Going Mad To Stay Sane

Self-destructive behaviour has traditionally been viewed in an entirely negative light. As a result, attempts are constantly made to 'fix' it without asking what its actual purpose may be. Going Mad to Stay Sane invites us to rethink our attitudes. It sets out to understand the soul's purpose in visiting violence upon itself; substance abuse, compulsive sexuality, obsessive dieting or the grandiose hauteur of a superiority complex all come under scrutiny. In analysing its roots and its manifestations, the author asks us to consider the possibility that the impulse to visit violence upon oneself may be the only means available for the soul under siege to preserve itself and state its distress. Self-destructiveness is a notoriously difficult phenomenon to bring to healing, not least because the various schools of psychology have such partisan attitudes towards it, approaching it from within the narrow parameters of their chosen theories. This book, rather than arguing for one perspective or another, finds a place for them all within the compass of a mythical tale: the story of King Midas, who wished for everything he touched to be turned to gold. Through the tale of King Midas, Andy White shows how our self-destructive urges can also point the way to our salvation. Andy White was born and brought up in Africa. He trained in London, practised as a psychotherapist for many years and now lives in North Devon as a writer and artist. www.andywhiteartist.com Coming soon, ''Path to Wholeness'', a guide to the individuation process. ''A Tao of the Soul'', says Satish Kumar.

Invites the reader to rethink their attitudes towards self-destructive behavior

Short, simple and refreshingly practical, Living Simply offers 21 Earth Warrior practices to help us live more consciously and to cope with the ever increasing pace of modern life. Bob Hillary shares the lessons he learned living off the grid, exploring his ‘wild edges’ and practicing a slower, more attuned way of life. How can we live more simply, learn to appreciate what we have and root our way of being in the Earth we have inherited? By living simply and becoming an Earth Warrior. As life keeps urging us to go faster, many of us are moving in the opposite direction... we are looking for SLOWNESS, for stillness, to live more natural, less complex lives. Bob Hillary spent a year living off grid, this experience taught him how to live simply. It meant; downscaling, re-wilding, un-teching and finding and doing things that are free. These philosophies provided a framework for the 21 practices he shares in this book. Each one covers the key idea, contains exercises and provides practical ways that will help you become an Earth Warrior. By living this way you will learn how to live in a more joyful, positive, simple and meaningfully way. Earth Warriors give, share and care. This is a manual for modern times, a guide to creating positive action, walking the right path and making the right choices.

“[Goulston’s]ideas are a bit counter-intuitive but they really do shift the dynamic and help people diffuse and disarm the irrational person leading to more positive outcomes.” -- Online MBA Because some people are beyond difficult... Let’s face it, we all know people who are irrational. No matter how hard you try to reason with them, it never works. So what’s the solution? How do you talk to someone who’s out of control? What can you do with a boss who bullies, a spouse who yells, or a friend who frequently bursts into tears? In his book, Just Listen, Mark Goulston shared his bestselling formula for getting through to the resistant people in your life. Now, in his breakthrough new book Talking to Crazy, he brings his communication magic to the most difficult group of all—the downright irrational. As a psychiatrist, Goulston has seen his share of crazy and he knows from experience that you can’t simply argue it away. The key to handling irrational people is to learn to lean into the crazy—to empathize with it. That radically changes the dynamic and transforms you from a threat into an ally. Talking to Crazy explains this counterintuitive Sanity Cycle and reveals: Why people act the way they do • How instinctive responses can exacerbate the situation—and what to do instead • When to confront a problem and when to walk away • How to use a range of proven techniques including Time Travel, the Fish-bowl, and the Belly Roll • And much more You can’t reason with unreasonable people—but you can reach them. This powerful and practical book shows you how.

“Don’t You Know Who I Am?” has become the mantra of the famous and infamous, the entitled and the insecure. It’s the tagline of the modern narcissist. Health and wellness campaigns preach avoidance of unhealthy foods, sedentary lifestyles, tobacco, drugs, and alcohol, but rarely preach avoidance of unhealthy, difficult or toxic people. Yet the health benefits of removing toxic people from your life may have far greater benefits to both physical and psychological health. We need to learn to be better gatekeepers for our minds, bodies, and souls. Narcissism, entitlement, and incivility have become the new world order, and we are all in trouble. They are not only normalized but also increasingly incentivized. They are manifestations of pathological insecurity—insecurities that are experienced at both the individual and societal level. The paradox is that we value these patterns. We venerate them through social media, mainstream media, and consumerism, and they are endemic in political, corporate, academic, and media leaders. There are few lives untouched by narcissists. These relationships infect those who are in them with self-doubt, despair, confusion, anxiety, depression, and the chronic feeling of being “not enough,” all of which make it so difficult to step away and set boundaries. The illusion of hope and the fantasy of redemption can result in years of second chances, and despondency when change never comes. It’s time for a wake-up call. It’s time to stem the tide of narcissism, entitlement, and antagonism, and take our lives back.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NATIONAL BESTSELLER From the #1 bestselling author of A Spark of Light and Small Great Things, a riveting novel about the choices that change the course of our lives. Everything changes in a single moment for Dawn Edelstein. She's on a plane when the flight attendant makes an announcement: prepare for a crash landing. As thoughts flash through her mind, Dawn braces herself for impact. The shocking thing is the thoughts are not of her husband but of a man she last saw fifteen years earlier. Miraculously, Dawn survives the crash, but so do all the doubts she suddenly feels. She has led a good life. Back in Boston, she has her husband, Brian, her beloved daughter, and her work as a death doula who helps to ease the transition between life and death for her clients. But somewhere in Egypt is Wyatt Armstrong, who works as an archaeologist unearthing ancient burial sites, a job she once studied for, but was forced to abandon. Now, when it seems that fate is offering her second chances, she is not as sure of the life choices she once made. After the crash, once they've been checked out by a doctor, the airline offers the passengers flights to a destination of their choice. The obvious thing for Dawn is to fly home, to her work, to her family. The other option that occurs to her, though, is to travel to the archaeological site she left years before, reconnect with Wyatt and their unresolved history, and maybe even complete her research on The Book of Two Ways--the first known map of the afterlife. As the story unfolds, Dawn's two futures unspool side by side, as do the secrets and doubts she's kept buried. And then there are the questions she's never truly asked: What does a well-lived life look like? When we leave the earth, what do we leave behind? Do we make choices or do our choices make us? And, who would you be, if you hadn't turned into the person you are right now?