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Joy is not for just the lucky few–it’s a choice anyone can make. In this groundbreaking book, based on his popular course, James Baraz helps you discover a path to the happiness that’s right in front of you, offering a step-by-step program that will reorient your mind away from dissatisfaction and distraction and toward the contentment and delight that is abundantly available in our everyday lives.
You can decide to be happy. For years, James Baraz’s online Awakening Joy course has offered participants from around the world the benefits of this simple but profoundly radical proposition. Grounded in simple Buddhist principles but accessible to people of all faiths–or no faith at all–this concept provides the jumping-off point for a transformational journey toward a richer, more meaningful, more positive outlook on life. Now readers everywhere can follow the same ten steps Baraz teaches to his program participants. In this practical down-to-earth guide, you will learn how to
• make happiness a habit by inclining your mind toward states that lead to well-being
• find joy even during difficult times and avoid the pitfalls that prevent you from achieving the contentment you seek
• cultivate effective practices for sustaining joyfulness, such as reclaiming your natural sense of wonder and finding joy in the midst of everyday experiences
Each chapter of Awakening Joy consists of one step in Baraz’s ten-step program and includes engaging exercises and practical advice to make happiness your natural default setting. For everyone from the cynic despondent over life’s many sorrows to the harried commuter raging at freeway traffic, this book offers up a simple yet powerful message of hope grounded in the realization that joy already exists inside every one of us. Like a precious child, it only needs to be recognized, embraced, and nurtured in order to grow to its full potential.
Praise
"I've personally taken the Awakening Joy program and can say this unequivocally: It's fabulous and it works! This book, filled with moving stories and rich teachings, will give you wonderful tools to experience true happiness and well-being. It's a gem!"— Marci Shimoff, New York Times bestselling author of Happy for No Reason
"Opening to joy takes courage and intention. This book will inspire you to discover genuine happiness, and show you how. Drawing on perennial wisdom and accessible meditative practices, James and Shoshana offer teachings that can awaken your love of life."— Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance
"Awakening Joy is an important guide to transforming our everyday experience into genuine happiness. James and Shoshana's insight, kindness, and clear and practical language make this a direct, pragmatic and valuable manual for a better life."—Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness
"In this beautiful and heartwarming book, James Baraz and Shoshana Alexander take us on a journey that truly awakens joy. There are stories that bring tears to our eyes and practices that transform our lives. This is a loving, wise, and compassionate testament to what is possible for each one of us. Highly recommended."—Joseph Goldstein, author of A Heart Full of Peace
"I'm so happy that James Baraz's Awakening Joy class is now available in book form. His class has been helpful to thousands of people. I plan to give it to all my clients who are struggling with creating a life of meaning and happiness. Joyfulness is our birthright. This book shows you how to reclaim it."—M.J. Ryan, author of AdaptAbility
"This is a life-changing book that not only teaches practical, useful strategies for increasing your awareness, but also illuminates choices about how you can lead your emotional life." —Paul Ekman, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of California, San Francisco, co-author of Emotional Awareness and author of Emotions Revealed
"To awaken joy in oneself and others is one of life's great skills, a skill taught by sages across the centuries, and now distilled in this book."—Roger Walsh M.D., Ph.D., University of California Medical School, author of Essential Spirituality: The Seven Central Practices
"This book is an inspiring gift that will open your heart to the presence of love and joy in everyday life."—Frances Vaughan, Ph.D., psychologist, author of Shadows of the Sacred
"Every page of this wonderful book has something that inspires faith or confidence: a new story, a memorable quote, an exercise that invites participation....From beginning to end, it is a joy to read."—Sylvia Boorstein, author of Happiness Is An Inside Job: Practicing for a Joyful Life
"This book should be read by every person who cares about making this a better world. It can enhance the joys of working to develop a wiser and more compassionate society, and help make us both happier and more effective in challenging times."—Daniel Ellsberg, author of Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers
"This is an important book—and a great read! With its unique mix of story, philosophy, and practice we can explore our needs, free ourselves from the bonds of suffering, and innovate new ways of being that will last our lifetimes. And, because James has woven himself and his characteristic smile throughout the book, we can have a lot of fun in the process."—Rick Foster, co-author of How We Choose to Be Happy
"Faith, hope, and love have long been considered the essential virtues of the religious life. James Baraz has done us all a great service by elevating joy to its rightful place alongside the trinity of sacred emotions. What a gift is it, to be surprised by joy, and to awaken, in the midst of a difficult world, the impulse to rejoice."—Patricia E. de Jong, Senior Minister, First Congregational Church of Berkeley
"Awakening Joy is an inspirational and practical resource which helps us identify where we are or are not experiencing joy in our lives. This original book addresses the primary obstacles or beliefs that hinder our access to joy, and includes timeless practices and ways in which we can expand, cultivate, express, and experience more joy in our lives and within our own nature. Well-written, informative, and a significant contribution to everyone's well-being."—Angeles Arrien, Ph.D., cultural anthropologist, and author of award-winning Second Half of Life: Opening to the Eight Gates of Wisdom
"In our pursuit of happiness, this moving book should be a dog eared, worn out companion....As you work through this elegant material, you will find yourself laughing a little longer, dancing a little more, and awakening to the beauty of what lies inside you and in those nearby."—Dacher Keltner, Professor of Psychology, UC Berkeley, and author, Born To Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life
"I have been deeply touched and inspired by James Baraz's accessible, practical wisdom. His genuine caring for people and enthusiasm for life generously pour forth and permeate everything that he teaches--now in the pages of this book."—Rabbi Margie Jacobs, Institute for Jewish Spirituality
"Awakening Joy is a wise treasure house of valuable information, anecdotes, potent quotes, and creative suggestions to step into one's power and live life to the max. This book is a rich, inspiring resource I'm excited to share with my yoga students."—Gabriel Halpern, founder and director of the Yoga Circle [Chicago]
- Sales Rank: #91736 in Books
- Brand: Baraz, James/ Alexander, Shoshana
- Published on: 2010-01-12
- Released on: 2010-01-12
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.58" h x 1.23" w x 6.41" l, 1.20 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 336 pages
- self help through meditation
- awakening joy in life
Review
“Even if you never read anything in this genre, this book is one you should try.”
—Bill Gates
"Baraz turned Awakening Joy into a six-month class and found that participants maintained a positive attitude even after it ended (as long as they practiced the exercises; as with diets or working out, continuity is essential). Word of mouth about the course that could make people happier began to spread: The first round of Awakening Joy meetings consisted of about 40 members. The next numbered 100; the next, 200, and then 500. It went international when its members began e-mailing their monthly homework assignments from the lectures to friends. Baraz was thrilled to receive messages from strangers in Europe, Africa, and New Zealand. 'It works!' they wrote. Apparently, you didn't have to be there to get the joy."
—O, The Oprah Magazine
"The readings evoke the feeling of sharing an intimate conversation with a wise teacher over a cup of tea. They are gentle, personal, and helpful...The lessons offered in Awakening Joy are highly relevant for beginning and experienced practitioners of mindfulness because they bring a fresh and unique perspective to many of the core teachings and practices of Buddhism."
—Mindfulness Bell
"Awakening Joy can lead each of us to live with dignity, compassion, and gracious freedom. Read these words slowly. Savor them and practice the exercises in this book. Use them to open your heart and transform your life. Your days on Earth will be full of blessings."
—Jack Kornfield, author of the best-selling A Path with Heart
About the Author
James Baraz has been teaching meditation for more than thirty years and the Awakening Joy course, both on-site and online, since 2003. He is a co—founding teacher of the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California, and is on the international advisory board of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. He lives with his wife, Jane, in the San Francisco Bay area.
Shoshana Tembeck Alexander has studied Buddhism since the early 1970s and is the author of In Praise of Single Parents and Women’s Ventures, Women’s Visions. She has guided the work of several prominent Buddhist authors, including Tara Brach, Sharon Salzberg, and Wes Nisker. She lives in Ashland, Oregon.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter One
INCLINING THE MIND TOWARD JOY
With our thoughts we make the world.
—The Buddha
One evening after hearing me give a talk on real happiness, a student approached me. “I have something to show you,” he said, opening a slick magazine to a two-page advertisement. There, in shimmering glory, was a beautiful woman draped in gold jewelry, looking satisfied and happy. Across the pages in bold lettering were the words: “The Gold Shivers.” I felt both amused and appalled as I read the pitch:
From the First Small Shiver
when a Shimmering Necklace of Gold Beads Catches a Woman’s Eye.
To the Great Shivers of Delight
when the Coveted Object Actually Becomes Hers . . .
Among Life’s Pleasures, Count this Deeply Held Euphoria as Unique.
The Only Way to Get the Gold Shivers is by Getting the Gold.
Because we’re bombarded with thousands of marketing messages like this every day, it’s easy to think that gratifying our desires is the way to find happiness. We might even know, as one bumper sticker says, “The best things in life are not things,” but we can still believe that something else out there will make us happy. When I find my soul mate, or when I write the great American novel, or when I retir . . .
There’s no denying the hit of pleasure we feel when we fulfill a desire for a particular experience or object or goal. But how long does the satisfaction last once we receive the “coveted object”? Perhaps until we notice there’s something else we want. When we equate true happiness with getting something (or someone), we can end up like hamsters in an exercise wheel—running but never arriving.
If genuine happiness is not based on objects or experience, where can it be found? And how? Like following a road map, once you know where you’re going, it’s easier to figure out how to get there.
TAKING THE FIRST STEP
The journey of awakening joy begins with setting a clear intention. Although we all want to be happy, most of us don’t place an explicit wish for that at the center of our lives. We think if we are successful, rich, or liked by others, happiness will come. We tend to hope that achieving certain goals in the future will make us happy. But these are roundabout ways to get to happiness, and they don’t necessarily work. What does get you there is starting where you are and discovering what you are looking for in the midst of your current life.
You might think that the circumstances of your life will have to change a lot before you can find happiness in the midst of them. While it’s true that our well-being is affected by how we live, we also know that even in the best of circumstances we can be unhappy. And sometimes in very challenging situations, we can feel surprisingly at ease. While this book will encourage you to bring experiences and circumstances into your life that contribute to your well-being, the key factor is deciding to change your mind. As my colleague Sylvia Boorstein puts it, “Happiness is an inside job.” When we consciously intend to be happy, actually saying that intention aloud or to ourselves, we set in motion a radical transformation. Profound changes begin to take place inside us, in our body and our mind. The momentum of positive change grows as we learn to choose actions and situations that align us with our intention.
THE GOLD OF TRUE HAPPINESS
I was a gloomy existentialist in college until one day it struck me that I actually wanted to be happy. I believed the only way to achieve that was to get and to do what I wanted. My personal strategy to ensure happiness was trying to string together enough moments of pleasure and gratification that the underlying unease couldn’t get through. Getting the latest album of cool music felt good—for a little while. Having fun at a wild party was exhilarating—at the time. But no matter how many happy moments I had, I still didn’t feel any closer to being a “happy person.” I felt like I was on a roller coaster, and the ride down seemed to last a lot longer than the occasional trip up. There had to be another way.
That was what led me in 1974 to Naropa Institute, a kind of spiritual summer camp, in Boulder, Colorado. I’d read some books on Eastern philosophy that made me question a lot of my assumptions, and I wanted to check things out for myself. When I walked into meditation class that first day, I was excited about the promise of an exotic new teaching. There in the front of the room a man was sitting cross- legged—but he didn’t at all fit my image of the great spiritual guru I was expecting to see. In fact, he didn’t seem very different from me. He was Jewish and sounded like he was from New York, and I wondered if this guy could really tell me something new. But after spending the first ten minutes of the lecture judging the package, I decided to start listening to what he was saying.
Within moments it was clear that Joseph Goldstein understood something about genuine freedom and happiness and how to get there. I saw for the first time the possibility of not being a slave to my neurotic thoughts and fears. By the end of the class, I knew I had found a sure road to happiness, and I was determined to follow it.
Joseph talked a lot about one of the basic teachings of the Buddha— the recognition that everything we experience in life is impermanent. No matter how good things are, they will change. Well, that’s for sure, I thought. That’s the story of my life. We don’t get what we want and feel frustrated. We get what we don’t want and feel upset. Or we get what we want and then find out it doesn’t quite satisfy us in the way we thought it would. We find that the pleasure of the gold shivers lasts for a few moments, then fades away. As those famous “philosophers,” the Rolling Stones, so profoundly put it: “I can’t get no satisfaction.”
Because everything changes, no circumstance, experience, or object can give us lasting happiness. Our bodies change, our minds change, the seasons change. Yet we try to hold on to pleasure, youth, summertime, happiness. As Joseph puts it, trying to hold on to anything in an ever-changing reality is like holding tight to a rope you’re sliding down. All you get is rope burn. And the more you hold on, the more you suffer.
What is the way out of this predicament? Awakening joy isn’t about fulfilling goals or changing particular circumstances. It’s about training the mind and heart to live in a way that allows us to be truly happy with our life as it is right now. Not that we stop aspiring to grow and change in positive ways, or that we remain in harmful situations, but we begin to find the joy inside us right where we are. As you work with the practices offered here, you will discover that happiness is not a place you arrive at but rather the result of training your mind to ride with ease and flexibility the roller coaster of life.
DECIDING TO BE HAPPY
Vickie was hoping for a miracle. For five years she had been living with chronic pain, unrelieved by anything doctors and healers had been able to offer. By the time we spoke, her disappointment had spiraled down into severe bouts of depression. “Often I break down and cry just from trying to get through the day,” she told me. Vickie had come to talk about whether or not she should enroll in an Awakening Joy course. “But I just can’t believe it’s possible for me to be happy,” she said.
Recently her situation had gotten even harder. Friends who had been trying to help for years had begun to drift away, afraid of being pulled into the black hole of Vickie’s despair. “And my boyfriend has real doubts about our future,” she said through tears. “I know he loves me and feels a lot of compassion for me, but he says he wonders if I haven’t given up on life.”
“You’re going through so much, Vickie,” I said softly. “But I’ve seen other people going through really hard times make major changes when they decide to. I think you can do it.”
Despite her doubts, Vickie decided to enroll in the course. The very first meeting of the group proved to be a critical turning point for her. As usual I opened the course by asking participants to get in touch with their intention to bring more happiness into their lives. The evening was spent exploring this uplifting prospect, and by the time the class ended, the room was filled with enthusiasm and promise. Some participants lingered to talk with friends, and others came up to ask questions or make comments. I noticed Vickie sitting quietly at the side of the room, and when the others had left, I went over to see if she was okay.
“I just don’t see how this will work for me, given my physical condition,” she began. “I can’t even conceive of what it would be like to be joyful.”
“I understand how you can feel that way,” I said, taking a seat next to her. “And don’t try to be any different from how you are at this moment. But I think the most important ingredient in changing your situation is letting yourself open to the possibility of finding joy in your life. That needs to happen before you can get clear on your intention.”
I knew there had to be a way to help her realize she had the capacity to enjoy her life. I had seen so many people, including myself, turn their lives around once they had embraced that possibility.
“Vickie, are there ever any moments in your life when you’re enjoying something?” I asked her.
She replied, a little hesitantly, “Yes . . .when I play with my three-year-old niece.”
“Can you right now bring to mind an image of playing with your niece?”
Vickie settled into her chair and closed her eyes. Almost immediately a tiny smile appeared.
“Now just stay with that image and those feelings for a few moments,” I suggested. I could see a subtle change pass over her face as she sat there in silence. When I asked her to describe what she was feeling, it took her a while to find the words.
“I feel a kind of tingling throughout my body . . .a lightness in my mind . . .my heart feels warm . . .”
“Okay, good. Now let yourself breathe in that feeling, allowing it to deepen with each breath,” I suggested, knowing that letting the experience fully register in her body and mind was a key to making the shift she wanted.
“Now project your mind forward in time and imagine that you’ve practiced accessing this feeling of well-being regularly during the next ten months of the course. Can you tell me what your life would look like then?”
I could see Vickie’s body relax as she reflected.
“I have less stress . . .I enjoy being with my friends again . . .I see myself taking more walks in nature, and letting myself have more fun.”
“Great. If this feels worth going for,” I said softly, “take your time to get in touch with your intention to make it happen. See if you can decide that you’ll do your part to bring it about.”
As she silently contemplated that suggestion, it looked to me as if Vickie’s body actually grew lighter. When she finally opened her eyes, the smile she gave me was genuine and bright. “That was amazing,” she offered. “Something in me said not only can I do this but I’m going to do this.” That decision began a process within her that would eventually look like the miracle she had longed for. As the saying goes, “God helps those who help themselves,” and Vickie’s “miracle” was actually set in motion when she was willing to open to the possibility of joy.
FINDING THE “MAGIC” WORDS
FOR YOUR INTENTION
As Vickie found, setting the intention to awaken joy works best once you’ve recalled your capacity to be happy. Trusting that knowledge, you can make the heartfelt decision to do your part to make that happen. This is the heart of setting your intention to be happy—your determination to do what you can to fulfill your vision.
Finding a phrase that encapsulates your intention is a useful way to remind yourself of your direction. You might say something like “I intend to allow more joy into my life,” or “I want to experience more happiness each day,” or “May I live with a greater sense of well- being.” The exact way you phrase your intention doesn’t matter, and the wording may change over time. What’s most important is to begin.
Joan wrote from Canada about the struggle she got into when she tried to find the perfect way to state her intention. She had joined the Awakening Joy course in order to find more joy in her relationships with her husband and two children. “I keep falling into knee-jerk reactions such as irritation and negativity with them,” she wrote. Because the change she was looking for felt so important, Joan wanted the phrase she used to state her intention to be exactly right.
After several frustrating days of trying out various possibilities, she decided to just sit quietly and see what came. The words that arose were “I’m going to give joy a shot.” Not at all the profound phrase she was looking for! “I felt almost repulsed by the words and dismissed them,” she wrote. But the phrase kept coming back. At some point Joan realized, “I can just be silly with the intention and stop worrying about the ‘right’ words. Instead I can try to stay connected with the raw energy behind these ‘silly’ words and go for it!”
A GAME OF REMINDERS
The more you do something, the easier it gets. The more often you remind yourself that you are actually intending to bring more feelings of joy and well-being into your life, the more you will be open to them when they arise. And when you remain aware of your intention to grow in happiness, you’re more likely to make choices to support it.
Most helpful customer reviews
44 of 47 people found the following review helpful.
Doubts overcome, this book is transformative. At least for me.
By C. Benjamin
"Oh hellll motha f''ing no." That's a sanitized version of what I thought when my coworker invited me to read this book, and join her for the Awakening Joy class. Wanting to be polite, what came out was more like a skeptical, "I don't think I'd be interested." She patiently suggested that I simply preview the book, and give it a chance because she had heard good things.
Although clearly predisposed to doubt, I started reading Awakening Joy on Amazon, checking out the first chapter for free, and to my surprise I was hooked. So much that I got the book AND signed up for the class. In case you haven't figured it out yet, there is a class you can take that goes with the book, and each month one chapter is covered. I'll write a little more about the class at the end of this review. For now, just the book...
If you are like I was, and not sure whether to read this book, definitely start with the free preview on Amazon, and see what you think. I have noticed some reviewers who think the writing style is too cheesy. Well I anticipated exactly that. But to me, it does not read that way. I can see how this book might not be for everyone, but like my coworker said, do give it a chance.
My concern was there because 1.) it was written by a Buddhist practitioner, 2) it is called Awakening Joy, and 3) the very fact that there is a class that goes with the book. I even wondered if this program was an entry into some kind of cult! (of course it's not!)
Regarding the religious part - Being raised in a Buddhist/Jewish family, on one hand I have an affinity toward Buddhist philosophy. On the other, I am a devout agnostic who does not wish to commit to any religion. I have a hard time with any practice that requires me to have "faith" or what feels to me like superstition. Knowing this book was written by James Baraz, a Buddhist my parents respect, I felt inviting of the philosophy, but worried that the book would expect me to believe in things like reincarnation, karma, deities, etc. Luckily, while the philosophy is most definitely there, the parts I struggle with are not. James Baraz did a good job with making this a book that is not religious.
The title bothered me because life is about more than just Joy, and I thought this would be some kind of "learn how to be a fake Californian who puts on a smile" kind of deal. This is not the case at all. While Awakening Joy is focused on how to bring more enjoyment into life, it recognizes that there are struggles, and discusses techniques for handling difficult times. The book doesn't make me feel pressured to "be happy" all the time, nor ashamed that I'm not. But it does help me to develop awareness, comfort, and compassion with all of my emotions.
As for the cult concerns, those are squashed, and I think it's funny I even entertained that notion. There is a community that gathers to discuss ways of thinking that bring more happiness into one's life, but there is no worship, indoctrination, nor a commune to live in! But the reason I was worried had to do with there being a class, which leads into a brief intro to what happens there.
The course, which meets monthly, is in Berkeley, which luckily for me is nearby, but can also be taken online from all around the world. In the class we arrive, sit quietly for a moment to get focused, discuss the reading from the month before, learn about the upcoming chapter, hear dynamic guest speakers talk on the topic, enjoy music by a a guest singer, and then we all have fun singing a song together - one that most people would know and it varies each month. I find it helpful to hear how others are relating to the book. We talk about what is working, and what challenges people have with the materials so that various approaches can be considered. The website for the class has forums so folks can continue to discuss the material. Those taking the course online can watch recordings. Students taking either version (live, recorded, or just simply reading the book) are encouraged to find buddies or form small groups to discuss the reading. Each month James Baraz writes his students a letter on the topic of the month. And there are bunch of other resources provided to help you stay focused. I won't give them all away here!
But if the class is not for you, no big deal. You can definitely enjoy this book thoroughly without taking the accompanying course. Ultimately, If you do get the book, I hope you enjoy it as much as me! I really like focusing on one chapter per month. It gives time to contemplate the lessons at a good pace. If you do get the book, and don't do the class, you might consider approaching the reading at the same pace, and working through it with a partner. Either way, if you are curious, but have doubts, just take it one step at a time and see if its right for you. If it is, you could find yourself increasingly aware of life's many gifts! That's how I feel.
At this point, my feelings about this book and the class have moved from "Oh hellll motha f''ing no" to something more like "Oh hellll motha f''ing yeah!"
49 of 54 people found the following review helpful.
Openng the Door to a More Fulfilling Life
By Rob Okun
Here's a book that works like a master locksmith's pick: it opens a door into a more fulfilling life. An outgrowth of James Baraz's successful online course of the same name, Awakening Joy: Ten Steps That Will Put You on the Road to Happiness is an accessible, anecdote-rich guide filled with valuable tips to understanding both the roadblocks challenging our lives and the open road inviting us for a drive on the freeway of our own personal happiness.
As a longtime meditation teacher, Baraz distills three decades of inquiry into the mind into this down-to-earth primer. Written with the gifted editor Shoshana Alexander,
the book evokes the warmth of a satisfying conversation--actually a series of conversations--with a wise friend. And make no mistake: Baraz is wise. And compassionate, giving and optimistic. He's also a gifted teacher. Among his gifts? Advocating joy as a gateway to pass through on the journey to self-awareness.
To those readers brought up believing in narrow-minded, "should-"oriented approaches to living, awakening joy as a means of achieving personal growth might seem contraindicated--somehow jumping ahead of struggle, pain and suffering (the trinity of stages personal growth many believe we must first pass through to reach higher states of happiness). Such an approach misses the mark--by a wide margin. Baraz is not so much suggesting an "eat dessert first" approach to living as much as saying dessert is available all the time in succulent, small bites. If we pay attention enough to notice.
Rooted in mindfulness meditation practice, which Baraz has been practicing and teaching since the seventies (he is one of the founding teachers of the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California), the book is peppered with quotes from a range of teachers, as well as participants in the Awakening Joy course. The book also draws on paths to happiness found in a range of spiritual traditions. Another of its strengths is its gentle introduction to Buddhism, presented in an accessible, open-minded and open-hearted way.
While dealing with life's adversity is certainly addressed in the book--we appreciate Baraz all the more for being open and vulnerable in sharing painful episodes in his own life--time and again he brings the reader back to an appreciation for wholesome states of living. After an eye operation left him with seriously compromised vision--"the world looked like a Jacque Cousteau underwater documentary filmed on a cloudy day"--Baraz relied on his meditation practice to see him through. When a risky operation eventually restored his vision, he felt a surge of gratitude that didn't subside. "... [T]he gratitude I felt at my good fortune became a continuous backdrop to everything else in my life," he wrote.
Over the years Baraz has trained himself to examine his experiences carefully, "not only for my own spiritual growth but also to share my findings with students." As a result of the appreciation he felt at his clear vision, he became fascinated with the question, "What is gratitude?" In many ways, his book answers the question,. It is Baraz's report on his experiences as "an explorer of the landscape of the grateful heart."
HIGHLY RECCOMMENDED
28 of 30 people found the following review helpful.
Joy After Grief
By Ginny
I picked up Awakening Joy a few months after my husband passed away. Grief has a way of intensifying after the first few months on autopilot have passed. I looked toward friends, books and a support group, all of which emphasized my loss, how my life had changed, and what I no longer could look forward to.
When I read Awakening Joy, I experienced a serenity that I hadn't felt in some time. James Baraz gave me a strong sense of what I DID have and what I COULD do to appreciate the special moments in the here and now that held purpose and joy. I liked the structure of his book, a finely woven tapestry of personal narrative (he's "walked the walk"), philosophical and scientific perspectives that gave credence to his views, and first hand experiences of his students who have used the techniques from his AJ course (mindfulness, loving kindness, gratitude, among others)to effect personal change. I tried some of the simple highlighted suggestions and they worked.
Baraz speaks directly to his reader in a positive, reassuring and encouraging tone that's not preachy or schmaltzy. Combined with a few humorous asides, he even elicited an easy smile or two as I read. I learned that in our fast-paced, demanding world, we don't have to look far for the most meaningful and gratifying moments -- they are within us.
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