Steven H. Lee

Great follow-up to FULL CATASTROPHE LIVING

Revisado: 08-11-22

This book delves into the how of many of the concepts discussed in Kabat-Zinn’s first book on mindfulness, FULL CATASTROPHE LIVING. It’s a great resource for anyone wanting to return to self, to become more balanced and grounded in our fast paced and stress inducing society.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Wow… so inspirational and so deeply truthful…

Revisado: 08-24-21

I have to admit that listening to this has left me both hopeful and depressed at the same time. There’s a lot to work through here, about being vulnerable and working through shame. Brown identifies so many things I’ve personally dealt with, and felt in my lifetime. She identified triggers that several years of therapy and counselling didn’t even come close to scratching the surface of - but in a few minutes she tore open those wounds and gave them an explanation that made me feel that I finally understood my shame, and where it was rooted from, in a way no one else had before. I’ve already listened to this twice, and I’m on a third run through now - taking notes and writing about the ideas, reflecting on them. I worry that maybe I’m being too heavy, and too general here - but this audio recording is definitely worth listening to. It’s actually my first venture into her work and it’s given me a bit of a way-finder regarding of where I will go next. Thank you Dr Brown for your insight, your humour, and relatability.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once…

Revisado: 08-16-21

It seems fitting that I should stumble onto this after reading NATALIE GOLDBERG’s THE GREAT FAILURE, and LONG QUIET HIGHWAY (yes, I read FAILURE first). ALEXANDER’s work here is just as honest and raw, reflecting on the recollections that happen after the loss of one’s spiritual partner, soulmate, lover, and best friend - whatever you might call it. It reflects on the present moment as well, as ALEXANDER moves on in life with her children, friends and extended family. It’s a reflection on art, painting, reading and writing. It’s a reflection on remembrance, of what we leave behind. As I get closer to 40 than I’d like to be I find myself thinking a lot about impermanence. About the struggles in life. About who we turn to and who we run from. About where I’m going. This was a beautiful book that explores all of this so eloquently. It’s a book I’ll return to again and again. Thank you Elizabeth Alexander for sharing your experience with the world so deeply and so authentically.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

LOVE WITHOUT REASON: Incredibly & insanely inspiring

Revisado: 07-24-21

I’m so grateful to have listened to Gaston’s narrative about the importance of cultivating what Gary Zukav would describe as unconditional compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, love and reverence for all life starting with ourselves. Last year I read Shannon Kaiser’s THE SELF LOVE EXPERIMENT, as well as JOY SEEKER. I also spent time with Meggan Watterson and Lodro Rinzler’s book HOW TO LOVE YOURSELF (AND SOMETIMES OTHER PEOPLE). And it’s very safe to say that Gaston’s work here is a natural extension of those works which were life altering for myself. I could go on for hours about the many things I got out of this work, but I think the most important take away was how Gaston emphasized the importance of turning words like love, compassion, and especially gratitude into action words. If you were grateful today, what did you do to make that an experience that benefits others (the only other person I’ve experienced in the last year in doing that was Andy Grant in his Udemy course on gratitude)? Expressing love and gratitude doesn’t have to be costly, it can be as simple as noticing someone else, listening to them empathically and responding with unconditional reverence. I think we forget that sometimes. This book helps us to remember it. And that’s why for me it’s worth reading - in fact I’ve already bought a copy to give to a friend tomorrow when I see her. Maybe that’s my first micro gesture I’ve done after reading this, although I’ve also been tipping at a higher amount than usual. One waiter said she thought I made a mistake when she saw I had tipped 50% on a $60 cheque, but I hadn’t. It made her day. I’m also gonna start keeping granola bars and bottled water in my car to give out to souls I pass almost daily in medians hoping for change. I’ve done this before but it’s usually with something I just got at a drive thru - like, I’ve purchased tea or coffees for work or classmates and I give my own drink to them knowing I can get something again or make it at my destination. Little things. And there’s so many more I can do. I want to volunteer again - it was a huge part of my youth, I even won a volunteer of the year nomination out of it. But I always did it for others, and because I enjoyed it. And Gaston reminded me of this in LOVE WITHOUT REASON. Unconditional love. Be love, give love. For all life, human and nonhuman, for the planet and our corner in the universe.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

What an excellent experience…

Revisado: 07-17-21

I like to consider myself fairly connected when it comes to popular culture, but somehow I’d never stumbled upon Melissa Broder’s work before - never stumbled upon SO SAD TODAY, her Twitter feed about her own personal struggles and life with anxiety and depression. Things many people experience on one level or another. Things I’ve struggled with for as long as I can remember but never felt totally comfortable fully expressing until more recently on my Instagram feed. I definitely want to visit her feed more to see the germination of tweets that would become the full blown essays that populate this book cause I too have been interested in taking posts from my Instagram and expanding upon them. To that end I’ve been listening to Natalie Goldberg and Joyce Maynard about writing creative nonfiction, and I love how both encourage us to read. Having ploughed through May Sarton’s JOURNAL OF A SOLITUDE, I stumbled upon Broder on Amazon Kindle and Audible and picked up her book. It felt like discovering Leonard Cohen for the first time in his work BEAUTIFUL LOSERS. Broder’s work here is brave, no experience too taboo. All ultimately heartfelt and having just finished listening to her read, I feel a reverence for her. I tried to be brave in a university course a few years ago in a work I masked as fiction, but although I scored 98% on it I got chastised for the parts I had chose to read aloud, as the content was darker and explored my loneliness and confusion with sexuality. I never told the teacher that several classmates, most female approached me after the class to thank me for sharing and to keep writing cause it was powerful. She too, the professor, didn’t say it wasn’t great or anything and shared their enthusiasm but the comment about what to share or not always kinda stuck too me, especially as the me too movement happened not long after that class. But like Goldberg and Maynard both said, if it’s honest and true, then don’t shy away from sharing your experiences. And I’m glad Broder did just that. A fascinating read, and interesting trajectory of growth and discovery for the book itself. It makes me think of Weir’s THE MARTIAN, how he released it piecemeal over many years online and then on Kindle for free (or as close to free as they allow), and it got more and more exposure. But I digress. Read this. Especially if you’re young and trying to find your place in the world. There’s so much truth here.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Great little follow up to BONES

Revisado: 06-28-21

I listened to this on the heels of listening to Goldberg’s WRITING DOWN THE BONES, the phenomenal work about developing a writing practice. This is a recording of a workshop Goldberg gave and it has practical exercises to try which will help people further cement the teachings found in BONES. It’s well worth the time!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Phenomenal and Resonant

Revisado: 05-05-20

I came to this book immediately on the heals often two books by author Shannon Kaiser, THE SELF LOVE EXPERIMENT and JOY SEEKER. And reading this was like a very natural continuation of that journey which resonated very deeply for me. I loved how they approached the topic from multiple angles, including from a Christian and a Buddhist tradition which reveals just how foundational and universal the concept of self love is regardless if you are single or in a relationship. I’ll be revisiting this book again, and have already quoted from it a lot when talking about my self love journey. I recommend this book a lot.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Truly transformative

Revisado: 04-12-20

I’ve never been so profoundly impacted by by a book. Well, at least not in a very long time. I was literally moved to tears when I finished this book, I feel more ready than ever before to truly start loving myself. Kaiser brings so much wisdom and research to the material, presenting it in a very accessible and colloquial manner. It’s like talking to an old friend. I found the material really captured so much - from Buddhist thought to thoughts around the soul as discussed by Gary Zukav to ideas about the laws of attraction and so much more. But none of it feels like she’s hitting you over the head. I draw these comparisons not because she made them, but because they resonated with what I’ve read recently. Ideas around being fully present and investing in yourself and the world around you with resonance aren’t new ideas but Kaiser presents them in a way that helps them really sink in and resonate to the core of your being. And for that alone, I can‘to stop recommending this book. Read it now.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Loved this...

Revisado: 04-04-20

I got this to listen to it alongside the Kindle edition. It’s resonated with me and I found it fits what many spiritual masters have long discussed in terms of mindfulness and being aware of your intention and how it resonates within yourself as well as how it impacts those around you. There are exercises to work through as well which I have yet to do, but the first run through of the material on my first lesson have impacted me a lot already. I highly recommend this as a solid introduction to the laws of attraction.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Excellent reflection on the power mindfulness

Revisado: 03-10-20

I really enjoyed this short book which reminded and reinforced the ideas of mindfulness, intention and having compassion and reverence for all life. My only criticism is that Hanh directs the lessons towards couples in relationships, such as those who are married, whereas all of these ideas can be applied to the interactions we have everyday with everyone. Ballerini does a great job reading, his voice is expressive and reminded me of the actor F Murray Abraham.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas