Above Life's Turmoil

by James Allen, Andrea Fiore (Narrator)

The turmoil of the world we cannot avoid, but the disturbances of mind we can overcome. The duties and difficulties of life claim our attention, but we can rise above all anxiety concerning them. Surrounded by noise, we can yet have a quiet mind; involved in responsibilities, the heart can be at rest; in the midst of strife, we can know the abiding peace. The twenty pieces which comprise this book, unrelated as some of them are in the letter, will be found to be harmonious in the spirit, in that they point the reader towards those heights of self-knowledge and self-conquest which, rising above the turbulence of the world, lift their peaks where the Heavenly Silence reigns. (Summary from the book)

Genres: Self Help, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Audiobook, Psychology, Mental Health

Audiobook

First published March 21, 2006

About the author

The James Allen Free Library

Allen was 15 when his father, a businessman, was robbed and murdered. He left school to work full-time in several British manufacturing firms to help support the family. He later married Lily L. Allen and became an executive secretary for a large company. At age 38, inspired by the writings of Leo Tolstoy, he retired from employment. Allen — along with his wife and their daughter, Nohra — moved to a small cottage in Ilfracombe, Devon, England to pursue a simple life of contemplation. There he wrote for nine years, producing 19 works. He also edited and published a magazine, "The Light of Reason".

Allen's books illustrate the use of the power of thought to increase personal capabilities. Although he never achieved great fame or wealth, his works continue to influence people around the world, including the New Thought movement.

Allen's most famous book, As a Man Thinketh, was published in 1902. It is now considered a classic self-help book. Its underlying premise is that noble thoughts make a noble person, while lowly thoughts make a miserable person.

Following his death in 1912, his wife continued publishing the magazine under the name, "The Epoch".

Reviews

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was an easy read and at times hard to put down. If you are a person already on the path, it is all about introspection and will reinforce what you already know. I have recommended the book to several friends.

[Ron Wroblewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

ch 20 "But the obliterating of injuries from the mind is merely one of the beginnings in wisdom. There is still a higher and better way. And that way is so to purify the heart and enlighten the mind that, far from having to forget injuries, there will be none to remember".

"He who is troubled and disturbed about the sins of others is far from Truth. He who is troubled and disturbed about his own sins is very near to the Gate of Wisdom."

Great book, great wisdom

[Synthia Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

In theory, this book offers positive affirmations and perspective. However, it falls short of being a true spiritual guide with its lack of practical application. It serves useful for meditation or peace of mind reading.

[Muzammil · Rating 4 out of 5]

End of Week 40: Book 📘40 Completed✌️: Above Life’s Turmoil – James Allen #myread4change #read2lead #read4life #books

“The turmoil of the world we cannot avoid, but the disturbances of mind we can overcome.”

James Allen wrote above life’s turmoil before his well-known books As a Man thinketh and From Poverty Power. This small book of less than 100 pages discuss the life of Truth over self.

Few 🔑Key Points –

• Belief - No matter what we say or how many times we chant prayers and how deeply we confess our belief in truth. True test of belief lies in questions like “how does a man live?” & “How does he conduct himself under trying circumstances?” The answer to these questions will show whether a man believes in the power of evil or in the power of Good.

• Thought and Action – All actions whether planned or spontaneous are result of a long and silent growth; the end of a hidden process which has long been gathering force in mind. People end up acting in certain fashion will agree upon reflection of certain thoughts being nourished in mind.

• Self-Discipline – A man does not live until he begins to discipline himself; he merely exists. The only difference between the life of the beast and that of the undisciplined man is that the man has a wider variety of desires, and experiences a greater intensity of suffering.

Few📌 Quotes –

1. As a man grows purer, he perceives that all evil is powerless, unless it receives his consent and so he ignores it, and lets it pass out of his life.

2. The source and cause of all temptation is in the inward desire; the outward object is merely the occasion of the temptation, never the cause.

3. Half-hearted and premature resolution is no resolution at all, and is shattered at the first difficulty.

4. To be contented does not mean to forego effort; it means to free effort from anxiety.

[Maahi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books, which when you read, takes you to a place that is peaceful and fills you up with wisdom and wonder. Just as the title says 'Above Life's Turmoil', we learn how life can be beautiful and happy even in the worst circumstances. This isn't a practical guide. Rather, this is a thought provoking book for novices in the field of spirituality, and an encouraging book for those who're already working towards making themselves a better person. A book full of positivity and life.

“With burning brain and heart of hate,
I sought my wronger, early, late,
And all the wretched night and day
My dream and thought was slay, and slay.
My better self rose uppermost,
The beast within my bosom lost
Itself in love; peace from afar
Shone o’er me radiant like a star.
I Slew my wronger with a deed,
A deed of love; I made him bleed
With kindness, and I filled for years
His soul with tenderness and tears.”

[#DÏ4B7Ø Chinnamasta-Bhairav · Rating 5 out of 5]

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* -} Gestalt Psychology Simplified with Examples and Principles {- *

* -:}|{}|{: = MY SYNTHESISED ( ^ GESTALT ^ ) OF THE * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * ( WAY THE AUTHOR FRAMES = HIS WRITING PERSPECTIVES ) & ( POINTERS & IMPLICATIONS = the conclusion that can be drawn IMPLICITYLY from something although it is not EXPLICITLY stated ) = :}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{: = CONSTANTLY POINTING TOWARDS THE MOST HOLISTIC & MORAL WAY OF BEING = DEMANDING NOTHING BUT THE HIGHEST & FULLEST DIRECT RELISATION NOT IN DOGMA BUT IN PRACTICE = A MAN THAT HAS CLEARLY DEVOTED THE MAJORITY OF HIS LIFE 2 - DEAP CONTEMPLATION & EMBODYMENT OF SUCH PRINCIPLES = HE DOESNT SHY FROM SUFFERING OR ANY ASPECTS OF LIFE = HE POINTS TOWARDS FRAMES THAT ARE THE CLEAREST POINTERS TOWARDS LIBERATION = IN ALL APSECTS & AREAS OF HIS BOOKS = BECAUSE HE RELLENTLESLLY FOCUSES ON THE PRINCIPLES - & POETIC STYLE OF WRITING VERY LITTLE IN TERMS OF - HIS OWN LIFE OR - THE THINGS HAPPENING OF HIS TIMES = THE WRITINGS HOLD UP & POINT ONE 2 EXPERINCE SUCH THNGS - IN A WAY THAT IS CLEAR & MAKES SENSE = I BELEIVE ANYONE WHO HAS GENUILY = DEAPLY SUFFERED FROM SELFISHNES & HAS FOUND MOMENTARY RELEIF = THROUGH = THE SAINTLY - SELFLESS WAYS OF BEING = & OVER TIME REALISING THROUGH DIRECT EXPERIENCE ALL ROADS LEADING 2 THE SAME PATH IN TIME = MOKSHA NIRVANA = LIBERATION - INFINITE NAMES - THE PATH ALMOST INCOCIEVABLE IN TERMS OF IDEA IT IS CONCIEVABLE IN TERMS OF EXECUTION = IN TERMS OF INTENTION & WALKING THE PATH IT CAN FEEL = LIKE MOVING TOWARDS SOMETHING THAT IS INFINITLEY = SERMOUNTABLE & INSERMOUNTBLE = AS THE DEGREES IN TERMS OF PROGRESSION = ARE INFINITE = INITUAL FEELING OF DESPAIR - PEAK STATES - LEAVE WITH FEELINGS OF = OH IVE TRULY BEEN ASLEEP MY ENTIRE LIFE - THE DEGREE 2 THE DFFERENCE IN TERMS OF MY BASE STATE & WHEN I AM SLEEPING IS OFTEN = I AM MORE ASLEEP WHILE AWAKE = FOR ATLEAST IN SLEEP THERE ARE NO FILTERS - EVERYTHING IS ALL OUT ON DISPLAY = THE COMPLEXITY & INFINITE RANDOMNESS IS CLEAR & ACCEPTED = WHILE AWAKE THE PATERNS OF SELF DECEPTION - ARR INFINITLEY MAYED IN SYSTEMS OF BELIEF & INFINTIE PATTERNS = OF SELF JUSTIFICATION - RATIONALISATION - TRUTH WALLED OF BY FEAR & INFINITE ATACHEMENTS = AT LEAST IN DREAMS - ONE EXPERIENCE NEW THINGS THAT ARE UNIQUE - IN LIFE U COULD EXPERIENCE NEW THINGS DAILY & OVER TIME THE PATERNS OF FRAMING JUST OVERIDE REALITY = LEAVING U WITH THE ILLUSION OF CHANGE - WHEN AT TIMES YOUVE BEEN REPEATING THE SAME PATERN AT THE CORE = IN INFINITE DIFFERENT WAYS = THE INTIRE TIME = NOT RECOGNISING THE DEPTHS OF DILLUSION - THE DEPTHS OF WHICH WOULD BE ENOUGH - 2 MAKE ONE SICK 2 HIS STOMAC & RENOUNCE EVEN SUICIDE FOR THE UNDERSTAND WOULD - RECOGNISE EVEN IN DEATH - SUCH PATTERNS WOULD STILL - BE CONDEMED FOR - THE EXACT SAME PATERNS IN FUTURE - FORMS OF EXISTANCE - THAT EVERY NIGHT - THERE IS DEATH - & IT NOT ONCE SOLVED OR CHANGED - THE DEPTH OF SUCH THINGS

)( I MEAN THATS WHAT - IT PROVOKES IN ME ANYWAY )( - }|{}|{:- *

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To SEE a WORLD in a Grain of Sand,
And a HEAVEN in a Wild Flower,
Hold INFINITY in the palm of your hand
And ETERNITY in an Hour"
~ William Blake ~

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Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is form.
Form is not different than Emptiness;
Emptiness is not different than form
~ Heart Sutra ~

Like the ocean and its waves,
inseparable yet distinct

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" I and The Father are one,
I am The Truth,
The Life and The Path.”

Like a river flowing from its source,
connected and continuous

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Thy kingdom come.
Let the reign of divine
Truth, Life, and Love
be established in me,
and rule out of me all sin;
and may Thy Word
enrich the affections of all mankind

A mighty oak tree standing firm against the storm,
As sunlight scatters the shadows of night
A river nourishing the land it flows through

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[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't get much insight about the serious topic "life's turmoil" from this book. Luckily this is a short book and won't take you much time to read through it.

[Sotiris Makrygiannis · Rating 2 out of 5]

way too religious for me

[Elena Câdă · Rating 1 out of 5]

God… thought… belief… flimsy and a bore

[Jeffrey Bush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although not his most famous book, this was an excellent one! Here's some personal gleanings I received:

You can transform everything around you if you will transform yourself.

Every man thinks, acts, and lives in exact accordance to that which he believes.

He that criticizes and condemns believes in hatred towards others, not love.

Belief always proceeds action.

Whatever you are in your secret thoughts, be it good or bad, you will eventually be in your deeds.

You choose by your thoughts what you will entertain.

No man is wise because of another but because he chooses that himself. No man is hindered or suffers because of another, he is hindered or suffers because of himself.

The man that thinks hateful thoughts brings hatred upon himself, the same goes for love.

If a man cannot govern his inner self, he will not be able to govern other areas.

It is by self-control that a man rises higher and higher.

Let a man use self-discipline, and he will live better.

Your greatest hindrances are your own passions and delusions.

There are three things which a man must be content with:
With whatever happens
With his friendships and possessions
With his thoughts


There are three things which a man should not be content with:
With his opinions
With his character
With his spiritual condition


Brotherhood cannot exist when we are self-seeking.

There are four enemies destructive to brotherhood:
Pride
Self-love
Hatred
Condemnation


There are four chief qualities of divine brotherhood:
Humility
Self-surrender
Love
Compassion


Blessed is he who has no wrongs to remember, no injuries to forget, and whose pure heart no hateful thought about another can take root and flourish.

[Andrea Hickman Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a weird mix of just about everything you can think of. We've got Christianity, some buddhism, karma, reincarnation and the power of positive thinking. To be fair, the aim of the positive thinking is to gain self-discipline and be a better person, not to magically get you whatever you want (why yes, I do mean to make a snide reference to The secret. However did you guess?). I enjoyed this, though there was rather a lot of fuzzy thinking involved. Still, I am a great believer in self-discipline (and hopefully that's a heart belief, not a head belief and I'll eventually get to have a decent amount of the stuff...) and while much of the text is somewhat outdated and overly religious, this is still a decent book on the subject (or, rather, the practice, as he likes to wave the practice-makes-perfect flag at regularly spaced intervals).

[Powell Omondi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book, a remarkable classic by James Allen. This is a good read continuing emphasizing on the values of rising above self and how to go about daily life's turmoil and challenges.

I enjoyed it

[Iami Menotu · Rating 2 out of 5]

An idealistic extempore.

[Itinerant Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

ਜੋ ਨਰੁ ਦੁਖ ਮੈ ਦੁਖੁ ਨਹੀ ਮਾਨੈ ॥ ਸੁਖ ਸਨੇਹੁ ਅਰੁ ਭੈ ਨਹੀ ਜਾ ਕੈ ਕੰਚਨ ਮਾਟੀ ਮਾਨੈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

Entering that Path they no longer accuse, no longer doubt, no longer fret and despond, for they know that God is right, the universal laws are right, the cosmos is right, and that they themselves are wrong, if wrong there is. True strength and power and usefulness are born of self-purification, for the lower animal forces are not lost, but are transmuted into intellectual and spiritual energy. Then the mind is at peace. The wrong acts of others no longer arouse wrong and pain in the mind of the disciple. He is glad and calm and wise. He is filled with Love, and blessedness abides with him. And this is Victory!

[Marco De La O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Above Life's Turmoils by James Allen is a masterpiece that explores the human experience with profound wisdom and insight. Allen's timeless teachings on finding inner peace and overcoming life's challenges are both empowering and thought-provoking. The book's timeless wisdom has been incredibly impactful, and I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of life and its complexities. It's a true gem that deserves a permanent place on everyone's bookshelf.

[Sheila Burns · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I agreed with some of these IDEAS, they were delivered in such a sanctimonious fashion I was unable to appreciate anything new from this.
Also, the audio book narrator had little emotion in his voice which added to the superior attitude this book came off with. Ugh

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Joy's are so precious because we have experienced sorrows. Good books are so appreciated because of bad one's such as this.

[Anirudh Chandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read book. Feeling blessed after reading it.
James allen writings are like scriptures. There is a weird peace i get when i read his works and ways in which i still needs improvement.

[ネリ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although there are some valuable insights, the overall book is filled with gaslighting and blame.

[Preeti Kotammarti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author in this book emphasizes to be happy and look at the positive side of things, look for stories from failures of others, break the cycle of misery.

[Gaurav Prabhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another classic from James Allen. This is deep. Must read for the self-help people. Gives one ample thoughts to churn and shed light in the unexplored corners of oneself.

[sonataiscool · Rating 2 out of 5]

All these kinds of inspirational books are the same.

[Yusuf Deffa · Rating 5 out of 5]

thanks for accompanied me throughout this crazy month of chaos

[Lydia Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has great truths that everyone should hear in their life! I’m surprised it’s not more known.

[robert olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most significant book only less than the Bible and As A Man Thinketh. Read at least 25 times and continue to read and apply life lessons. I also listen on Audible.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars ⭐ ⭐
Whilst some points were interesting it felt very wordy and slow. I turned the speed up on the audiobook which may have defeated the purpose of the book.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

His writing is so concise. He defines his terms and doesn’t beat around the bush. There is very little wiggle room for misunderstanding. He says what he means and means what he says. I really admire his writing style. The honesty is refreshing, and I enjoyed contemplating these ideas. There are a few pronouncements that I would probably very vehemently protest. I think he presents a false dichotomy on occasion, but perhaps I’m misunderstanding. :D

I appreciate his brevity. Each section is short and goes straight to his point. In the case of what I considered his fallacy, I wonder if he had developed the idea to its logical conclusion if he would have been as horrified at the outcome as I was. The funny thing is he mentions in passing the remedy for his fallacy in his harvest analogy. I wish he would have developed that idea a bit more because I felt like some of his later statements are a little contradictory of the ones I objected to.

[D Cypriani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got the PDF format online for free and read this book prior to seeing here. It is overall a good read and not lengthy. I particularly liked the chapters on 'The Uses of Temptation' and 'The Man of Integrity.'

[hissi · Rating 5 out of 5]

You are where Ur thoughts have brought you. And u will go where Ur thoughts will take you.
A really light positive book. If u need a push. Read this

[Sare Öztürk]

Audibook version