Emotional Chaos to Clarity: How to Live More Skillfully, Make Better Decisions, and Find Purpose in Life

This inspiring and prescriptive book leads us from the emotional chaos of the reactive mind to the clarity of the responsive mind.

As Founder of the Life Balance Institute, Phillip Moffitt has observed that most people lack clarity about their life's direction and the ability to cope with its inevitable challenges. Now, in Emotional Chaos to Clarity, he provides the antidote by showing us the path of skillful living. Grounded in Western psychology and Buddhist philosophy, each chapter introduces a mind state that prevents us from living skillfully, narrates stories from Moffitt's hundreds of students and clients, and provides step-by-step exercises for readers to find clarity in their own lives. Among the many benefits of skillful living are being able to gain wisdom from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences and having an inner life which can flourish, even if our outer life is filled with difficulty.

"At age 40, Moffitt, owner and editor-in-chief of Esquire, left to 'explore the inner life.' After drifting with no clear direction, he moved from New York to California, went on meditation retreats, underwent Jungian analysis, and founded the Life Balance Institute. Moffitt summarizes the philosophy underlying his work in this guidebook for navigating through confusion, disappointment, and tough decision making. Part one, 'Practices That Empower You to Achieve Clarity,' helps the reader connect with what matters most. The second section, 'Developing Skillful Behaviors,' focuses on goals that enable one to confront life more effectively and authentically. The third part, 'Removing the Sources of Chaos,' examines why people behave unskillfully and cause suffering for themselves and others. Each chapter, dealing with issues such as developing loving-kindness and recognizing personal boundaries, is followed by a self-assessment exercise, such as the Compassion Practice meditation with a repetition of phrases: 'I can feel your suffering. May your suffering cease.' Though rife with buzzwords like 'mindfulness' and 'authenticity,' and the less elegant 'imaginative possible,' the book still delivers valuable tools for psychological self-development and a more harmonious relationship with life. Agent: Stephanie Tade, Stephanie Tade Agency." Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Despite our best-laid plans, life is difficult, and we sometimes experience anger, anxiety, frustration, and doubt. This emotional chaos can negatively affect the way we live our lives. Yet, Phillip Moffitt shows us that by cultivating a responsive mind rather than a reactive one, we can achieve a state of emotional clarity that allows us to act with a calm mind and a loving heart.

Drawing on both Western psychology and Buddhist philosophy, Moffitt’s step-by-step exercises help us to:

·        Know and act from our core values at all times

·        Gain wisdom from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences

·        Free ourselves from the past

Formerly owner and editor in chief of Esquire magazine, Phillip Moffitt is founder and director of the Life Balance Institute, a nationally renowned meditation teacher, and co-guiding teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Northern California. He is also the author of Dancing with Life. Visit lifebalanceinstitute.com and spiritrock.org.