MSI Press Blog

  Recently released: the audiobook edition of the popular book, A Guide to Bliss by Shai Tubali. Book description: This practical guide and the method presented in it are based on a very simple principle: all our negative emotional and mental states are the result of our currently limited and contracted mind; when we expand our mind, these states dissolve. A Guide to Bliss is a rich introduction to the 'Expansion Method' that has already gained popularity in German-speaking countries and Israel. The book leads the reader carefully through the practice, illuminating the way by the direct experience of practitioners of the method and the extensive philosophy behind it. Whether determining your next step in business, clearing away some sad memory, or just improving general well-being, all you need is to systematically tap into the tremendous potential of your own mind, as shown in this guide. BOOK AWARD LITERARY TITAN GOLD AWARD Paperback copies of this book can be purchased at ...

  Today's book excerpt comes from Widow: How to Survive (and Thrive!) in Your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Years  by Joanna Romer. Year Two Carving Out a Place for Yourself Nothing in my previous experience prepared me for being a widow, not my 40 years of job experience, ranging from Cosmopolitan Magazine to St. John’s University; not my 25 years of marriage to my beloved husband, Jack; not even my five years of worrying about Jack as he slowly become fatally ill. The widow experience is, as I’m sure you’ll agree, unprecedented. We can’t sugarcoat being a widow. After a year of widowhood, you’ve probably figured that out. It’s hard, it’s a struggle, it’s not something that goes away like the flu. And, unless you get married again, you’re going to be a widow from now on. Yet, believe it or not, you can get used to it. I feel pretty good about my widow status now, although it’s taken me awhile the reach that plateau---4 ½ years. The first year was a killer, wasn’t it? The depression...

  Dennis Ortman, author of several award-winning books, offers the following reflection for MSI Press blog readers -  FULL LIFE “I came that they might have life and have it to the full.” --John 10: 10   We have two natural desires: to live forever and to be happy. Modern medical science promises the first, but cannot guarantee the second. However, a recent bestselling book suggests that we can have both, now. Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles wrote  Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life  (New York: Penguin Books, 2016) in which they described the natural steps to a long, fulfilled life. They journeyed to Ogimi, Japan, where a large portion of the population lives into their hundreds. They interviewed dozens of the elderly residents to discover their secret. What they learned was a natural way to live longer with joy. Here are some of their recommendations: ·           Live an active life doing what y...

  From the blog post of Franki Bagdade, author of the award-winning book, I Love My Kids, But I Don't Always Like Them  -- Once when I worked a 9-5, I was in the middle of a stellar yearly review. Receiving top marks in every category. I felt proud, seen and appreciated. As the paperwork was stacked and papers clipped, there was a pause. There was just one thing my supervisor wanted to discuss. There was a concern: when I walked in, in the morning, I was never smiling. I looked unhappy and therefore unapproachable. This was not seen as professional and inviting. This little piece of critique hit me hard. I worked in the field of people!! I was the support person of the organization. I was the one who understood the thoughts and feelings of others. How could I be unapproachable? The review ended amicably and I was left alone with my thoughts. True to form, in solving this problem, I had more questions than answers. Why did I look so unhappy? I loved my work. I loved going into ...

  \ LIFE’S JOY “What can separate us from the love of Christ?” --Paul of Tarsus   “I’ve never been happy. I don’t believe I’ll ever escape my misery,” my elderly patient lamented. She had suffered from anxiety her whole life. She was its prisoner. “I’m always worrying about something. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Anything can cause me to panic,” she explained.  I asked her, “Who would you be if you didn’t worry?” She responded honestly, “I don’t know. I wouldn’t know myself. That would be even scarier!” My patient had constructed an identity around her illness. She could not imagine living without it and the misery it caused her.  Another patient of mine was terrified of leaving the house. She insisted she wanted to feel free to go out and socialize, but still stayed home to feel safe. I asked her, “You say you want to go out, but still stay home. Which is true, what you say you want or what you do?” Both, in fact, may have been true. She felt hopelessly con...