discretion and risk. Neither the author nor the publisher can be held responsible for any loss, claim or damage arising out of the use, or misuse, of the suggestions made, the failure to take medical advice or for any material on thirdparty websites.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Tradepaper ISBN: 9781788177146
Ebook ISBN: 9781788177207
Audiobook ISBN: 9781788177153

Interior illustrations: Michelangelo
Gratton/Getty Images; Shutterstock

Dedicated to Gaia, Leone and Arco

When you say F**k It, you let go of your hold on something usually something thats causing you pain.

When you say F**k It, you give in to the flow of life you stop doing what you dont want to do, you finally do what youve always wanted to do, and you stop listening to people and listen to yourself.

When you say F**k It, you carry out a spiritual act (the ultimate one, actually) because you give up, let go, stop resisting and relax back into the natural flow of life itself (otherwise known as the Tao, Spirit, etc.).

When you say F**k It, you stop worrying (generally), give up wanting (mainly) and end up being darn happy to be yourself in the present moment (if youre lucky).

So, before we jump, arm in arm, into this swimming pool of F**k It wisdom, have a go yourself now. Say F**k It to something. It could be something small (take a trip to the fridge and gobble down that cheesecake) or big (take a trip to that lazy pig you call your partner and tell him to take a walk).

Say F**k It to something anything. And feel the freedom and release that it brings. Multiply that to the power of 10 imagine feeling like that for most of the time and you have an idea of what youre getting into.

And, last thing before we jump then, lets SHOUT together: Fuuuucccckkkkkkkk Iiiittttttttttttttt!

What youve just read would have been some of the first words I wrote for the first draft of the first edition of this book. I wrote those first words in late 2004, then wrote more over the next couple of years, and the first edition was published in 2008.

Youll read many of the original words from back then in this book. But with other words Ive written since, too, including many chapters Im writing for this edition, in the summer of 2021.

When I wrote those original words, our twin boys were young, and theres a reference in the text to Leone speaking his first English sentences to me (as I was tapping away, writing the first edition of this book). And now our boys are at university in England. And by the time you read this, maybe theyll be writing books, shooting movies and singing songs of their own out there in the world.

This book continues to be read around the world (29 countries and counting) because the message at the heart of it is timeless, and timelessly exciting.

I wrote the book back then in order to capture the excitement of this epiphany: that saying the profanity F**k It is spiritual. I wanted to capture this excitement and wisdom for myself as much as for anyone else. I could sense that what I was experiencing was fresh and powerful. So I wrote it down. And then many others found it fresh and exciting, and they told others about it, and here we are.

And such powerful observed truths can last.

The poems of Rumi feel fresh today (I cant say as fresh because I have no idea how they were received nearly 800 years ago).

People are still living by the truths of ancient religious texts, and there are timeless truths in there.

Sadly sometimes views that are outdated and bigoted can also last. If only God had been asked by His publisher to come in and do a revised edition of the Bible every few years, you might not have people in the 21st century thinking that being gay is wrong, or that wives should obey their husbands, or whatever other archaic, outrageous and hurtful nonsense sits alongside some fairtomiddling selfhelp advice (I remember and rather liked Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34).