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Real-World Enlightenment: Discovering Ordinary Magic in Everyday Life
Wisdom and encouragement from mindfulness, psychology, science, and time-honored traditions.
Featuring 50 practical tools to ease anxiety, overwhelm, and stress by recognizing the enduring sense of love and well-being that’s with us regardless of our circumstances.
Enlightenment isn’t a lofty and unattainable goal. Real-world enlightenment is always here, and you can find it any time in life’s highs, its lows, and everything in-between.
Beloved mindfulness teacher, best-selling author, and longtime Buddhist practitioner Susan Kaiser Greenland explores time-honored themes that tap into a sense of love, connection, and well-being that is with us regardless of our circumstances. These universal themes—including Change, Humility, Interdependence, Concentration, Joy, Kindness, and Discernment, among many others—emphasize attitudes and mindsets that lead to emotional and psychological freedom by lessening our reactivity, broadening our perspectives, and deepening our relationships.
Kaiser Greenland draws from science, psychology, Buddhism, wisdom traditions, and personal stories to give us a view of “real-world enlightenment”—where we shift from a narrow survival-driven frame of mind to one that is grounded and as vast as the sky. When we cultivate this expansive worldview from the inside out, we become more resilient, and that’s just the beginning. A view as vast as the sky charts the course for kind, resilient people to build a kinder and more resilient world. To help us do this, she offers valuable methods and takeaways that allow you to apply these life-changing universal themes every day. They include:
-Practical ways to recognize the basic goodness within and around you by tapping into sensory pleasures like music or nature.
-Robust tools to manage stress and develop attention by focusing on a sight, sound, image, word, or phrase.
-Catchy slogans that promote emotional balance when you feel overwhelmed, like “right now, I’m okay,” “drop the baggage,” or “don’t play the scene before you get there.” These and other phrases can interrupt spiraling thoughts and move you back into your comfort zone.
-Accessible meditation methods to experience life with greater equanimity by slowing down your thinking process to heighten awareness of the natural movement of your mind.
-Time-tested life hacks to care for yourself and others with greater kindness and compassion.
-Insightful strategies that bring greater ease and effortlessness into your life and relationships by helping you remain flexible and creative, even in challenging situations.
-And much more.
Featuring 50 practical tools to ease anxiety, overwhelm, and stress by recognizing the enduring sense of love and well-being that’s with us regardless of our circumstances.
Enlightenment isn’t a lofty and unattainable goal. Real-world enlightenment is always here, and you can find it any time in life’s highs, its lows, and everything in-between.
Beloved mindfulness teacher, best-selling author, and longtime Buddhist practitioner Susan Kaiser Greenland explores time-honored themes that tap into a sense of love, connection, and well-being that is with us regardless of our circumstances. These universal themes—including Change, Humility, Interdependence, Concentration, Joy, Kindness, and Discernment, among many others—emphasize attitudes and mindsets that lead to emotional and psychological freedom by lessening our reactivity, broadening our perspectives, and deepening our relationships.
Kaiser Greenland draws from science, psychology, Buddhism, wisdom traditions, and personal stories to give us a view of “real-world enlightenment”—where we shift from a narrow survival-driven frame of mind to one that is grounded and as vast as the sky. When we cultivate this expansive worldview from the inside out, we become more resilient, and that’s just the beginning. A view as vast as the sky charts the course for kind, resilient people to build a kinder and more resilient world. To help us do this, she offers valuable methods and takeaways that allow you to apply these life-changing universal themes every day. They include:
-Practical ways to recognize the basic goodness within and around you by tapping into sensory pleasures like music or nature.
-Robust tools to manage stress and develop attention by focusing on a sight, sound, image, word, or phrase.
-Catchy slogans that promote emotional balance when you feel overwhelmed, like “right now, I’m okay,” “drop the baggage,” or “don’t play the scene before you get there.” These and other phrases can interrupt spiraling thoughts and move you back into your comfort zone.
-Accessible meditation methods to experience life with greater equanimity by slowing down your thinking process to heighten awareness of the natural movement of your mind.
-Time-tested life hacks to care for yourself and others with greater kindness and compassion.
-Insightful strategies that bring greater ease and effortlessness into your life and relationships by helping you remain flexible and creative, even in challenging situations.
-And much more.
240 pages, Paperback
Published July 16, 2024
28 people are currently reading
4662 people want to read
About the author
Susan Kaiser Greenland
14 books59 followersSusan Kaiser Greenland is a bestselling author, globally recognized mindfulness innovator, leader, and mentor. Her new book, Real-World Enlightenment: Discovering Ordinary Magic in Everyday Life, showcases her trademark accessible and joyful approach to life with 50 transformative ideas to help navigate the pressures of modern everyday life. Drawing from global wisdom traditions and scientific insights, Susan also shares stories from her lifetime of being a seeker, wife, and mother, into digestible strategies for everyone.
Her pioneering work in mindfulness education for both children and adults is showcased in her widely translated books, The Mindful Child and Mindful Games as well as the Inner Kids model for schools, teachers, parents and other caregivers.
Many of her guided meditations and resources are accessible on popular apps like Insight Timer and Ten Percent Happier, as well as on her website. Featured in media such as The New York Times and CNN, Susan continues to advance mindfulness globally, and as an Advisory board member at the Tergar Schools Project in Nepal.
Her pioneering work in mindfulness education for both children and adults is showcased in her widely translated books, The Mindful Child and Mindful Games as well as the Inner Kids model for schools, teachers, parents and other caregivers.
Many of her guided meditations and resources are accessible on popular apps like Insight Timer and Ten Percent Happier, as well as on her website. Featured in media such as The New York Times and CNN, Susan continues to advance mindfulness globally, and as an Advisory board member at the Tergar Schools Project in Nepal.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 30, 2024
What I liked best about Susan Greenland's book "Real World Enlightenment" was that it wasn't a meditation book that elevates meditation as some good-in-itself. I'm a sometimes meditator, but only if I know there's a reason for it--specific to my own life, a problem or problem-area that keeps being a challenge for me. Meditation, relaxation, mindfulness etc. makes sense to me as a tool but not as an end to itself. I don't want to be a monk or a star meditator, go retreats on mountaintops and sit on cushions in the lotus position and breathe for a week, getting whacked if I fall asleep.
But if some practices can help me in my real, messy, complicated life, I'm in.
That's what I loved about this book. That it assesses the difficulties we have in our real world lives, and presents a variety of lightweight meditational or mindfulness practices and exercises to help us grapple with these ordinary challenges. Each chapter ends with a brief wrap up, a practice and a takeaway, which makes the book even more useful for later referrence.
Maybe because she's done so much work with children, that she puts playfulness up there right at the beginning, something that I never thought of as part of a practice. "Renunciation" is always a word that creeps me out, but here, it becomes about doing things differently, changing it up. If there's a word you overuse, try skipping it. A lot of the practices are simply about being more present in your life, which I know (duh) but need the reminder and little exercises to strengthen presence.
My favorite chapter is about effortless action. Like Greenland, a former attorney and self-admitted Type A, it came as a revelation that the best action is the effortless action. We're raised to believe that the more effort something took, the better the result. But Greenland's book challenges that idea, and I find it such a refreshing idea. A taoist concept, Wu Wei. The optimal level of effort is the least effort to do what's necessary. Not "doing nothing," but like water, take the relaxed course.
A terrific approach to how mindfulness, awareness and meditation can positively impact daily life.
But if some practices can help me in my real, messy, complicated life, I'm in.
That's what I loved about this book. That it assesses the difficulties we have in our real world lives, and presents a variety of lightweight meditational or mindfulness practices and exercises to help us grapple with these ordinary challenges. Each chapter ends with a brief wrap up, a practice and a takeaway, which makes the book even more useful for later referrence.
Maybe because she's done so much work with children, that she puts playfulness up there right at the beginning, something that I never thought of as part of a practice. "Renunciation" is always a word that creeps me out, but here, it becomes about doing things differently, changing it up. If there's a word you overuse, try skipping it. A lot of the practices are simply about being more present in your life, which I know (duh) but need the reminder and little exercises to strengthen presence.
My favorite chapter is about effortless action. Like Greenland, a former attorney and self-admitted Type A, it came as a revelation that the best action is the effortless action. We're raised to believe that the more effort something took, the better the result. But Greenland's book challenges that idea, and I find it such a refreshing idea. A taoist concept, Wu Wei. The optimal level of effort is the least effort to do what's necessary. Not "doing nothing," but like water, take the relaxed course.
A terrific approach to how mindfulness, awareness and meditation can positively impact daily life.
August 28, 2024
For those of us like myself who have resisted Buddhist teachings and the current craze for "mindfulness," there can hardly be a better, more welcome introduction than Susan Kaiser Greenland's "Real-World Enlightenment," which places these Eastern traditions on a planet that Western intellectuals and folks in general will recognize as their own. In addition to taking the reader through an unfussy, practical reworking of the standard terms like compassion, it contains, as an added treat, one of the best, most accessible, most attractive accounts of the Buddha's life I for one have ever encountered. Strongly recommended for aficionados and skeptics alike.
July 22, 2024
No matter where you are on your life’s path, and believe it you do have one, Susan Kaiser Greenland has something to enrich it in her lovely and effective new book: Real-World Enlightenment. A patient and passionate observer, student and teacher, through the gift of simple but deep and effective exercises combined with both extraordinary and everyday examples from her own journey, she gives us a clear and loving description of a road that all of us can learn from in our search to find and share, as best we can, our own personal presence and peace.
July 26, 2024
Susan Kaiser Greenland navigates the challenges of being a human by tapping into the wisdom of the ages in her new book Real-World Enlightenment, but she writes where the rubber meets the road, giving us essential and accessible takeaways that are within our grasp and stick. As in all her brilliant work, Kaiser Greenland works from a place of love, compassion and encouragement, her hand is steady, her heart is true.
July 25, 2024
I loved this book - I made so many notes in my copy to re-reference... I actually feel smarter and lighter - now that I finished! I plan on giving as gifts because it's perfect for friends to pass to each other and then discuss - especially since the universal themes are so relatable! Very worth a read!
August 14, 2024
I enjoyed this book so much! I took lots of notes! I loved the stories, examples, and analogies. It is also great to have all the references to others in the same field - a good take a way. I believe there is something for everyone regardless of what level you are in the process. A good read.
July 21, 2024
Fantastic!!! Saw that the leading lights in the field provided strong endorsements on the back cover and knew that i had to bring this book home. The insights to life's daily and big picture adventures will provide me with a new way to view the next phase of my retirement. Thank you Susan.
October 16, 2024
Very positive read, with great tools. This book was a reminder for me about how to see life. I got this book in a giveaway, so that was really lucky.
November 13, 2024
Never quite finished this book that I read for a discussion group. Lots of great ideas ; lots of points to discuss; many concepts to encourage growth from practicing .
Practical tips throughout
Practical tips throughout
March 25, 2025
A good book with good advice
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews