The son of a single parent, a black Jamaican woman who was a poor domestic worker, author Ralston G. Bishop narrates the story of his life in Acceptance is the Beginning of Change. From his birth in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, in 1974, to growing up poor in the parish of St Ann, to turning to crime, to spending time in prison, Bishop shares his journey and discusses the lessons hes learned along the way. Now a farmer and a poet, he reflects on poverty and its far-reaching effect on people, and he tells of the importance of having complete faith and trust in God. From rags to riches and from riches to rags, this memoir shares Bishops story as he learns to accept the regrets of his past and come to terms with a new present and future. Honest and disclosing, Acceptance is the Beginning of Change communicates that its not about what one lacks in life, it is about what one has. Its not about the mistakesits about the lessons gained.
THE IRISH TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER In this wise and practical book, psychotherapist and mindfulness teacher Padraig O'Morain explains how practising acceptance can help us find happiness. It can be difficult to make peace with things that happen to you and affect your situation. Undesired events can knock us for six, leaving us harbouring resentment, anger and frustration. These negative emotions can affect us deeply and be difficult to shift. Acknowledging these feelings and learning how to accept what has happened - even if you do not agree with it - can be life-changing. In Acceptance you will discover how to stop brooding on what happened in the past and free yourself up to focus on more positive feelings. Using an approach derived from his years of experience, Padraig introduces us to the power of acceptance through a range of themes including accepting uncertainty, acceptance in relationships, climate emotions and acceptance and gratitude. The path towards acceptance is not always straightforward, but ultimately it will help you get unstuck and move on with your life. Find out more in the stories, case studies and practical exercises in this thoughtful book and discover how to lighten the load you have been carrying. 'I read the book from start to finish and I think it might change my life.' - Ray D'Arcy, television and radio presenter of the Ray D'Arcy Show
In our current times of global crises and spiking collective anxiety, Tara Brach’s transformative practice of Radical Acceptance offers a pathway to inner freedom and a more compassionate world. This classic work now features an insightful new introduction, an exclusive bonus chapter, and additional guided meditations. “Radical Acceptance offers us an invitation to embrace ourselves with all our pain, fear, and anxieties, and to step lightly yet firmly on the path of understanding and compassion.”—Thich Nhat Hanh “Believing that something is wrong with us is a deep and tenacious suffering,” says Tara Brach at the start of this illuminating book. This suffering emerges in crippling self-judgments and conflicts in our relationships, in addictions and perfectionism, in loneliness and overwork—all the forces that keep our lives constricted and unfulfilled. Radical Acceptance offers a path to freedom, including the day-to-day practical guidance developed over Dr. Brach’s forty years of work with therapy clients and Buddhist students. Writing with great warmth and clarity, Tara Brach brings her teachings alive through personal stories and case histories, fresh interpretations of Buddhist tales, and guided meditations. Step by step, she shows us how we can stop being at war with ourselves and begin to live fully every precious moment of our lives.
“If you’re at the end of your relationship rope, reach for Radical Acceptance.” —Elle A refreshing new approach to romantic partnerships, grounded in the importance of unconditional love that shows how “prioritizing your partner [creates] true happiness in your relationship” (John Gray, PhD, author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus). Loving the lovable parts of your partner is easy. He’s funny, charming, smart, successful, and kind. He’s perfect. Except for when he is not. Like when he is late. Or short-tempered. Or lazy. Or he’s incorrectly loaded the dishwasher (again). Maybe he feels like the most frustrating person on the planet. Or maybe you’re simply not feeling heard or seen. Or loved enough. It’s these proverbial unlovable parts that make loving all of him so tough. But imagine if you let go of your itch to fix, judge, improve, or control your partner. Imagine if you replaced judgement with compassion and empathy. Tremendous empowerment and liberation come from loving someone—and being loved—for who we really are. This practice is called Radical Acceptance. Whether you’re looking for Mr. Right or are already with him, this is your powerful five-step guide to attaining life’s ultimate prize: unconditional love. You’ll learn how to increase your emotional resilience, feel more confident, determine whether you’re settling, quiet those doubt-filled voices in your head, get out of that endless cycle of dead-end dates, reduce conflict, and build a deeply fulfilling, affirming relationship—all through highly actionable advice. Best of all, you will discover how amazing it feels to have your heart expanded by an abundance of love and compassion for your partner and yourself. Featuring compelling stories for real-life couples and insights from the foremost thought leaders and researchers in brain science, sexuality, psychotherapy, and neurobiology, Radical Acceptance illustrates that embracing your partner for exactly who they are will lead to a more harmonious relationship—and provide an unexpected path to your own personal transformation.
What if, starting today, we stop thinking in terms of lack and imperfection? What if we stop trying to change reality with the power of our thoughts and intentions? What if we no longer think everything needs to be 'fixed', 'healed' or 'improved'? Many people are unhappy with their lives and circumstances. The source of their unhappiness can lie with their relationship, job, family, or with their own well-being. They wait and hope that their lives will become pleasant, but in reality the changes they can make are within their reach. If we suffer it is because we are trying to change life as it is into life as we want it. The great Dutch sinologist and Taoist Kristofer Schipper once said: 'The fight against the natural course of things is perhaps the greatest evil of our time.' What is good for you is usually whatever is happening right now. To surrender to this reality is not 'giving up' - to surrender is a celebration of real freedom. Acceptance can bring us feelings of liberation, strength and healing. This is really a book for everyone - everyone who is curious and eager to learn, everyone who is interested in real personal growth. With her elegant and intelligent writing - with fascinating contributions from world-renowned spiritual writers such as William Tiller and Lynne McTaggart - Annemarie shows us how acceptance is the path to enlightenment.
Build more compassionate, accepting, and loving relationships with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Let’s face it: Picture-perfect storybook romances don’t exist in real life. Couples fight. Feelings of love wax and wane through the years. And the stress and tedium of everyday life and work can often drive a wedge between even the most devoted couples. So, how can you reignite passion and intimacy in your relationship, cultivate greater understanding and compassion between yourself and your partner, and bring the joy back to your love life? In this fully revised and updated edition of ACT with Love, therapist and world-renowned ACT expert Russ Harris shows how developing psychological flexibility—the ability to be in the present moment with openness, awareness, and focus, and to take effective action in line with one's values—can help you and your partner strengthen and deepen your relationship. Also included is new information on attachment theory, powerful mindfulness and self-compassion techniques, and assertiveness and boundary-setting skills. ACT with Love will show you how to: Let go of conflict, open up, and live fully in the present Use mindfulness to increase intimacy, connection, and understanding Resolve painful conflicts and reconcile long-standing differences Act on your values to build a rich and meaningful relationship If you’re looking to increase feelings of intimacy, love, and connection with your partner, this book has everything you need to get started—together.
A Library Journal Best Wellness Book of 2018! 2018 Self-Help Silver Medal Winner--Independent Book Publishers Association! 2018 Non-Fiction Audio Book Silver Medal Winner--Independent Book Publishers Association! 2018 Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Award Finalist--Family & Relationships! WHAT WOULD YOUR LIFE BE LIKE IF YOU ACCEPTED PEOPLE AND THINGS AS THEY ARE? Do you wish your parents had been more nurturing and supportive? Are you wondering if you’ll ever find your perfect soul mate and dream boss? Do you wish you had “perfect” children, relatives who never fight, and friends who always agree with you? No one gets to sail through life free of turbulence. What separates people who shake it off, bounce back, and stay positive from the bitter, never satisfied, and defeated? Best-selling author and former compulsive controller Daniel A. Miller convincingly attests that the answer is choosing acceptance. In THE GIFTS OF ACCEPTANCE: EMBRACING PEOPLE AND THINGS AS THEY ARE, Danny shares what he’s learned—through extensive research, inspiring true stories, and his own experience with hardships—about the integral relationship between accepting the facts of life and others, with their quirks, flaws, and differences, and enjoying greater satisfaction in life. Recognizing the benefits of acceptance isn’t difficult. Yet the reality of accepting an unexpected job loss or financial setbacks, a friend’s betrayal, a child’s struggle with addiction, a serious illness, or even the annoying traits of a loved one can be extremely challenging. To make it easier, THE GIFTS OF ACCEPTANCE offers insights, intentions, and strategies for practicing acceptance of parents, a significant other, children, siblings and extended family, coworkers, friends, and foes; of life’s adversities and the limitations of getting older; and, perhaps toughest of all, of yourself. You will learn how practicing acceptance helps you * Navigate life’s ups and downs more easily * Enjoy greater trust, openness, and intimacy with your loved ones and those closest to you * Survive control freaks, foes, and other crazy makers *Lift self-imposed burdens and obligations and experience less stress, frustration, and worry * Reduce the struggle with your children * Strengthen bonds with coworkers and business associates * Discover new choices and opportunities in the most discouraging situations * Turn setbacks and failures to future successes * Find the path to assured self-acceptance THE GIFTS OF ACCEPTANCE is a book with the potential to repair relationships, revitalize careers, and make the world a better place.
Without proper support, navigating the icy waters of grief may feel impossible. The grieving person may feel spiritually bankrupt and often the loss is so painful that the bereaved may lose faith in what they once held dear. Mindfulness meditation can restore hope by offering a compassionate safe haven for healing and self-reflection. While nobody can predict the path of someone else's grief, this book will guide the reader forward through the grieving process with simple mindfulness-based exercises to restore mind, body and spirit. These easy-to-follow meditations will help the reader to cope with the pain of loss, and embark on a healing journey. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of grief, and the guided meditations will calm the mind and increase clarity and focus. Mindfulness and Grief will help readers to begin the process of reconstructing the shattered self that is left in the wake of any major loss.
