Conscious Living: Finding Joy in the Real World

This is a life-changing book. It's a book that helped me assess my life and determine what I want for myself. On top of that I would be willing to say that it helped me to know how to attain what I want. Not in a "how-to" kind of way; more in a creative visualization kind of way. This is a book that I will keep forever, and one that I see myself referencing from time to time throughout my life.

Life is an ongoing, neverending process of self-improvement and enlightenment. While we can be given the best advice and offered the most valuable lessons over and over again, it takes a readiness in ourselves, an open heart and mind and a willing spirit, to be receptive to those lessons. And, to be truly effective, we need be not only ready... but conscious of the lesson learned and applied. A good friend who has earned my respect with her ability to maneuver through her life with serenity and acceptance, even while learning the toughest lessons, recently recommended Hendricks' books to me. I value her advice, and so I approached the Hendricks' bookshelf with high expectations. I found many books on the shelf, written by both Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks, and with this volume as my introduction, I expect to be reading several more. Hendricks has probably not told me anything in this book I don't already know. We must love ourselves before we can truly love another. Anger denied does not go away. Moving through life and its choices by default rather than thoughtful and considered decision is guaranteed to end in disaster. Choosing love partners by chemistry alone can only mean heartbreak. We get what we expect. Negativity in attitude and expectations magnetically draws to us more negativity. If your life is not what you want it to be, guess what, it's you who is at the wheel. Yes, I knew all of this. I knew it, but I have too often failed to apply these sound, common sense lessons to my own life. I suppose there is something in all of us that feels the irresistible impulse to put our hand in the fire even when we have been told, over and over again, it will burn. Unfortunately, nothing is so effective a teacher as pain. But by the time I picked up this book, I was ready to listen. I was, you might say, fully conscious of these wisdoms and ready and willing to apply them at last. I almost feel a little silly stating how my mood and attitude improved by just reading this book. It sounds rather simplistic, doesn't it? Then again, we humans do tend to overcomplicate our lives, don't we? I feel confident in recommending this book to anyone... but only with this note: if you are ready to steer through your life with conscious intent, you'll love this book and its sensible advice. If you are not, if you are still looking for someone else to do the work for you, or if you prefer your old comfort zone, or if you want to shirk your responsibility for the course of your own life a while longer, well, read a comic book instead. Up to you. As for me, I loved it. Ready and awake! I like that the responsibility for this adventure is all mine.

In his book "Conscious Living" Gay Hendricks masterfully takes the reader to a profound realization of the most basic lessons in living. With so many self help books available it is sometimes difficult to know where to focus one's attention and how to proceed along the path of self transformation. Gay Hendricks has an uncanny ability to light the way and often in a humorous and inspiring manner. His insights and practical applications do not leave the reader stranded in an intellectual quagmire with nothing solid to stand on. Instead, he offers solid information that will take, those of us inspired to do so, deep into the realities of our own existence. Gay repeatedly offers opportunities for the reader to commit to an empowered and exciting life where relationships can flourish, creativity abounds and self exploration becomes an adventure spawned by curiosity encased in wonder and vitality.

Over the last few years, I have read an assortment of relationship books with loads of great strategies that combat a wide array of issues. When I encountered the book "Conscious Loving" by Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks, I was amazed by how different the book was. Gay and Kathlyn were communicating at a more fundamental level that bridged the gap between examples and strategies. When "Conscious Living" came out, I eagerly pounced on it to see how much more I could piece together. On my first pass through the book, I was deeply moved by the quantity and depth of "aha, that's why" connections I was making with my life and my prior readings. This book did not disappoint me since it was working at the fundamental building block level that I first encountered with "Conscious Loving". After reading the book for the third time, I'm still in awe at how much clarity Gay brings to the journey of life. If I had to sum it up, I would have to say that I was left smiling at the profound beauty of life. I was also pleasantly surprised and deeply moved by the spiritual connections I made through reading the book. The book follows a natural progression where Gay takes you from a great personal and historic introduction through the five required lessons followed by the inner shifts and outer moves that create a conscious life. The second half of the book deals with conscious solutions to some of the most crucial areas of real world life. I found the book to be chock-full of interesting examples and inspiring snippets of wisdom. One of my favorite snippets was "We argue for our limitations, and, sure enough, we get to keep them."

I have read several of Gay Hendricks books and each is a masterpiece. He surprises me every time by having so much to offer. Reading 'Conscious Living' is an enlightening experience. What touched me deeply is its simple profundity. Its evident that Gay writes from a depth of authentic experience. He blends the sublime with the practical, the mystical with the earthy, the miraculous with the ordinary. I am confident that this book will become a landmark in the human evolution to embrace its own divinity in ways that are magical.As I read it, I was in an inspired space to act out of integrity in ways that create enduring change towards greater inner joy & success in the outer world.