3 X 5's: Index Card Wisdom from Best of Books

BYPASSING Robert Augustus Masters (2010).                    Spiritual Bypassing:  When Spirituality Disconnects Us From What Really Matters   Master's has a PhD in Psychology and practiced integral psychotherapy for 40+ years the phrase "spiritual bypassing" was coined by John Welwood in 1984 as the use of spirituality to avoid dealing with painful feelings, wounds, and needs.  for every spiritual bypassing problem, Masters provides a solution, and the final chapter attempts to integrate mind, body, and spirit...the writing style is direct, punchy, tell it like it is, yang...the last sentence of each chapter is particularly potent and worthy of reflection . some examples of spiritual bypassing and their solutions: avoid the negative, always be positive---turn toward the negative, let it touch you, learn from it put up with whatever anyone says/does--say stop or no, and hold others accountable for their behavior ...

POS COMM Margaret Pitts and Thomas Socha (2013)(Eds).                                     Positive Communication in Health and Wellness. Pitts and Socha are Professors of Communication with extensive publication records. This book is a continuation of their positive communication research agenda, the first book being The Positive Side of Interpersonal Communication (2012). Built on the 3 pillars of positive psychology (pos emotions, 24 character strengths, and 6 values), the authors curate a number of book chapters on pos com in health/wellness. General ideas that could be used to create practices: look for what's right instead of what's wrong probe for happiness spot strengths identify opportunities for optimal functioning and flow identify and articulate meaningful goals    The one underdeveloped point is the need for positive communication HABITS that promote health...

TELEKINESIS Sean McNamera (2021). Defy Your Limits:                                                    The Telekinesis Training Method (3rdEd). McNamera has a Bachelor's in Computer Science and worked in the telecom industry for several years before undergoing heart surgery at age 25 and radically changing his life via a spiritual journey thereafter. This book is immensely practical, containing instructions on how to move a small piece of folded aluminum foil resting on the point of a needle anchored in an eraser with ONLY YOUR MIND.  The instructions take one through 4 levels of the telekinesis process, on the table with hands around the object, in a glass container with hands touching the glass container, in glass container without hands touching, and in glass container several feet away.  The physical and psychological fa...

200 COMMUNICATION COMMANDMENTS Doug Campbell (2021). The 200 Communication Commandments:                                                 Practical Tips for                                                  Personal and Professional Situations. Campbell is a former high school teacher. Much of what he writes is based on advice from his college years where he overcame his fear of communicating. Overall, there are many helpful tips, AND these tips include much more than just communication which makes the title somewhat misleading (e.g., tips for getting enough sleep, learning from old people, and following through with promises are not communication commandments). Also, at least half of the tips star...

FATHERHOOD AND DADS Communicating Fatherhood: New Directions in Theory, Research, and Education . Vincent Waldron and Thomas Socha (2023)(Eds).  Fatherhood:                   N ew Directions in Theory, Research, and Education. Ben George (2009) (Ed).  The Book of Dads:               Essays on the Joys, Perils,  and Humiliations of Fatherhood. Waldron and Socha are Professors of Communication while George is a literary writer of over 40 years. The Waldron and Socha edited book is academic and research-based, including many types of methods in exploring the different types of fatherhood...in my brief review of the chapters, there is scant practical advice for what it  means to "do fatherhood," how to communicate like a "good father." In contrast, George's edited book is based on first-person stories that suggest how to be, live, and communicate as a father.  I'...