Book picks similar to
The Joy of Not Thinking: A Radical Approach to Happiness by Tim Grimes
spirituality
self-help
psychology
non-fiction
The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World
Jamil Zaki - 2019
We struggle to understand people who aren't like us, but find it easy to hate them. Studies show that we are less caring than we were even thirty years ago. In 2006, Barack Obama said that the United States was suffering from an "empathy deficit." Since then, things seem to have only gotten worse.It doesn't have to be this way. In this groundbreaking book, Jamil Zaki shares cutting-edge research, including experiments from his own lab, showing that empathy is not a fixed trait--something we're born with or not--but rather a skill that can be strengthened through effort. He also tells the stories of people who embody this new perspective, fighting for kindness in the most difficult of circumstances. We meet a former neo-Nazi who is now helping to extract people from hate groups, ex-prisoners discussing novels with the judge who sentenced them, Washington police officers changing their culture to decrease violence among their ranks, and NICU nurses fine-tuning their empathy so that they don't succumb to burnout.Written with clarity and passion, The War for Kindness is an inspiring call to action. The future may depend on whether we accept the challenge.Praise for The War for Kindness"A wide-ranging practical guide to making the world better."--NPR"Relating anecdotes and test cases from his fellow researchers, news events and the imaginary world of literature and entertainment, Zaki makes a vital case for 'fighting for kindness.' . . . If he's right--and after reading The War for Kindness, you'll probably think so--Zaki's work is right on time." --San Francisco Chronicle"In this landmark book, Jamil Zaki gives us a revolutionary perspective on empathy: Empathy can be developed, and, when it is, people, relationships, organizations, and cultures are changed."--Carol Dweck, author of Mindset
Emotional Alchemy: How the Mind Can Heal the Heart
Tara Bennett-Goleman - 1998
In the same way, says Tara Bennett-Goleman, we all have the natural ability to turn our moments of confusion or emotional pain into insightful clarity.Emotional Alchemy maps the mind and shows how, according to recent advances in cognitive therapy, most of what troubles us falls into ten basic emotional patterns, including fear of abandonment, social exclusion (the feeling that we don't belong), and vulnerability (the feeling that some catastrophe will occur). This remarkable book also teaches us how we can free ourselves of such patterns and replace them with empathy for ourselves and others through the simple practice of mindfulness, an awareness that lets us see things as they truly are without distortion or judgment. Emotional Alchemy provides an insightful explanation of how mindfulness can change not only our lives, but the very structure of our brains, giving us the freedom to be more creative and alive.Here is a beautifully rendered work full of Buddhist wisdom and stories of how people have used mindfulness to conquer their self-defeating habits. The result is a whole new way of approaching our relationships, work, and internal lives.
The Story of You (And How to Create a New One)
Steve Chandler - 2006
Scott Peck's The Road Less Traveled, Chandler's tale of personal growth transcends all categories, with elements of psychology, business, self-help, and contemporary social commentary.With humor and biting critiques, Chandler exposes people's false ego stories for what they are and reveals the source of all success: the inner energy of will and spirit. Filled with candid dialogue from pivotal coaching sessions that Chandler has conducted (and been the subject of!), this book is a dramatic exposure of how we hold ourselves back by the stories we believe about ourselves and then project to the world.Chandler breaks new ground with revelations and fresh interpretations about personalities as diverse as: Elvis Presley, Vincent Van Gogh, Governor Bill Richardson, Dr. Andrew Weil, Hugh Hefner, and Mark Twain.By exposing your stories as the most false and limiting part of your lives, Chandler invites you into a new world of action and creative accomplishment. The Story of You will mesmerize you, stripping away the made-up limitations society asks you to believe and giving you back a fresh new life story.
Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond: A Meditator's Handbook
Ajahn Brahm - 2006
Done correctly, it can be a way to radically encounter bliss and to begin - and sustain - real transformation in ourselves. In Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond, self-described meditation junkie Ajahn Brahm shares his knowledge and experience of the jhanas - a core part of the Buddha's original meditation teaching. Never before has this material been approached in such an empowering way, by a teacher of such authority and popularity. Full of surprises, delightfully goofy humor, and entertaining stories that inspire, instruct, and illuminate, Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond will encourage those new to meditation, and give a shot in the arm to more experienced practitioners as well.
The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity—and Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race
Daniel Z. Lieberman - 2018
In pursuit of these things, it is undeterred by emotion, fear, or morality. Dopamine is the source of our every urge, that little bit of biology that makes an ambitious business professional sacrifice everything in pursuit of success, or that drives a satisfied spouse to risk it all for the thrill of someone new. Simply put, it is why we seek and succeed; it is why we discover and prosper. Yet, at the same time, it’s why we gamble and squander. From dopamine’s point of view, it’s not the having that matters. It’s getting something—anything—that’s new. From this understanding—the difference between possessing something versus anticipating it—we can understand in a revolutionary new way why we behave as we do in love, business, addiction, politics, religion – and we can even predict those behaviors in ourselves and others. In The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity—and will Determine the Fate of the Human Race, George Washington University professor and psychiatrist Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD, and Georgetown University lecturer Michael E. Long present a potentially life-changing proposal: Much of human life has an unconsidered component that explains an array of behaviors previously thought to be unrelated, including why winners cheat, why geniuses often suffer with mental illness, why nearly all diets fail, and why the brains of liberals and conservatives really are different.
Zen and the Art of Happiness
Chris Prentiss - 2006
In "Zen and the Art of Happiness", you will learn how to think and feel so that what you think and feel creates happiness and vibrancy in your life rather than gloominess or depression.
The Human Element
Brianna Wiest - 2014
Written with striking familiarity and uncanny understanding, this book will open your heart and touch your soul by putting into words the things that are both deeply rooted and hidden in us that we miss them even when they are most transparent. The human element is the thing that binds us, the thing we have to overcome, how we have to stop standing in our own way and let everything unfold. It is a philosophical take on what it means to overcome humanness by acceptance, initially realized through the experiences of sleep paralysis and other awakenings.
That Sounds Fun: The Joys of Being an Amateur, the Power of Falling in Love, and Why You Need a Hobby
Annie F. Downs - 2021
But there are also aspects of life that truly allow us to be joyful and fulfilled. For popular podcaster and bestselling author Annie F. Downs, fun is close to the top of that list. Few would argue that having fun doesn't enrich our lives, but so much gets in the way of prioritizing it. Tough days, busyness, and feelings that are hard to talk about keep us from the fun that's out there waiting to be found.With That Sounds Fun, Annie offers an irresistible invitation to understand the meaning of fun, to embrace it and chase it, and to figure out what, exactly, sounds fun to you--then do it! Exploring some research and sharing some thoughts behind why fun matters, she shows you how to find, experience, and multiply your fun. With her signature storytelling style and whimsical vulnerability, Annie is the friend we all need to guide us back to staying true to ourselves and finding the fun we need.
Super Accelerated Living: How to Manifest an Epic Life
Bentinho Massaro - 2016
Super Accelerated Living will give you the tools to radically upgrade your life. This advanced yet practical guide details the next phase of manifestation for seekers who are already highly empowered. Where many are finding plateaus and paradoxes, this book provides a broader perspective that demystifies the mechanics of manifestation. How do you remain unswayed yet flexible? Excited yet relaxed? Determined yet free from attachment to outcome—especially when desired results still seem distant? Bentinho Massaro clearly guides you through the mental challenges that appear just before a desire is about to manifest. Learn to maintain your desired frequency and effortlessly attract the experiences you seek. Super Accelerated Living helps you live these concepts, not just understand them. In the first weeks of 2015, author and spiritual teacher Bentinho Massaro gave a series of breakthrough meetings on personal empowerment and the spiritual application of the art and science of manifestation. The meetings were remarkable, intensely challenging, even lovingly aggressive at times, all focused on explaining how manifestation works—and that it actually does work. Super Accelerated Living, distilled from the transcriptions of these meetings, provides a powerful manual for you to tap into your innate power to create the reality of your choice. This book is not a bag of tricks for manifesting a Maserati or a mansion (although it teaches you how to do that, too). It guides you to access your full creative powers through expanding your Presence-Awareness and your capacity for love, appreciation, gratitude, and service. Super Accelerated Living will give you the tools to radically upgrade your life. Are you ready?