The Art of Serenity
The Path to a Joyful Life in the Best and Worst of Times
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- $33.99
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- $33.99
Publisher Description
We all face adversity, both man-made and natural. How do we survive the loss of a loved one, a betrayal, illness, even impending death, and still find meaning in our lives? Even a "normal" life can seem empty, in spite of material possessions, success, power, and pleasure. In our search for fulfillment and meaning, we work through our past and present conflicts, cuddle our inner child, and redesign our outer adult. We attend workshops on life and secular spirituality and explore the comforts of traditional religion. We get married and divorced, experiment with drugs and alcohol, change jobs. And while our restlessness and unease may abate temporarily, the hollow feeling that there is something missing always returns.
In his profound and accessible work, The Art of Serenity: The Path to a Joyful Life in the Best and Worst of Times, Dr. T. Byram Karasu offers us the key to an extraordinary state of mind -- authentic, soulful happiness -- in the face of everything our life has to offer and take away. The door to this state of mind is opened by a combination of soul and spirit. It involves the soul through the love of others, love of work, and the love of community. It involves the spirit through belief in the sacred and belief in transformation. It culminates in the love of and belief in God. Brilliantly synthesizing psychology and spirituality, Dr. Karasu will guide you to explore the deepest yearnings of your heart.
There is no end to the journey to real happiness; there is no best place to start or best time to begin. So where and when to start? Start here, where you are, and start now.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Drawing on, among many other traditions and influences, folktales, mythology, Eastern philosophy, Sufi poetry and Judeo-Christian theology, Karasu, a scholar, lecturer and the editor in chief of American Journal of Psychotherapy, fashions a spiritual guide to help suffering people find genuine happiness and"an extraordinary and permanent joyful serenity." His message is a simple one: such serenity comes from loving others, loving one's work and belonging to a community, and from being able to believe in unity, the sacred, and the possibility of transformation. These feelings find their ultimate meaning and inspiration, he says, in"believing in and loving God." Moving through these themes in compassionate chapters full of anecdotes, literary references and stories from his own patients, Karasu shows how they resolved their issues and learned to live with joy. More philosophical than practical, Karasu's moving book will appeal to those seeking a profound journey, rather than those who seek concrete steps for better living.