The Hard Questions for an Authentic Life: 100 Essential Questions for Designing Your Life from the Inside Out

by Susan Piver

A thought-provoking guide to approaching life’s questions and transitions with presence of mind and integrity from the New York Times bestselling author of The Hard Questions: 100 Essential Questions to Ask Before You Say “I Do.”

The Hard Questions: 100 Essential Questions to Ask Before You Say “I Do.” took a revolutionary approach to prenuptial counseling in a provocative questions-and-answer format that encouraged readers to uncover their own unique truths. Taking this breakthrough approach to an even broader audience, The Hard Questions for an Authentic Life challenges readers to independently explore their deepest beliefs about relationships, friendships, family, work, money, creativity, and spirituality. The responses they uncover become the building blocks for a revitalized life that is lived with a sense of ease and confidence. Most important, The Hard Questions for an Authentic Life gives readers the renewed emotional strength necessary for coping with life’s many inevitable transitions. The Hard Questions for an Authentic Life marks the start of an important revolution in self-help publishing, one that at last enables us to find the answers—and the experts—within ourselves.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Personal Growth

93 pages, Hardcover

First published January 5, 2004

About the author

Susan Piver is the New York Times bestselling author of many books, including the award-winning "How Not to Be Afraid of Your Own Life", "The Wisdom of a Broken Heart", "Start Here Now: An Open-Hearted Guide to the Path and Practice of Meditation", and "The Four Noble Truths of Love: Buddhist Wisdom for Modern Relationships".

Piver has been a practicing Buddhist since 1993 and graduated from a Buddhist seminary in 2004. She is an internationally acclaimed meditation teacher, known for her ability to translate ancient practices into modern life. Her work has been featured on the Oprah show, TODAY, CNN, and in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and others.

In 2013, she launched the Open Heart Project, the largest virtual mindfulness community in the world with 20,000 members.

Reviews

[Jamey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick read. I did not really find it interesting.

[Jezzeri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Family helps to create a sense of community and a feeling of belonging, acting as a source of support and nourishment. Our relationships with our family of origin affect and reflect upon one another. In friendships we are able to exercise the most choice of who we want to be friends with. Consider whether your work fulfills our dreams and aspirations for yourself and whether you are being well compensated for what you do. Deep pleasure and joy results from rousing your own creativity. Examine how your spiritual beliefs manifest at work, at home, and in relationships.

[Walaa megahid · Rating 2 out of 5]

i appreciate the author efforts for directing this book, but it wasn't as good as i expected.

[Sonal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really makes you think!

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What does it mean to live authentically? Living authentically is what you're doing when you find congruence between your inner world--your feelings, values, gifts, needs, spirituality, and passions--and your outer world--your job, relationships, home, and community. When you live your authentic life, these things support and energize each other. It doesn't mean you have no worries, conflicts, or fears; you may even have more as you choose to live authentically. There is one key difference, though: they no longer have the power to unseat you. When you have discovered what you can offer to others, when you feel that you are on your unique path, when you have an ongoing, honest, reliable connection to your inner wisdom, then you have found your unique spot in this world with all its craziness, sorrow, and joy. This discovery gives tremendous ease. You finally have a way of relating to work, lovers, friends, and spiritual practices with open-heartedness and intelligence. Problems, no matter how intense, are workable." p. xiv

"I couldn't count on my thoughts and ideas about what would make me happy to make me happy. So I stopped planning...It was only by cultivating the ability to be present to what was actually occurring, to how I was feeling, to the feelings of those around me, to my relationships today, my job today, my body today that I ever achieved a measure of clarity and direction." p. xviii

4 skills to help you live authentically: courage, willingness to feel, focus, and presence -p. xxiii

"Our ideas, fantasies, and projections about what life should look like are, in fact, among the biggest obstacles to living and loving authentically. We think life should match our ideas about what life should be, and our most powerful illusions are often reserved for those we love most deeply." p. 26

"Our sense that without steady work or regular income our lives will become immediately destabilized (whether or not this is true) cannot only keep us in a job that is stressful and unfulfilling, it can also prevent us from being honest with ourselves about how we feel about our profession, colleagues, even about our own aspirations. What I've noticed--about myself as well as my friends--is that we're more willing to compromise our values, priorities, and needs at work than anywhere else in our lives." p. 41

"The creative part is allowing oneself to sense and experience each moment with complete freshness and openness, as if it were happening for the first time. Because, in fact, it is." p. 66

Asking ourselves questions everyday - p. 91-2
What do I need to say today? To whom?
With whom do I need to connect today?
What would I like to see unfold in my life today?
What can I contribute today? To whom? To what?
What can I focus on today that will bring me closer to my authentic life?
What did I leave unsaid today?
What did I allow myself to feel? What didn't I allow myself to feel?
What did I love about myself today? What did I not love about myself?
What began to unfold in my life?
What happened today for which I am grateful?
What happened that wasn't in accord with my highest values?
What did I say, do, think, or feel today that brought me closer to my authentic life?

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this sort of book with questions to think about, logically categorized. It was a good book to puruse slowly and contemplate carefully. I probably went too fast, spending most of my time in categories that were applicable to this time in my life. "Questioning by its very nature is a spiritual practice." "The ability to truly focus brings with it invaluable alertness, sharpness, and precision of mind."

[Paula Dembeck · Rating 1 out of 5]

A guide to approaching life’s questions and transitions with presence of mind and integrity.
A question and answer format that encourages readers to uncover their own unique truths. Challenges you to explore your deepest beliefs about relationships, friendships, family, work, money, and spirituality that is supposed to lead to a revitalized life lived with ease and confidence.
I didn’t find anything new, startling or different in this self help book.

[Adelemarie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure what I was thinking when I purchased this book. No need to waste time trying to tap into my inner wisdom. Just accept the things that I know are not going to change and keep it pushing!
Let me know if anyone wants this.

[Dayhiker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I learned so much about myself and my past relationships. This book has made a big difference in my life.

[Melyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good for self-reflection...only if you want to look at yourself in the mirror.