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The Space Within: Finding Your Way Back Home
There is a space within you where you are already perfect, whole, and complete. It is pure consciousness - the space inside of which all thoughts come and go.
When you rest in the feeling of this space, the warmth of it heals your mind and body. When you operate from the infinite creative potential of this space, you produce high levels of performance and creative flow. When you sit in the openness of this space with others, you experience a level of connection and intimacy that is breathtakingly enjoyable and filled with love. And when you explore this space more deeply, you will find yourself growing closer and closer to the divine, even if you're not sure there is such a thing and wouldn't know how to talk about it if there was.
Every problem we have in life is the result of losing our bearings and getting caught up in the content of our own thinking; the solution to every one of those problems is to find our way back home.This is both the invitation and the promise of this book.
One problem. One solution. Infinite possibilities. Are you ready to begin?
When you rest in the feeling of this space, the warmth of it heals your mind and body. When you operate from the infinite creative potential of this space, you produce high levels of performance and creative flow. When you sit in the openness of this space with others, you experience a level of connection and intimacy that is breathtakingly enjoyable and filled with love. And when you explore this space more deeply, you will find yourself growing closer and closer to the divine, even if you're not sure there is such a thing and wouldn't know how to talk about it if there was.
Every problem we have in life is the result of losing our bearings and getting caught up in the content of our own thinking; the solution to every one of those problems is to find our way back home.This is both the invitation and the promise of this book.
One problem. One solution. Infinite possibilities. Are you ready to begin?
176 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2016
134 people are currently reading
463 people want to read
About the author
Michael Neill
58 books63 followersMichael Neill is a world-renowned teacher, author, and speaker with over 30 years of experience coaching high performers. Known for his inside-out approach to success, he helps leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives achieve peak performance without stress. As CEO of Genius Catalyst Inc., he delivers transformative training to thousands worldwide through live events, online courses, and self-study programs. His bestselling books, including The Inside-Out Revolution and Creating the Impossible, have been translated into nearly 30 languages. A top coaching thought leader, Neill’s TEDx talks and global keynotes inspire resilient, creative, and effortless success across industries and continents.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 8, 2016
No matter how many books I read on meditation, I always seem to learn something new when I pick another one up. The Space Within is one of the more excellent books that I've discovered- not pushing any particular way of being, just quietly encouraging the reader to go within and embrace what's there.
On separating our consciousness from the universal energy that surrounds it, Neill compares the mind to a book and I'm sure most Goodreads users, like me, could easily connect with the metaphor:"Think of 'quiet' not as an absence of thought but as the space inside which the noise of your thinking arises. What makes this tricky, at least to begin with, is that at first glimpse the noise is more interesting than the quiet ...look at the white background of this page. Chances are you can still see the words, and even read them, but without noticing it, at some point you will once again become absorbed in the words and stop seeing the white of the page." loc 192, ebook.
Why bother to meditate? : "There is a space within you where you are already perfect, whole, and complete. It is a space of pure Consciousness- the space inside which all thoughts come and go. When you rest in the feeling of this space, the warmth of it heals your mind and body. When you operate from the infinite creative potential of this space, you produce high levels of performance and creative flow." loc 207 And more, promises Neill. I've meditated for many years and I've experienced some extraordinary things. It wasn't always easy and it didn't happen all at once, but I can say, from personal experience, that this particular claim is absolutely true.
Thoughts are incredibly powerful things. I think we forget just how life changing your personal perspective can be: "... we live in a world of unrecognized thought. Thought is the architect of both hope and despair, the source of every color in the emotional rainbow. ... But unrecognized thought demands our attention and fills our consciousness. And when we get caught up in thought, we lose our way." loc 324, ebook. And also: "We live in a world of thought, but we think we live in a world of external experience. The mind is not a camera, it's a projector. We can't tell the difference between an imagined experience 'in here' and what's going on 'out there'- and that confusion creates a lot of confusion." loc 375, ebook. You create your own reality- but it's easy to forget that and blame other people for your circumstances.
When I read this next passage, I thought of How The Secret Changed My Life and the incredible importance that people placed on feeling good. Neill points out that it isn't anything to get wound up about: "There's no such thing as a solution to a feeling. Because we don't recognize this fact, we spend huge chunks of our time and energy trying to 'solve' our feelings by changing them to 'better' ones or eliminating them altogether. ... When it's okay to feel good when you feel good and bad when you feel bad, recognizing that as thoughts change, the feelings change with them, there's no need to prefer one feeling over another, let alone attempt to fix it. And when you really see that for yourself, you being to experience more of the deeper feelings that make life worth living." loc 457, ebook.
This is a great place to start if you're just learning about meditation/mindfulness but it's also appropriate for more experienced practitioners- if you breathe or think, you could probably learn something from this book. Some suggestions for further reading: Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom, Meditations for Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, or Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hay House Publishing for a digital copy of this book!
On separating our consciousness from the universal energy that surrounds it, Neill compares the mind to a book and I'm sure most Goodreads users, like me, could easily connect with the metaphor:"Think of 'quiet' not as an absence of thought but as the space inside which the noise of your thinking arises. What makes this tricky, at least to begin with, is that at first glimpse the noise is more interesting than the quiet ...look at the white background of this page. Chances are you can still see the words, and even read them, but without noticing it, at some point you will once again become absorbed in the words and stop seeing the white of the page." loc 192, ebook.
Why bother to meditate? : "There is a space within you where you are already perfect, whole, and complete. It is a space of pure Consciousness- the space inside which all thoughts come and go. When you rest in the feeling of this space, the warmth of it heals your mind and body. When you operate from the infinite creative potential of this space, you produce high levels of performance and creative flow." loc 207 And more, promises Neill. I've meditated for many years and I've experienced some extraordinary things. It wasn't always easy and it didn't happen all at once, but I can say, from personal experience, that this particular claim is absolutely true.
Thoughts are incredibly powerful things. I think we forget just how life changing your personal perspective can be: "... we live in a world of unrecognized thought. Thought is the architect of both hope and despair, the source of every color in the emotional rainbow. ... But unrecognized thought demands our attention and fills our consciousness. And when we get caught up in thought, we lose our way." loc 324, ebook. And also: "We live in a world of thought, but we think we live in a world of external experience. The mind is not a camera, it's a projector. We can't tell the difference between an imagined experience 'in here' and what's going on 'out there'- and that confusion creates a lot of confusion." loc 375, ebook. You create your own reality- but it's easy to forget that and blame other people for your circumstances.
When I read this next passage, I thought of How The Secret Changed My Life and the incredible importance that people placed on feeling good. Neill points out that it isn't anything to get wound up about: "There's no such thing as a solution to a feeling. Because we don't recognize this fact, we spend huge chunks of our time and energy trying to 'solve' our feelings by changing them to 'better' ones or eliminating them altogether. ... When it's okay to feel good when you feel good and bad when you feel bad, recognizing that as thoughts change, the feelings change with them, there's no need to prefer one feeling over another, let alone attempt to fix it. And when you really see that for yourself, you being to experience more of the deeper feelings that make life worth living." loc 457, ebook.
This is a great place to start if you're just learning about meditation/mindfulness but it's also appropriate for more experienced practitioners- if you breathe or think, you could probably learn something from this book. Some suggestions for further reading: Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom, Meditations for Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, or Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hay House Publishing for a digital copy of this book!
December 18, 2018
This is definitely a book to return to again and again, but not one to be 'studied'. It's more a case of letting what you learn sink in at the pace you're ready for. The more I read Michael Neill's description of the 3 Principles, and the less I force it, the more it starts to make sense and feel right. As usual, his writing in this book is humorous and insightful.
November 1, 2019
I need to reread and reread to get much what is expressed, must manage thoughts yet not manage it, let it pass like a cloud that passes and dissappears.
November 23, 2018
It's something like this, but not this. You open a book and are surprised that each page, exactly as thin and paper-like in texture as you would expect, is a video screen playing a distinct moment of your life. Each of these moments is a situation where you felt something or that you think about now or feel about now or that you thought a lot about at the time but don't even think about now. As you flip through, you begin to realize that all of these different people, these thin-slices of your life and the wide variety of behavior that they exhibit, aren't really you. You realize that you are, and have always been, in the position you're in now, looking down at those things happen in your life, vast and invisible to the person who is in that moment, feeling those feelings, thinking those thoughts. You realize that you are not these emotions or these thoughts, but the silence that each is written on and that you have always been.
This will be the 4th (count it. 1, 2, 3, 4th) book I purchase from my reading selections this year. This is a perfect touchstone. I will, however, remember to chuck it once I get the feeling and to follow the feeling instead. Thank you, Michael Neill.
This will be the 4th (count it. 1, 2, 3, 4th) book I purchase from my reading selections this year. This is a perfect touchstone. I will, however, remember to chuck it once I get the feeling and to follow the feeling instead. Thank you, Michael Neill.
September 14, 2019
If you are anything like me, you too have searched far and wide for tools to make life better in every sense. What I’ve come to realize by reading this book is that I’ve been searching for something that doesn’t exist for real.
Everything Michael Neill is teaching is about the three principles which is roughly described as the universal mind, the consciousness and the thought. Three principles that describes the way life is as a human being, but it is like the quote from Friedrich Nietzche that Michael uses at the end of the book;
“those who danced were thought insane by those who could not hear the music”
If you are like me, and have this feeling that there is more to life than chasing happiness, that true happiness comes from within, this is definitely a book for you to read. It is not a description of how to be more happy, it is more of a promise that if you sit still and listen closely, you too will hear the music 🎶
Everything Michael Neill is teaching is about the three principles which is roughly described as the universal mind, the consciousness and the thought. Three principles that describes the way life is as a human being, but it is like the quote from Friedrich Nietzche that Michael uses at the end of the book;
“those who danced were thought insane by those who could not hear the music”
If you are like me, and have this feeling that there is more to life than chasing happiness, that true happiness comes from within, this is definitely a book for you to read. It is not a description of how to be more happy, it is more of a promise that if you sit still and listen closely, you too will hear the music 🎶
August 24, 2016
It's a short and fast read that describes likens the process of attaining inner peace to 'returning home' (default). I thought it was a good reminder of the basic premise of meditation and worth checking out.
November 27, 2018
I feel like it's going in circles a little bit, but still good
January 15, 2021
“There is a space within you where you are already perfect, whole, and complete. It is a space of pure Consciousness - the space in side which all thoughts come and go” Neill mentioned in the introduction that this is the premise of the book.
He argued that, resilience is something that are naturally we are born with. He gave example of babies who are tantrum, they will easily changed to the state of their mind by a simple cuddle. Adults, on the other hand, take resilience is a skill that need to be developed. Then we focus on the development process from outside, and forget that inside us, it’s there.
I like one (of few) graphics in this book of a man who has a bubble of thought, above the bubble (s)he has also stack of bubbles of thinking about the thoughts. I remember me and my habit to wandering and (leave the body). We cannot deny thoughts. They will come and go. But we can actually control what we want tho think (or not) about the thoughts.
He argued that, resilience is something that are naturally we are born with. He gave example of babies who are tantrum, they will easily changed to the state of their mind by a simple cuddle. Adults, on the other hand, take resilience is a skill that need to be developed. Then we focus on the development process from outside, and forget that inside us, it’s there.
I like one (of few) graphics in this book of a man who has a bubble of thought, above the bubble (s)he has also stack of bubbles of thinking about the thoughts. I remember me and my habit to wandering and (leave the body). We cannot deny thoughts. They will come and go. But we can actually control what we want tho think (or not) about the thoughts.
December 1, 2020
This book will change how you see the world
A truly transformative read. You will leave this book with a brand new understanding and view of life. It’s simply written and gives a plethora of real life examples that makes it even easier to read and understand. I highly recommend you take the time to go through this book multiple times.
A truly transformative read. You will leave this book with a brand new understanding and view of life. It’s simply written and gives a plethora of real life examples that makes it even easier to read and understand. I highly recommend you take the time to go through this book multiple times.
October 5, 2020
Not Michael Neill's best work. I was disappointed. I absolutely love "The Inside Out Revolution." There are some small golden nuggets in this book but mostly very rambly. The paragraphs are so short, almost an indication that every thought of his in the moment was thrown on the page.
December 12, 2022
Brilliant, an invitation to come home to our essence
“When our heads aren’t filled up with a lot of personal thinking, a deeper energy and intelligence comes through, filling up the quiet space inside us with love, wisdom and grace.” Michael Neill
“When our heads aren’t filled up with a lot of personal thinking, a deeper energy and intelligence comes through, filling up the quiet space inside us with love, wisdom and grace.” Michael Neill
August 20, 2017
Much better book on the "three principles" compared to his first book.
June 9, 2018
This is a must read book. I would say this goes into my top 10 books.
June 27, 2018
Awesome book
Made me feel good inside. He simplified the technique of finding your way, something that I knew but couldn't grasp.
Made me feel good inside. He simplified the technique of finding your way, something that I knew but couldn't grasp.
May 5, 2019
Michael Neill did once again an excellent job not only writing a remarkably liberating and reassuring book, but also bringing you closer to Home with his narration for the audiobook.
September 19, 2019
Absolute genius. Made careful notes to that i could revisit and live these lessons. Beautiful. Should be taught in schools!
October 28, 2019
The book gave me new insights into the three principles in my life.
March 1, 2020
Very interesting!
January 4, 2021
Very sweet actually.
January 19, 2021
Michael Neill guides the reader into a greater understanding of the inside out nature of life. No matter how far we have strayed from our inner self, we can still find our way back "home".
November 25, 2021
Another great book from Michael Neill. Presented in an easy to understand and engaging style with great use of metaphors which help lead us home to the space within.
January 21, 2024
I’m not a huge reader of books that explore thoughts and feelings, however, this book was engaging, understandable. I will pick it up again from time to time.
April 14, 2019
Third time reading it. I hear something new each listen. I love it.
July 4, 2023
Michael Neill is the man if you are serious about becoming a coach. His approach shows a genuine passion for human beings and life, which shows up in all his work. Even when he states the obvious, he does so with elegance and wit, which you can then use in your own coaching practice.
July 2, 2017
Without a doubt the most influential and important book I have read.
A change happened mid way through, when I read and has become a mini mantra 'My reality is made from my own thoughts ... I am free to create a whole new world for myself....'
We have all we need, want and could desire from life, we have to plug back in and re-find home.
A change happened mid way through, when I read and has become a mini mantra 'My reality is made from my own thoughts ... I am free to create a whole new world for myself....'
We have all we need, want and could desire from life, we have to plug back in and re-find home.
February 14, 2022
like his other book, there's a lot of theory -- amazing theory. would love a bit more applied strategy/how to use this different way of viewing life in everyday situations that come up. Michael Neill's work is a gift, and I hope to work with him someday!
June 5, 2016
Good for people new to the understanding of the Principles. Easy read
July 14, 2016
A short but essential read for anyone who's felt lost at times in life
November 16, 2016
The author seems well intentioned, but I did not glean any useful insights from this book.
January 21, 2017
This book contains everything you ever need to know!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews