MSI Press Blog

SADNESS, THE PAIN OF LIVING  Because we live in bodies which constantly change and interact with the world, we have feelings. We naturally have emotional reactions to what happens to us. Unpleasant experiences repulse us, moving us to withdraw to protect ourselves. Pleasant experiences energize us to seek more of what we desire. In our ever-changing world, we naturally feel joy as new life unfolds and sadness as the old and familiar passes away. Our sadness and sorrow are natural reactions that serve survival purposes. In fact, they are signs of intelligence. Animals live by their instincts, only in the present moment. Because we are conscious, we humans are aware of the passage of time, alert to loss and gain. We are aware of changes around us and their consequences on our wellbeing, and so we make adjustments. Hardwired into our brains is a built-in threat protection and safety-seeking system. In the experience of loss, sadness prepares us to let go of the past and prepare for

  MSI Press authors are located all over the world. Getting to know the authors can also mean getting to know a new part of the world. We will be sharing this information on a regular basis. Follow us and map our authors' locations. The late MSI Press author, Alfred Stites ( Forget the Goal, the Journey Counts ) , spent his retirement years in Costa Rica (lit. rich coast) before moving to New Mexico with his children in his 90th decade. After leaving Costa Rica, he wrote a book, Sidewalks in the Jungle , to tell others what Costa Rica is really like. Costa Rica was the point where the  Mesoamerican  and South American native cultures met. The northwest of the country, the Nicoya peninsula, was the southernmost point of  Nahuatl  cultural influence when the Spanish conquerors ( conquistadores ) came in the 16th century. The central and southern portions of the country had  Chibcha  influences. The Atlantic coast, meanwhile, was populated with African workers during the 17th and 18th

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

  In anticipation of the increasing sunniness of spring and the hope that such weather brings, we include here an excerpt from Dr. Dennis Ortman's book, The Pandemic and Hope . BREAKING BAD, MAKING GOOD How can we overcome the grip of our fears and let our natural light shine? It is a matter of breaking a bad habit of negative thinking and acting. Just as an alcoholic can have urges and still not drink, we can have anxious reactions and not indulge them. We have a choice to live with unavoidable anxiety or depression. If we refuse to change and grow, we will become depressed with a sense of a wasted life. If we want to mature, we will move out of our comfort zone and inevitably feel anxious. But in taking the risk and succeeding, we will grow in self-confidence, creating a larger comfort zone. So we choose our poison: growth-inhibiting depression or life-enhancing anxiety. Overcoming the bad habit of an anxiety-driven life involves four steps, requiring insight, courage, and persev

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

A sharing  S ., 20 years old, completely inexperienced in spiritual practices and in therapeutic processes, after her first experience expanding a positive emotion.  When I was asked, at the beginning of the process, to revive the most positive experience in my life, the first image that came into my mind was the day on which I had parachuted for the first time. I had been waiting to jump from the tiny plane; my entire body was already outside of it, and I had felt sure of myself—happy, free and limitless. I had felt that it would be much better to be up in the sky than down on the ground. When I took the leap, it was like floating, and my entire body felt fresh and alive. I was particularly excited while hovering over the sea and seeing the green areas all around. I identified the emotion as “Freedom” and located it in my heart. It felt like confidence and also, lightness, as if all my cells were opening up. The shape was a circle; the color, pink; the feeling, lighthearted

Congratulations to Dr. Dennis Ortman on his book,  Anger Anonymous , being selected as the  Kops-Fetherling International Book Awards  lega cy award in the category of psychology.   “When you feel in the grip of anger, ask yourself these questions: -Do you feel powerless to control your temper? -Does your anger frighten you so much that you feel compelled to suppress it? -Does your life feel unmanageable because of your anger? -Does your preoccupation with the unfairness of life and being wronged interfere with your happiness? -Do you feel hopeless about finding a cure for your temper? If you answer “yes” to these questions, you may be addicted to your anger. It acts like a drug that stimulates you, energizes you, and causes you to act insanely. <><><><><><><><> Viewing your anger as an addiction, Dr. Ortman guides you through the time-tested Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous to fi nd healing and growth. He shows how the Steps offer pr

excerpt from How to Be a Good Mommy When You're Sic k by Emily Graves -  Remembering The following checklists are meant to be used as a quick reference or as reminders as you reflect on areas of your life that you may be able to improve or make easier using the information discussed throughout the book. Sleep •        Establish a sleep routine for your family. •        Be prepared for the initial battle to establish that sleep routine. The first week will be difficult but you can do it. Use your will to make this happen. It will benefit your entire family. •        Make a list of how an established sleep routine would positively impact your and your family’s daily lives. Use this as encouragement during the initial battle. •        Make sure your established sleep routine includes an adequate amount of sleep for each person involved, especially yourself. Being exhausted exacerbates chronic health issues. Do not leave yourself out of this process. •        Include a nap for yoursel