Sacred Selfishness: A Guide to Living a Life of Substance

by Bud Harris

Book Overview

The author, a Jungian therapist, defines two kinds of selfishness: Sickly selfishness is self-serving, power-driven, and imposes its will on others, draining their energy. Sacred selfishness is valuing ourselves enough to develop into "authentic" human beings, who give back vitality and hope to all around us.

While growing up, selfishness was usually defined, for most of us, as the first kind; we were taught to put the needs of others above...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1930722516
• ISBN13: 9781930722514
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: New World Library
• Length: 376 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A true gem of a book - not to be missed

This is one of the best books of the self-help genre that I have read in a long time. Living a balanced fulfilled life with a loving and peaceful attitude is possible, but sacred selfishness is required. Everyone needs time to look at their self and examine their life, passions, plans, etc. Sacred selfishness is not selfishness with a negative connotation. It is taking the time to retreat for yourself, taking the time to reclaim balance in your life. The book is divided into three parts - Breaking the Mold and Seeking a Path, Cultivating Inner Substance, and Cultivating a Life of Substance. The chapter titles also give a good idea of the direction the book takes. Some titles include The Call to Transformation, Preparing for Change, Journaling as Inner Exploration, Beginning the Search for Personal Substance, Befriending Our Dreams, Learning to Love Ourselves, and Relationships of Substance. This is a book of such substance that I found myself reading a section, stopping to think about it, and then reading another section. For a person who reads a typical book in about an hour it is rare that I find one of such substance that it takes me almost a week to read it carefully so I can be sure to extract all the value out of it I can. Sacred Selfishness is very highly recommended to anyone seeking balance and fulfillment in their life.

Great Read

I wondered what I would find within the pages of this work. Would it be words of advice that I could truly use, or just another book to place on my shelf. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised in my reading and what I found. The author gently leads you into stories of many people's life experiences, their heart felt emotions, their deep seated fears, hopes, dreams and breaks down the why's of their failures and even their success. Interesting. My favorite chapters were those on dreams and keeping a journal. I always knew that dreams, if not ignored could help us on our journey in life, and this work added new dimension to that idea. I loved it and found it very helpful. As far as the chapter on keeping a journal, this was something I had been doing for quite sometime, but gradually stopped as I felt it was not helping me. How wrong I was. In this chapter I learned how important and helpful it can be to keep track of your life and all that revolves around you. In a way, it certainly helps to keep things in the proper perspective, and the author explains so many ways that doing this can be beneficial to you. There is so much helpful information in this book that it would be impossible for me to detail here in this short review. However, this is one book you certainly will keep handy to read time and time again. It is full of helpful thoughts, insights and information that will be a great aid for you in your journey through life. The final thought that was left with me is this. The blame or the pat on our back for our failures or our success does not go to circumstances, location, upbringing, or any of the things we so quickly point our finger at. It lies within ourselves. Want to change your life? Read this work, and get started down the road to victory. Shirley Johnson MidWest Book Review Denise's Pieces

Discover the real you, live and love more fully

Our whole lives, we are taught to play by the rules that others make. We are also bombarded with messages designed to make us want to buy things or join organizations. Many of our activities--including work and play--are at odds with who we really are. We make the wrong educational choices, career choices, and leisure choices. And we may feel frustrated, restless, unfulfilled, or even despondent due to this.So, what's the answer? Harris believes the answer lies in valuing ourselves as individual human beings and finding out who we really are. In "Sacred Selfishness," Harris draws lessons from the classic quest stories--such as those involving the Greek and Roman gods, Biblical heroes, and other icons of our culture. He demonstrates how to question the very assumptions that we have taken for granted--assumptions that have formed a sort of glass cage from which many of us never escape. This questioning, and the journey it takes us on, leads to discoveries of our own potential.Self-knowledge provides a basis for strength in ourselves and an understanding of others--thus we enjoy life more and love more fully.In addition to being philosophical, the book is practical. Harris demonstrates the techniques of journaling and dialoguing, plus presents some other tools for those seeking self-knowledge. Harris provides case histories, and gives insight into the kinds of issues a person should consider delving into.Be warned, though. This book contains no simple recipe, cute formulas, or six step process for transforming yourself into a superhuman. It does provide a solid foundation for the thinking person who wants to develop more fully and realize her or her own potential. With a bit of work and this book as a guide, you can expect a rewarding journey of self-discovery.

Self-awareness

This book expresses the clear uncomplicated voice of Bud Harris as he encourages us and coaches us to initiate contact and maintain contact with our unconscious as a guide in the journey of self awareness- and,by doing so, increases our awareness of and intimacy with the world surrounding us-including the close relationships we have with those around us- as well as other personal relationships we have with others-whether close or not. The self-centeredness that may result from self-awareness is not self-absorbed or self-directed, but is directed outwardly from the Self to all those around us. The messages that Harris presents are timeless and universal and I learned a lot from the book. The best way to complement the book is to dialog with the author-which is an opportunity of great value.

Sacred Selfishness

"Sacred Selfishness" is a wonderful new addition to my book collection; I have placed it next to "A Road Less Traveled". However, it is not light reading. It requires energetic attention from the reader. "Sacred Selfishness" offers an in-depth look at becoming a person with character and living a life of substance. Dr. Harris is very well read and draws from many appropriate literary resources, but he always expresses his point of view with a lot of heart. The book is full of moving real life examples and illustrations and Dr. Harris does not hesitate to share his own personal experiences. I found the chapters on journaling and dialoguing especially complete and helpful. I have noticed that when I reread sections of the book, I come away with fresh new insights that I missed the first time.