23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Much-Needed Respite From Overloaded Senses, Cluttered Thoughts, and Hurried Lives, September 7, 2005
This review is from: Quiet Mind: One-Minute Retreats from a Busy World (Paperback)
"Welcome to a new way to cope with the demands of a too-busy life. Welcome to a way that requires no difficult skills, adds no new burdens, and accommodates all spiritual systems and life-styles. Welcome to all who want to do nothing-more often, more creatively, with joy, and without guilt. Welcome to one-minute retreats that can be yours at any time of the day or night." - From the book
According to author David Kundtz, a mindful posture centered from the quiet state of your being is *crucial* for any undertaking. In fact, he asserts, if we do not take the time to pause with purpose, disappointment and failure awaits us.
In his book Quiet Mind, Kundtz invites us to do nothing-but to "do" it with purpose, meaning, and value. That is, to take time for ourselves, to rest, to find peace, to awaken, to remember, and to find ways to recognize what we may have forgotten, and how not to forget again.
At 370-pages, Quiet Mind: One-Minute Retreats from a Busy World is brimming with dozens of meditations designed to promote thoughtfulness, calm, and quietude. The mini-retreats, one and a half to two pages long, feature a sage quote and Kundtz's wise and gentle commentary. At the end of each, the author offers one-sentence encouragement, inviting readers to observe life and apply the wisdom found in the meditation.
Kundtz has organized these meditations under fourteen general categories, including:
* Making Room for Life
* Creating Opportunities for Serenity
* Defining Your Values
* Finding Peace at Work
* Knowing Thyself
* Awakening to Wonder
* Giving Back to the World
Under the category Finding Peace at Work, for example, is a meditation about Weariness. Beginning with a quote from Eric Hoff saying, "Our greatest weariness comes from work not done", Kundtz observes:
"...what tires us most is not work, but the anticipation of work still to do. Here is a time when living in the present moment is vital. The past is gone, the future is a just a concept and a projection of our minds. All you have is now. It's all you need..."
In the section Making Room for Life, a meditation called What's Going on Here begins with a quote by George Wilson: "Things are seldom about what they seem to be about." Kundtz notes that all too often we narrowly focus on accomplishing a particular task that we overlook the obvious cause of pain and distress in those around us. He relates the story of a frustrated mother bringing her son to him for counseling. The boy refused to go to school, and neither the son nor the mother was very communicative as to possible causes. Kundtz couldn't figure out what was at the heart of the problem! When he suggested they come back next week the mother replied that they could not come back next week because they were moving across the country. Aha! At last, a window into the boy's world: he was grieving the loss of his friends and all things familiar.
Quiet Mind by David Kundtz is a delightful book, providing a much-needed respite from overloaded senses, cluttered thoughts, and hurried lives.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spiritual Practice for Busy People, February 14, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Quiet Mind: One-Minute Retreats from a Busy World (Paperback)
This book is a miracle of mindfulness! In short segments that can be read in less than 10 minutes, Kundtz manages to distill the philospohy of Christian, Buddhist, and other religous traditions in a way that is refreshingly non-sectarian. The exercises that conclude each segment can easily be remembered and conducted throught the day and, taken together, form a transformational course in mindfulness for the everday person. My only complaint about the book is that I wish it weighed less, so it could more easily be tossed into a briefcase or purse.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quiet Mind, December 1, 2007
This review is from: Quiet Mind: One-Minute Retreats from a Busy World (Paperback)
I originally picked up this book because of the title, figuring it would have some nice observations about existing in our "busy" world. I was surprised that not only did it have some pithy, and relevant thoughts about our lives, but that they were insightful and thought provoking as well. The short one or two page comments are just enough to read quickly, but deep enough that I found myself thinking about them at various times throughout the day. I have enjoyed this book so much, that I bought four more for Christmas gifts. One of those incidental purchases that turned into a real find.
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