Guidebook to help one discover how we can change our lives and impact the lives of others and the world around us in positive, and meaningful ways by changing our thinking.

Advice and encouragement from a leading spiritual teacher and popular author on how to approach the foundational practices of Tibetan Buddhism For anyone interested in Buddhist practice and philosophy, Turning Confusion into Clarity gives detailed instruction and friendly, inspiring advice for those eager to embark on the Tibetan Buddhist path. By offering guidance on how to approach the process and instruction on specific meditation and contemplation techniques, author and teacher Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche provides gentle yet thorough commentary, companionship, and inspiration for committing to the Vajrayana path.

Lying. Cheating. Manipulating. Will they ever change? What will it take to get through to them? They apologized, but will this time be different...or will they just get better at hiding what they are up to? This book will help you get out of the fog of confusion and into the clarity you are looking for. FOG is an acronym that stands for "Fear, Obligation, and Guilt." These three emotions are often at the core of manipulation, and are often how narcissists, sociopaths, and other types of emotional manipulators go about controlling their targets. However, this type of destructive manipulation isn't just limited to narcissists and sociopaths. There is no shortage of people with well-intended bad advice out there who unintentionally fall into the FOG as well, and push targets of abuse into keeping the relationship going. The FOG is one of the main reasons that people stay "stuck" in abusive relationships for so long, why they continue to get involved with abusive people, why they feel that they are the problem, and why they tend to feel that the abuse is somehow their fault. When a person is being manipulated they have a hard time figuring out who has the problem, what is normal, what is problematic, and if their wants, needs, and feelings are valid. The disasterous effects of being lost in the FOG are confusion, crazymaking, people pleasing, and an erosion of boundaries. What makes this well-intended bad advice so damaging is that, on the surface, it seems like good advice--especially if it's coming from people who seem to have our best interests in mind, such as friends, family, church members, support group members, or a therapist. Some examples of this well-intended bad advice that comes from other people is: "Who are you to judge?" "No one is perfect." "You need to forgive them." "She's your mother, you need to have a relationship with her...she's not getting any younger you know." "Commitment is forever." What can be so crazymaking for targets is that they are often getting two very different messages. On one hand, they are told that they need to work towards a solution, and on the other, they are told that need to leave a partner who lies, cheats, steals, hits, yells, or belittles them. This book compares and contrasts of these concepts so that targets of any type of manipulation and abuse can make a more empowered decision. Some of the concepts covered are: Who are You to Judge vs. Being Discerning No One is Perfect vs. Tolerating Abuse You Need to Forgive Them vs. Keeping Yourself Safe A Parent vs. A Predator Commitment vs. Codependency Self-love vs. Selfishness A Person Acting the Part vs. A Person Actually Changing Gut Instincts vs. Hypervigilance A Friend vs. Someone Being Friendly Caring vs. Caretaking Being in Love With Them vs. Being in Love With Who They Pretended to Be Workable Behavior vs. Deal Breakers Acceptance vs. Allowance Going Through So Much Together vs. Being Put Through So Much By Them Sincerity vs. Intensity Healthy Bonding vs. Trauma Bonding Insincere Remorse vs. Sincere Remorse Reacting vs. Responding ...and many more.

Fascinating patient stories and dynamic exercises help you connect to healing emotions, ease anxiety and depression, and discover your authentic self. Sara suffered a debilitating fear of asserting herself. Spencer experienced crippling social anxiety. Bonnie was shut down, disconnected from her feelings. These patients all came to psychotherapist Hilary Jacobs Hendel seeking treatment for depression, but in fact none of them were chemically depressed. Rather, Jacobs Hendel found that they’d all experienced traumas in their youth that caused them to put up emotional defenses that masqueraded as symptoms of depression. Jacobs Hendel led these patients and others toward lives newly capable of joy and fulfillment through an empathic and effective therapeutic approach that draws on the latest science about the healing power of our emotions. Whereas conventional therapy encourages patients to talk through past events that may trigger anxiety and depression, accelerated experiential dynamic psychotherapy (AEDP), the method practiced by Jacobs Hendel and pioneered by Diana Fosha, PhD, teaches us to identify the defenses and inhibitory emotions (shame, guilt, and anxiety) that block core emotions (anger, sadness, fear, disgust, joy, excitement, and sexual excitement). Fully experiencing core emotions allows us to enter an openhearted state where we are calm, curious, connected, compassionate, confident, courageous, and clear. In It’s Not Always Depression, Jacobs Hendel shares a unique and pragmatic tool called the Change Triangle—a guide to carry you from a place of disconnection back to your true self. In these pages, she teaches lay readers and helping professionals alike • why all emotions—even the most painful—have value. • how to identify emotions and the defenses we put up against them. • how to get to the root of anxiety—the most common mental illness of our time. • how to have compassion for the child you were and the adult you are. Jacobs Hendel provides navigational tools, body and thought exercises, candid personal anecdotes, and profound insights gleaned from her patients’ remarkable breakthroughs. She shows us how to work the Change Triangle in our everyday lives and chart a deeply personal, powerful, and hopeful course to psychological well-being and emotional engagement.

Bibliography: p. 83-86.

As part of Generation Y, you grew up with messages like "Anything is possible" and "The sky's the limit!" But like so many twentysomethings, you may feel overwhelmed by a myriad of choices and daunting economic challenges. "Confusion to Clarity" is all about YOU-the reader-discovering yourself, identifying what you want, and connecting with others as you turn your dreams into reality, one small step at a time. Full of eye-opening stories, revealing analysis, and thought-provoking exercises, this book is an invaluable resource to both twentysomethings and the Baby Boomer parents who raised them.

If you don't know exactly where you are heading, how can you expect to get there? Without a clearly defined goal, your life can quickly become a series of frustrating stop-and-go actions. Or you might get stuck with a choice that has never been yours in the first place - someone else made a decision for you and now you tow the line. Neither is a pleasant way to live. The good news is that no matter how long you have been looking for a worthwhile goal, no matter how young or old, rich or poor you are, you can find the best goal for your professional and/or private life. In 'From Confusion to Clarity: 5 Steps to Add Direction, Satisfaction, and Meaning to Your Life' author Katalin Halom provides you with an easy-to-follow and foolproof method for ending your frustration and finding the one objective that truly pleases you - the one goal that reflects your strengths. The book describes the 'Five Stages' everyone who wants to head into a self-chosen direction must follow. With the help of practical exercises you'll move step-by-step from a lack of direction toward your final destination - a fulfilling, exciting, and meaningful goal. Countless examples of real people who have faced problems similar to yours illustrate each step you have to take in your goal-finding quest. Their examples show that you are not alone in being lost or confused about what to do with your life, and that you will end the cycle of indecision if you really want to. (Two case studies are about two highly creative and wonderful Australians!) Halom also describes the most insidious obstacles along the way to goal finding and goal achievement, and shows you how to avoid or eliminate all of them. Examples of people who dreamed big and made bold decisions reinforce the basic tenet of this practical book: By thoroughly completing all the exercises as described, you can consciously choose your professional and private path - and live a life of happiness and fulfillment.