Читать книгу Somebody Should Have Told Us!: Simple Truths for Living Well - Jack Pransky - Страница 12

A few notes about this book, and how to get the most from it:

Unlike listening to Dr. Phil, Dr. Laura or Dr. Joy Brown, this book contains no advice. It offers no skills, nor any techniques. Initially to some this may be disconcerting, but advice, skills and techniques all reside in the outside world. This book contains something far more valuable. True change happens only from within, from one’s own insight. It is far more comforting to realize there really is nothing to do because we already have everything we are looking for inside us, and it is always available to us no matter what difficult life situations we encounter—if we know how to access it. I don’t want anyone looking to me, when the answers are within them. This book points people in the direction of true self help.

The only advice I do offer is how to get the most from this book: It would be wise to approach it with an open mind, to clear the mind, to set aside everything you know (at least temporarily), including comparing this to other things. Comparisons and judgments only block new understanding, and new understanding is the whole idea. If you want to truly incorporate into your life what this book offers I suggest reading it again and again until it sounds like old news. Then you will know this understanding has become part of you, the eyes through which you see. You will know you understand when you see the results for yourself.

This book is written the way it is for a reason. It contains a lot of stories and narrative. First, this is because no words can accurately or adequately describe the spiritual—the way it all truly works within us—and stories help point to what I mean. Second, it is often helpful to see through the eyes of what others have gone through.* Third, when we become involved in a story we temporarily forget about ourselves and, paradoxically, have a greater chance of having new insights about ourselves. I know that sounds odd, but it’s true. Also, this book contains some repetition. I attempt to say the same things in different ways because it helps the new take hold. Each chapter is meant to build on those before it.

In this book I use some terms for which others have their own definitions, such as Mind, Consciousness, Thought, wisdom, Health, principle. It would be wise to temporarily set aside your own definitions. I explain what I mean when I use these terms. In many places throughout this book I capitalize some of these words when I am meaning the universal, instead of the personal.

The stories in this book are not meant to be an illustration of how to do counseling based on this inside-out approach; they only represent how I worked with these people at that time, for better or worse. Today I may do it differently. But the results speak for themselves.

The state of mind everyone wants for themselves is there for the taking. My hope is this book will help you find the peace you deserve, the peace many are now finding for themselves.

So sit back and relax, absorb and enjoy. It won’t do any good to analyze it or try to figure it out. Wisdom comes from the opposite: the uncluttered grace of a relaxed mind.

Jack Pransky

Cabot, VT

January, 2005

* Note: I have changed the names of some people in these stories, at their request.