MSI Press Blog

  Book Excerpt: Nurturing Contentment What makes us happy? I just made a list, and on it, I placed such items as “writing on the beach,” “cooking something interesting,” and “having lunch with Karen.” There are 20 such items—I could certainly come up with more. Plunging a little deeper into my memory, I could add “making love with my husband, Jack” (the last time was in 2010, the year before he died on January 2, 2011.), “vacation in the Keys” (2009), and “camping in upstate New York” (2002). If I think about these things and why they made me happy, I can see that all of them concerned getting in touch with a certain radiance or connection to love, and not just a personal love, although I certainly felt that for my late husband (and still do). I feel love for my friend Karen, and for the beach, cooking, the Keys, and the land in South Kortright, New York, where Jack and I used to camp. (I confess the last few times were in a trailer, not a tent!) But the love I am speaking of goe

Spring has arrived fully here in central Texas, with wildflowers sprinkling the meadows, trees bursting with green, and birds singing across the skies. Of course this spring feels different from years past, as the death that came through winter presents itself starkly alongside the rebirth. The once proud agave cacti are heavy and drooping; browned palm trees struggle to stand while fallen branches rest defeated upon the ground. What's fresh and new is intertwined with what has perished. Nature seems to be mirroring the paradox of our strange re-opening world, where excitement over returning to former freedoms goes hand-in-hand with the grief and uncertainty that remains. If you feel both hopeful and unmotivated, depleted and on the brink of change these days, it doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. You're living through a complex time with complex emotions, and it's not easy to move forward in ambiguity. Part of the challenge, as I see it, is we haven't fu

There is too much stress, anger, anxiety, and depression today. We all need a counterbalance to them, some sunshine among the shadows, and some MSI Press authors have written just those kinds of books: either ones to help cope or ones to help achieve happiness. This blog posts focuses on the latter, including self-care because without good self-care, it is indeed difficult to achieve happiness. 57 Steps to Paradise For more posts on Patricia Lorenz and her work, click HERE . 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas For more posts on Julie Gentile and her books, click HERE . A Guide to Bliss For posts on A Guide to Bliss , chick HERE . A Woman's Guide to Self-Nurturing For more posts on Joanna and her books, click HERE . Creative Aging For more posts on Joanna and her books, click  HERE . God Speaks into Darkness For more posts on Bennett and his books, click HERE . Good Blood: A Journey of Healing For more posts on Irit and her book, click HERE . Harnessing the Power of Grie

Practice: The Expansion of Positive Emotions  Expanding a positive emotion can be a wonderful way to start your day. However, it can be performed in almost any situation and at almost all times. As emphasized in the introduction, it is highly recommended to try out expansion, at least in your first attempts, with a friend guiding you. Important: whenever you see this mark, “…” it is your sign to pause for a few seconds in order to either receive a response or settle into and deepen a new state .  1. Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Allow your entire being to relax more and more. Breathe slowly and deeply… You are about to enter into your innermost Self… to enjoy a state of self-knowing, which is the sweetest and most wondrous state possible… Now, from this relaxation, let the moment or time in your life in which you experienced the highest level of happiness, elevation, and limitlessness rise to the surface of your mind. Recall the situation within yourself.

Richard Gentei Diedrichs grew up in Los Angeles. He edited travel and health magazines in Seattle, worked as an editor at the schools of engineering and public health at University of California. Berkeley, and then taught fourth and fifth grades, as well as kindergarten, in public elementary schools around the San Francisco Bay Area.  Richard was ordained a Zen priest in 1984. Currently, he is a Dharma teacher in Hawaii. He has published short stories in literary journals, a short story collection, Spirit of Tabasco , and two novels, Neither Coming Nor Going and Cherry Blossom . He lives with his wife and dog on the west coast of the Big Island of Hawaii.   His MSI book, Living in Blue Sky Mind: Basic Buddhist Teachings for a Happy Life , is available in paperback, hard cover, and e-book formats and has been recognized by the MidWest Book Watch and other reviewers for its quality.  Richard has been featured in many interviews and podcasts and has written a number of articles

Road Map to Power is a book with a message that could be a starting point for transforming the lives of readers who are unhappy, stuck in pursuing something unattainable to them personally, or who are caught up in false beliefs that money, better possessions or approval will bring them the happiness they crave. - from review by Readers' Favorite Read remainder of the review at Readers' Favorite . Winner of the Bronze medal in the Readers' Favorite competition. Read more about this book at the book page on MSI Press website .

Review on Library Thing: First and foremost, I LOVE his message and I pledged myself to the Giving Pledge. You must read the book to get the true message. In the beginning of the book are listed the ten rules of power. Dr. Husain, M.D. uses stories to show you the way and the light. He even brings up the question "Why am I here?", and he answers it so eloquently. He is a devout Muslim. He quoted Pope Francis and St. Francis of Assisi. He also took similar quotes from five religions to show that the message is universal. He even said atheists can benefit from the message as well. This is NOT a religious book. It is meant for EVERYONE. It is a book well worth the read. It took me a bit longer to read this book because I wanted to study and ponder Dr. Husain's wisdom. I am so glad I did. My favorite story is about a young lady helping Dr. Husain during the war in Bosnia. She is Elma Dizdar, who risked her life to help save others. She gave a monumental speech regarding

Excerpt from Road Map to Power : The 10 Rules of Power  1) You are likely average, mathematically speaking. 2) We have become more Wal-Mart than Wildebeest. 3) When you get to the part about “created equal,” keep reading. 4) Governments cannot legislate genetics. 5) Looking for security? It’s in the attachment. 6) Chances are you’re happy (despite the best efforts of the media). 7) Forge your armor out of resiliency. 8) If you don’t like the ending, rewrite the story. 9) Cultivate your garden. 10) Be more than humane, be a humanitarian. These ten rules are described, explained, and illustrated with real stories in the book. For more posts about the book, including reviews and more excerpts, click HERE .

How We Meditate Right Concentration furnishes the eighth step on Buddha’s Eightfold Path. Technically, Right Concentration signifies passing through four stages in meditation called jhanas , and arriving at mindfulness. While the steps on the path are not consecutive and are practiced together, Buddha said that by following the previous steps, that is, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Understanding, Right Effort, Right Intention, Right Livelihood, and Right Mindfulness, we arrive at Right Concentration. When we concentrate, we focus our attention on something. Concentration, here called samadhi ,  means that we focus our mind on an object that helps us to become more wholesome and pure in our awareness. As we know, a distracted mind races between ideas, thoughts, and concepts, filled with anxiety, worry, concern, and delusion (thinking that things differ from the way they actually are). This mind has been compared to the antics of a drunken monkey. A drunken monkey cha

Patricia Lorenz is one of those people who finds humor in every situation, no matter how dire--and she's lived through some pretty dire ones, essentially raising four children on her own on a freelance writer's salary. In this book, she takes on midlife dating as well as sharing her history. Part memoir, part humor, part romantic advice, this book offers something for almost every middle-aged man or woman (or those who love them). For her and her husband, those 57 steps are close, but also allow the space so many of us need at this life stage. Bravo! I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. (Melanie Rigney,  Goodreads) Follow the book on our website: click here. Follow Patricia Lorenz on our website: click here . See interview with Patricia Lorenz on this blog: click here Read more blog posts about this book: click here . Book can be purchased at www.msipress.com/shop/ Use Coupon Code FF25 to get 25% discount for MSI P

What We Mean to Do Right Intention (sometimes called Right Thought) relates to what and how we think. We are most concerned with the part of our thinking that always wants something (which, as humans, is most of our thinking). Buddha said that what we think (and say and do) is what we are. If we think, talk, and act in mean, selfish, and hurtful ways, we find difficulty coming into our lives. If we think, talk, and act in kind and loving ways, we find happiness coming into our lives. Buddha described it as “a shadow that never leaves us." Intention is our true nature trying to come out. It is our inner compass. If we are mindful or aware of our thoughts, we see the nature of our intent. We choose whether it is good or bad, helpful or hurtful. With Right Intention, we promise to be good, and mainly do three things: be aware that we always want things and can take them or leave them; renounce or give up those things that our thinking always wants; and becom

Excerpt from review by US Review of Books: While the title may lead one to think this is a self-help book, this writing goes beyond that type of genre with its intellectual focus on gaining healthy power. In the writings about the ten rules of power, the first chapter examines how most of us are average (based on the Bell Curve), then takes us through a relationship with a co-worker who inspires him to change, and focuses on the Pareto Distribution of wealth. This chapter is a thoughtful introduction to the rest of the book. Other chapters include a history of power, the legend of equality, and the Great Society. Also discussed is our self focus, what we learn from the media about ourselves, and the lessons he's learned from working as a child psychiatrist with children in war-torn countries and areas of poverty. Final chapters explore writing your own narrative, religion, spirituality, and the road map to power by becoming a humanitarian. Recommended by USR For the rest o

How We Act As with speech, we can make the people around us happy or sad by the way we act. We pay attention to what we do and the way we do it. According to Buddha’s second step on the Eightfold Path, we try not to kill things. We want all beings, people, animals, and insects to live and be happy. I know this, and I try. Still, I kill rodents and insects such as rats, mice, cockroaches, centipedes, ants, and mosquitoes. I find it hard to live with these creatures: they bite, and their lifestyles make them unhealthy. Nonetheless, I do not like taking their lives. A centipede or any other hearty insect exerts a lot of life force, especially when scared. While I have my reasons for killing these creatures, I understand Buddha’s point about living my life free from trouble and misery by not killing. I heard a story about a realtor showing a couple around a house that was for sale. In the kitchen, the realtor opened a drawer, and a big cockroach skittered out. The man pic

  Expressing Gratitude Chapter 7 Learning to Express Gratitude After we have identified our passionate pursuit or mission, and have begun engaging in it—hopefully every day—the next step in the happiness package is to express gratitude. By that I don’t mean just saying, “I am grateful,” once, and letting it go at that. No, for true happiness we must learn to express gratitude every single day, as often as possible. I would suggest gratitude employment every time we engage in our passionate pursuit. Let it become second nature. How do we do it? Simply say aloud, or to yourself, “I am so grateful to be enjoying this wonderful activity,” or, “Thank you God, for allowing me to enjoy (skiing, or planting fruit trees, or playing the piano, or ballroom dancing, or racing automobiles, or designing software programs).” If you choose, of course, you may leave off the word “God” and give thanks to serendipity, or good fortune, or luck. The point is that you are acknowledging your happiness.