• The Practicing Mind

  • Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life
  • By: Thomas M. Sterner
  • Narrated by: Thomas M. Sterner
  • Length: 3 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (8,709 ratings)

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The Practicing Mind

By: Thomas M. Sterner
Narrated by: Thomas M. Sterner
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Publisher's summary

Present moment awareness is an essential ingredient in life if one expects to experience any degree of authentic peace and contentment. It has been acknowledged for centuries as the cornerstone of spiritual awakening in all traditions of Eastern thought. In the West, however, it is still a relatively unrecognized concept for living.

The Western mind is always restless, never content with the moment. Its internal dialogue is always firing off thoughts filled with emotional content and pulling the individual out of the present and into the past or future. But individuals raised in Western culture are becoming increasingly aware of their overall sense of mental exhaustion, their lack of discipline and their inability to focus on demand. They are willing to expend the energy necessary to experience inner peace and a quiet mind that is waiting to follow the direction of their will. They are realizing that the endless struggle to fulfill the insatiable appetite of instant gratification is fruitless and tiresome at best. They are ripe for a new path in life and eager for a new set of instructions.

This is the purpose of The Practicing Mind. It comprehensively deals with helping the individual understand exactly what present-moment awareness is, how we are raised in a manner contradictory to this, and how we change our mindset to make this a part of our daily living. This book is accessible to listeners of all philosophical backgrounds. Regardless of your perspective, you will find the book's insights most compelling.

©2012 New World Library (P)2014 Thomas M Sterner

What listeners say about The Practicing Mind

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A nice book to reinforce mindfulness principles

Thomas M. Sterner distills in this book a series of mental models and strategies to turn life's dynamic mess into a dynamic equilibrium, and be in peace with who we are, and what we are achieving.

The main lesson this book teaches (or reminds) us that focusing on the process towards a goal, is the way to achieve the most demanding tasks we assign to ourselves, while a focus on the goal is essentially the short-sighted way to ensure anxiety and lack of fulfillment during the goal's pursuit. Especially true is the realization that, for any particular complex goal worth achieving, perfection is never reached, the actual definition of perfection distances itself as the frame of reference also changes.

Ultimately, the approach is well-aligned with mindfulness: live in the present, and dismiss the instant gratification path (as it mostly brings short-lived rewards), and focus on "building" yourself, as only that is eternal. If you are looking for or in the process of exploring and developing these ideas, you will find this as a very concise, accessible, but still thought-provoking narrative.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Simple and easy

Although the ideas in this book are simple, they are powerful and will change your life once applied.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

good book for next step in my journey

I really liked this book. short, but deep. I have been struggling with staying present with challenges although I have been practicing meditation for a while. I appreciated the examples of daily activities and how they can be used as practicing peace and joy.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

really helped me a lot

I really loved this book it helped me a lot in my day to day struggles. I recommend this to anyone having issues with focusing on goals and plans.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Very applicable info

This was a great listen w/ a lot of applicable info. I would definitely recommend listening to it at least 3 times.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Good Read

It helped me have a new approach at life. I feel somehow better equipped now.

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A grreat book

Very practical and not preachy...it tells what we already know but in a different better way.I want and will read many more times without feeling guilty that my progresses seem so miniscule

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Great, practical wisdom

Thought provoking book on being present in each moment and learning to enjoy each circumstance that is brought our way.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good, but incomplete

I bought this book quite a few years ago. Have listened to it a few times over the years.

Overall, I applaud its central message: to work mindfully – to experience more flow, and less stress.

However, in my own experence, it's incomplete. Flow isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Sure, it's nice. But too much flow = ADHD hyperfocus gone wrong. The loss of sense of time, not working towards a goal, but simply "being in the process" – can actually be quite harmful to one's life, if not properly managed.

Trust me. 'Cause I achieved so much flow and focus at some point that it severely hampered my relationships, and income. I simply lost my "sense of urgency" as Steven Covey would put it.

I like the book, but I think it's time we move towards self-help books that acknowledge the fact that life isn't as simple as we'd hope! Life is complex, and there are very few corners that can be cut. And what works for some people doesn't work for everyone.

Tailored solutions is the future. Believe me on that one.

Oliver Nielsen, Uptimind.com

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Practical Guide on How to Live

Concise delivery on the concept of mindfulness. A good balance of anecdotes with practical approaches to living with presence and observing your thoughts. This book had helped me breakthrough with how to manage and detach from moments of anger by watching myself, as if I am, as the Observer, watching a movie of myself.

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