Reddit Reddit reviews A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61)

We found 39 Reddit comments about A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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39 Reddit comments about A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61):

u/[deleted] · 28 pointsr/exmormon

>How did anyone here crawl out of their emotional wreck and become functioning and content members of society after leaving?

First, the existential vacuum is real when leaving the Church and so is the excruciating loneliness. You're not alone and you can make it through. For me, a big part of the answer was just giving it time (cliche, I know, but still true) and just surviving the long, miserable days that followed my loss of faith.

Second, reading books helped. Lots of books from others that have previously dealt with these existential questions. Some recommendations are:

u/csandin · 18 pointsr/NoFap

I'm glad you can relate. Porn addiction does blow lol. But yes we truly are top level people here. It has shown me the true courage that humans have. I've been trying to figure this whole life thing out for about a year now, and it sounds like you may be struggling as well. I highly recommend this book or anything by this author, if you are on the same path. You can filter out all of the religious stuff, I know I did. But it helps you detach from your ego, and basically allows you to be happy in life.

u/MoundBuildingNephite · 11 pointsr/exmormon

The existentialism is real in the wake of losing your worldview. All the pep-talks in the world about "go live your life, the world is amazing!" meant nothing to me. I didn't know how to move forward. For some of us, the loss is huge and the existential dread (with its accompanying anxiety and depression) is absolutely consuming.

Ultimately, the study of philosophy and the nature of existence was the way out and the door to a meaningful post-Mormon life for me. I read and studied a bunch of stuff, but the below list was some of the most helpful. I ultimately chose to go with a personalized form of stoicism to fill the void left by Mormonism. Others prefer secular Buddhism, etc. If you still like Jesus as a moral guide (like I do in a lot of ways), this is a great short podcast about Jesus as a moral philosopher.

Anyway, I found the below very helpful in my transition:

  • Philosphize This! podcast. Start with episode 1 and just listen all the way through. It's great and he even mentions Mormonism a few times.

  • The Power of Now by Tolle.

  • The Happiness Trap by Harris.

  • Man's Search for Meaning by Frankl.

  • Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning (A follow-on of above--focus on the later chapters in this book.)

  • The Alchemist by Coelho.

  • A New Earth by Tolle.

  • A Confession by Tolstoy. Free download.

  • What I Believe, also by Tolstoy and a follow-on to the above Tolstoy book. Free download at link if you look for it. Auido book here.

    If you're interested in stoic philosophy as a replacement for Mormonism:

  • Start with this easy article for a nice overview. The rest of this blog can be helpful, too. For example, here's a great recent article.

  • This book. It can be a bit long in places, but it's an easy read and gives an awesome overview.

  • Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. The Audible version of this is really good, too, if you have a daily commute, etc.

     

    Finally, it gets better! Take it a day (or a month) at a time and keep searching and you'll eventually land in a good spot! Good luck, and stick with it!
u/Kingofqueenanne · 10 pointsr/Soulnexus

Welcome to the fun, fringe, uncharted territory of esotericism, spirituality, and cosmic consciousness! If you’re anything like me, perhaps one day these elements were invisible to your awareness, and then the very next day these things became very interesting. It’s funny, I feel like when I flipped “on” a couple of years ago I wanted to hungrily devour any and all pieces of writing that dealt with unseen realms.

Just know that you’re going to come across an incredibly large buffet of esotericsm and sometimes it is mind-bending, other times it is questionable, sometimes it can be purposeful disinfo or sometimes info may come through what I like to call a “muddy channel,” or a person who has clairvoyant talent but carries a lot of personal distortions that influence/color the information.

Some resources that I have bookmarked:

u/53920592 · 8 pointsr/exmormon

First, you're not alone. I was in my early 30's when I lost my faith and it took me 2 years to get over the depression and existential vacuum that Joe's lies left behind.

I was able to eventually work my way through it without meds or any serious counseling, but it was a grueling couple of years. Everyone has to figure out their own path, but what helped me most was reading from others who had faced the same existential vacuum and found a way to navigate it. A few titles that I would highly recommend are:

  • The Power of Now by Tolle.
  • Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Best on audiobook.
  • Man's Search for Meaning by Frankl.
  • Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning (A follow-on of above--focus on the later chapters in this book.)
  • The Alchemist by Coelho.
  • A New Earth by Tolle.
  • A Confession by Tolstoy. Free download.
  • What I Believe, also by Tolstoy and a follow-on to the above Tolstoy book. Free download at link if you look for it.

    The above, coupled with a lot of patience, exercise, sleep, and proper diet got me through my deep existential crisis. The existentialism still shows up now and then, but it's totally manageable. Good luck to you! You'll have good days and worse days, but stick with it!--I promise it gets better!
u/tryintomakesenseofit · 7 pointsr/exmormon

Over the past several years I've personally gravitated toward a blend of stoicism and "secular Christianity." I know many others go the route of secular Buddhism (Noah Rasheta, who is also an exMo runs secularbuddhism.com which you might want to check out) and others (most?) simply go the route of ethical hedonism.

I personally gravitated toward stoicism because it isn't a religion and has no real religious underpinning. Instead, it's normally referred to as just a "philosophy of life." It has worked well for me as a backfill to religion. You'll also find that different people have different views of what it means to "practice" stoicism, so it's nice in that you can kind of adapt it to fit your personal preferences.

Here are some recommendations if you want to look into it:

  • Start with this easy article for a nice overview. Then continue to read other articles on the How to be a Stoic blog. It's a great resource.

  • I'd recommend this book as well. It can be a bit long in places, but it's an easy read and gives an awesome overview.

  • Finally, you should also read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. I have an audio version from Audible that's excellent and I enjoyed listening to it much more than reading it, but there are free copies all over the place to download and read in Kindle if you just Google it.

    Aside from stoicism, studying and learning about philosophy in general has been a huge cushion for me in dealing with the existential crisis that often follows losing belief in Mormonism. Google the Philosophize This! podcast and start at episode 1 if you're interested. It's great. I also really enjoy the Philosophy Bites podcast. Other than the above, the following were also very helpful to me in finding a approach to life without "God" and without religion:

  • The Power of Now by Tolle.

  • The Happiness Trap by Harris.

  • Man's Search for Meaning by Frankl.

  • Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning (A follow-on of above--focus on the later chapters in this book.)

  • The Alchemist by Coelho.

  • A New Earth by Tolle.

  • A Confession by Tolstoy. Free download.

  • What I Believe, also by Tolstoy and a follow-on to the above Tolstoy book. Free download at link if you look for it. Auido book here.

    All of the above combined with a few long years of figuring things out got me to a good place. But everyone's journey is different, so do what you think will work best for you...and good luck!


u/Cuhai · 5 pointsr/TheBluePill

> I can't help feeling that this is the type of feel-good nonsense that unpopular, unattractive people tell themselves to justify not improving. OP's friend recognized that he's a loser himself and is now looking to fix the issue. What's the matter with that?

No, this is coming from someone who is considered to be very attractive. It really does nothing for your self-esteem to have most people want to fuck you.

>Life IS better when women want to fuck you. And why do you think only "unsatisfied" people think so? You should always look to be more satisfied with your life, even if you're already doing well.

How do you know this? You have never been in this situation. I have and read the last paragraph. Also, most of my exes were the guys who almost every woman wanted to fuck. Again, they were NOT happier than anyone else.

>Not true. Money, looks and social status are also a part of what defines your worth.

If your self-worth comes from how much you have and what people think of you vs who you are, then you're screwed for life. Maybe this will help you

http://www.amazon.com/New-Earth-Awakening-Purpose-Selection/dp/0452289963

>Highly, highly doubt this. I don't think you would be saying all that if you spent enough time with people who are actual players.

I worked in an industry full of these so-called "players" and trust me, they are some of the most insecure and miserable people ever. Also, was friends with many of them. Just a bit above terpers in terms of happiness, which isn't saying much.


u/squeezebuttmagic · 3 pointsr/exmuslim

May I suggest a book that IMO will help you more than anything else..

http://www.amazon.com/New-Earth-Awakening-Purpose-Selection/dp/0452289963

u/ic2drop · 3 pointsr/Metaphysics

This was an amazing write up. One that certainly warrants are response of some depth. It should be noted that my reponse will be limited to my readings / knowledge from over the years, and I look forward to some back and forth. Also, you should check out /r/psychonaut as well for some great discussion. Your questions are a bit imposing in their gravity, but I'll try my best to answer them. That being said, let's get started, shall we?

The problem you have stumbled upon is one of the largest issues with the standard model of what "heaven", "God", and "you" are. It is intimated that there is a seperation between these places and beings. This paradox that you have stumbled upon shines a light upon the results as improper. If the answer you find is not correct, that means you either need to change the question, subjectively view your findings, or re-examine the elements of your quesiton. In this case, we are going to do the later.

It is important to note at this point that there is a difference between conciousness and the ego. The ego is the voice inside your head you hear all the time, the fear you feel in a fight, the satisfaction from winning an argument, and has gone out of it's way to prove that it is you. A good book about this topic can be found here and is highly recommended. This acknowledgement of the seperation between your being and your ego is a concept that is very important, and requires a great deal of attention. This is a heavier book, and should only be read when full dedication can be given to the text.

Alan Watts has a significant body of work on the Ego, conciousness, and other illusions of our existance. It would also be a great help to you.

Honestly, I am having issues with putting these thoughts into words. Know that anything and everything you have experienced in your life could only happen because of your physical form. Everything you have ever seen, smelled, touched, heard, or tasted has all been happening in a pitch black container within your own head. This experience of life is temporary, and there is only the now.

This feels like it is a bit scatter brained, and for that I apologize. Unfortunately, you can never be told what it all means, you can merely understand from within. By having someone explain things like this to you, a relationship is developed of teacher and student, intimating a better knowledge of one over another.

Life is a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves. We are the Universe experiencing itself subjectively. On a more scientific level, we exist within an illusion.

Again, I apologize for being unable to impart onto you a full and complete thought process. Please pursue these thoughts, keep pushing for new concepts and ideas. If you look into fractals, it may connect a few different concepts together for you.

Thank you for getting my mind to focus on these topics this morning. The day just became infinitely more interesting.

Remember, perception is based on perspective.

u/fappinatwork · 3 pointsr/OutlandishAlcoholics
u/mr_biscuitson · 3 pointsr/LifeProTips

This is also an amazing book by Eckhart Tolle for anyone looking to re-format your lifestyle. It really helps deal with ego and all the stuff that keeps you from seeing what a negative impact you are having on yourself! Some really interesting stuff on parenting in there as well. Written so clearly and beautifully.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Earth-Awakening-Purpose-Selection/dp/0452289963/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420423999&sr=1-1&keywords=awakening+your+life%27s+purpose

u/SKRedPill · 3 pointsr/TheRedPill

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Spiritual-Enlightenment/dp/1577314808

https://www.amazon.com/New-Earth-Awakening-Purpose-Selection/dp/0452289963/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539842520&sr=1-1&keywords=a+new+earth

I'm not here preaching spirituality, but sometimes as a man what is true for the woman is also what is true for the nature of life. This is a powerful method of holding frame and stoicism which can work anywhere. Actually what got me interested in it was when Eckhart tolle described the pain body as responsible for a lot of the irrational behaviour of women and the failure of most relationships.

He also excellently described the way egos work.

u/Pandaemonium · 2 pointsr/Buddhism

>and feel as though I'd be betraying my younger self.

One aspect of the problem seems to be that you're clinging to this experience as something that makes you "you". You are trying to permanently attach your personal identity to this experience, and right now it seems to you that denying that this experience was "real" is abandoning an essential part of your identity.

The Buddhist prescription would be to realize that your "self" does not exist, and the statement that "I had this experience" is meaningless because there is no "I" in the first place. Nothing is permanent, and the "I" that you would refer to is a constantly-changing being that never truly exists for longer than a moment at a time. As a result, trying to cling permanently to an experience will cause misery, because all experiences are impermanent.

You should try to understand that acknowledging this experience as an illusion won't make you any less "you", because you already aren't "you". By cutting your attachment from this experience, all you do is free yourself to enjoy the world right now for what it is right now, without worrying how it affects "you".

edit: I would very highly recommend Eckhart Tolle's book A New Earth. It's very enlightening and an easy read.

u/Bizkitgto · 2 pointsr/financialindependence

I feel exactly how you feel...sick of the monotony, stuck in the 9 - 5 rat race, cubicle nightmare (if you work in Corporate America you will understand where I am coming from). These feelings of alienation have been bubbling for a while until I started to take them serious and try to understand where they were coming from. When you're a kid you have an endless imagination and optimism for the future...but for whatever reason you lose it as you get older, and become brainwashed by our society/culture. However, as deep into this madness as I am, at least I am now aware it exists and I am trying to claw my way out and back to a place of freedom. Some things I have started to look at are:

  • creativity, I have ignored this part of my life for so long. Just start making stuff...r/artfundamentals and r/learnprogramming

  • exercise more, run, train for a marathon, lift weights (5x5), anything really to just get the blood flowing. Also, r/EOOD helps (exercise out of depression)

  • have you considered starting a small business?

    Start looking within yourself. Eckhartt Tolle had an awesome special on Oprah discussing these very issues you are bringing up - you can watch the series Eckhart Tolle - a New Earth, based in his book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose .
u/alividlife · 2 pointsr/OpiatesRecovery

Yea, I just got home. I'm bored, mini rants incoming.

When I first heard of The Four Agreements, I was in detox back in 09 or something. And this tweaker chick kept going manic. She'd be happy/sad/angry/empty... just over and over. She was throwing chairs, and freaking out, but she kept telling me to read that book. So I had to, because she had excellent chair throwing skills. It was a great read, ... very very interesting take on spirituality but it is pretty applicable. It's a feel good philosophy warrior book thing.

The Power of Now. I had what AA would call a "spiritual awakening" and it really wasn't much like a burning bush, but A LOT like this guy talks about in this book. When I was about to kill myself with a teener of dope, I had this very very strange experience where I couldn't identify with myself anymore. .. "Who is this person that wants to die so badly?... Who am I?" It really changed things. The power of now was the most powerful thing I've read.

The New Earth is pretty interesting. I have to disagree with some points, because traditionally, you can't really get rid of the ego. The ego is necessary to survive. But it's interesting. It's worth a read, especially someone stuck in a facility with only their remorse and addiction to keep them company.

I personally LOVE Gabor Mate. This guy deals with the most tragic cases of addiction in Vancouver, and he's a neurologist and he has some pretty good insights on addiction. In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts. It's partly where I came up with my flair.

Rational Recovery was another I would suggest. It's a lot like those Allen Carr Easy Way to Quit Smoking. But the basic idea is disassociation from the "Addictive Voice". That it's not ME that wants to get high, but my addiction. That shit rocked my world when I learned it, and I immediately integrated it into my first step in Narcotics Anonymous.
EDIT, Rational Recovery, and Jack Trimpey are VERY AGAINST 12 step ideology. He HATES IT, and he hates the God idea. I get that, but I cannot and will not deny the therapeautic value of one addict helping another. Nothing compares. Even Bill W. in AA wrote about it in his memoirs and grapevines and the Big Book. "When all other measures failed, work with another alcoholic saved the day."

Tao de Ching really helped me. Although it may be missattributed, the whole "Living in the Past is living in depression, living in the future is living in anger and fear, living in the now is living in peace."

So, as you can see, I really like the "now" concept, but it's helped me stay clean and be happy about it. Non-fiction would probably be great too. But these are very spiritual new agey ideas.

This reminds me, I need to read The Spirituality of Imperfection.

THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS THOUGH:

I highly recommend the NA Basic Text, and I love the Step Working Guide.

u/VioletLight1111 · 2 pointsr/toddlers

https://www.amazon.com/New-Earth-Awakening-Purpose-Selection/dp/0452289963/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=129AO1ORS4ZJ0&keywords=eckhart+tolle+books&qid=1550328859&s=gateway&sprefix=eck&sr=8-3

Buy this book, rent this book from your library, listen to an audio version of this book, anything. Start healing from the inside and seeing the bigger picture. You will absolutely start seeing ego and anger in a whole new light.

u/Kaysuhdiller · 2 pointsr/stopdrinking

I too was raised Catholic and ended up just confused about what to believe in (my mindset: maybe there is a god, maybe there isn't, but fuck any religion that proclaims it's right and everyone else is wrong).

Luckily the person who introduced me to AA, who struggled with the God thing more than most people in the program and who still never recites the Lord's Prayer, let me borrow these 2 books from him from which he was able to draw up a higher power of his own understanding:
[Be Here Now] (http://www.amazon.com/Be-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052), by Ram Dass and
[A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose] (http://www.amazon.com/New-Earth-Awakening-Purpose-Selection/dp/0452289963) by Eckhart Tolle.

They helped a lot when I was doing steps 2 and 3 and still do. I ended up ordering copies for myself because they were so good. I highly recommend checking em out (if only one, definitely Be Here Now) or searching around for more books to guide you along. It IS frustrating to try and figure it out on your own!

u/AlmightyEazel · 1 pointr/Meditation

Absolutely. No human is worthless, and it is only in the dimension of the ego that one can feel good or bad about themselves in light of past happenings.

I recommend you read A new earth by Eckarth Tolle and learn more about the ego - and in that way learning to unidentify with your past actions and the guilt that came with it.

No human is perfect, and it is our flaws that make us beautiful. Really. We've all made mistakes friend, but it is our intention that is important.
Remember all the good things you've done, you're only human.

u/newstart · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Read this book - http://www.amazon.com/New-Earth-Awakening-Purpose-Selection/dp/0452289963/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1249373926&sr=8-1

What you feel is enlightenment. This book will help you guide you along your journey.

u/MyEgoSays · 1 pointr/religion

All religions do their best to point to that which cannot be reduced to words. My own recommendation would be to start with a book that recognizes this truth.

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose https://www.amazon.com/dp/0452289963/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_O9oZub0JMM215

u/GrowingInGratitude · 1 pointr/Anger

Awesome self-awareness and an important first step toward greater overall peace and contentment. But you probably don't have to look anywhere for happiness, though growth and change are likely to be part of the process. I enjoyed A New Earth and it was a very popular framing of the sort of inner work that goes into overcoming many of our misconceptions about who we are and what's really important. All the best with your process!

u/LamansStick · 1 pointr/exmormon

Have been in the exact same boat and I feel like it took me a lot longer to work through it than most. Also went from being very focused to not being able to focus on anything at all, worried about my job performance, unable to get out of bed on weekends, etc. Prior to my learning that Mormonism was false, I had never experienced a day of depression in my life, but after my world came crashing down it became a long, dark tunnel. Anyway, it's called an existential crisis if you haven't read up on it already. Give it time and keep working on things and I promise it will eventually improve. For what it's worth, these four books were game changers for me (check them out if you're interested:

  • A Confession by Tolstoy. In it, Tolstoy describes how he navigated his own existential crisis. It's a short read and the link takes you to a free downloadable e-book.

  • The Power of Now by Tolle. It provides an excellent approach for developing mindfulness and learning to accept life as it is.

  • Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning by Frankl. This is a heavy read, so if you don't like the first half, just focus on chapters 6, 7, and 8. It covers the intersection of religion and meaning in life.

  • A New Earth by Tolle. Similar to the above "Power of Now." Focuses on being present, overcoming the ego, and accepting and finding peace in life as it's given.

    You may not agree with everything in the books above (I didn't) but they provided me with a lot of invaluable perspective in working through my own loss of faith and the existential vacuum that followed. Stick with it and know that you're not suffering alone! And I promise things will get better.
u/frotoe08 · 1 pointr/ask

This book is great for understanding more about yourself. Basically, it is about the ego. There is part describing the workings of the ego and part pointing to the remedy. Essentially it says that everybody's purpose in life is to live in the present moment as much as they can.

u/seirianstar · 1 pointr/Advice

I'm an artist and I struggled with food for many years of my life. I used the food as a distraction from my problems and the fat that I put on as a protective shield of sorts. I also had anxiety about leaving the house for a few years. I've had a fear of failure in regards to my art almost my entire life. Just this year I got over that(and sold my first painting shortly after!).

There was so much that I did to get out of my funk. The first step was realizing that I was in an unhealthy relationship with food. Then I realized that I had an unhealthy relationship with my body. I began to read books and articles about nutrition, healthy body image, relationships, states of mind, psychology, sociology. I youtubed and googled a lot. TED talks are good too. You can get books shipped to your house.

After a while I decided to cut out all people in my life that hurt me or were continuing to hurt me(whether they knew it or not). I realized that I deserved better than what they were giving me and how they were treating me. I decided I was through with toxic relationships. It was hard at first and I felt guilty but I realized that me and my happiness should be my number one priority, not the happiness of others. What really opened my eyes was, once I cut those people out of my life without even telling them I was going to, I never heard from them again. It just showed me how much I let people use me.

As for my family, most were cut off(I was tired of the screaming, the manipulating, the drama) and I limited my interactions with the ones I kept in contact with. I decided I needed to be with myself for a while and worry about me.

I went through my belongings and got rid of anything tied to anyone that had caused trauma in my life. I donated clothing. I burned pictures, letters, papers, cards, etc. Then, I just went through my things and donated stuff I didn't use anymore. I felt a HUGE weight lifted after I did this.

Shortly after, I began journaling in a text editor on my computer. I still dealt with crap at work, so I had lots of stuff to say. Plus, taking care of myself was a new thing and I had lots of thoughts about that. I just wrote out whatever my feelings were and then deleted them immediately after writing. I didn't want to keep it around.

A few years down the road I was jobless. I also began to fear leaving the house. I had lots of time on my hands and began a spiritual journey and soon realized that my body and interactions were outwardly mirroring issues I had inside myself. My husband suggested trying Deepak & Oprah's 21 day meditation challenges. They are free while the challenge is current and a new one pops up every few months. Just sign up for free. You don't have to buy a single thing. You just need to give a real email address so you can keep up with your journals if you choose to do them.

During the first year that we did those meditations I found a book called Conversations with God. It was very interesting and soon after I found an Eckhart Tolle book. Which lead me to another book. He has some amazing things to say about life, thoughts, all kinds of things. Some other books I came across were by Deepak. He's a medical doctor but also speaks about meditation, food, spirituality, etc. His most famous book is this one. You might find this one on addiction helpful. I saw Iyanla Vanzant speak once and found that she had some books that would be of use to me. They might help you too.

To get myself out of the house, I started with one day at a time. I would do one errand every two weeks outside of the house. I would have to force myself to get up, get dressed and get out but I would do it. I would bring someone along with me most of the time. Then, after a few months, I changed it to going out once a week and alternated whether or not someone would go with me. Next was a few times a week. Which is where I'm at currently and I'm completely happy with this and can leave the house whenever I want if I have a car without any worries.

As far as exercise goes. You can do seated exercises and desk workouts.

It might help to give yourself a time line or a calendar for getting things done. I find monthly calendars with my days broken down into activity times work for me. I use different colored pens or markers for different things. Going out of the house is black, taking care of my animals is blue, doing projects is green, working on something with someone else is pink, reading books is silver, meditation is light blue, doctors appointments are purple.

Remember that the change is probably going to be gradual but you CAN do it. Be gentle with yourself, especially when things don't go the way you want or are harder than expected. The work you put in will be worth it when you begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel my friend. Imagine what it will be like when you are out in the light! Good luck.

u/MrG · 1 pointr/Calgary

In addition to everyone's recommendations here, as an additional tool I highly recommend picking up one of Eckhart Tolle's books

This book is not a bunch of "spiritual mumbo jumbo". It contains tons of practical advice that we all can use. If it carries more weight with you, Oprah considers Eckhart's book one of the 10 favorite books from the last decade.

u/AsgarGER · 1 pointr/Meditation

On the subject of ego I can recommend the following book: Eckhart Tolle: A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose.

u/AJRollon · 1 pointr/2meirl4meirl

Please text 741741 crisis text line. You will have someone to talk to in real time over text. There are millions of people who feel like you do. You are not as alone as you think.

Edit: try this book as well. It can make a huge difference. So can similar books. Knowledge is power.

A new Earth

u/ScotchDream · 1 pointr/Suomi

Jos haluat selkeyttä siihen, miksi sinun mieli näin toimii, niin voit lukea nämä kirjat:

The Four Agreements

A New Earth

Nämä kirjat antavat sinulle työkalut ymmärtää, mistä kaikki tämä johtuu, mitä voit asialle tehdä ja miten estää samojen kuvioiden toistumisen tulevaisuudessa. Toisin sanoen miten pääset sieltä pimeydestä pois.

u/lithiumoh · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Since the object of non-fiction is mostly information or opinion to bring certain views and objectives to light in your mind, it's not as relevant as a fiction tale, but a book was left on a counter for a retail outlet I was working for with a note on the inside cover:

>Dear (name),
>
>I really think you could use this book. I really wish the best for you and you are so caught up in the small things that you can't find happiness. I love you and care for you and it pains me as a mother to see you like this.
>
>With love"


The book was Echkart Tolle's - A New Earth

So, I read the shit out of that book the next two night and it really got me interested in reading a lot more books like it and others on the mind, personality, spirituality, and all that. I also still don't know who the book was for, or if he ever read it and I've always been curious as all heck to know the story behind it. I brought the book back to work and no one came back to claim it.

u/oregonchick · 1 pointr/intj

Warning: this might be a bit woo-woo for many INTJs. LOL

I'm wondering how you can strive to alter yourself when you seem to have no real sense of yourself without someone else's definition laid upon you. It might be worth taking the time to acquaint yourself with your Self before you decide a major overhaul is necessary. It's possible that if you know your Self and become more aligned with your Self, you'll actually have an easier, more congruent and fulfilling life and more honest and deeply connected relationships with others.

You might want to take a look at Eckhart Tolle, whose book A New Earth has a lot to do with becoming more conscious of your inner self, and differentiating between your real Self and the voice of your ego... and also the difference between your Self and your thoughts. Yes, he's an Oprah "new thought" guru, but he's also kind of an intellectually weighty geek and his explanations are a bit more complex than some of the other spiritual folks she promotes.

You might also gain some valuable insight through those tried-and-true methods of journaling and meditation. Russell Simmons (of Run DMC) wrote a really straightforward, decently researched, and simple "how-to" book on meditation that you might want to check out if that piques your interest, too.

u/kevando · 1 pointr/mentalhealth

Maybe you are an alien. That would be pretty fucked up though, wouldn't it? To be an alien, but not know. Then again maybe we are all aliens. Or more likely none of us are aliens and this is all a simulation.


Do any of those possibilities change a thing in your life? If you are so privileged, perhaps consider trading places with someone else. You don't have to change names like Eddie Murphy, but maybe it's your "world" of privilege that doesn't suit you.


Buy A New Earth and spend a week traveling on a train while you read it. Come back a new person. Kick that asshole out of your privileged life and enjoy your new outlook on life.

u/Geovicsha · 1 pointr/AlanWatts

We can observe our thoughts as they come and go, in the moment, as a same happening as anything else in the external world. By shedding acceptance and self-love on everything that occurs in this moment, they lose their power.

Thought certainly has a purpose in this world, but the key is to not get lost in thought as if it is our identity.

I think before delving into Alan Watts, it would be wise to first check out either Eckhart Tolle or Sam Harris.

x

u/ash6486 · 0 pointsr/depression

Hey, I’m not sure if you're a guy/girl, I just wanted to tell you that I understand. I have experienced what you’re going though, and I continue to experience some of those elements even today. A combination of age + unemployment + social isolation can cause havoc in a person’s psyche, and his/her general outlook on life.

Just 2 things I initially did when I was in a similar situation:

  1. Exercise (running, in particular)
  2. Reading.

    Exercise: Join a gym. If you can’t afford one, run. And when you do, try to go a little beyond that point where your body says no. Just a little. You’re in control; you’re in charge. Push. You were built for it.

    Read: I can’t stress the importance of this. Read everything you can. It will keep you engaged, make you more articulate, you’ll have something to start a conversation about, and it’ll broaden your knowledge. All this apart from the gazillion other benefits reading brings. I will give you a list of 3 books to read, and read them in this order. Make it a point not to rush through them. Absorb every word, because the way you look at things will change after you’re done. To remind you again, read slowly. Have an open mind. Fully absorb every little detail.

    1.The Power of Now http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Now-Spiritual-Enlightenment/dp/1577314808/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377020642&sr=8-1&keywords=power+of+now

  3. A New Earth http://www.amazon.com/New-Earth-Awakening-Purpose-Selection/dp/0452289963/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1377020650&sr=8-3&keywords=power+of+now

  4. Switch http://www.amazon.com/Switch-Change-Things-When-Hard/dp/0385528752/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377020663&sr=8-1&keywords=switch


    If you decide to go through with the above, read below first:

    The most important way thorough this period in your life: baby steps. ULTRA SMALL STEPS. When I started running, I couldn’t even do 200m without feeling like I was going to pass out. Today, I can run 5km within 30 minutes. I set small targets for myself; extended my run by 50 meters, or bettered my timing by 10 seconds every session. And without even realising it, I’m at a point where I can comfortably run very long distances. I approached reading the same way. I started off with 2 pages a day, and then I made it 5 pages; then 10. Before I knew it, I was going through a lot of books.

    Let me know how it goes. I believe that change comes about from within, only when you really, truly, deeply want it. If nothing changes, it means that something about your circumstances is ‘comfortable’, and you didn’t fully want a change in the first place. Ask yourself how badly you want to get out of the situation that you’re currently in. After some honest self-reflection, come back to this. Trying to make a turn for the better in your life through reading and exercising might sound ridiculous to you, but like I said, small steps. Set yourself goals, and after you’ve completed them, you can move on to the next stage. Good luck! Let me know how things go, don’t hesitate to PM :)
u/Nilso · 0 pointsr/Christianity

Eckhardt Tolle - A new Earth

Not pure Christian ( although the core is the same ) but a great starting point for the sense seeking :)