Archive for the ‘Staff Picks’ Category
Staff Picks: Holiday Stress? Learn how to de-stress in The Next Ten Minutes
Now that Halloween is behind us and we all desperately try to avoid eating all that candy in one sitting we know one thing for certain, the holiday season is upon us. The leaves have changed. Turkeys are arriving in the local grocery store. And we all begin to worry about the many obligations that come with this season. For many in our society, what should be a joyous season has become more of a stress-filled marathon. While this time of year should be about joy, family, and giving thanks it can quickly turn into the opposite. As I was thinking about how I could fend off the inevitable holiday stress and really enjoy the true purpose of the season I stumbled upon The Next Ten Minutes by Andrew Peterson on my bookshelf. Aha! I had it! Easy and dynamic ways to distress, re-center, and seize the moment in only ten minutes.
The brilliance of this book is that it takes all the benefits of meditation and applies it in easy ten minute exercises, many of which I can do while sitting at my desk, cleaning the house, or even running errands. You see, the brilliance behind The Next Ten Minutes is in helping the reader discover the seeds of transformation and meaning in even the most ordinary routines. For example, some of my favorite exercises include Relaxing Your Face, Feeling Your Foot, Throwing Something Away, or simply Waiting. Basically, this book invites readers to move more deeply into the familiar task of ordinary life.
Possibly my favorite thing about this book, though, is the index! Yes, the index. It breaks down all the exercises based on the particular emotion you would like to alleviate. Say your in-laws are about to arrive and you’re feeling anxious. You can simply look up anxious in the index and choose between the exercises listed to help you overcome your anxiety and relax. So simple! So easy! And it only takes ten minutes. I think this book is going to find a permanent place in my purse for the next two months, and maybe beyond. (And I’ll definitely be grabbing a few more copies as gifts to my equally stressed-out family and friends!)
And don’t forget to share your favorite ways to de-stress during the holiday season.
Staff Pick of the Week: The Code by Johanna Paungger & Thomas Poppe
Staff Pick of the Week
One of the best aspects of working at a book publisher is that you get paid to read books! What’s better than that? In the office, we are always reading, passing around, and discussing the newest titles coming out. We decided to take the active energy surrounding our books and bring you in on the conversation. So, we’re beginning a new weekly tradition here on the blog at Beyond Words: Staff Picks. Our hope is to provide all of our readers some insight into the books we’re discussing, what we’re saying about them, and, especially, invite you to join in on the conversation. Please post your comments, share you stories, and be our partners in transformation.
Leah’s Pick of the Week—The Code: Unlocking the Ancient Power of Your Birthday
I firmly believe that the key to strong relationships lies in truly understanding and accepting the people in our lives: What makes them tick? What are their strengths? Where do they need support? It can really be a struggle to unlock these aspects of people in all areas of our lives, from co-workers to friends, family members to spouses. Also, we often struggle with simply understanding our selves and the deeper forces that guide our actions in life.
The Code delivers one way to better understand our selves and the people around us. Rooted in the tradition practiced for generations by the people of the Tyrolean mountains in Western Europe, The Code offers an accessible yet profound wisdom that can be applied to every aspect of ones life and each of ones relationships.
In the book’s introduction, our Editor in Chief, Cynthia Black, describes The Code’s method. “It [The Code] combines two dimensions working together: the power of one’s birthdate and the energies of colors.” These two powers are then combined on the Birthday Wheel, which brings in energetic motion and the points of the compass—North, South, East, West, and Center. This combination allows us to see the picture of the whole person. It can unlock the mystery within our relationships. Why does your spouse react in a certain way? How can I better understand and build stronger relationships with my colleagues.
Most important, The Code is not just about who we are, but about who we can be. It’s a system to better guide your life and fulfill your true potential by living in tune with our natural gifts.
It’s a book that can be referenced over and over again for all aspects of ones life and for every member of ones social circle. I’ve decoded myself, my husband, and am now moving on to my wonderful nieces. So far, the results have been nothing less then enlightening.
Unlock your Code here, then read the book to learn more.
Don Joseph Goewey: “The Brain Power To Prevail”
If you’ve been following any sundry news stories lately – immigration issues in Arizona, the oil disaster, the economy, how much it’s been raining and it’s JUNE – then you might have felt yourself get angry, stressed, feel helpless or numb. There’s nothing wrong with having these emotions and feelings. AND, they do tend to cloud our thinking processes, block our soul’s voice, and make it more difficult to make choices that take the bigger picture into account.
I for one have felt so heavy lately, that I declared today “beauty only day” where I would focus on what’s right in the world. I helped my children the other night pick out five things that are lush and vibrant in their lives that they can’t live without – music, both listening and making, was on both their lists, as was being in nature, reading books, and doing art or crafts. Ahhh, relief. Something our hearts could hold onto to get us through all the multitudes of challenges coming through at this time. (more…)
Who loves what for Mother’s Day
Yikes — Mother Days snuck up on me! Today Karen and I were chatting about the day when suddenly she said it was THIS Sunday. Having a mother on the other side of the world means that I have to plan gifts and cards a long time ahead of the day. Ah well, I guess she is used to belated greetings…
The conversation did lead to us considering which one of our Beyond Words books would we give our mothers, and for what reason. I then polled some of the staff, and the results were endearing!
First of all, Karen wrote me a good post all on it’s own: (more…)
Lindsay’s Staff Pick
Managing Editor, Lindsay Brown, shares with us her favorite book; the one she most enjoyed not only reading, but working on.
One of my ultimate favorite Beyond Words titles I’ve ever edited is Sixty Seconds: One Moment Changes Everything. This collection of inspiring and intimate stories was tirelessly compiled by author Phil Bolsta and offers the reader forty-five unique personal accounts told honestly and without fluff.
Out of the hundred’s of books I’ve edited in my career, Sixty Seconds has always stood out in my memory. Why? I guess you remember those books that have the most personal and physical affect on you. This is a book that actually brought me to tears while I edited (there was some flat-out laughter too.) (more…)
