Why?: What Your Life Is Telling You about Who You Are and Why You're Here

by Matthew McKay, Seán ÓLaoire, Ralph Metzner

Do you wonder what your true path in life is? We each have a purpose and a mission. However, uncovering this purpose can be challenging, and often daunting. If you are like most, you have probably asked yourself, “Why am I here?” But where do you turn for answers? Religion? Psychology? Spirituality? Written by psychologist and bestselling author Matthew McKay, charismatic Silicon Valley spiritual leader Seán ÓLaoire, and bestselling author Ralph Metzner, Why? will help you see what your past and present experiences are telling you about the spiritual theme in your life; one that is visible when you know how to read the signs. Your experiences may be that of a Healer/Peacemaker, an Explorer/Scientist, a Warrior/Guardian, an Artist/Designer, a Teacher/Communicator, or a Builder/Organizer. By showing you how to uncover your unique path, this book will help you discover your life’s true meaning. This book will help you dismantle tired, old traditions that tell us that we should avoid pain and seek pleasure or pursue power, and shows us that even pain can play an important part in how we choose to live. The book also helps you to create your own cosmology that unites your beliefs with your life’s mission, helps you recognize that individual mission, and outline exercises to bring you into alignment with this mission via personal practices. Despite these heady topics, the book is written in an accessible, inspiring, and entertaining tone. We are here to see, to know, to gather whatever wisdom our life offers, and to make use of that wisdom as our soul matures. A seamless blending of deep spirituality, good psychology and practical living, Why? offers the tools that you need to gain knowledge and awareness of yourself at the deepest level. So get ready to reveal your personal path in life, and begin living life to its fullest.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Matthew McKay, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, and author of more than 30 professional psychology and self-help books which have sold a combined total of more than 3 million copies. He is co-founder of independent self-help publisher, New Harbinger Publications. He was the clinical director of Haight Ashbury Psychological Services in San Francisco for twenty five years. He is current director of the Berkeley CBT Clinic. An accomplished novelist and poet, his poetry has appeared in two volumes from Plum Branch Press and in more than sixty literary magazines. His most recent novel, Wawona Hotel, was
published by Boaz Press in 2008.

Reviews

[Karen Rubin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An existential conundrum: “I’ve done everything ‘right,’ so why am I so unhappy?” This question rather than being seen as a dead end, leading to spinning in confusion, frustration, and ultimate resignation, is according to authors McKay, ÓLaoire and Metzner the essential/pivotal question to ask. This question will force you to stop looking everywhere else for answers and instead to begin to look within. Your own life experiences and choices (not someone else’s) become your very rich research material. The authors offer thoughts on what constitutes true happiness, on the need to align our values with our ideals and suggest that fulfilling our purpose is far greater than insuring personal happiness, but is, in fact, of global, even cosmic significance. Along with clear and inspiring prose, the authors offer “exercises” to help each reader effectively analyze their experiences and accurately identify the patterns therein. Given the increased complexity of the world in which we find ourselves, and the choices we see before us as individuals and as a planet, this book could not have come at a better time to help us outfit ourselves for the evolution to come.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is only 135 pages but they pack a punch. The exercises are relevant and offer clarity and guidance. I will keep this book and refer to it often.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fine in theory, but I'm probably just not in the mood for the message (as I am sick and therefore a little "down"). The book tells us not to get tied up in the instinct of avoiding pain and seeking pleasure. That if you avoid pain by numbing it with pleasure seeking activities, the lessons you need to learn (i.e. the suffering you need to go through) will be repeated over and over again. Kind of made me feel depressed.

I do like the idea that we have been given all these "rules" by society and our families, but they are not necessarily correct, and we need not blindly follow them. But I was put off a little by the idea that rule breakers are punished by society (or seen as crazy).

As I said, I'm probably not in the right frame of mind at the moment to have read this book. Two and a half stars.

[Celia Juliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise study of our purpose and how we can each determine our unique path. I still need to try the exercises, but if they are as thought-provoking as the text, this little book will prove itself very useful. Why? is a refreshing read in the sometimes overwhelmingly crowded self-help category.

[Wayne R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book for many reasons. Its a short book that can be read again and again in relatively short time. Plus, I was moved by the spiritual knowledge, since it coincides with my beliefs and welcomed the self help exercises, because of that. Life's purpose is important and how one goes about it, is an individual's choice. This book's methods resonates with me, but if your beliefs are not in-line with some of their spiritual presentation, then may not appeal to you. But I do recommend it to all spiritual seeking book readers. You cant go wrong with it only being 136 pages.

[Mai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very insightful and helpful read .It really helped me figure out what blocks me from making progress in my life by answering just few question and it opened my eyes to the truth of our existence on Earth and what our mission is really about from spiritual perspective
Eye-opening and life changing book that I highly recommend :)

[Gord Clements · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very rational, practical and compelling book encouraging a shift from our outward looking, inward. One of the more relevant themes being the importance of exploring, investigating and revising our outdated cosmological vision inherited by cultural conditioning, “to avoid pain and seek out pleasant experiences”.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

some interesting questions to direct to yourself