Description
Book Synopsis7 simple yet powerful guidelines that provide a compass for navigating life harmoniously and spreading compassion and kindness
In our very busy world it is easy to get lost in the details and demands of everyday living. Fatigued and overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information, the myriad of choices our technologically advanced communication era seems to offer, we lose sight of what life is all about. How do we find balance and harmony in this overloaded world? And how do we to navigate life in tune with our soul as well as with modern society?
As author Darren Cockburn explains, we are all part of one big universal Process that encompasses and connects everything--every thought, emotion, action, all there is. Over the centuries, religions and philosophies have provided direction on how to act ethically and in accordance with this Process, yet in our modern world, these “commandments” may seem outdated or too rigid. Integrating and updating existing guidance from Buddhism, Christianity, and Yoga, the author offers 7 guidelines for living a life of harmony and balance: honor the body, bring acceptance and awareness to every moment, act with kindness, understand the truth and communicate it skillfully, do what needs to be done, harmoniously obtain and retain only what you need, and be aware and present with how you engage in the digital world. He illustrates how and why each of these recommendations hold value, revealing their interconnections, and explains how to implement them practically in daily life, sharing real-life examples as well as techniques and meditations to support each guideline and deepen your existing spiritual practice.
The author explores how the 7 easy-to-practice guidelines help us gain a deeper understanding of the universal Process of life, as well as provide a set of tools to help us deal with life’s ups and downs more skillfully. They enable us to face life empowered and confident, peacefully observe and accept what life throws at us, cultivate compassion and kindness, as well as spread mindfulness to those around us. Practiced together, these guidelines provide a simple yet powerful compass to guide you to a peaceful mind and harmonious living, much needed in today’s world.
Trade Review“In a book rich with wisdom and insight, Darren Cockburn offers a path of personal and spiritual development that suits the needs of modern life. If you follow its guidelines, you will surely experience greater contentment and fulfillment.” * STEVE TAYLOR, Ph.D., author of The Leap and Spiritual Science and featured in Watkins’ list of *
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Living a Life of Harmony can help us all do just that. It is simple to follow, down-to-earth, and practical, with many suggestions that can help us bring our lives more in line with our spiritual values. Darren has been influenced by the teachings of Buddha, yoga, and, from modern times, Eckhart Tolle, but you don’t have to be acquainted with any of them to understand and apply his ideas. This book is absolutely for and of its time, bringing perennial principles to life for the twenty-first century.” * SARAH RYAN, yoga teacher *
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Living a Life of Harmony is a resource I would encourage people with addiction issues to study. Someone with an addiction will often overcomplicate and ruminate to a level far removed from the reality of their situation. Recovery is therefore essentially a correction of views. In this book they will see and appreciate the practical maxim, ‘Do the right things and the right things will follow.’ They will gain insight into the reasons why we change our conditions, beyond the need to end personal suffering. Over time, if we follow the guidelines proposed by Darren, we can bring ourselves into alignment with the way things really are and see and feel the harmony that was always there.” * DENNIS WAREING, substance misuse worker *
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Living a Life of Harmony is a handbook for everyday living! Darren explains how life is one big universal process, which he calls ‘The Process,’ and how everything is connected. While reading this book, I felt as if I was being gently and lovingly walked through each part of The Process, step-by-step, at my own pace. I felt empowered and confident in the choices I was making, as I had a structured way of assessing each choice so that it would have a positive effect, not only on myself but on those around me. This book has transformed how I approach my everyday life and I highly recommend it.” * LOUISE FRENCH, healer *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
The Guidelines
Personal journey
Creating ‘Living a Life of Harmony’
Points for Reflection
1 The Process What is The Process?
Why is understanding The Process important?
Who owns The Process?
Is The Process orderly?
Who am I?
Am I dreaming this? Obvious and subtle processes
Reflecting on The Process
How does The Process relate to being present?
How does The Process relate to God? Spirituality & science
Am I making my own choices?
Points for Reflection
2 The Guidelines How The Guidelines were created
The Guidelines Progress rather than perfection
Decision making & conflicts
Teaching and groups
The Process & The Guidelines in action
Points for Reflection
3 Honor the Body Honoring the body
Diet
Relaxation
Sleep
Physical activity
Acceptance of the body
Energy
Sexuality
Connections with other guidelines
Points for Reflection 4 Be Present, Bringing Awareness and Acceptance into Every Moment Relationship with mindfulness and Mindfulness+
The Two Modes of The Mind
The Four A’s
Dealing with emotional pain
The pain-body
Relative acceptance
Absolute acceptance
Identifications and the ego
Becoming more aware
Cultivating awareness
Patience with practice
Awareness during sleep
Connections with other guidelines
Points for Reflection
5 Act with Kindness, Considering Everyone and Everything The source of kindness
The Selfishness / Altruism Intention Scale
Applying the guideline
Being considerate
Being friendly
Being generous
Six ways to cultivate kindness
Connections with other guidelines
Points for Reflection
6 Understand the Truth, Communicating It Selectively and Skillfully Feeling the truth
Determining the truth
Being honest with yourself
Communicating kindly and truthfully
Selective communication Harmonious communication
Helping others find the truth through true listening
Skillful self-disclosure Connections with other guidelines
Points for Reflection 7 Do Only What Needs to Be Done The global epidemic of being busy
Reviewing your activities
Aligning new activities
Prioritizing your activities whilst being present
Karma yoga
Is this really necessary?
Treading your own unique path
Working within The Guidelines
Communication and thoughts
Consideration of others
Connections with other guidelines
Points for Reflection
8 Harmoniously Obtain and Retain Only What You Need Reviewing your items
Harmoniously obtain only what you need
obtaining things for pleasure
Simplicity and spaciousness
Greed
Connections with other guidelines
Points for Reflection 9 Apply The Guidelines to Your Digital Device Usage Only use a device when it’s really needed
Stay mindful during device usage
Be kind to your body during device usage
Communicate selectively, truthfully and skillfully during device usage Have time away from your devices every day
Take opportunities for real human contact
Accepting that digital device usage is a part of life
Connections with other guidelines
Points for Reflection 10 Building & Structuring Your Practice
Benefits and measures
Three areas of practice
Opportunities for practice
General challenges and questions
The link to spiritual awakening
Points for Reflection
Afterword
Notes
Bibliography
About the Author
