Unhappiness, says bestselling author Harriet Lerner, is fueled by three
key emotions: anxiety, fear, and shame. They are the uninvited guests in
our lives. When tragedy or hardship hits, they may become our constant
companions.
Anxiety can wash over us like a tidal wave or operate as a silent thrum
under the surface of our daily lives. With stories that are sometimes
hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking, Lerner takes us from "fear lite"
to the most difficult lessons the universe sends us. We learn:
- how a man was "cured in a day" of the fear of rejection -- and what we
can learn from his story
- how the author overcame her dread of public speaking when her worst
fears were realized
- how to deal with the fear of not being good enough, and with the shame
of feeling essentially flawed and inadequate
- how to stay calm and clear in an anxious, crazy workplace
- how to manage fear and despair when life sends a crash course in
illness, vulnerability, and loss
- how "positive thinking" helps -- and harms
- how to be our best and bravest selves, even when we are terrified and
have internalized the shaming messages of others
No one signs up for anxiety, fear, and shame, but we can't avoid them
either. As we learn to respond to these three key emotions in new ways,
we can live more fully in the present and move into the future with
courage, clarity, humor, and hope. Fear and Other Uninvited Guests
shows us how.
