The Book Therapist

The Book Therapist Your go-to for book reviews/excerpts on therapy-focused reads and insightful books in general. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
(2)

Depression seeps into life so quietly that one day you wake up and realize even the simplest things feel unbearably heav...
10/12/2025

Depression seeps into life so quietly that one day you wake up and realize even the simplest things feel unbearably heavy. It’s waking up to mornings that feel insurmountable, when lifting yourself out of bed or brushing your teeth feels like scaling a mountain. It’s watching the world move in color while your own life feels paused in grayscale. And perhaps the hardest part—it’s wearing a brave smile while quietly coming undone inside.

This was the landscape of Nita Sweeney’s life. For years, she lived beneath the dense fog of depression and anxiety. A writer in her forties, she carried the ache of unfulfilled dreams and the sting of self-doubt, haunted by a whisper that said she was too old, too broken, too late. Therapy and medication kept her afloat, but she still felt suspended in place—longing for something, anything, to spark her back to life.

Then one day, while scrolling through the internet, she came across a phrase that caught her breath: “Depression hates a moving target.” Five simple words—but they pierced through the fog. Almost instinctively, she reached for an old pair of sneakers, stepped outside, and ran—just a few steps, just to the end of the block. It was messy, awkward, exhausting. But it was movement. And in that small, trembling run, a faint glimmer of light broke through the dark.

That fragile beginning became the heart of her memoir, Depression Hates a Moving Target—a raw, tender story about how running became both her medicine and her miracle. Through her journey, Nita gifts us lessons that reach far beyond running—truths about healing, resilience, and the quiet grace of starting over.

Here are six of those truths:

1. Healing begins in the smallest motion.
Nita didn’t chase marathons—she began with thirty seconds of uneven jogging. Every step was a dialogue between her courage and her doubt. Yet those shaky seconds grew into minutes, into miles, into races. Her story reminds us that transformation often begins not with a leap, but with a hesitant step—one that gains power through gentle repetition.

2. Movement soothes the chaos within.
When depression pulled her into endless loops of thought, running interrupted the storm. The rhythm of breath and stride steadied her. Her body became an anchor, her mind began to quiet. Each run didn’t just strengthen her physically—it offered a moment of peace, a temporary stillness inside the noise.

3. We heal more deeply when we’re not alone.
At first, she ran in secret, afraid of being judged. But joining a local running group changed everything. Surrounded by others, she found community where she least expected it. What began as strangers became support, laughter, and belonging. Nita’s story reminds us that recovery is not a solitary race—it’s often the people beside us who help us keep going.

4. Self-kindness is its own endurance.
With every mile, the inner critic followed: too slow, too awkward, too late. But she learned to respond gently—to say, I’m here. I’m trying. And that’s enough. Her greatest muscle became compassion. Endurance, she discovered, is built not only through lungs and legs, but through the tender art of forgiving yourself as you grow.

5. Purpose lights the path when life feels hollow.
When she signed up for her first race, fear tried to hold her back. But now, her movement had meaning. Each finish line became proof that she could endure, that her story wasn’t over. Even the smallest goal gave her a reason to rise, a reason to keep stepping forward when despair said there was no point.

6. Healing doesn’t mean the darkness disappears—it means you learn to walk with it.
Running didn’t erase her depression. The shadows still came. But now, she had something to reach for—a rhythm, a ritual, a way back to herself. Healing, Nita realized, isn’t about escaping the dark; it’s about remembering where the light lives, and how to find your way toward it again.

Nita Sweeney’s Depression Hates a Moving Target is a quiet anthem of hope. It honors the strength it takes to begin again, to breathe through pain, to reach for life when it feels far away. It’s about how movement can become prayer, community can become healing, and persistence can become love.

And maybe that’s the truth she leaves us with: if depression despises movement, then every step forward—no matter how small—is an act of defiance, of courage, and of hope. One breath. One step. One gentle return to yourself at a time.

BOOK: https://amzn.to/3KMemnN
Enjoy the audiobook with a membership trial using the same link.

I didn’t think I’d ever be cheering on a group of seventy-something bank robbers—but somehow, I am. The Little Old Lady ...
10/12/2025

I didn’t think I’d ever be cheering on a group of seventy-something bank robbers—but somehow, I am. The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules snuck up on me with its peculiar brand of magic—a heist wrapped in warmth, a quiet uprising cloaked in Swedish humor, and delivered with a generous helping of righteous fury.
The story opens in Diamond House, a retirement home that sounds refined but feels more like a holding pen for the end of life. Everything is beige—the walls, the meals, the assumptions. Martha Andersson, 79 and crackling with untapped vitality, surveys this place where people are expected to diminish into silence and thinks: absolutely not. Her solution is gloriously absurd: if society insists on treating the elderly like criminals, why not actually become criminals? At least prison offers better food and a shred of dignity.

What unfolds is pure delight disguised as mischief. Martha gathers her crew—Brains with his encyclopedic mind, Christina with her artistic soul, Anna-Greta with her unexpected steel, and Rake with his lingering charm. Together they become the League of Pensioners, and watching them plot their first heist is like witnessing a masterclass in turning society's blind spots into advantages. Their walkers aren't mobility aids; they're props. Their age isn't a limitation; it's cover. Who suspects the grandmother shuffling past the jewelry counter?

Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg writes their adventures with such warmth and intelligence that every fumbling attempt at crime feels both hilarious and heartbreaking. When they hide stolen loot in cookie tins or stumble through a bank robbery with the enthusiasm of teenagers planning a prank, there's something deeply subversive happening beneath the surface comedy. These aren't desperate people acting out—these are forgotten people reclaiming their power, one bumbled heist at a time.

It's remarkable how this book flips the script on aging, refusing to treat its elderly characters as punchlines and instead revealing them as vibrant, complicated people with desires, ambitions, and sharp, untapped wit. Martha isn't simply pushing back against bland retirement home meals—she's challenging a culture that benches people once they reach a certain age. Her so-called crimes are not random mischief but carefully chosen acts of defiance against invisibility.

But what truly captured my heart was the friendship that blooms between these unlikely conspirators. There's something achingly beautiful about watching five people who society has deemed past their prime choose each other as family. Their loyalty runs deeper than shared mischief; it's rooted in the recognition that they're all fighting the same battle against irrelevance. When their plans go sideways—and they spectacularly do—they stand by each other with a fierce tenderness that made me believe in the power of chosen family all over again.

Ingelman-Sundberg never lets the humor overshadow the deeper truth pulsing through every page: growing older in our youth-obsessed world is an act of defiance in itself. The book doesn't shy away from the real challenges of aging—the way bodies fail, how society discards, the loneliness that can settle in when the world moves on without you. But it argues, with every perfectly executed (or hilariously botched) scheme, that none of these challenges negate the possibility of joy, adventure, or meaningful rebellion.

There's a scene where Martha reflects on how being old makes you invisible, and how that invisibility becomes their greatest weapon. It's brilliant and heartbreaking in equal measure—this idea that society's patronizing dismissal of the elderly becomes the very thing that allows them to operate undetected. They're hiding in plain sight, not because they're sneaky, but because no one bothers to really see them anymore.

The book moves with an easy, inviting rhythm, as if the story itself is eager to unfold and revel in its own discoveries. Each chapter builds on the last, not with mechanical precision but with the organic flow of a tale that knows exactly where it's headed and savors the journey. By the time Martha and her gang pull off their boldest plan, you're not just entertained, but transformed.

The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules is ultimately a love letter to the idea that life's most interesting chapters might come when we least expect them. It's about refusing to fade quietly when the world suggests you should, about finding family in the most unlikely places, and about the radical act of choosing joy over resignation. Martha Andersson taught me that growing older doesn't have to mean growing smaller, and sometimes the most meaningful rebellion begins with refusing to disappear.

This book will make you laugh, make you think, and quite possibly make you want to call your grandmother and plan a heist together. It's proof that the best stories are the ones that remind us we're never too old to surprise ourselves—or to shake up a system that's forgotten we're still here.

BOOK: https://amzn.to/4758kWX
Enjoy the audiobook with a membership trial using the same link.

Ikigai is the sweet spot where what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for co...
10/12/2025

Ikigai is the sweet spot where what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for come together. It’s a gentle reminder that fulfillment isn’t found in extremes, but in harmony, in doing meaningful work that lights you up and sustains your life.

Parenting can feel like standing in the eye of a hurricane; your child is unraveling, emotions are erupting, and deep do...
10/11/2025

Parenting can feel like standing in the eye of a hurricane; your child is unraveling, emotions are erupting, and deep down you're wondering if you're doing enough, or if you're doing it all wrong. Payne's Being at Your Best When Your Kids Are at Their Worst comes meets you in that place, without condescension, and without offering those quick-fix strategies that never really work in the real mess of family life.

It meets you exactly where you are; in your pajamas at midnight, hiding in the bathroom for thirty seconds of peace, or in your car after school pickup, taking deep breaths before walking through the door. With compassion and clarity, Payne shows you not only why these moments feel so crushing, but how you can navigate them with calm, presence, and courage. This book sees you, holds you, and gently points toward a way of parenting that transforms chaos into connection, and shame into strength.

Here are Five Empowering Insights That Will Transform Your Hardest Parenting Moments

1. Your Child's Worst Behavior Is Actually Communication About Their Deepest Needs
Payne revolutionizes how we understand difficult behavior by reframing it as communication rather than defiance. When your four-year-old has a complete meltdown over wearing the "wrong" socks, they're not trying to ruin your morning—they're expressing an overwhelmed nervous system that can't handle one more transition. When your teenager becomes hostile and withdrawn, they're communicating that they're struggling with something they don't have words for yet. This insight shifts everything because it moves you from being adversaries to being allies, helping you ask "What is my child trying to tell me?" instead of "How do I stop this behavior?"

2. Your Own Triggered Response Is Information, Not Failure
The book's most liberating insight is that your emotional reactions to your child's behavior aren't signs of bad parenting—they're valuable information about what's unfolding in the moment. When you find yourself shouting or losing control, it's often because your child's dysregulation has activated your own nervous system's alarm bells, which is completely normal and biologically predictable. Rather than drowning in shame about your reactions, Payne teaches you to use them as data—your anger might signal that boundaries need to be firmer, your overwhelm might indicate that everyone needs more rest or connection.

3. Connection Before Correction Actually Works
Payne provides compelling evidence for why the old "discipline first, connect later" approach often backfires, especially with challenging behaviors. When children are dysregulated, their brains literally cannot process logical consequences or absorb new behaviors—trying to teach a child in fight-or-flight mode is like having a rational conversation with someone in a panic attack. Prioritizing connection through presence and co-regulation creates the neural conditions necessary for learning and behavior change. This doesn't mean permissiveness, but offering emotional safety first, then addressing behavior once your child's nervous system has settled.

4. Your Child's Age and Stage Determines What's Possible
The book provides crucial insight into how children's developmental stages affect their capacity to regulate emotions and meet expectations. Many behavior problems stem from age-inappropriate expectations rather than defiance—a three-year-old who can't share isn't being selfish, their brain hasn't developed the neural pathways for perspective-taking yet. Understanding developmental capacity frees parents from trying to teach skills their children aren't ready to learn and helps you recognize when behaviors are normal developmental phases rather than problems to be fixed.

5. You Can't Pour from an Empty Cup—Self-Care Is a Parenting Strategy
Payne makes a powerful case that caring for yourself isn't selfish—it's essential to good parenting. When you're depleted and running on empty, you have no emotional reserves to offer during difficult moments, and your own dysregulation becomes contagious. The author provides practical strategies for maintaining your resources through micro-moments of renewal, boundary-setting, and recognizing that your wellbeing directly impacts your ability to parent with patience and wisdom. When you prioritize your own regulation, you model emotional health and create conditions for family harmony.

This book will change how you see your most difficult parenting moments. Instead of evidence of your failure, you'll begin to recognize them as opportunities for deeper connection and understanding. Instead of battles to be won, you'll see them as information to be received and needs to be met. Most importantly, this book will remind you that you're not alone in the struggle. Every parent has moments when they feel completely out of their depth, when love feels overshadowed by frustration, when they wonder if they're permanently damaging the children they'd do anything to protect. These moments don't make you a bad parent—they make you human. Your children don't need a perfect parent. They need a present one. And this book will show you exactly how to be that parent, even on the hardest days.

BOOK: https://amzn.to/4h4axGu
Enjoy the audiobook with a membership trial using the same link.

10/11/2025

Here are 7 books that will make you wiser and better

Life pushes us; sometimes gently, sometimes so hard it knocks the breath right out of us. We fall in ways we never expec...
10/11/2025

Life pushes us; sometimes gently, sometimes so hard it knocks the breath right out of us. We fall in ways we never expected. I remember a time when I fell so hard that even getting out of bed felt like an act of courage. The plans I had built so carefully crumbled, and the confidence I once carried disappeared beneath the weight of disappointment.

I tried to move on, to push through like I always did—but something in me was tired of pretending to be okay. Finding Rising Strong by Brené Brown, has to be one of the best things that happened to me. Brené speaks in a voice that is both fierce and tender; the kind that reminds you that real courage begins when you’re face down in the dirt and decide to rise anyway. Brown takes us on a journey through vulnerability, shame, and resilience, helping us understand that healing starts when we face our stories instead of hiding from them.

Here are five powerful insights that from Rising Strong:

1. We rise by reckoning with our story.
Before we can get back up, we must first look at what brought us down. Brown calls this the reckoning—the brave step of acknowledging our emotions and naming our pain. When we stop running from our story and start owning it, we reclaim the power to shape what comes next.

2. Curiosity is the bridge between pain and growth.
Most people try to move past hurt too quickly. But Brown reminds us that curiosity is where healing begins. Asking, “What am I feeling? Why does this hurt so deeply?” opens the door to transformation. Instead of numbing our emotions, we learn from them—and that’s how we rise stronger.

3. The stories we tell ourselves shape our lives.
In our minds, we often create painful stories to explain our experiences: They don’t care about me. I’m not enough. I failed again. Brown teaches us to pause and question these narratives. She calls it “The Story I’m Telling Myself.” When we rewrite our inner stories with honesty and compassion, we stop letting fear write the script of our lives.

4. Vulnerability is not weakness—it’s the path to power.
Standing back up after a fall requires the courage to be seen, even when we’re still shaking. Brown shows that vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, creativity, and connection. To rise strong, we must be brave enough to show up, scars and all.

5. Living a wholehearted life requires owning our truth.
Brown challenges us to live with integrity—to align who we are with how we act, especially when it’s uncomfortable. Rising strong is not about perfection; it’s about authenticity. It’s choosing to stand in our truth, even when the world prefers the mask.

Rising Strong is a call to rise, not despite our pain, but because of it. Brené Brown reminds us that every fall has something to teach, and every heartbreak can become the birthplace of deeper strength. If you’ve ever stumbled, failed, or been cracked open by life, this is your invitation. To fall. To feel. To rise again—with grace, truth, and courage. Because in the end, rising strong isn’t about avoiding the fall; it’s about learning to stand taller because of it.

And that—truly—is where the strongest version of you begins.

There was a time I stood in the middle of my room and felt the weight of everything I owned pressing against me. The she...
10/11/2025

There was a time I stood in the middle of my room and felt the weight of everything I owned pressing against me. The shelves overflowed, the closets groaned, and yet, somehow, I felt painfully empty. Every object carried a story, but together they built a kind of silence; one that spoke of exhaustion, of chasing, of filling spaces while my soul grew tired. I didn’t know it then, but I was drowning in “more.”

Lucky enough, I came across The More of Less by Joshua Becker, in that season, and it felt like the book had been waiting for me. Each page spoke gently, reminding me that maybe I had been seeking happiness in all the wrong corners. It didn’t demand that I throw everything away; but invited me to see that freedom begins when we stop letting our possessions define us.

Here are five truths that reshaped the way I live:

1. Decluttering is not the goal—living with intention is.
Minimalism isn’t about counting your possessions; it’s about clarifying your values. Becker reminds us that every item in our lives should serve a purpose or bring joy. The real reward of owning less isn’t a cleaner house—it’s a clearer mind and a more focused heart.

2. More stuff doesn’t mean more happiness.
We’ve been conditioned to believe that the next purchase will fill the emptiness inside us. But Becker’s journey began the day he realized his stuff was stealing time from what he loved most—his family. He teaches us that joy doesn’t come from accumulation, but from appreciation and simplicity.

3. Letting go is an act of courage.
Parting with our possessions can feel emotional, even scary. But Becker gently shows that every item we release is a piece of energy we reclaim. Minimalism is not about losing—it’s about choosing. Choosing what stays, what matters, and what deserves space in our lives.

4. The freedom of “enough.”
In a world that glorifies more, learning to say “enough” is radical. Becker encourages us to define what enough means for us personally—enough clothes, enough space, enough commitments. That boundary is where peace begins to bloom.

5. Your purpose shines brightest in simplicity.
When the distractions of excess fade, our vision becomes sharper. Becker helps us see that true meaning is often buried under the weight of our possessions. By stripping away the unnecessary, we uncover what we were always meant to do, give, and become.

The More of Less calls us to stop running the endless race for more and instead start living deeply, freely, and fully. Joshua Becker invites us to live with less—not to make a statement, but to uncover what truly matters: time, peace, purpose, and love.

When you reach the final page, you see that minimalism goes far beyond possessions; it is a way of life. The more you release, the more you discover what your heart was always meant to hold dear.

The Courage to Be Happy carries the same tender brilliance as its predecessor, The Courage to Be Disliked, but this time...
10/11/2025

The Courage to Be Happy carries the same tender brilliance as its predecessor, The Courage to Be Disliked, but this time, it reaches deeper into the heart — exploring not just freedom, but the gentle art of joy.

At its core, this book is a conversation between a wise philosopher and a curious young man; a dialogue that reflects our own thoughts, fears, and desires. Through their exchange, the authors invite us to see that happiness is not something we wait for or stumble upon — it’s something we choose, something we create through courage, compassion, and connection.

Here are some deeply moving insights from this book:

1. Happiness begins with contribution.
The philosopher explains that true joy comes when we shift our focus from what can I get? to how can I give? Life becomes meaningful when we live in service to others — not as sacrifice, but as a natural overflow of love. Happiness grows in the soil of connection.

2. You are the artist of your own life.
Every day is a blank canvas. The way we respond to people, the stories we tell ourselves, the choices we make — these brushstrokes create our reality. The philosopher reminds us that no one else paints this picture for us. Our happiness is not in the hands of others; it’s in the courage to create our own meaning.

3. Forgiveness is freedom.
To live happily, we must stop dragging yesterday’s pain into today. The philosopher teaches that forgiveness isn’t about erasing what happened — it’s about releasing ourselves from the need to carry it. The moment we let go, we create space for light to enter.

4. You are enough, right now.
The conversation challenges the endless striving that defines so many lives. Happiness doesn’t wait at the end of achievement; it lives quietly in the present moment, in self-acceptance, in the decision to treat yourself with the same kindness you give others.

5. Courage is the bridge to joy.
To be happy in a world that often thrives on comparison and fear takes courage — the courage to live by your values, to love without conditions, to choose peace when it would be easier to hide behind bitterness or pride.

6. Happiness is not comfort; it’s bravery in gentle form.
Reading The Courage to Be Happy feels like sitting in the sun after a long winter — you can feel warmth returning to places you forgot were cold. It’s philosophical yet deeply human, reflective yet full of life.

In the end, this book reminds us that happiness is a daily choice — a way of being. It asks us to have the courage to see beauty where we once saw burden, to offer kindness where we once felt hurt, and to open our hearts again and again, even when life feels uncertain.

Because when we live with courage — quiet, steady, heart-deep courage — happiness stops being a pursuit and becomes a presence.
And maybe that’s the real secret: the courage to be happy is, after all, the courage to be alive.

Survival shapes us, sometimes in ways we don’t even notice. We bend. We adapt, we shrink, we do what we must to keep goi...
10/11/2025

Survival shapes us, sometimes in ways we don’t even notice. We bend. We adapt, we shrink, we do what we must to keep going. But there comes a moment when the storm quiets, when the ground beneath us steadies.

And in that moment, we’re invited to pause… to look at who we became to survive — and gently realign with who we’re meant to be to thrive.

You’ve carried yourself through so much. But now, you’re in a different season. A safer one. One that calls for softness, openness, growth.

Change is coming — not to test your strength,
but to remind you that you no longer have to fight for every breath. You can exhale now. You can bloom.

10/10/2025

5 little books for 5 Skills

Fatherhood is a very sensitive role; one that carries the power to shape destinies. When it fades into absence or confus...
10/10/2025

Fatherhood is a very sensitive role; one that carries the power to shape destinies. When it fades into absence or confusion, its silence echoes through generations. You can see it in boys searching for identity, in men unsure how to love, in families longing for guidance.

Fatherhood is the quiet foundation upon which stability, character, and tenderness rest. And when it’s weak, everything built on it trembles.
That’s where The Intentional Father by Jon Tyson becomes such a deeply needed book. It brings healing to one of the world’s most unspoken wounds — the ache for strong, loving fathers.

Jon writes with honesty and humility, from the real and sacred space of his own journey. Through his experience raising his son, Nathan, he offers a vision of fatherhood built on intention, spiritual grounding, and love that shows up every single day.

This book carries depth, wisdom shaped by presence, reflection, and faith.

Here are some of its most profound insights:

1. Fatherhood begins with self-awareness.
Jon reminds us that being a good father flows from knowing who you are. Many men step into fatherhood carrying unhealed wounds from their past. Tyson invites fathers to pause, to look inward, and to understand the patterns they inherited — so they can create something different. The call is not to copy what was modeled, but to build a new way grounded in awareness, courage, and grace.

2. Love needs structure.
Intentional fatherhood is not about being endlessly affectionate or overly strict — it’s about building a rhythm of both love and guidance. Jon describes how he and his son shared rituals, conversations, and learning moments that became the backbone of their relationship. These weren’t random interactions; they were chosen spaces where meaning and connection grew. Fatherhood thrives on consistency — those steady moments where love takes form.

3. A father’s role is to name identity.
Children are constantly shaped by what they are told about who they are. Jon emphasizes that one of a father’s sacred duties is to help his child discover their identity — not in performance or comparison, but in truth. By speaking words of affirmation, helping them understand values, and being their safe mirror, fathers give their children the strength to stand tall in a noisy world.

4. Guidance requires presence.
Tyson shares how presence is the most powerful teaching tool a father has. A father’s nearness tells a child, “You matter. You’re worth my time.” Whether through small talks in the car, shared walks, or weekend traditions, the daily nearness becomes a spiritual language that says more than lectures ever could. True leadership in a home grows from quiet constancy.

5. Fatherhood is also a journey of becoming.
Perhaps the most touching idea in this book is that fatherhood transforms the man as much as the child. Every act of intentional parenting refines the father’s own heart — teaching him patience, humility, and emotional depth. Tyson describes fatherhood as a mirror that reveals who you are and invites you to grow into someone better. It’s a sacred process of mutual shaping — the father raising a child while being raised by love himself.

At its essence, The Intentional Father is a call to conscious legacy. It invites men to live with purpose, to lead with tenderness, and to heal what has been broken for too long. It’s about showing up not with perfection, but with presence — building the kind of fatherhood that makes children feel seen, safe, and strong.
Jon Tyson offers offers a vision — one where fathers reclaim their role as anchors of wisdom, protectors of peace, and nurturers of character.
Because when a man fathers with intention, the world begins to heal — one heart, one home, one generation at a time.

There’s a rare kind of magic in Slow — the kind that doesn’t dazzle, but dissolves the noise. Lee Holden captures the qu...
10/10/2025

There’s a rare kind of magic in Slow — the kind that doesn’t dazzle, but dissolves the noise. Lee Holden captures the quiet truth that life isn’t meant to be hurried through; it’s meant to be lived with awareness, one steady breath at a time. His words feel like movement and stillness meeting — a dance between body, mind, and the present moment. Every page invites you to rediscover what’s been lost in the rush: calm, clarity, and connection.

Here are six timeless insights from this beautifully grounding book:

1. Slowness reconnects us to what’s real.
When we move slowly, our senses awaken. We begin to notice the texture of the moment — the sound of our own breath, the sunlight on our skin, the pulse of life around us. Holden reminds us that awareness can’t live in haste; it blooms only when we give it space.

2. The body holds ancient wisdom.
Holden, a Qigong master, teaches that the body is not something to push or control — it’s a living compass. When we listen to its subtle cues — the tightness, the fatigue, the ease — we begin to understand what our spirit is trying to say.

3. Slow living is not about doing less, but doing with intention.
In a world that glorifies busyness, slowing down can feel rebellious. Yet Holden reframes it beautifully: it’s not about escaping life’s demands, but about meeting them with mindfulness, clarity, and grace. Slowing down doesn’t shrink life — it deepens it.

4. Energy flows where attention goes.
One of the book’s most grounding lessons is that our focus directs our energy. When we scatter our attention, we feel drained and restless. But when we bring it home — to one breath, one action, one thought — we become aligned, powerful, and calm.

5. Stillness restores what effort exhausts.
Holden shares that energy isn’t only built through motion — it’s also renewed through rest. In stillness, we reconnect to the natural current of vitality within us. What the modern world calls “doing nothing” is often the most healing thing we can do.

6. The rhythm of life is cyclical, not linear.
Instead of racing toward a finish line, Holden invites us to honor life’s cycles — expansion and contraction, activity and rest, light and shadow.
When we stop resisting these rhythms, we find peace in the flow of change.

Lee Holden whispers to your soul. His words remind you that life isn’t meant to be rushed through but savored, breath by breath. In a time when everything urges you to go faster, this book dares you to go deeper — to find balance, beauty, and vitality in the spaces between each heartbeat.

Address

249 UCB
Boulder
80301

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Book Therapist posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to The Book Therapist:

Share