Personal Growth in the Time of COVID by Michael Lisagor contains numerous uplifting and entertaining life lessons, from 34 well-known artists, writers, philosophers and musicians, that can help us do more than just survive these challenging times. Lisagor also interweaves with humor his own lifelong journey to manage anxiety, depression, and childhood trauma through Buddhism, psychotherapy, and marriage. Mike is the author of “Romancing the Buddha,” a successful book and one-man show and My 50 Years of Buddhist Practice. Linda Semlitz, MD, President of the Board, Arts & Humanities Bainbridge, has said, “As a practicing psychiatrist for over 35 years, I can attest to the importance of positive coping strategies in challenging times. Many of us have experienced considerable distress during the COVID pandemic along with anxiety, low mood, and insomnia. How do we steady and calm the mind when the source of stress seems never-ending and uncertainty surrounds us?“ Neuropsychiatrist Daniel J Siegel, MD coined the term ‘mindsight,’ the ability to see the internal workings of our own minds and to ‘name and tame’ the emotions we are experiencing rather than being overwhelmed by them. Our ability to know our own minds, especially when combined with empathy, is an essential human skill that allows us to flourish. Mike has extraordinary “mindsight” and is a wonderful storyteller. He has chosen artists who are explorers, healers, activists, and visionaries who describe the transformative power of the creative process.” CHAPTERS: Helen Keller, Bill Withers, Annie Leibovitz, Lily Tomlin, Ansel Adams, Sir Isaac Newton, Keb’ Mo’, Leo Tolstoy, Georgia O’Keefe, Harry Manx, Most Beautiful One, Leonardo da Vinci, Gilda Radner, Davy Jone, Eliud Kipchoge, Louise Penny, Prince Henry, Julie Andrews, Mohatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Daisaku Ikeda, Isaac Asimov, Grandma Moses, Herbie Hancock, Barbara Kingsolver, Henrik Ibsen, Pema Chadron, Bobby McFerrin, Voltaire, Never Disparaging, Tagore & Byron Katie. The author is currently donating all royalties the Charter for Compassion.
