The Hard Questions for an Authentic Life: 100 Essential Questions for Designing Your Life from the Inside Out

The Hard Questions for an Authentic Life is useful for any couple in a committed relationship, but is particularly valuable for couples who are considering marriage or looking to plan for the future. According to Piver, this book is ideal for any couple looking to connect "emotionally, spiritually, physically, intellectually." Beyond this, The Hard Questions is an excellent tool for promoting personal growth and understanding. The questions detailed in this book not only give new insight and understanding into your partner and your relationship, but also encourage individual reflection. While the foundation of The Hard Questions is simple - "You speak. You are heard. He speaks. He is heard. And on it goes." - putting this mantra into practice can often prove to be very difficult. Piver provides a simple step-by-step guide that aims to help couples incorporate this principle into their actions and discussions. The focus of the book is on encouraging couples to create an open dialogue in which they can discuss all facets of their lives and their futures. Piver asks the reader to consider a series of "hard questions" that explore each person's beliefs, biases, opinions, and expectations. The questions range from the delightful (What is my wildest fantasy about our home?) to the practical (Who does long-range financial planning? How is life insurance secured? Who are the beneficiaries?) Throughout her book, Piver stresses that these questions - and the relationship in general - must be approached from a place of honesty, love, and support. The purpose of the questions is not to test whether you and your partner are compatible, but to encourage communication and discussion that will help build the foundation for an open, honest, and lasting relationship. Overall, I was charmed and delighted by The Hard Questions. While it tackles some of the most important - and uncomfortable - relationship issues, at just over 100 pages it's hardly intimidating. Its simple format and clear objective can help add clarity and direction to difficult discussions. Piver's own experiences and reservations add humanity and accessibility. A valuable, enjoyable, and thought-provoking read.

In this book the reader is encouraged to discover his/her authentic life by a. focusing on "the Present" and by. by working through the 100 questions in order to analyze one's life and formulate appropriate strategies for ,living authentically. Her introduction outlines her quest for authenticity and her discovery of "being present" as her way of manifesting an authentic life. She suggests four principles to help: the courage to listen with an open mind; the willingness to feel discomfort, focusing on what is happening and being present, that comes through daily meditation. The subsequent chapters deal with the different areas of one's life: Family, Friends, Intimates, Work, Money, Creativity and Spirituality. Each chapter has a brief introduction and 10-15 questions, with space for writing down answers. Her "Afterward" lists question one can ask at the beginning and ending of each day. Especially helpful was her anecdote about the questioning she did with her fiancee about the life they wanted once married. Her insight was that the questioning process brought them closer together, even as the answers changed over time. Also helpful was her insight that questions asked with genuine curiosity are more likely to be answered than those asked with hostility.She encourages people to work through the questions slowly and thoroughly. Her questions in the chapters "Family" and "Friends" encourages the reader to identify his/her own needs, and ways the reader can be more giving to relatives and friends. Her insight: "You choose you friends because you can't choose your relatives." Friendships help family relationships run more smoothly. She encourages the reader to look for areas where forgiveness is needed and to spot patterns that began in the original family that repeat in future relationships,While her anecdotes added a lot, her analysis of the questioning process could have been more thoroughly thought through. The sentence describing her epiphany on p. xviii would have read better with a colon (:) after the word "present". Also, with no bibliography or footnotes, I was left wondering where she got her ideas. The insights, and the book's overall clear style make this a worthwhile read whether or not you work through questions. One might feel inspired to ask his or her own questions.

This book helps you ask important questions about your life, who you are, and where you are headed. Susan doesn't give you answers, She shows you how to ask and discover for yourself. We don't need more books of advice, we need more aids at self-inquiry. This book hits the nail on the head. Highly recommended.