It's Up to You: A Practice to Change Your Life by Changing Your Mind [Paperback]

Karen Casey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2008

Seven morning and evening practices to revolutionize your life. This small book will change everything if you let it. It's Up to You is based on the twelve principles in Casey's Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow: tending to our own gardens, focusing on solutions not problems, letting go of preconceived solutions, changing our minds, acting instead of reacting, giving up judgments, giving up trying to control, discovering our own lessons, doing no harm, quieting our minds, treating every encounter as the holy, and discerning our mind's own truth. It's Up to You invites readers to do three simple things: meditate, pay attention, and make choices to change their lives--for a few minutes each morning and evening, one principle a week for twelve weeks. As we reflect on Casey's insight into the insidious ways we create misery or drama, try to impose will, and suffer needlessly, and as we follow her gentle prompts to make different choices, we begin to see that we can change just about anything in our lives by taking these small steps. Nothing could be simpler, and nothing could be more effective. Or as Karen Casey puts it, "Progress is guaranteed. Perfection isn't expected." Karen Casey's message is simple--show up, pay attention, and your world will change.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Karen Casey has spoken on spirituality, relationships, and personal growth issues for more than 20 years. She is the author of 18 books, all of which are devoted to enhancing people's personal/ spiritual journeys. Combined sales of Karen's books exceed 5.5 million copies and they have been translated and published world wide. She and her husband divide their time between Florida, Indiana, and Minnesota.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Conari Press (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573243140
• ISBN-13: 978-1573243148
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,790 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #88 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Recovery > Twelve-Step Programs

More About the Author

I was born in Lafayette, IN and moved to Minneapolis, MN in 1964. I taught elementary school for a few years and then pursued a graduate degree at the University of MN. I graduated with a Ph.D. in 1979. I published my first book, EACH DAY A NEW BEGINNING: DAILY MEDITATIONS FOR WOMEN with Hazelden Publishing in 1982. It has been followed by the publication of 21 other books, the most recent of which is CULTIVATING HOPE. In early summer of this year (2010), Conari will be publishing the 23rd book: LET GO NOW: EMBRACING DETACHMENT. See www.womens-spirituality.com for a complete listing and description and for a link to my blog. My focus as a writer is on the development of spiritual growth and strengthening one's twelve step recovery, and my personal experience is what I rely on, coupled with the wisdom I glean from the many people I walk among in the rooms of AA and Al-Anon. When I am not in front of the computer writing, I am likely giving a lecture or doing a workshop some where. I have spoken to tens of thousands world-wide over my thirty-five year tenure in recovery rooms. From each experience my gratitude grows. And from each experience, my commitment grows to continue doing what brings my life such joy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yes, it IS up to each one of us to initiate change, March 8, 2008

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's Up to You: A Practice to Change Your Life by Changing Your Mind (Paperback)

Karen Casey has authored 18 books, including the bestseller, Each Day a New Beginning. Her writings are often devoted to enhance your personal and spiritual journey.

In Casey's 32-year journey living in a 12-step life since she dealt with her own addition, she has helped many others with the concept of taking personal responsibility. Originally she attended Alanon because she wanted to learn how to "fix someone in her life," and while there, learned the lesson that you cannot fix others--only how you react to them. She also realized she was addicted, and since then, attends Alanon and AA meetings weekly.

This book is a simple, yet powerful daily walk toward changing your life by changing your mind.

Casey has divided our life into 12 chapters, starting with "Tend Your Own Garden." The theme of Chapter 1 is "focus on yourself." She has written a thoughtful meditation for the morning and evening of each day of the week. Although you should read page by page through the 12 weeks-however, as I moved through the book, I could see that some chapters were more powerful to my own life.

In Chapter 9, "Do No Harm," Casey writes, "We are either being helpful or not, kind or not, loving or not," - anything short of that misses the point.

I also like the concept that everyone who comes into your life is there for a reason--it is not accidental, the good and the bad. And, we have to figure out what we are supposed to learn from that person/situation.

Every week the book gives you opportunities for changes-to change YOU!-and no one else. That may be the hardest lesson for us to learn: We cannot changes others; just ourselves.

Casey is a powerful giver of positive messages, much needed in today's society with its mean-spiritedness displayed on many levels. If you need to change your life, Case show how you can by changing your mind.

Check our review on another Casey book: All We Have Is All We Need: Daily Steps Toward a Peaceful Life. Check her web site for alll her other books--including Change Your Mind and YOur Life Will Follow and Be Who You Want to Be (for tween girls).

(Listen to our audio interview with Karen Casey on our Web site.)

Armchair Interviews says: Taking responsibility for your life, and how you look at it, will be enhanced with Casey's advice and meditation.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars changing your life, March 24, 2010

By 

Ms. Anne Alexander (dublin, ireland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: It's Up to You: A Practice to Change Your Life by Changing Your Mind (Paperback)

this is a really good way to go about changing your life by reacting differently,it's easy to follow with daily recommendations and evening reviews on your progress,with a different theme each week.you find yourself thinking differently and so you react in a better way with a more positive approach

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Up to You: A Practice to Change Your Life by Changing Your Mind, June 28, 2010

By 

Mary J. Rowe (Anaheim, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: It's Up to You: A Practice to Change Your Life by Changing Your Mind (Paperback)

It's Up to You: A Practice to Change Your Life by Changing Your Mind is a small book with powerful possiblities to change your life in ways not imagined.