Start Where You Are

A Guide to Compassionate Living

By Pema Chodron | Publisher: Shambhala

About the book

The perennially helpful guide to transforming our pains and difficulties into opportunities for genuine joy and personal growth, from the beloved Buddhist nun and author of When Things Fall Apart

We all want to be fearless, joyful, and fully alive. And we all know that it’s not so easy. We’re bombarded every day with false promises of ways to make our lives better—buy this, go here, eat this, don’t do that; the list goes on and on. But Pema Chödrön shows that, until we get to the heart of who we are and really make friends with ourselves, everything we do will always be superficial. 

In this perennial self-help bestseller, Pema offers down-to-earth guidance on how we can go beyond the fleeting attempts to “fix” our pain and, instead, to take our lives as they are as the only path to achieve what we all yearn for most deeply—to embrace rather than deny the difficulties of our lives. These teachings, framed around fifty-nine traditional Tibetan Buddhist maxims, point us directly to our own hearts and minds, such as “Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment,” “Be grateful to everyone,” and “Don’t expect applause.” By working with these slogans as everyday meditations, Start Where You Are shows how we can all develop the courage to work with our own inner pain and discover true joy, holistic well-being, and unshakeable confidence.

Editions of Start Where You Are

Hardcover
ISBN 9781590301425
Paperback
ISBN 9781570628399
Paperback
ISBN 9780877738800
Paperback
ISBN 9781611805970
EBook
ISBN 9780834821163
AudioDisc
ISBN 9781590305829

Read an Excerpt

The perennially helpful guide to transforming our pains and difficulties into opportunities for genuine joy and personal growth, from the beloved Buddhist nun and author of When Things Fall Apart

We all want to be fearless, joyful, and fully alive. And we all know that it’s not so easy. We’re bombarded every day with false promises of ways to make our lives better—buy this, go here, eat this, don’t do that; the list goes on and on. But Pema Chödrön shows that, until we get to the heart of who we are and really make friends with ourselves, everything we do will always be superficial. 

In this perennial self-help bestseller, Pema offers down-to-earth guidance on how we can go beyond the fleeting attempts to “fix” our pain and, instead, to take our lives as they are as the only path to achieve what we all yearn for most deeply—to embrace rather than deny the difficulties of our lives. These teachings, framed around fifty-nine traditional Tibetan Buddhist maxims, point us directly to our own hearts and minds, such as “Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment,” “Be grateful to everyone,” and “Don’t expect applause.” By working with these slogans as everyday meditations, Start Where You Are shows how we can all develop the courage to work with our own inner pain and discover true joy, holistic well-being, and unshakeable confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Start Where You Are about?

The perennially helpful guide to transforming our pains and difficulties into opportunities for genuine joy and personal growth, from the beloved Buddhist nun and author of When Things Fall Apart

We all want to be fearless, joyful, and fully alive. And we all know that it’s not so easy. We’re bombarded every day with false promises of ways to make our lives better—buy this, go here, eat this, don’t do that; the list goes on and on. But Pema Chödrön shows that, until we get to the heart of who we are and really make friends with ourselves, everything we do will always be superficial. 

In this perennial self-help bestseller, Pema offers down-to-earth guidance on how we can go beyond the fleeting attempts to “fix” our pain and, instead, to take our lives as they are as the only path to achieve what we all yearn for most deeply—to embrace rather than deny the difficulties of our lives. These teachings, framed around fifty-nine traditional Tibetan Buddhist maxims, point us directly to our own hearts and minds, such as “Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment,” “Be grateful to everyone,” and “Don’t expect applause.” By working with these slogans as everyday meditations, Start Where You Are shows how we can all develop the courage to work with our own inner pain and discover true joy, holistic well-being, and unshakeable confidence.

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Start Where You Are?

Philosophy and Religion > Religion and beliefs > Buddhism > Buddhism: branches and groups > Mahayana Buddhism > Tibetan Buddhism

Where can I read a sample of Start Where You Are?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781590301425

Who is/are the Author/s of the book Start Where You Are?

Pema Chodron

Who is the Publisher of the book Start Where You Are?

Shambhala

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

Start Where You Are is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781590301425) and paperback(ISBN 9781570628399) and paperback(ISBN 9780877738800) and paperback(ISBN 9781611805970) and ebook(ISBN 9780834821163) and audiodisc(ISBN 9781590305829)

Where can I buy Start Where You Are online or support local independent bookshops?

You can buy Start Where You Are from below

Where can I buy Start Where You Are?