"In this groundbreaking new work, David Kessler-an expert on grief and the coauthor with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross of the iconic On Grief and Grieving-journeys beyond the classic five stages to discover a sixth stage: meaning"--

From the authors of contemporary classic The Spirituality of Imperfection comes this long-awaited sequel. A great master once said, 'The shortest distance between a human being and truth is a story.' In Experiencing Spirituality, Ernest Kurtz and Katherine Ketcham take readers on a journey through storytelling as a means of self-discovery. Recounting and interpreting great wisdom stories from all ages and all cultures, as well as telling many of...

When the Love of Your Life Turns out to Be Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde... Finding yourself engaged in psychological warfare with the very person who was supposed to love, cherish, and protect you leaves you feeling powerless, beaten down, and wondering if you will be met with kindness or cruelty. The more you give, the less you get. You're constantly walking on eggshells. If it feels like you're living with chronic manipulation, you may be in a relationship...

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 Grief is the experience and natural feelings that come with loss. Some deaths are traumatic when they are accompanied by exposure to the loved one's physical anguish, medical procedures, and suddenness. But it doesn't have to be that way. #2 The most beautiful flower grows out of the mud. Our worst moments can be the seeds of our best moments. They have an amazing...

“Called for Life” reflects on our calling to serve God and neighbor in the context of retirement. People facing retirement ask a variety of questions, each framed by a different perspective. "Will I ever be interested in retiring?" some baby boomers ask. "Who am I now?" newly retired clergy ask. "What, if anything, is God calling me to do and be after retirement?" all inquire. This book is built on the assumption that most people don't want to...

All trauma, whether caused by a single event or prolonged exposure to a traumatic pattern, affects our physical body and our mind. Trauma causes specific changes in the brain and even in the genetics of reproduction. Learn why, without help, the mind and body can get stuck in the loop of the sympathetic nervous system's trauma response. And how, with appropriate help, the mind and body can heal.

Do you ever wishyou could just get rid of all of your problems? Recent research shows that we grow into our best and most joyful selves not when we avoid our problems but when we embrace them, confident that we are resilient enough to work through themto an appropriate resolution. Resilience is our ability to physically, emotionally, and mentally bounce back from adverse circumstances. In fact, our capacity to thrive in life depends directly our...

Though all people experience varied types and degrees of adversity, an ingrained belief across cultures is that life is meant to be meaningful. When hardship strikes, people search for ways to respond, rebuild, prevail. If it is true that life is meaningful, then hardship, adversity, trauma, grief, wounds, and emotional pain are roadblocks to that end goal. Not insurmountable barriers, but obstacles that can be overcome. Thriving-overcoming hardship-is...

Whether or not you think of yourself as a hero, chances are the adversity in your life has caused you to walk the hero's journey. Discover what that journey entails (illustrated by your instructor's own life) from initial call to adventure through the ordeal and rebirth, until stepping into your new truth in a world that no longer seems as ordinary as you'd once thought.

We've been socialized to believe positive emotions are good and negative emotions are bad, but that is far from the truth. Our emotions are simply our individual responses to the situations we experience; we can accept, pay attention to, and learn from all of them. Explore some coping mechanisms for regulating your emotions, which some scientists see as the single most vital aspect of resilience.