A practical and life changing guide

Joan Borysenko's book, Inner Peace For Busy People, is an intelligently written, thought provoking read. She has demonstrated a deep understanding of those things that create familiar feelings of being overwhelmed and stressed to the max, and better yet, she gives practical solutions on ways to cope with that stress. The chapters in this book are short, one page or a little more. I found that the best way to read this book was to read a chapter a week and attempt to instill these lessons gradually. I can honestly say that it helped me to find new ways to relax and enjoy life, in spite of feeling at times as though I am "crazy busy" as the author discusses. I highly recommend this book. Unlike other self-help books, this guide doesn't overgeneralize, or have within it's pages unrealistic expectations that people would have difficulty implementing in their own lives. I found it to be incredibly practical and life-changing. I feel more rested and relaxed than I have in a very long time.

Rating:


An Application of "Peace in Every Step" (Thich Nhat Han)

I had heard of this author for a long time and never read any of her work, so it was with careful reflection and consideration that I opened this book - attracted by the "Peace" and "Busy People" of the title.

The book is divided into 52 chapters (almost chapterettes) that include ideas for application of the principle discussed. Borysenko writes with a friend-like, compassionate voice as she guides the reader into a more centered life style.

The strategies discussed won't be new for those "experienced" at Personal Development AND the presentation makes it worth the investment. Each idea is narrowed down so succinctly and at the same time, the resulting "a-ha's" have the possibility of being substantial for those who take the principles and put them into practice.

I love how personable Joan comes across - in the section on perfectionism she describes how she still deals with it in her life through a story from a recent holiday dinner. Her chapter on "Breath" is so simple and yes, so powerful. These happen to be my favorites, but each lesson has gold to be mined.

For those folks who don't want to do the lessons "one-a-week", the book could easily be opened to any page, read and applied in that moment. The chapterettes can literally be read while waiting in line at the grocery store so there is no reason NOT to live more peacefully now -

There - see how effortless that was? *Smile* Reading and using this book is even easier than reading this review.... Enjoy!



Rating:


A Book for the Times

The events of the past few years have intensified our stress levels. The economy, the impact of 9/11, war, political rhetoric, unemployment, uncertainty, and just the pressure to do more with less has presented untold challenges. Everyone is so busy that balancing all the things on the to-do list has become nearly impossible. "Stop the merry-go-round! I want to get off!"

Is there no serenity anymore? Is there no way to get away from all the noise...even if that noise is in our heads? Reading this book, and thinking about its messages, will move you to a different space...if even for a brief time.

I started reading the 52 chapters at the rate of one each evening before bedtime. 52 chapters = 52 weeks. The more I got into the book, the more I accelerated my reading. I gained something from each brief chapter. Sometimes I learned a new idea, a new approach, a new way of looking at something. In other cases, I was gaining some new knowledge and insight-things I hadn't really thought about before.

Joan Borysenko is an expert in stress, spirituality, and mind-body connection. As a no-nonsense businessman, I've avoided the spirituality and mind-body stuff...until recently. Maybe I'm getting older; maybe I'm becoming more sensitive; maybe I can benefit from these approaches more than I thought I could. This Inner Peace book makes the process comfortable; I don't feel discomfort at all in reading it. No "woo-woo" alarms sounding.
This is good stuff.

You'll find Borysenko's writing easy to work with and absorb. Her personal stories engage the reader with the perspectives and advice she shares. Whether you read a chapter a week or read straight through, this is a book with value for you, personally.

Rating: