Told in blissfully simple language, the thoughts and messages in Saying Yes to Life (Even the Hard Parts) provide inspiration for each day. These nuggets of wisdom range from a page-long reflection to a simple aphorism and stress the importance of drawing meaning from life’s paradoxes — opening to the unwanted, recognizing the happiness in difficulty, and living for now rather than later. Page after page reveals truths that can be put into action in the moment, yet also stand up to multiple interpretations and thorough examination. Insightful and never convoluted, Saying Yes to Life (Even the Hard Parts) is a great companion for life’s long journey.
He Doesn’t Assume He Gets It All Right This is my third book by Ezra Bayda and in many ways it is my favorite. Thomas Moore sums it up best in the introduction when he said, “I like Ezra Bayda because I don’t think he assumes he gets it all right.” And this is why I liked this book, it does not provide answers it only provides questions for reflection. For some reason I like the format and I also like the way the book feels in my hand. It just begs to be carried around with you and read throughout the day. But unlike many books, I do not feel the need to read it from cover to cover, rather I use it judiciously throughout the day. I let the day determine what page I will read. If it is 9:34 in the morning I turn to page 93 and read the passage if the temperature is 74° I turn to page 74. I found this to be a great tool to return my awareness to what is real.
like a wise friend you can carry around with you… As Ezra Bayda says in the preface, this is a book to live with, not a book to consume. The words on each page will inspire, challenge, encourage, or perplex you. They invite you to open yourself up to life, including the parts we typically try to push away. Although these ideas weren’t new to me, the gentle, wise presentation here helped me to live them more fully and see them in new ways. It’s a great book for people familiar with Zen and would also serve as an excellent introduction for people new to Zen. It doesn’t assume that it has all the answers – instead, it raises important, life-enhancing questions.
Rather than a Book About practice this Book is a Practice If you are looking for a book that goes into detail about the human condition and what a life of practice is in relationship to it, one of Ezra’s previous books would be more appropriate. If you are looking for something that can instantaneously cut through the general sleep that is pervasive in day-to-day living, if used wisely, this book offers a hand. A place in my daily life where I tend to get consumed in the narrow tunnel of thinking is in relationship to finances. When balancing the checkbook I usually end up in a ball of constricted tightness and am completely asleep in my thinking. After purchasing a copy of this book I took one of the aphorisms and taped it to my computer where I do my finances. “You’ll never be free from discomfort and fear, yet liberation comes from not needing to be free from them.”, was gazing down at me throughout the process. Every few minutes I would take a look at the phrase and use it as a reminder to work with the experience rather than get…