false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171924096m/126820.jpg 126820 6 <i>If we can stay awake when our lives are changing, secrets will be revealed to us; secrets about ourselves, about the nature of life, and about the eternal source of happiness and peace that is always available, always renewable, already within us.</i><br>ELIZABETH LESSER<br><br>During times of transition, amid everyday stress, and even when we face seemingly insurmountable adversity, life offers us a choice: to turn away from change or to embrace it; to shut down or to be broken open and transformed. In the more than twenty-five years since she cofounded the Omega Institute; now the world's largest personal-growth and spiritual retreat center; Elizabeth Lesser has been an intimate witness to the ways in which human beings deal with change, loss, and difficulty. She herself has struggled to submit to what she calls the <i>Phoenix Process</i>, allowing herself to be broken open in order to rise like the mythical bird from the ashes of past mistakes and suffering.<br><br>In this beautifully written, often funny, and always inspiring book, Lesser has gathered together true stories about ordinary people who by design or disaster decided to step boldly into a fuller life. Here are profoundly moving narratives of fears overcome and risks taken; of hard times and difficult passages; of betrayal, divorce, sickness, and death; and of the day-to-day challenges of raising children, earning a living, and growing older. By sharing her own most human traits, Lesser helps us feel less lonely in our own struggles, and more optimistic about the possibility of transformation. <b>Broken Open</b> also introduces us to some of the world's greatest spiritual teachers; both ancient and living; and imparts the wisdom of various traditions, from Buddhist meditation to Sufi dance, and from Christian prayer to contemporary psychotherapy. Eminently practical, Lesser provides tools to support us in our quest for a clearer sense of purpose and a new passion for life. <br><br><b>Broken Open</b> is not only a testament to the inner richness and potential of every life but also a deeply trustworthy guide to the dynamics of healing and growth; how we resist and how we surrender, how we stay stuck and how we grow, and how we can turn misfortune into insight, and grief into joy. It helps us to discover within ourselves a fearless heart, a clear mind, and a shining soul.<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i> 3139834 2004 Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow total:280|5:109|4:100|3:49|2:18|1:4| 280 1132 615 96 5 4 false false Fri Aug 24 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Mon Apr 21 09:57:28 -0700 2008 Mon Apr 21 10:04:14 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 1 false false Mon Mar 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 30 17:40:00 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 30 17:42:58 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 1 false false Fri Jan 23 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 09 09:02:58 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 03 10:25:22 -0800 2009 more...]]> 0 1 false false Mon Jan 12 21:25:27 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 12 21:29:41 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Sun Feb 22 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 22 15:31:35 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 22 15:43:08 -0800 2009 more...]]> 0 0 false false Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 22 20:25:26 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 22 20:26:50 -0700 2009 The narrator, Susan Denaker, read this book in a very saccarin tone of voice which put me off at various point. There is a lot of wisdom to be had in this book but, for wha...more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Apr 21 07:38:53 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 21 07:47:32 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Feb 02 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 27 12:24:58 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 03 16:19:24 -0800 2009 http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ and even though it's geared for booksellers, librarians can receive the emails and keep up to date with who's on which program...more...]]> 5 1 false false Fri Oct 31 11:37:30 -0700 2008 Fri Oct 31 11:38:57 -0700 2008 4 1 false false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Feb 18 06:09:18 -0800 2008 Mon Feb 18 06:11:09 -0800 2008 5 1 false false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Mar 30 19:41:46 -0700 2008 Sun Mar 30 19:44:49 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Mon Feb 23 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 05 19:52:06 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 23 06:17:02 -0800 2009
I've been through many changes in life and have l...more...]]> 4 1 false false Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Mon Jun 25 16:34:54 -0700 2007 Wed Sep 12 15:11:49 -0700 2007 2 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 24 13:55:41 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 04 14:38:01 -0700 2009 more...]]> 0 0 false false Tue Mar 24 20:52:12 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 06 10:35:05 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Mar 10 00:34:55 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 10 00:36:36 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Fri Aug 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 10 22:08:41 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 14 14:57:06 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Oct 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 15 14:26:29 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 15 14:32:46 -0700 2009
Favourite quotes so far:

"We're all bozos on the bus, so we might as well sit back and enjoy the ri...more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri May 29 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu May 28 17:20:32 -0700 2009 Sun May 31 20:27:14 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Jan 28 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Dec 09 05:50:34 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 28 12:46:44 -0800 2009 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=126820