BOOK REVIEW

Finding Your Way in a Wild New World: Reclaiming Your True Nature 

by Martha Beck

New Release December 27, 2011

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” is a truth that will manifest itself over and over as this exciting new book is read and shared and read again.  The number of markers and underlines and margin notes in my preview copy are testaments to the fact I was ready. I devoured it and now am going back to start practicing the many exercises. The book’s purpose is to help you more clearly identify “what you should be doing with your one wild and precious life.”

The author, Martha Beck, has outstanding educational and life experience credentials for writing this book. It is both a sharing of her own life journey as well as a manifesto for anyone ready to embrace their own best life. With a B.A. in East Asian Studies and master’s and Ph.D. degrees in sociology from Harvard University, Beck is a trained observer and analyst. Her coaching specialty is helping people design satisfying and meaningful life experiences. She first got on my radar screen as a columnist for Oprah Magazine, where I am regularly impressed with her no-nonsense, delightfully humorous approach to issues about life’s questions, fears, and psychological roadblocks.

I recently read Beck’s bestselling book Expecting Adam, the story of her 1987-88 pregnancy and giving birth to a Downs syndrome child (new edition in 2011). Its subtitle is “A True Story of Birth, Rebirth, and Everyday Magic.” The unabashed revelation of her own fears, neuroses, and personal/professional challenges at the time was both heart-wrenching and inspiring. Martha has known and overcome tragedy, sadness, and self-limiting thoughts. She is an excellent guide for empowering others to overcome their own life issues. Finding Your Way in a Wild New World is her ultimate guidebook, the best of her teaching and philosophy in one zinger of a book.

Finding Your Way in a Wild New World is not going to resonate with everyone. Some will dismiss it as just another pop cultural self-help book. Others will use terms like “woo-woo” and “New Age nonsense.” They’d be selling it short. I am a devout Christian with an insatiable curiosity and open mind about spirituality and human potential. This book was filled with research-based findings on the power of our connectedness with each other and with all living things in nature (flora and fauna), and I believe people of any faith will find it enriches, rather than contradicts, their core beliefs.

Beck includes many practical exercises for each section of her book, all designed to exercise the parts of our brain that we don’t use enough, to train ourselves to focus our attention, and to tap into the energy that is mostly likely to allow us to find and cultivate our own best selves. They’re designed to get us out of our mental ruts!

Here are some hints that this book might be perfect for you right now:

• If you feel a yearning that you can’t identify or suppress.
• If you feel the need for clarity and purpose in your life.
• If you’re afraid to do things that you think you’d love to do.
• If wild success and abysmal failure both scare you.
• If you feel fragmented with no clear focus in your life.
• If your wild fantasies seem impossible but won’t let you go.
• If you feel you’re about to explode with possibilities and potential but can’t grab on to that one thing that feels just right.
• If you suspect your self-talk is holding you back.
• If you feel like you’re bumping your head against one obstacle after another but you’re certain there’s something better on the other side.
• If you feel the world is changing so fast you can’t keep up.
• If you feel stuck and unproductive.
• If you feel in need of emotional healing before you can move on to your real purpose of healing others.
• If you desperately want to make a difference with the rest of your life but don’t know what on earth you that might “look like.”

If any one of these rings true, you owe it to yourself to read this book. There is a generous excerpt available for free on Amazon. If it doesn’t grab you by the time you finish reading those pages, either the book is not for you or the timing is not right in your life.

If the timing is right for you, you’ll gain clarity, focus, and powerful tools for living abundantly in the best sense of the word.

Dr. Martha Beck

Connect with Martha Beck on Facebook or Twitter.

What books have helped YOU identify your true calling in life? Please share in the comments below or join the conversation on Heartspoken’s Facebook Page.

The recent celebration of Labor Day and the 10th anniversary of 9/11 are good times to think about heroes — those people who have exhibited unusual courage in the face of challenge and hardship. We have national heroes, of course, but we should have personal heroes too, and I challenge you to celebrate the hero inside of yourself as well.

I was honored to be invited to submit an essay about my personal heroes to the latest book from The Gratitude Book Project: A Celebration of Personal Heroes. It’s a free e-book, and I hope you’ll download and enjoy it, along with the complimentary Gratitude Journal which you can also download. My essay  – in honor of my mother and father, Jim and Betty Herbert — is on page 61, but I posted it earlier today as a separate blog post here at Heartspoken: “The Courage to Age Gracefully.”

So who is your personal hero. Please share below and tell us why.

I believe there is a hero in each of us…usually evident when we least expect it and in response to a challenge or hard situation. Trust your inner hero and celebrate him/her when the time comes. You are stronger than you think!

This piece was originally published in The Gratitude Book Project: In Celebration of Personal Heroes, a special, free e-book in commemoration of Sept. 11, 2001. If you have trouble downloading it, email me at eliz…@heartspoken.com and I’ll send it to you.

 
My mother and father, ages 87 and 93, are my personal heroes for so many reasons, but I admire them especially at this time in their lives for choosing to embrace the challenges of aging with extraordinary courage, grace, and humor.

“I want to live until I die,” has been my father’s mantra, and they have both lived fully and joyfully in spite of health challenges and the psychological pressures of age that seem to defeat those who are less robust in their outlook on life. Whoever said “Growing old is not for sissies” certainly had it right.

The cynic would say they have no choice…age is staring them right in the face and will happen whether they want it to or not. That’s true, but what makes them remarkable is they have chosen to:

• Keep moving and stay physically active.
• Take control of the things in their lives they can control and accept the things they can’t.
• Keep thinking and reading and conversing.
• Cultivate friendships and be good friends to others.
• Stay involved in the lives of their children and grandchildren.
• Accept invitations and have fun.
• Practice generosity.
• Dwell on the positive.

They are fun to be around, and they are beloved by their family and friends.

Mom and Dad are my personal heroes only partly because their choices have made my life easier and minimized my need to make decisions for them. The real reason is they have given me – and everyone who knows them – a precious gift of hope…hope that as WE get to the years when Mother Nature seems to take away so much, we, too, can reach down into those deep reserves of courage, faith, and love for the strength to face whatever lies ahead.

Mom and dad, I salute you, with gratitude and so much love.

10-10-10 by Suzy Welch

Book Review of 10-10-10: A Life-Transforming Idea by Suzy Welch

The simple wisdom in this book can be summed up in one sentence: When making decisions, it can be extremely clarifying to consider the potential consequences of the decision in the short term, mid term, and long term (10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years). Since the author herself admits that the idea is not original, the value of this book is its offering of so many interesting examples of how the idea can be applied, from household to boardroom.

I’m very glad I read this book, and I’ll encourage others, especially young people, to read it too. It’s a quick read, and for many — probably most — it will be extremely helpful if they apply what it teaches. I’d give it at least a three out of five stars. It’s what I think of as a utility book: not fine literature, but still valuable and highly readable.

If you’ve read this book, please let us know what you thought about it. Also please share any other books you’ve found helpful in teaching you how to make decisions intelligently and decisively.

“Is what you’re holding onto holding you back?”

Introducing Connection Messenger Debbie Bowie, Certified Professional Organizer®

It was my remarkable good fortune, while attending my 40th college reunion at Randolph College in Lynchburg, VA  (formerly Randolph-Macon Woman’s College), to sit in on a lecture by fellow alumna Debbie Bowie entitled, “Using Feng Shui to Clear Your Clutter and Create Prosperity.”  The appeal of her topic was demonstrated by the packed room of both men and women. I imagine I was not the only person in the room who felt she was speaking directly to them.

The high points of her message — and the message in her excellent little book called Rock Scissors Paper: Understanding How Environment Affects Your Performance on a Daily Basis – were these:

• Everything has energy (chi), positive or negative.
• Energy talks to you.
• Everything is connected (so any small part of your life in disorder can disrupt other parts of your life).
• Like attracts like (so if you surround yourself with broken, ugly, or negative things, you’ll attract more of these into your life).
• You should surround yourself only with things that you love or that you use: “Love it, Use it, or Lose it!”
• Her definition of clutter is “chaos in physical form” and she suggests that it is a manifestation of stress – certainly it can cause stress.
• She quoted Barbara Hemphill who said, “Clutter is postponed decisions.”
• Feng Shui (Feng – “wind” and Shui = “water”), in its simplest form, is the practice of learning to balance energies of a space to assure the health and good fortune of those inhabiting that space.

Perhaps the most powerful testimony to the impact of Debbie’s presentation is what happened when I got home. I sat quietly in my home office — the space where I was finding myself more and more unhappy — yet a space I need to do my work. I thought for awhile about what was absolutely necessary or absolutely treasured in that space. Then, I went on a rampage. I proceeded to rearrange and purge, removing the things I had piled in front of the windows that blocked the light, getting rid of anything that wasn’t being used or enjoyed. I took boxes to our local thrift shop and my sweet husband hauled nine black lawn and leaf bags to the dump. I brought in plants that reminded me of special people and places and found that bringing Nature into my workspace brought me calm and joy. I removed an old, faded rug and brought in a smaller one with colors that I found energizing and appealing.

Now when I enter my office, I find it welcoming and attractive. I am more productive and inspired while I’m here. I no longer feel the need to drag my laptop to another part of the house to avoid the messiness of my old office. The result is that there is less of my work scattered throughout the house, and when I leave the office, I can relax more in other parts of the house, because I have left my work behind. I’ve got a whole new room without paying either a remodeler or a decorator!

I have been so impressed with the results of Debbie’s message that I’ve invited her to become a Heartspoken Connection Messenger, and she has graciously contributed a guest post this week. Her teaching offers ways to strengthen two essential life connections: Connection with Self and Connection with Nature. Implementing her ideas will be a productive excavation towards finding what most makes your heart sing. She espouses connecting with Nature as an important part of creating healthy, happy spaces.

As you’re doing your own decluttering, remember that clutter can be both physical and psychological. Make a clean sweep of those things that separate you from your best self — those things that block your creativity and your happiness. Please share your successes and tips that you learn along the way.

Happy housecleaning!

Debbie Bowie is a veteran speaker, Certified Professional Organizer®, feng shui practitioner and author of Rock Scissors Paper: Understanding How Environment Affects Your Performance on a Daily Basis. She is the owner of the Rock Scissors Paper Institute, formerly Simply Organized, a company she formed in 1998. Debbie practices feng shui organizing, an approach to organizing that combines organizing principles with the wisdom of feng shui to help clients clear a path to getting more of what they really want from life. I recommend buying her book and, if you live in the Richmond, Virginia, area, you can retain her for consulting or to speak at your next event. 

The Simple Truths website has lots of great inspirational content, but when I saw the title of the short (3-1/2 minute) video below, I laughed out loud, because it reminded me of the game my brothers used to try to play, “Let’s see who can hit the softest…you go first!” Of course you know how that went. I touched them just as softly as I possibly could, and they hit me hard and shouted, “You win!” It was a game I only played one time.

On the serious side, however, the message of this movie cuts to the chase of one of our basic fears…Change. Intellectually, we know that lots of change is good, but emotionally, there is always some angst, some discomfort, some worry. Yes, even some fear! Even though this movie was made for workplace teams, its powerful and inspiring messages can be applied not only to organizational change, but also life change.

Is there change going on in your life or work that you find unsettling? How are you dealing with it?

Do any of this movie’s messages help you see change from a different perspective?

Do you have any words of wisdom for others who are going through change in their lives that is causing them fear or anxiety?

The end of the movie will offer the chance to sign up for a free SimpleTruths newsletter. I enjoy it and almost always find it uplifting. The movie content is also available in book form, and these books make great gifts or tools for a team-building event at your company, church, or nonprofit. Each book includes a free DVD of the movie.

Enjoy!

Book Review:

Indelible Ink: 22 Prominent Christian Leaders Discuss Books That Shape Their Faith edited by Scott Larsen with foreword by Philip Yancey

I thoroughly enjoyed this book…and for different reasons than I expected. I ordered it because the foreword is by one of my favorite Christian authors, Philip Yancey, and because the title and premise (ask several well known Christian writers what books have most influenced them other than the Bible) were appealing. I expected to mostly get some ideas for a few more spiritual books to read.

When I actually opened and perused the book, I was concerned. The authors tended to be more of the fundamentalist persuasion than I usually prefer, so I was afraid that their recommendations might not be as meaningful or helpful to me. Two big surprises:

1) With a couple of exceptions, their writing about reading (all kinds of reading) was delightful and compelling to someone like me who is an avid reader and who enjoys reading about others who also appreciate the value of a rich reading life. Some of the authors wrote so beautifully and eloquently about the books they were sharing that I felt I had extracted enough value out of their descriptions that I didn’t need to go and read the book they were discussing.

2) Many of the books that impacted these authors were not what I would call Christian or even primarily spiritual. These included works of Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky, Shusaku Endo, Alexander Dumas, and Annie Dillard. Calvin Miller’s essay was particularly delightful in expressing his joy of reading: “Why am I so narcolibric (a word of my contriving, meaning ‘print addicted’)? Because every book I see says to me ‘come hither and I will make you wise.’” Don’t you just know exactly what he means? I do. Walter Wangerin, Jr. also spoke about the importance of choosing books wisely: “Books open our eyes to the complex truths that simple, mindless stories simply have no name for.  So why not pick the best?…That’s the influence of great books; they teach us how to see the world that is.” “A book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us.” (Franz Kafka)

Not surprisingly, the works of C.S. Lewis figured prominently in several selections.

It’s very important to remember in a book like this — as was noted by Michael Card in his essay — “For almost as important as the content of the book itself is the timing of the moment when it first comes into your life.” In spite of this, I added quite a few books to my “check it out” list.

I made lots of notes and highlighted many passages:

The editor commented, in his introduction, on the importance of the books we choose to read (much like the importance of the people with whom we choose to associate). Any one book might have a negligible influence, but taken together, they can shape us. “One drop of red paint in a bucket of white will make no perceptible difference; one drop every day for fifty years will result in a bucket of red paint…books shape us, dynamically molding our minds and souls.”

One of the authors who was inspired by Calvin’s teaching, found it helpful to remember the verse from Psalm 119:105: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” found that this image (as of a flashlight in the dark) is helpful to think about how we shouldn’t expect to see much ahead of us, but trusting in God’s light will be sufficient for the next step. The dark is the mystery.

Donald G. Bloesch says, “[Kierkegaard, Nygren, and Heiler] have all expanded my spiritual and intellectual horizons and have helped me recognize the way to reach outsiders for the faith is not by apologetic argument, but by sharing the gospel and demonstrating its truth in daily life.”

Donald G. Bloesch again: “I have found in my own theological reflection that the truth of God is not accessible to me unless I am in a right relationship with Jesus Christ. But paradoxically I cannot be rightly related to Christ unless I see myself as a sinner saved only by grace…” “A faith that will renew the church is one that respects mystery even while trying to find meaning within mystery.”

Gary R. Collins reflecting on the book HOPE FOR THE FLOWERS by Trina Paulus about a caterpillar named Stripe who was told by a butterfly that he could fly too, “but only if he would stop striving and become what he was meant to be…Looking back, however, I wonder if I have spent too much of my life climbing and encouraging others to do the same. Climbing won’t accomplish our goal. To get to the top in this world, to have the greatest impact, we need to fly. And according to Stripe, ‘you must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.’”

A lovely description of the Anglican Church by Luci N. Shaw : “…where mystery is sanctioned and celebrated, where the sacraments, and especially the Eucharist, that pointer to the unseen real, brought me into Christ’s real presence, and where incarnational reality–the recognition of God’s fingerprints in human lives and Scripture and the created universe — supplied me, not with watertight proofs, but with a willingness to wait and listen for God, and to leave ultimate answers to him in that realm of mystery.” She says later, “…and what is faith, if not belief that persists in the face of paradox and mystery?”

John R. W. Stott, writing about books by Bishop J. C. Ryle, said, “Bishop Ryle clarified for me the differences between justification and sanctification. One of them is that, although we are justified by faith alone WITHOUT works, we are sanctified by faith AND works. And he showed that whereas justification is a crisis, sanctification is a process, in which there may be many deeper experiences.”

Walter Wangerin, Jr.: “When goodness confronts evil and does not pay evil back with evil, suddenly evil is made so apparent that even the evil one must recognize it.”

Ravi Zacharias: “Modern-day evangelicalism particularly has sacrificed language at the altar of ecstasy.”

Josh McDowell on what he learned from CHANGES THAT HEAL by Dr. Henry Cloud: “It is biblical and honoring to God to set limits on your life — to set boundaries on what you do, how much you help, what you get involved in…I began to give myself permission to say no and still be a loving person.”

Larry Crab: “So often our relationship with God is not abut knowing Him, but using Him. As a psychologist, I have felt for years that most of us in American Christianity use God to solve our problems. In contrast, John of the Cross used his problems to find God…there is much more to the life of a Christian than making life work.” Elsewhere he says, “Sin is not just rule breaking; it is wrongly-directed passion. It’s as if you looked at God and said, ‘Big Deal, I want something else!’”

There were a few places where I put question marks or “No, no, no!” but this book was a treasure of thought-provoking essays from interesting writers, and I’m sure many of the recommended books are treasures too.

What books have made the most difference in YOUR life? Please comment below.

Permalink to this post: http://www.heartspoken.com/2011/04/indelible-ink-…changing-books/

Book Review:

In the Likeness of God by Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey

I’ve been reading this in small doses for a long time, because there’s so much depth and wisdom here. This particular edition (which I read on my Kindle) was actually a special edition combining two of Brand and Yancey’s co-authored works: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made and In His Image.

Dr. Paul Brand (1914-2003) was a world-renowned hand surgeon, leprosy physician, missionary and humanitarian who caught the attention of — and became mentor to — Christian writer/apologist Philip Yancey. Their relationship in producing this book was best described by Yancey himself: “As a journalist, I gave words to his faith. In exchange, he gave faith to my words.”

I’m sure that it was especially meaningful to me because of having studied human anatomy in grad school. Others might get bogged down in the medical details, but I loved the way Brand brought the physical and spiritual worlds together as he reflected on the amazing human body and related it to the analogy, often used in the Bible, of Christ as the Head of the Body representing the Church. As Yancey reflects, this likeness “derives from their common source.”

Yancey’s respect and affection for Dr. Paul Brand was evident throughout this book: “You need only meet one saint to believe, to silence the noisy arguments of the world, and I had the inestimable privilege of spending leisurely hours getting to know a distinguished and faithful follower of Jesus. For that, Paul Brand, I thank you.”

In this book, Brand moves through the body, from skeleton to skin to heart, reflecting on one miracle of Nature after another in terms of its precision, complexity, and marvelous function. Brand finds inspiration everywhere, along with evidence of a Creator with vision beyond imagining. He finds life and spiritual lessons not only in the normal workings of the body, but also by observing what happens when parts of the body do not work as they should, either because of disease, injury, or malfunction. He was particularly fascinated with leprosy and with the profound implications of a leper’s inability to feel pain in his/her limbs.

“The fact of the body — the worth of each of its parts — is graphically revealed by a disease such as leprosy. The failure of one type of cell can bring on tragic consequences. One who studies the vast quantity of cells and their startling diversity can come away with the sense that each cell is easily expendable and of little consequence. But the same body that impresses us with specialization and diversity also affirms that each of its many members is valuable and often essential for survival. Interestingly, the worth of each member is also the aspect most often stressed in biblical imagery of the Body of Christ.”

One of the things I enjoy about reading on a Kindle is that it’s easy to underline/highlight sections and then go back to review them after I’ve finished the book. The highlighted notes alone are wonderful and inspiring as they weave the threads of Paul Brand’s faith with his celebration of the miracle of the human body. It greatly strengthened my appreciation for my own body and opened up thoughtful ways to connect the physical world around me with the spiritual world that I seek to know better.

Yancey’s wonderful rendering of his mentor’s thoughts also left me wishing more than anything that I could have known Dr. Paul Brand.

What books have YOU read that have deepened your insight or strengthened your connection with Self or God/Source. Please leave a comment below.

Permalink for this post: http://www.heartspoken.com/2011/04/in-the-likeness-of-god/

The Gratitude Book Project: Celebrating 365 Days of Gratitude

“The Blues” can be like those nasty sticker bushes you sometimes encounter when you’re out taking a walk…they grab you and cling to you… and they hurt!

Holidays often play tricks on us…they should be happy times, and often they are, but “the blues” can creep in unexpectedly, especially if it’s the first holiday after losing a loved one, if your children can’t get home this year, if you’re feeling afraid or alone or stressed. And then, of course, sometimes real, diagnosable depression can grip us like a wild animal and refuse to let go. If there’s a chance the latter is going on, please seek help or at least talk to someone.

If it’s just “the blues”, however, a conscious gratitude inventory can really help. Stop what you’re doing, pull out a sheet of paper, and start writing down the things for which you’re grateful. Anything, big and small…trivial and important. Sometimes you have to start with the little things to prime the pump for remembering other things. Sometimes you feel so blue that it’s hard even to get started, but do it anyway. Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky gives us research-based support for link between Gratitude and Happiness¹.

I’m honored to have my writing included in The Gratitude Book Project: Celebrating 365 Days of Gratitude². My entry called ” Fresh Starts and Connections” was selected for the March 1 entry.  All national proceeds from the book will go to four great charities: ASPCA, FeedAmerica, Make-a-Wish Foundation, and Women for Women International.

Taking stock of your blessings is a great way to connect with yourself. When we realize that loved ones or acts of kindness to us are among those blessings, we strengthen our connection with others. Now, go one step further, and express your appreciation…to that person or God/Source.

My wish for each precious reader is that your holiday season and New Year will be filled with Gratitude and Blessings!

April Moore, Guest Author

Book Review of Jack Kornfield’s The Wise Heart

You don’t have to be a Buddhist to love The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology. In this truly wise book, clinical psychologist and Buddhist monk Jack Kornfield weaves together real-life stories with spiritual insights to show how to live with greater love, happiness, and equanimity.

The essential teaching of The Wise Heart is mindfulness. Kornfield describes mindfulness as attention, a non-judging and respectful awareness, and he invites us to bring mindfulness to our own thoughts and emotions.

Being mindful of our thoughts means “stepping aside” internally, just slightly, and “watching” our thoughts, rather than being lost in them. The more we observe, the more we realize that a great deal of our thinking is chatter–repetitive, anxious, judgmental, and self-critical. In fact, if our own thoughts were being whispered in our ear by someone else, Kornfield says, we would be angry at the constant stream of negativity. But we do it to ourselves!

Kornfield is not advising us to try to banish habitual, unconstructive thoughts from our minds. It’s impossible. Rather, awareness is the goal. When we observe our thoughts with compassion and a little distance, we don’t get caught up in them. We no longer believe everything we think.

Kornfield is not putting down the brain; it is a very important tool. But unless observed consciously, the brain does not serve us well. As one of Kornfield’s teachers put it, “thoughts make a good servant but a poor master.”

The development of mindfulness requires effort–the kind of effort that is gentle, not harshly judgmental. When we observe our thoughts without judgment, explains Kornfield, we more deeply accept ourselves.

For example, I may notice in a group that I yearn for recognition, or I might see that I’m trying to persuade myself that I was right and my colleague was wrong, or I might observe that I am anxiously wondering whether I can complete all I want to get done today.

With mindfulness, I can gently remind myself, “Oh, there I am, wanting to see myself as special,” or “Yes, I have a hard time accepting myself when I screw up,” or “Sometimes I really believe that my worth depends on my accomplishments.”

By observing such thoughts, and countless others, with compassion and acceptance, rather than with frustration or irritation, we treat ourselves with love. And of course the more we treat ourselves with love and kindness, the more we naturally extend such treatment to others.

Acceptance of ourselves, Kornfield explains, does not mean we don’t try to improve ourselves. In fact, the first step toward positive change is clearly seeing and accepting aspects of ourselves that we dislike. Feelings of hatred and shame do not produce positive change. In fact, they can get in the way of real change.

The self-acceptance that grows as mindfulness develops extends to emotions, as well as to thoughts. When we are angry, afraid, grieving, or depressed, mindfulness means that we do not resist our feelings. Instead, we fully feel them, with awareness. While we may want to turn away from uncomfortable feelings, resistance only intensifies their hold over us. But when we let in each feeling, fully, with awareness, we can watch each one arise and then pass away. We experience all of our feelings, but we are not in their grip.

For example, when we observe our anger mindfully, we admit the fullness of the feeling. But we do not mindlessly lash out. The situation may, in fact, call for an angry response, but when mindfulness is present, our expression of anger is likely to be constructive, not harmful.

When we think and feel with awareness, Kornfield explains, we observe and accept all that is within us. And with such acceptance comes equanimity and happiness—equanimity because we are not fighting inside, happiness because we are experiencing life fully in each moment.

Kornfield presents mindfulness in terms anyone can understand. He makes it tangible and provides exercises that can help us develop mindfulness in our own lives.

Try it. You just may find that it works.

My thanks to April Moore for her contribution of this book review. April is a gifted writer, a committed environmentalist, and creator of TheEarthConnection.org, a website to nourish and inspire people who love nature. Click here to see an earlier post about April. Please share your own thoughts about this book or its subject matter in the Comments section below. EHC

Click Here to purchase The Wise Heart from Amazon.com