Serenity Bohon is twenty-nine, married to her childhood sweetheart, and mother to two young sons. After becoming pregnant again, Serenity is diagnosed with a rare, aggressive cancer. Now facing her worst fear, and struggling with what it means to have faith, she gathers around her the people she has loved. "I wanted to look at them, to watch them laugh," she says. "I wanted to thank them for making life great." As Serenity faces her life-threatening disease, and a growing fear about the life inside her, she leans on those she has learned from since childhood. She also finds from her children the will to fight and finds strength from those who faced the disease before her. She soon learns those around her have not come to watch her die but to teach her how to live. The Thank You Room is the story of how they survived together. In this second edition, the original story has been minimally updated for clarity. The prologue and epilogue have been updated to reflect events since the original diagnosis.

In a provocative and practical look at modern stress, Seeking Serenity offers an empowering new message: Stress can serve as a guide to living our happiest and healthiest lives. In Seeking Serenity, stress columnist Amanda Enayati challenges our long-held assumptions about stress, painting a groundbreaking picture that separates myth from reality when it comes to what is commonly referred to as the plague of modern life. Weaving together stories, research from science, history, philosophy and diverse faiths, and everyday exercises, she crafts a fascinating tale that begins with the behind-the-scenes machinations of corporate villains and ends in the power of our stories to shape our realities. We are living in an era of dramatic highs and lows, with lives that move at a pace and intensity impossible at any other time in history. These contradictions throw us off-kilter, out of harmony and balance, creating what we perceive as never-ending and destructive cycles of stress. But life itself has always been—and will always be—a series of fluctuations: the good days, the bad days, the excruciating days. The key to mastering stress lies in the way we experience it. Seeking Serenity presents ten revolutionary principles developed from the emerging science of stress and reinforced by literature, philosophy and age-old spiritual wisdom that help us to differentiate between destructive and constructive stress, and to master stress in the everyday by learning how to: Shift our perceptions to interpret inevitable challenges in a way that serves us better; Embrace a narrative that casts stress as a pathway to adaptation and growth; and Commit to breaks, buffers, and protective practices that will minimize and neutralize the adverse impacts of toxic stress. Drawing on extensive research and remarkable case studies, Seeking Serenity presents a clear and accessible action plan to achieving more joyful and productive lives, stronger communities and a better world.

On January 4th 2010, I had stopped by a woman's home to speak to her 21 year-old son, at her request. It turns out he was suffering from severe mental illness. Without warning, he punched me so hard I flew through the air, landed on my back and then found him on top of me with my arms pinned under his legs while he drove about six or seven rage filled punches into my head sending my skull smashing into the solid hard-wood kitchen floor. The result of that incident: I have brain damage that has dramatically

Michael Blanchard had just received his third DUI in three months—this time after falling asleep on the side of the road with the engine running and being wrestled to the ground by a state trooper.Life had just gone from bad to the very worst. Thirty years of drinking had narrowed his choice to a simple decision between jail and an addiction rehab center.Michael chose a three-month rehab program; and when he came out, began to dedicate his life to staying sober. This is his story— painful, provocative, and, because he has used photography as one of his mainstays in his efforts to keep from drinking, both beautiful and moving.

A year’s worth of serenity in one book, from the bestselling author of Each Day a New Beginning. Karen Casey’s daily meditation book Peace a Day at a Time offers 365 reminders to help strengthen those traveling the path to recovery from addiction. In this powerful set of daily reminders, Karen draws from her bestselling Each Day a New Beginning, which has helped millions recovering from addiction. Karen Casey writes eloquently about almost every facet of recovery and how to live a sober, balanced life by trying to live in the present, one day at a time. Peace a Day at a Time offers a meditation for every day of the year, opening with a quote and following with a brief essay and a takeaway message. This beautiful book is your powerful set of daily reminders on how to stay centered and find inner peace. Karen also provides a companion index with key theme words to reference any issue you may be struggling with. In Peace a Day at a Time learn to: Pay attention and listen to your inner voice Avoid drama and to let go of blame Stop living from crisis to crisis Cope with fear, sorrow, anger, and pain Embrace change Practice kindness, joy, hope, and acceptance

Soft spoken yet powerful, Serenity perfectly captures the constant battle of fear and courage that lives within us. The seeds of Serenity were planted in F.S. Yousaf’s last collection of poetry, Sincerely. Struck by inspiration and overwhelmed by the response of dedicated fans, Yousaf wanted to continue this journey in a new collection. While tales of longing, uncertainty, and loss flow through each poem, Yousaf artfully captures the eternal question of how to face pain with courage and quiet resilience. Featuring 140 poems and accompanying illustrations, Serenity is the perfect escape from daily life, helping readers refocus energy and kindness toward themselves and their cherished relationships.