Writing to Awaken: A Journey of Truth, Transformation, and Self-Discovery - Paperback

by Mark Matousek (Author), Joan Borysenko (Foreword by)

Writing to Awaken is an inspirational investigation of the self through expressive writing, guiding you along the path of awakening through radical truth-telling and self-inquiry. With targeted and revelatory questions, you'll be prompted to explore your own personal narrative--to write honestly about your deepest wounds, greatest challenges, hidden gifts, yearnings, and opportunities for growth--in order to discover a deeply authentic understanding of yourself and move toward a more liberated, truthful life.

We each have our own story, a personal myth constructed from the content life presents us: we connect dots to shape the narrative, devise plotlines from circumstance, change characters, fashion conflicts, and adjust structure, settings, and themes as our lives unfold. But so often, over time, we come to believe that we are our story, identifying so strongly with the tales we've told ourselves and others that we cling to them for our very existence--even when they don't quite fit. The realization that there's a discrepancy between the narrative you've crafted and your authentic self can be disconcerting at first, but the exploration of that gap is a doorway to personal freedom, and this book will lead you through it.

The writing exercises in this guide, one for nearly every week of the year, ask you to tell the whole truth about your experience. In doing so, you'll come to realize that once you engage in this radical truth-telling, expressing yourself with complete honesty, your story changes; and when your story changes, your life is transformed. Rather than sticking with your illusive and tricky "Story of Me," you'll be prompted to go even deeper, piercing your personal myth and illuminating aspects of psyche and spirit that give way to profound moments of understanding and personal healing.

This is not a how-to book for writers; it's an invitation on a journey of self-discovery--a guide to facing yourself without flinching, accepting yourself as you are, surrendering to what is, and daring to question and transform what isn't true. With Writing to Awaken, you'll learn how to break free from the trance of mistaken identity and discover your essential, authentic self.

Author Biography

Mark Matousek is author of two award-winning memoirs, Sex Death Enlightenment (an international bestseller) and The Boy He Left Behind (a Los Angeles Times Discovery Book), as well as When You're Falling, Dive and Ethical Wisdom. He collaborated with Sogyal Rinpoche on The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Andrew Harvey on Dialogues with a Modern Mystic, and Ram Dass on Still Here. Matousek is a featured blogger for Psychology Today, The Huffington Post, and Contemplative Journal, and has contributed to numerous anthologies and publications, including The New Yorker, O, The Oprah Magazine (as a contributing editor), The New York Times Magazine, Harper's BAZAAR, Yoga Journal, Details, The Saturday Evening Post, AARP, Tricycle, and more. A popular lecturer and writing teacher, he is on the faculty of the New York Open Center, the Esalen Institute, Hollyhock, and Schumacher College. Matousek is also creative director of V-Men (with Eve Ensler), an organization devoted to ending violence against women and girls. His workshops, classes, and mentoring have helped thousands of people around the world, focusing on personal awakening and creative excellence through self-inquiry and writing.

Foreword writer Joan Borysenko, PhD, is a pioneer in the integration of mind, body, and spirit. She is a licensed psychologist with a doctorate in cell biology from Harvard Medical School, and president of Mind-Body Health Sciences. A New York Times bestselling author of sixteen books and several meditation CDs, Borysenko synthesizes cutting-edge science with deep humanity.