The โdown-to-earth, unsentimental, [and] high-humoredโ Pema Chรถdrรถn classic on learning to face our lives just as they are (Los Angeles Times)
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It's true, as they say, that we can only love others when we first love ourselvesโand we can only experience real joy when we stop running from pain. The key to understanding these truisms is simple but not easy: we must learn to open ourselves up to life in all its manifestations. Here, spiritual teacher andย When Things Fall Apartย author Pema Chรถdrรถn presents a uniquely practical approach to doing just that, showing us the true value in having โno escapeโ from the ups and downs of life.
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Drawing from her own experiences with marriage, divorce, motherhood, and more, Pema reveals that when we embrace the happiness and heartache, the inspiration and confusionโall the twists and turns that are part of natural lifeโwe can begin to discover a true wellspring of courageous love thatโs been within our hearts all along. As she writes in chapter four: โOur neurosis and our wisdom are made out of the same material. If you throw out your neurosis, you also throw out your wisdom.โ