10% Happier :How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works by Dan Harris
For those of you who do not know, I work for PA's Department of Education issuing teacher certifications. Our peak season is usually from college graduation in May (new graduates who want to become teachers) until the start of school in September (schools trying to get their staff situated) each year. As May approaches, I start to feel a cloud of anxiety hovering over the office. Before you have time to realize it, you're already drowning in work. In preparation for this year's busy season, I thought this book might be the perfect thing to help get me in the right mind set. I mean, who wouldn't want to be 10% happier? Especially if I could hone into that right before chaos rains down at work.
Dan Harris, the author, talks about his rise through the ranks as a news anchor from a small town local station in Maine to shows like Good Morning America and Nightline. Throughout the book he covers the fears he faced like receding hair lines or the subject matter of his stories. He talks about the competitiveness of the job and the need to stay relevant to the public. In 2004, Dan has a panic attack on live TV. Since he is still trying to climb the ladder to bigger and better stories, he doesn't tell his coworkers exactly what happened to him and instead starts a quest to calm his panic attacks. He used his current assignment, covering faith and religion, to seek out influencers and self-help gurus to interview. Dan uses his journalism connections to meet with Deepak Chopra, Ekhart Tolle, and Ted Haggard to name a few. Through those connections he starts to resonate with Buddhism and specifically mindfulness meditation.
Mindfulness meditation is bringing awareness to the present moment versus the older ideas of clearing your mind completely. Most mindfulness practices guide you to find acceptance, peace, and non-judgement in the present moment, your current circumstances, and any struggles or pain you're currently experiencing. The initial concept is the same to the stereotypical meditation. You can sit or lie down, close your eyes, and concentrate on your breathing. From that point, you have to focus your thoughts on the present moment. This is the hardest part for most people. It's pretty easy to think about your grocery list, the 500 things you have to clean in your house, or your screaming kids down the hall. It is a lot harder to really focus in and continually redirect your mind to this exact moment. Not the future, not the past, but this exact moment right now. Some guided practices will have you think about things like the feeling of your breath as it expands your chest or the feeling of your clothing on your skin to help keep you in the present moment. In moments of chaos or stress, mindfulness meditation can help bring you back to reality. So many of us focus on our growing to-do list, deadlines, or past failures. Instead, we can take a moment to remember that in this present moment I'm breathing, I'm capable, and I'm okay. Then you can start to tackle your to-do lists with a clearer mind-set and less panic.
I know there are other books specific to mindfulness meditation and guided meditation out there. The only other one I've personally read is "You Are Not Your Pain" by Vidyamala Burch and Danny Penman, which is specific to chronic pain meditation. It comes with a CD with guided meditation practices. The book explains the concepts and idea of mindfulness as well as an overview of the guided meditation that will be covered on the CD. I strongly encourage you to look into the other books and CDs available if you are looking for a more guided practice to mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness can be a huge game changer when it comes to stress relief, but it is a learned skill. It takes practice and patience to work it into your every day life.
In regards to Dan Harris's book though, I found it more so an ode to journalism or a memoir rather than a self-help book. To me, it felt like he wanted to outline his self-help journey. So while it did explain how mindfulness meditation was the end result that worked for him personally, it isn't necessarily a book that I would recommend for someone who is interested in the basics on meditation. But as a memoir, you can really see Harris's journalism background strongly at work. He includes enough of his first-world drama to make you feel sympathetic at times, but doesn't forget to name drop all of his friends to even out your sympathies. He explains his thought process to try and resolve his rising panic problems, and how he used his journalism ties and connections to his advantage in finding solutions.
While I'm glad I read the book, it was more so a general reminder to me that I need to start back up on my meditation practices this summer. Dan Harris's book isn't something I can pick up and flip to if I need help focusing or tips on meditation. Dan's goal is to break the stigma of meditation being a bunch of robed men sitting in a zen garden chanting to a statue. You can practice meditation to help you fall asleep at night, right after you get home from work to help clear your mind from the day's stress, or even in a moment of gratitude. It's a beautiful practice to help you remember that you need to live in the present and accept where you are and what you have with no reservations. If you decide to skip Dan's book, I at least suggest you start practicing mindfulness meditation.
Rating: 2 out of 5
* Positives: Reminded me to start meditating again! Why did I ever stop?
* Negatives: Name dropping was a bit of a turn-off. Also expected it to be more so a self-help book and less of a memoir.
Dan Harris, the author, talks about his rise through the ranks as a news anchor from a small town local station in Maine to shows like Good Morning America and Nightline. Throughout the book he covers the fears he faced like receding hair lines or the subject matter of his stories. He talks about the competitiveness of the job and the need to stay relevant to the public. In 2004, Dan has a panic attack on live TV. Since he is still trying to climb the ladder to bigger and better stories, he doesn't tell his coworkers exactly what happened to him and instead starts a quest to calm his panic attacks. He used his current assignment, covering faith and religion, to seek out influencers and self-help gurus to interview. Dan uses his journalism connections to meet with Deepak Chopra, Ekhart Tolle, and Ted Haggard to name a few. Through those connections he starts to resonate with Buddhism and specifically mindfulness meditation.
Mindfulness meditation is bringing awareness to the present moment versus the older ideas of clearing your mind completely. Most mindfulness practices guide you to find acceptance, peace, and non-judgement in the present moment, your current circumstances, and any struggles or pain you're currently experiencing. The initial concept is the same to the stereotypical meditation. You can sit or lie down, close your eyes, and concentrate on your breathing. From that point, you have to focus your thoughts on the present moment. This is the hardest part for most people. It's pretty easy to think about your grocery list, the 500 things you have to clean in your house, or your screaming kids down the hall. It is a lot harder to really focus in and continually redirect your mind to this exact moment. Not the future, not the past, but this exact moment right now. Some guided practices will have you think about things like the feeling of your breath as it expands your chest or the feeling of your clothing on your skin to help keep you in the present moment. In moments of chaos or stress, mindfulness meditation can help bring you back to reality. So many of us focus on our growing to-do list, deadlines, or past failures. Instead, we can take a moment to remember that in this present moment I'm breathing, I'm capable, and I'm okay. Then you can start to tackle your to-do lists with a clearer mind-set and less panic.
I know there are other books specific to mindfulness meditation and guided meditation out there. The only other one I've personally read is "You Are Not Your Pain" by Vidyamala Burch and Danny Penman, which is specific to chronic pain meditation. It comes with a CD with guided meditation practices. The book explains the concepts and idea of mindfulness as well as an overview of the guided meditation that will be covered on the CD. I strongly encourage you to look into the other books and CDs available if you are looking for a more guided practice to mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness can be a huge game changer when it comes to stress relief, but it is a learned skill. It takes practice and patience to work it into your every day life.
In regards to Dan Harris's book though, I found it more so an ode to journalism or a memoir rather than a self-help book. To me, it felt like he wanted to outline his self-help journey. So while it did explain how mindfulness meditation was the end result that worked for him personally, it isn't necessarily a book that I would recommend for someone who is interested in the basics on meditation. But as a memoir, you can really see Harris's journalism background strongly at work. He includes enough of his first-world drama to make you feel sympathetic at times, but doesn't forget to name drop all of his friends to even out your sympathies. He explains his thought process to try and resolve his rising panic problems, and how he used his journalism ties and connections to his advantage in finding solutions.
While I'm glad I read the book, it was more so a general reminder to me that I need to start back up on my meditation practices this summer. Dan Harris's book isn't something I can pick up and flip to if I need help focusing or tips on meditation. Dan's goal is to break the stigma of meditation being a bunch of robed men sitting in a zen garden chanting to a statue. You can practice meditation to help you fall asleep at night, right after you get home from work to help clear your mind from the day's stress, or even in a moment of gratitude. It's a beautiful practice to help you remember that you need to live in the present and accept where you are and what you have with no reservations. If you decide to skip Dan's book, I at least suggest you start practicing mindfulness meditation.
Rating: 2 out of 5
* Positives: Reminded me to start meditating again! Why did I ever stop?
* Negatives: Name dropping was a bit of a turn-off. Also expected it to be more so a self-help book and less of a memoir.
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