The Art of Living Consciously: The Power of Awareness ~ Paperback ~ Nathaniel Branden, Ph.D.

The Art of Living Consciously: The Power of Awareness ~ Paperback ~ Nathaniel Branden, Ph.D.
$28.99

In THE ART OF LIVING CONSCIOUSLY, Nathaniel Branden enters new territory, exploring the practice of mindfulness and its power to influence our intentions, actions, values, and goals. Becoming more conscious of ourselves and the world around us in any situation, he argues, opens our eyes to the possibilites and options we otherwise miss. Illuminating the positive action of mindfulness on our careers, our search for romantic love, and our pursuit of personal and spiritual development, Branden encourages readers to rethink their beliefs about everyday activities, morality, mortality, and God. Like his groundbreaking work on self-esteem, Branden's insights into living consciously provide essential guidelines for making the most of ourselves in every aspect of our lives.Table of ContentsCONTENTS Introduction 1. Living Consciously: First Principles Acquiring a sense of reality Awareness: Outer and inner Reason: The noncontradictory integration of experience Reason and emotion: Challenging the necessity for conflict 2. Choice and Responsibility Free will: The choice to turn consciousness brighter or dimmer Context determines what state of consciousness is appropriate Strategies of avoidance Against consciousness: Motives for flight from awareness To be in love with life on earth 3. A Conscious Life -- 1: Knowing What We Are Doing While We Are Doing It What mindfulness entails as a way of life: Areas to be considered The joy of awareness Choices and actions Seeking knowledge Managing avoidance impulses Self-awareness 4. A Conscious Life -- 2: Bringing To Our Pursuits the Awareness They Require Conscious relationships Conscious parenting Consciousness in the workplace Consciousness of context Consciousness of our ideas and their roots 5. Self-Awareness: Examining Our Inner World Consciousness of the body Consciousness of our needs and wants Consciousness of our feelings and emotions Consciousness of our actions and reactions Concluding observations 6. Consciousness and Self-Esteem Misconceptions about self-esteem Awareness of what affects our self-esteem 7. Consciousness and Spirituality Definitions: The importance of being clear about meanings Spirituality: A this-worldly interpretation God: An all-purpose word referring to -- ? Self-transcendence: But who is doing the transcending? Mysticism: What are its claims to legitimacy? Selflessness: Rethinking our basic assumptions and discovering enlightened selfishness Afterword Appendix: A Sentence-Completion Program to Facilitate Living Consciously Notes Selected Bibliography Acknowledgments IndexAuthor BiographyWith a Ph.D. in psychology, and a background in philosophy, Nathaniel Branden is a practicing psychotherapist and a corporate consultant, and is widely recognized as the world authority on self-esteem, a field he pioneered more than three decades ago. His many books include The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, Taking Responsibility, Self-Esteem at Work, and A Woman's Self-Esteem. His newest book is My Years with Ayn Rand. He lives and works in Beverly Hills, California.