The Mind of the Soul: Responsible Choice

by Gary Zukav

People make hundreds of choices every day, yet most of them feel they have little control over their lives. Here, Gary Zukav, author of the monumental bestseller The Seat of the Soul, joins his spiritual partner, Linda Francis, in a revolutionary look at the power of choice to change lives from the inside out.

The Mind of the Soul describes with easy-to-read text and practical exercises how each moment in life presents a whether to persist in old, limited patterns or to experiment with the unbounded, liberating potential ahead. Whether your choices are large -- concerning work, marriage, parenting, divorce -- or appear small, such as whether to show annoyance when angry, they carry consequences for which you must assume responsibility. The Mind of the Soul shows you how, in every situation, one choice among the many that present themselves is the optimal choice -- to create harmony, cooperation, or reverence for life. This special book offers the freedom to experiment with your life, to see what does or doesn't work for you, to change yourself instead of blaming others -- in short, to open your heart and develop authentic power.

With the same sensitivity that made The Heart of the Emotional Awareness so meaningful, Zukav and Francis guide you, step by step, in developing the ability to break free of the unconscious choices that hold you back and limit your fulfillment in life.

Genres: Spirituality, Self Help, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Personal Development, Inspirational, New Age

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Gary Zukav is the author of The Dancing Wu Li Masters, winner of The American Book Award for Science; Soul Stories, a New York Times bestseller; and The Seat of the Soul, a New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and Publishers Weekly #1 bestseller. His books have sold millions of copies and are published in sixteen languages. He is a graduate of Harvard and a former U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Beret) officer in Vietnam.

Gary's gentle humor, sensitivity, and deep insights have endeared him to millions of readers and listeners. Through Genesis: The Foundation for the Universal Human, he participates in retreates, programs, and other events supporting the creation of authentic power and the experience of spiritual partnership.

Reviews

[Aryne Hornsby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read that explains how our emotional attachments and unconscious choices limit us. Encouraging and informative.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a great book for beginners entering into spirituality and knowing the Self. The book has a ton of writing prompts and exercises to implement the teachings into your life. I think the activities are an excellent way to begin the habit of introspection. The explanations of concepts were also well written and easy to understand. It's not written so much like philosophy, but more so written about life in reality. These are all the reasons I think this is an excellent book for beginners.

With all of that being said, this was a rather boring book for non-beginners. I struggled the majority of the time to really get some good points out of the book to carry with me through the day. It DOES make some good points, but I found it a little basic for the work I have already been doing. I'm not in anyway trying to sound like I know more than this book or author. I just found it to be a little "preaching to the choir" for me personally.

[Lisa Lueken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one effected me profoundly. The book is about the power of choice, especially responciable choice. Choosing an action or feeling that comes with consequences that are acceptable. We always have choices!

[Bob Mccusker]

I found it to be a wonderful path for me. It confirmed Karma,it showed me how past choices played out in consequences. I have been blessed with thinking and acting before reacting. I realize when I am in thought before and after an issue

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very deep book. While at times it is repetitive, I still found the concepts to be interesting, and there are many new ways to look at life. The book is about your interactions with everyone in life.

[Tori Montes · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part this book is a great reminder of what we as humans are here for and a good guide to the way to live our lives. I took from it what served me and left the rest like the part about a habit always being destructive. And that is as it should be as we are all here to make choices.

[Jmtm35]

This was my first introduction to a new way of thinking - before Eckart Tolle, etc. Awesome read - absolutely loved it!

[Susie Dunbar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting view on inner work and choice.

[Rhea Abramson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gary and Linda have done it again. A perfect book on choice and self - mastery. Here's to putting every line into practice each day!

[Ameya · Rating 1 out of 5]

More simplistic than not.
The Mind of the Soul aims to guide readers toward self-discovery and inner healing through a series of introspective exercises, but it's overly simplistic, repetitive, and lacks depth. The vague spiritual language and workbook format may frustrate those looking for clear insights or practical tools. Ultimately, it feels more like a diluted self-help journal than a meaningful guide to transformation.
This review also appears in .

A couple of examples of the more simplistic elements in The Mind of the Soul follow:
1. Overly Generalised Questions: Many of the self-reflection prompts are very broad and obvious, like "What are you afraid of?" or "What do you want?"—useful as conversation starters, but offered without much depth or guidance to help readers dig deeper or interpret their answers meaningfully.
2. Surface-Level Affirmations: The book often leans on generic spiritual affirmations like "You are a powerful soul" or "You have the ability to choose love over fear". These statements are comforting but lack substance or context, making them feel more like platitudes than tools for genuine insight.

In short, the execution doesn't go far beyond common self-help clichés, which can feel underwhelming to readers looking for more nuanced or actionable content.

This review also appears in https://thereadersvault.blogspot.com/....

[Clement · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally through this book by Gary, I completely understand why humans have emotions and how we use them as a feedback from Soul to experience Life inside of ourselves before karma effect in outside physical world.

Here is a good explanation by Psychology Today:
Emotional intelligence helps you come back into the present moment by grounding yourself in your body, assessing your needs, managing reactivity with self-agency, and engaging in more thoughtful decision-making. Emotions are a wise language within you, always trying to give you useful information to stay regulated, resilient, and show up as your best self

[Jaime Andres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro que te pone a reflexionar sobre tus actuaciones ante la vida y las consecuencias que estás traen para bien o para mal

Nosotros somos quienes decidimos si queremos vivir una vida de dolor o de crecimiento espiritual.
Muy buen libro pues te pone a pensar sobre las decisiones que tomamos en nuestra vida diaria y muchas de ellas son cargadas de emociones puras.

[Lisa William · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most powerful take away of this book for me was that it reminds me that every experience in life is a result of conscious or unconscious choice. You are always choosing your reality whether or not you are aware of it. Great as an audiobook. I will listen to it again I think.

[Zoyia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a game changer for me. It's full of wisdom, valuable insights and good advice. I found it especially helpful to work through all of the journal prompts and recommended activities. Would highly recommend.

[Erin Hearts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting stuff. I'm going to read all this other "soul" books. The library happened to have this one.

[Joy Tsakanikas · Rating 4 out of 5]

helpful to think about changing your life and the consequences of your choices to no longer be a victim of circumstance.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Psychological mambo-jumbo ... realistically speaking - I wouldn’t be able to say what the book was about ... If this book is about soul searching I am completely lost ...

[Sally G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best if read with honesty and a willingness to look within for inner healing.

[Miles Wallgrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stuff

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

The audiobook is NOT good. Imagine the teacher fro Ferris Beuller bit without the personality. It may have had some wonderful things to say but I wasn’t able to pick them out of the droning.

[Aika Orozobekova · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read only the first 2 or 3 chapters and found them useful, but couldn't finish the rest.

[A. Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the way they break down the concepts. Be ready for lots of homework. This is not a quick read, but it's worth it.

[Kaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many great reminders. I would love to reread with a physical copy.

[Virginia Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Responsible Choice

Excellent for many to read. The world would be a better place to live in if more would take this information to heart.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel torn about this book. In some ways a lot of the ideas seem too simple/obvious, but at times it feels like deep truths are within some of the simplicity.

It was published in 2003, but refers to people as white, yellow, red, black or brown. It also talks about humans evolving from 5 sensory to multisensory (intuition). It seems culturally ignorant, as if many indigenous cultures were not already far more intuitively connected to life. They have the best of intentions, as they are talking about all people being of one spirit, it's just unfortunate that they write "brown Mexican mother, or yellow Buddhist farmer."

I almost stopped reading it, but it's a quick read and there are some good aspects.

[Susy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seemed more of the same, not really anything all that different than the other books.

[Brett Hibbard · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

[Tracie · Rating 1 out of 5]

More milking Seat of the Soul

[Macandamanda Mcgee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same stuff different cover

[Neosomaliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that I go back to regularly