Deeply satisfying on multiple levels; emotional, spiritual, and intellectual. Thich Nhat Hanh’s insightful and inspiring prose is a pleasure to read. I found this to be a wonderful introduction into his teachings and meditation.

A bit too all over the place and disorganized for my taste. It also is more prescriptive than I would like. Rather than teaching you how to think differently this book just tells you what to think. It's so much less impactful than a book that focuses on the how.

It was relaxing while I listened to it, but it won't stick with me or have any sort of lasting impact on my life.

Listened to this during my meditation retreat. Honestly, wasn't enthused. Maybe it was too deep into Buddhism for me. Not sure.

This is so perfect, that I have nothing to say and nothing to add. Everything that you need to live a beautiful life is right here. So here are a bunch of my favorite quotes from this wise and peaceful book (emphasis in bold is mine):

"You too are always changing form. You browse through a family photo album and come across a photo of yourself as a young child. Where is that little child now? You know that it is you. You have the same name, and yet it doesn't look like you. Are you still that child or are you someone else?

It is possible to listen to and take care of that little boy or little girl in you at any time. You can invite that child to breathe with you, walk with you, and enjoy nature with you."

"Long before the moment of your conception, the elements you are composed of were already present in the sperm and egg that came together to help you manifest. You also existed in all the conditions that supported and nourished your mother as she was pregnant. And long before that, you were in your grandparents. In fact, you could keep pushing your date of birth back infinitely. There is no moment when you did not exist."

"Breathing in, I see all my ancestors in me: my mineral ancestors, plant ancestors, mammal ancestors, and human ancestors. My ancestors are always present, alive in every cell of my body, and I play a part in their immortality."

"So as long as we think we are a separate self distinct from the world around us, we think we can get out of the world. But once we see that we are the world, that we are made entirely of non-us elements, we realize that we do not need to go running after anything outside of us. The world cannot get out of the world. We already are everything we are looking for."

"The concentration on aimlessness means arriving in the present moment to discover that the present moment is the only moment in which you can find everything you've been looking for, and that you already are everything you want to become."

"Our body is not our own individual property; it is collective. It is the body of our ancestors. In our body we have our mother and father, our nation, our people, our culture, and the whole cosmos."

"You are just like a tree. You may think that a tree is not doing anything at all, but when you touch a tree or sit at the foot of a tree, you can feel the energy of the tree pervading you. The tree has an energy. It simply stands there, being itself, and that is so refreshing, nourishing, and healing."

"Don't think that you and the world are two separate things. Anything you do for yourself, you are also doing for the world."

"We cannot create happiness in a place where there is no suffering, just as we cannot grow lotuses without mud. Happiness and peace are born from transforming suffering and pain."