Table of Contents
Introduction xv
I Finding courage 1
1 Recognizing our fears 4
2 Taking risks 6
3 Daring to be ourselves 8
4 Facing emotional pain 10
5 Finding a Path back to life after tragedy 13
6 Embracing change and opening to possibilities 15
7 Seeing crisis as an opportunity for growth 18
5 Celebrating aging rather than fearing it 20
9 Dealing with illness and recovery 22
10 Transforming our perception of dying 25
11 Daring to embark on the spiritual journey 28
II Developing awareness 31
1 Slowing down and creating space for ourselves 34
2 Paying attention 36
3 Taming the unruly mind 38
4 Adopting mindfulness 40
5 Practicing meditation 43
6 Finding a place to retreat to 45
7 Knowing ourselves-the journey inward 48
8 Listening to our intuition 51
9 Revealing ourselves in our closest relationships 53
10 Showing respect in all our relating 55
III Letting go of negative emotions 59
1 Dropping our emotional baggage 62
2 Accepting what we can and can't control 64
3 Realizing we don't have to be perfect 66
4 Managing stress 68
5 Becoming aware of the Shadow 71
6 Cultivating healthy expression of anger 73
7 Eliminating envy 75
8 Banishing guilt and shame 77
9 Forgiving ourselves and others 79
10 Healing and becoming whole 82
11 Surrendering our expectations 83
12 Decluttering our lives and minds 86
13 Facing up to our addictions 88
IV Cultivating optimism 91
1 Accepting life's challenges 94
2 Changing negative and limiting beliefs 96
3 Working with the Law of Attraction 98
4 Getting out of the rut 101
5 Retraining our brains 103
6 Mating the changes we want to see in our lives 104
7 Acting "as if" 107
8 Maximizing luck 108
9 Reclaiming our power to heal our bodies 110
10 Flourishing and developing resilience 112
11 Creating a better future for all 114
V Believing in our dreams 117
1 Knowing what we want/knowing who we are 120
3 Realizing our passion 122
3 Using imagination to create our vision 124
4 Practicing creative visualization 126
5 Making the commitment 129
6 Awakening our intuitive abilities 131
7 Using dreams to bring us closer to our goal 132
8 Unlocking our creativity 134
9 Underpinning with discipline 136
10 Going with the flow and releasing attachment 139
VI Practicing kindness 141
1 Being gentle with ourselves 145
2 Opening our hearts and making kindness a habit 147
3 Nurturing our most intimate relationships 149
4 Having realistic expectations of others 151
5 Listening and communicating with kindness 153
6 Appreciating our parents 155
7 Giving of ourselves as mothers 159
8 Deepening our friendships 159
9 The healing balm of kindness 162
10 Understanding those who cause pain 164
11 Widening the circle of our kindness 166
VII Trusting life's process 169
1 Keeping our hearts open 171
2 Having faith in ourselves and others 173
3 Accepting the seasons of our hearts 176
4 Learning the dance of life 178
5 Heeding the messages 180
6 Letting the path be our teacher 182
7 Surrendering attachment 184
8 Receiving grace 186
9 Reassessing and rebuilding our lives 188
VIII Living in the present moment 191
1 Changing our perception of time 193
2 Looking in the right place 195
3 Bringing conscious awareness into our lives 197
4 Moving beyond compulsive thinking 199
5 Restraint and keeping things simple 201
6 Practicing silence and solitude 203
7 Developing our capacity for patience 205
8 Creating ritual and sanctuary 207
9 Living each day as if it's the only one we have 210
10 Acceding Things as they Ore 212
IX Appreciating life's blessings 215
1 Giving thanks on a daily basis 217
2 Seeing the bigger picture 220
3 Having enough and realizing nothing is lacking 221
4 Being appreciative of ourselves and others 223
5 Asking and receiving 225
6 Opening to wonder and miracles 227
7 Rejoicing in small things and celebrating the big 230
8 Increasing our generosity 232
9 Realizing how even loss can be a blessing 234
X Finding our unique purpose 239
1 Asking the right questions 242
2 Trusting our unique purpose is unfolding 244
3 Connecting with a power greater than ourselves 246
4 Following our own path-the heroine's Journey 248
5 Harnessing the power of intention 250
6 Making a difference through the work we do 252
7 Recovering the soul 254
8 Enhancing our lives now 256
9 Linking our purpose with that of the whole 258