Shortcut to Spirituality: Mastering the Art of Inner Peace

Rating:
Summary: I should never have read a self-help book...
Review: ...so that was my first mistake! Gottfried's first mistake is to assume that the problems that his patients experienced reflected a fundamental problem with the religion itself. His second mistake is to take God out of the equation and take a secular approach to personal happiness. The truth is, you can EITHER believe in God, based on a combination of personal experience and historical proof (Lee Strobel and Josh MacDowell are highly recommended), or you can not believe in God, in which case you should just relax. But if you do believe in God it sort of makes sense to do what He (or She if you like) says, and if you don't then what is the guilt for?

Rating:
Summary: There truly is a shortcut to Spirituality!
Review: For me, the most dramatic insight this book introduces to the reader is the internal struggle all of us endure between the ego and the spiritual self, and how tricky the ego continually works to satisfy and protect itself. It is because of this clearly defined concept that the reader can then acknowledge why inner peace has proven to be so elusive. It was important for me that the author defined it this way because it was simple to understand and didn't make me feel that the challenge of finding inner peace was an overwhelming task that would take years of mediation, therapy, or self-examination to achieve. I liked the idea that I already held the key to inner peace, in the words of Dr. Gottfried, right here, right now. The book showed me that my spiritual self was quietly waiting for me, right behind my rather loud ego.

In order to turn down the volume of the ego, put it in its proper place and get out of the mind, Dr. Gottfried gives the reader guidance, in the form of exercises throughout the book. This then allows the spiritual self to be revealed. It showed me that I had a choice with my life, to live in my mind, or to live peacefully. It is a book that I will pick up often and do the exercises whenever I feel my ego has the upper hand and I give the book a 5 star rating.

Rating:
Summary: Finally, I figured it out
Review: I am quite impressed with this book. I have read many self-help as well as spirituality books and yet something was missing. After reading this book I know what it was. Suddenly, everything came together for me. The book is not only down to earth in terms of its applications, but it does something for you. It gently guides you through your own mental obstacles and limiting beliefs and helps you transform internally. You will read this book many times, guaranteed! And if you are ready to be transformed, you will find out that something in you will shift. I particularly liked what Dr. Gottfried has to say about what has to change so that we can finally have balance in our society. I wish more people would follow these ideas. Also, how well he explains the difference between religion and spirituality. I thoroughly enjoyed the sections on relationships and how to deal with difficult people. But I guess most of all I liked the methods of connecting more deeply with my own inner peace, which was always there just waiting for me to discover it.
I like the way the book is structured. Instead of the traditional chapter format, the book is divided to three parts, each part takes you deeper into this magical territory of inner peace. The book just makes it so easy for you to figure it all out. For me the biggest change is that I can now be facing daily stress (my job offers plenty of that...) and yet I can keep calm (well, most of the time...). Only when you experience that you can realize how powerful you can be when you connect deeper inside. Even my husband commented that I am not judgmental as I was before. Coming from him - that's a big compliment...I liked the awareness exercises described in the book. The ones I am using the most include the "stop and choose" technique and the "circle of peace." This book is a real treat, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Rating:
Summary: spirituality and religion are not necessarily synonymous
Review: My wife insisted that I read this one page in the book that talks about why men too have to seriously consider spirituality. I ended up reading the entire book. I have read many self-help books but this was the first one with spiritual teachings. Actually, the book's definition of spirituality makes perfect sense. In the past I equated it with religion. Now I know that spirituality and religion are not necessarily synonymous.
I also liked the part of the book that talks about the bottom line in enhancing relationships. The exercises are effective and easy to follow. As an ex teacher - I think that Dr. Gottfried's call for changes in education are timely. A few things clicked for me while reading the book. The most important one is that we, many times, pay attention to the wrong things. The book has certainly helped me refocus and pay more attention to what is really important in life. The part talking about how to raise spiritually aware kids could have been a little longer - perhaps a good idea for your next book, Dr. Gottfried!

Rating:
Summary: Hate the title...The Book is Terrific!
Review: Shortcut to Spirituality, Mastering the Art of Inner Peace by Bob Gottfried, Ph.D. is much more than you would imagine at first glance. We are asked to review so many books and I almost turned this one down because of the title. For years I have been a serious student of spirituality with many masters credits in theology. Because this subject is so dear to my heart and is a subject so very deep that many devotees have spent their lives trying to find the path to peace, I felt it was a sacriledge to try to find a shortcut. I thought it was impossible to think of shortcutting... but how wrong I was! I am so very glad I not only read the book but spent many weeks studying it deeply and experiencing the various practices Gottfried suggests. How do I begin to review a book that has had so much personal impact in my life? Although I still dislike the title, this book is a deeply authentic and dedicated master guide to finding one's own path to deep peace and personal fulfillment through a spirit-based foundation and outlook on life, regardless of one's religious affiliation or lack thereof. Dr. Gottfried is the clinical director of Advanced Wellness Programs and Advanced Cognitive Enhancement (ACE) Clinics and a consultant for the Canadian Centre for Integrative Medicine and Global Health Management. He was not a religious person as he set out to discover this Path to deep inner peace in order to help his patients with chronic pain, sleep disorders and cognitive difficulties from ongoing stress, so this is a terrific book for even athiests to read. Anyone will reap the benefits of resolving pain from the past and learning to focus within and to develop habits that will create personal peace that comes from integration of our body, mind, and Spirit. This peace will affect positively those around you and ultimately the whole world. Dr. Gottfried ably tells you step-by-step how to do this within your own life, not in "preachy or churchy" language but with the knowledge and professional experience of a respected psychologist and the insights and wisdom of personal experience of walking the path he teaches. You could spend thousands of dollars in a counselor's office and not reap as many benefits as you will from this book. You could, as I have, spend years studying theology and not find as direct a path to where you yearn to be in your heart. You must read this book!

Rating:
Summary: There really is a Shortcut to Spirituality!
Review: This book is a refreshing addition to the long list of self-help books on my shelf. For me, the most dramatic insight this book introduces is the internal struggle all of us endure between the ego and the spiritual self, and how tricky the ego continually works to satisfy and protect itself. Realizing the difference between peace of mind and inner peace was very enlightening. The author's definition was simple to understand and didn't make me feel that the challenge of finding inner peace was an overwhelming task that would take years of mediation, therapy, or self-examination to achieve. This is definitely a big shortcut for me and makes the process much easier to follow. I liked the idea that I already held the key to inner peace, in the words of Dr. Gottfried, "right here, right now." The book showed me that my spiritual self was quietly waiting for me, right behind my rather loud ego.

In order to turn down the volume of the ego, put it in its proper place and get out of the busy mind, Dr. Gottfried gives the reader concrete guidance, in the form of awareness exercises throughout the book. This then allows the spiritual self to be revealed. The book showed me that I had a choice to live in my mind, or to live peacefully. This is a book that I will pick up often and do the exercises whenever I feel my ego has the upper hand.