Sacred Selfishness: A Guide to Living a Life of Substance - Hardcover

Bud Harris

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1930722125 ISBN 13: 9781930722125

Publisher: Inner Ocean Publishing, 2003

Synopsis

In this book, the author, a Jungian therapist, defines two kinds of selfishness. Sickly selfishness is based on egotism, and sacred selfishness is valuing ourselves enough to develop into authentic human beings.

About this title

From the Author:

"In many ways my educational odyssey has been a reflection of the transformational pattern of my life." Bud notes that writing Sacred Selfishness (his fourth book) was a labor of love. He says, "Jungian work becomes the path of a authentic life, a life that is fulfilling, passionate and full of love. And this journey is fueled by self-knowledge and awareness. This is the path that healed and transformed my life.""I wanted to write the book I wish someone had written when I was struggling in my early thirties or at midlife. By this I mean a book for everyone that isn't loaded with professional jargon. While I love the books by Jung and other depth psychologists, I found them difficult until I became schooled in the field."

From the Inside Flap:

Bud Harris, a Jungian analyst, defines sacred selfishness as valuing ourselves enough to develop into "authentic" human beings, who give back vitality and hope to the people around us. It is acquiring what Emerson refers to as "character—a reserved force which acts directly by presence, and without means."

In his early thirties, Harris was restless and generally dissatisfied. He was terrified that the rest of his life would "consist of going to work, meetings, church, soccer games, and vacations....simply adjusting to what one’s family or society describes as a ‘good life.’" This full-blown crisis led him into therapy, and began a lifelong quest to become a person of substance.

In SACRED SELFISHNESS, Harris delves into classic quest stories to show that on the path of "renewed personal consciousness," we must examine all assumptions about ourselves and our lives to uncover our hidden potential. True change must come from within, and no mere outer change can solve our problems.

Attaining self-knowledge both softens and strengthens us, and helps us love and appreciate life and other people. It affirms and enriches our choice of partners, vocation, and life-styles. "When the inner quest brings change, we can be comforted by knowing it’s authentic, that it has been carefully thought through, and that it values our past and other people." This is the path of SACRED SELFISHNESS.

About this edition

• Publisher: Inner Ocean Publishing
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1930722125
• ISBN 13: 9781930722125
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 325