I’ve never written a book review before now. Oh, sure I did book reports in middle school, but never a book review as an adult. So, why this book, “Make Peace with Your Mind”? There’s a couple of reasons the first being I think everyone should read it and probably read it more than once.
Why You Should Read this Book
Over the last several months I’ve completed an unscientific survey. I’ve asked dozens of people about their inner voice; if they had one, was it judgmental, did it adversely affect their self-esteem, and did they believe there were times that their inner voice held them back? The answers were almost unanimous – yes, their inner judge was a problem.
I asked the questions because I fight with my inner voice daily. A few years ago, I read My Stroke of Insight A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor. She introduced me to the idea of telling your inner voice no. During her recovery from a debilitating stroke she learned to curtail her inner judge by saying, “Thank you, but no thank you, I’ve got this.” Adopting this improved my outlook and my life. Thank you, Jill Bolte Taylor. Mark Coleman in his book takes managing your inner judge to the next level.
Why This Book Works
Make Peace with Your Mind works because Mark knows what he’s talking about. He’s been a victim of his inner judge and allowed it to harm himself. He’s also an internationally acclaimed mindfulness trainer. The book works in part because Mark’s writing style is sincere and easy to read, but for me, the biggest reason it works is that Mark ends every chapter with what he calls practice. Practice is 10 minutes of actions you can take that covers the chapter. We’ve all read books with good intentions of acting only to find the book on a shelf with no action taken a year later. Mark puts you to work all through the book. It works.
Like I said earlier, I’ve never written a book review, but when I saw a spot on my editorial calendar for a wellness post, well, this book can make you well.
In Mark Coleman’s Own Words
“The inner critic is the voice inside our heads reminding us that we are never “good enough.” It’s behind the insidious thoughts that can make us second-guess our every action and doubt our own value. The inner critic might feel overpowering, but it can be managed effectively. Meditation teacher and therapist Mark Coleman helps readers understand and free themselves from the inner critic using the tools of mindfulness and compassion. Each chapter offers constructive insights into what creates, drives, and disarms the critic; real people’s journeys to inspire and guide readers; and simple practices anyone can use to live a free, happy, and flourishing life. — Make Peace with Your Mind: How Mindfulness and Compassion Can Free You from Your Inner Critic
“Mindfulness is the ability to be aware, to note, to notice. When we apply that to our thoughts and mental habits, we bring a clarity of awareness in seeing what’s just an ordinary thought and what’s a judging thought that’s pejorative or putting us down in some way. So, we first bring that lens of awareness, and then we can do all kinds of different strategies. We can inquire.” — Psychology Today — Make Peace With Your Mind: A Conversation With Mark Coleman
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