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The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have
A new edition of the #1 NYT’s bestseller by Mark Nepo, who has been called “one of the finest spiritual guides of our time” and “a consummate storyteller.”
Philosopher-poet and cancer survivor Mark Nepo opens a new season of freedom and joy—an escape from deadening, asleep-at-the wheel sameness—that is both profound and clarifying.
His spiritual daybook is a summons to reclaim aliveness, liberate the self, take each day one at a time, and savor the beauty offered by life's unfolding. Reading his poetic prose is like being given second sight, exposing the reader to life's multiple dimensions, each one drawn with awe and affection.
The Book of Awakening is the result of Nepo’s journey of the soul and will inspire others to embark on their own. He speaks of spirit and friendship, urging readers to stay vital and in love with this life, no matter the hardships. Encompassing many traditions and voices, Nepo's words offer insight on pain, wonder, and love. Each entry is accompanied by an exercise that will surprise and delight the reader in its mind-waking ability.
446 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 1999
4149 people are currently reading
27769 people want to read
About the author
Mark Nepo
49 books613 followersMark Nepo is a poet and spiritual teacher whose work explores inner transformation and the courage to stay open to life. Known for the bestselling The Book of Awakening, he has written more than twenty books and created numerous audio projects that invite readers to reflect, heal, and deepen their relationships. A cancer survivor, he often describes his illness as a turning point that shaped his understanding of presence and vulnerability. After many years teaching literature and poetry, he devoted himself to writing and guiding others through workshops and retreats. His reflections have been featured widely, including on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday, and he continues to write about living with authenticity and attention.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 483 reviews
January 11, 2016
When was the last time that you were totally awed by a particular book? Well, I'd like to hand off a copy of Mark Nepo's The Book of Awakening because "awakened" you will be. Your search for daily meditations is over. This is truly the one! I own stacks of books that I page through to speak to me of matters that touch my spirit. I no longer need the stack. Each day Mark provides you with something to ponder indepth. He has a profound gift for leaving loveprints upon your soul with language that touches your very being. I've highlighted, circled, underlined, and have left my copy well-worn and totally embraced. Mark knows the uncertainties of life and he shares and shares with a dialog found nowhere else in time. Highly, highly recommend.
April 6, 2024
“I see you! I am here!”
Catching up…
I read this one years ago, and now I am bringing my review to Goodreads.
I confess, before streaming, and when Oprah had her television show, I use to DVR it and would love to watch it when I got home from work. And I remember when she featured the author and his book. So, who didn’t run out and buy this book when Oprah mentioned it? It was a birthday gift to her, and now she made him and his book famous.
Well, if you were too young when this happened, let’s just say that is what occurred with a whole generation at one time. And it wouldn’t have been a bad decision.
Even if it was one of Oprah’s all-time Favorite Things, his collection of reflections were truly gentle wake-up calls for anyone needing positive reminders for the life they wanted to live each day.
As a poet and philosopher, and cancer survivor, Nepo devoted his work to wholeness of mind, body and spirit. He shared that this daybook should be seen as a “spiritual sonnet of our age, a sturdy container for small doses of what matters.”
This daybook which covers the whole year, is an intimacy to all things. It is filled with an appreciation for tears, the art of letting go, friendship, the broken heart, healing, patience, and all the connections that link people with each other.
Also, for each day of the year there is an opportunity to read a daily inspiration, practice a breathing or meditation exercise and/or appreciate a suggestion on what you can do to just contemplate the day.
This book helps readers in a way that speaks directly to the heart about the beauty, bounty and blessings of life. And sometimes it is nice to have that daily reminder.
Catching up…
I read this one years ago, and now I am bringing my review to Goodreads.
I confess, before streaming, and when Oprah had her television show, I use to DVR it and would love to watch it when I got home from work. And I remember when she featured the author and his book. So, who didn’t run out and buy this book when Oprah mentioned it? It was a birthday gift to her, and now she made him and his book famous.
Well, if you were too young when this happened, let’s just say that is what occurred with a whole generation at one time. And it wouldn’t have been a bad decision.
Even if it was one of Oprah’s all-time Favorite Things, his collection of reflections were truly gentle wake-up calls for anyone needing positive reminders for the life they wanted to live each day.
As a poet and philosopher, and cancer survivor, Nepo devoted his work to wholeness of mind, body and spirit. He shared that this daybook should be seen as a “spiritual sonnet of our age, a sturdy container for small doses of what matters.”
This daybook which covers the whole year, is an intimacy to all things. It is filled with an appreciation for tears, the art of letting go, friendship, the broken heart, healing, patience, and all the connections that link people with each other.
Also, for each day of the year there is an opportunity to read a daily inspiration, practice a breathing or meditation exercise and/or appreciate a suggestion on what you can do to just contemplate the day.
This book helps readers in a way that speaks directly to the heart about the beauty, bounty and blessings of life. And sometimes it is nice to have that daily reminder.
August 3, 2012
I really like this book. I am reviewing a copy from the library, but will make a purchase. It's a daily meditation, the author gives a short quote or thought, then a deeper exploration of the meaning of that quote, and follows it with an exercise to do on your own, if you wish. My perception of it so far is that it simply changes the angle at which you see things and opens your eyes to a new way of approaching your life or your thoughts. It doesn't INSTRUCT you to think in any particular way, but rather poses a question or gives an example that you can apply to your particular situation. It helps guide mindfulness. I hesitated to put that in as a description because it may turn some people off, but it's a practical tool to being aware of your life. Sometimes we just need a different perspective on things. I can see that this book would not lose it's usefulness after 1 year because as your life changes the exercises and meditations naturally will follow.
July 31, 2012
I found each daily entry thought provoking and inspiring. Mark Nepo's book is balanced and creatively written with great reflective questions. He gently nudges you to become more aware, awake and present. His book touched me deeply by his simple storytelling "awakening" a sense of longing for better living and connection within me.
Daily reads take 2-3 minutes, are filled with great quotes, subtle humor and a touch of mysticism. Wholesome soul food at its best.
Daily reads take 2-3 minutes, are filled with great quotes, subtle humor and a touch of mysticism. Wholesome soul food at its best.
May 3, 2014
This is by far the best daily reader I have ever read. I no longer have a stack of meditation books, as this surpasses them all. So far each daily read has left me with a sense of "WOW!" His writing is deeply profound and the messages go straight to my heart. He also includes a short meditation after each read which carry the message even further. You will be amazed...I love this book!
January 12, 2016
This book was giving to me upon my release from the hospital, was bedridden for months, the book really came in handy going through that and the chemo phases, definitely helped me through some trying times and just coping with what was going on.
And still read it from time to time.
And still read it from time to time.
June 13, 2018
This was a miss for me and is headed to the little library. While I absolutely love the format, a daily spiritual devotion with calendar dates, the musings of Marc Nepo did not resonate with me at all.
Take for example June 12. “To count by touching” where it states we need to count by touching, not by adding and subtracting. When we count with our eyes, we stall the heart.
WTF!???!!! What are we counting? Why can’t we use math? I truly do not get how this is spiritual. “To count with Hands brings us deeper than all counting…” What drivel!
If this resonates with you, congratulations I highly recommend this beautiful and nicely packaged book. If this makes zero sense to you, leave it like I did, in the little library.
Take for example June 12. “To count by touching” where it states we need to count by touching, not by adding and subtracting. When we count with our eyes, we stall the heart.
WTF!???!!! What are we counting? Why can’t we use math? I truly do not get how this is spiritual. “To count with Hands brings us deeper than all counting…” What drivel!
If this resonates with you, congratulations I highly recommend this beautiful and nicely packaged book. If this makes zero sense to you, leave it like I did, in the little library.
July 18, 2015
Some days, the message is exactly what I need. Earlier this week, I was feeling very insecure about some career issues and wishing I were a bit like others. There was a story about a man (Akiba - I believe) who was sorry he wasn't living his life like Moses. The message reminded us, God wants us to live our lives as ourselves, not as someone else. It was exactly what I needed to remember at that moment.
December 31, 2022
What a beautiful book. One that has been my (almost) daily companion thru the year; one I intend to make my daily companion next year as well.
(And at long last, a blog post about this life-companion of a book:
https://helenaroth.com/the-book-of-aw... )
(And at long last, a blog post about this life-companion of a book:
https://helenaroth.com/the-book-of-aw... )
December 31, 2023
An exquisite book of daily meditations. One of my very favorites.
January 1, 2016
The book is formatted into a daily meditation guide whose purpose is to awaken you, using quotes, and many spiritual precepts as the jumping off points. Day-books have been the rage in the last decade, and frankly, most are a bit like FaceBook, allowing you to feel like you are having a brief respite when in fact, like the thousand friends you've collected, real friends need to be cultivated and spent time with, listening and understanding and celebrating. I postulate that while they may be nice as part of a calendar, if you want to have any kind of spiritual awakening, you need to pick a spiritual path and stay with it like you would a good friend, and get to know its depths.
While I was so-so on some of the quotes and his commentary about them, I had a great deal of trouble with several of the religious precepts I perused. If you are going to use religious quotes and precepts, then know them. OR, tell your readers you are a dabbler and going loosey-goosey on everyone, throwing your shallow interpretation on the wall to see if it sticks. OR, say you like this quote, saw it as graffiti on a bathroom wall, what it means to you, and that you've not spent much time on it. OR, don't interpret a quote at all and just write what you want to say. A quote doesn't validate you, but to a reader, it might make them think you know what you are talking about.
I was gifted with the book. It is poorly written. While it is true, everyone has the right to take a word and reinterpret it anyway one likes, language and culture are based on the dialogue between the differences and similarities of thought. And it may be true that I know more than your average bear about a lot of religious ideas, going deeply into four of them. Still, Nepo has taken many precepts, religious quotes, and has not bothered to really understand them. He has given a platitude version of a quote for the ages. While this may have helped someone, somewhere, I have a problem with what the man robs a reader of the opportunity for, and that he holds himself out as a meditation instructor who is guiding you to a deeper and more awakened life, when it is really a Hallmark day-book. I postulate he wastes your time for 15 minutes over 365 days (roughly 90 hours) when in that same time you might get to some sort of awakening by picking up a Buddhist, Jewish, Shamanic, Catholic -- insert your faith here -- book and going deeply into the pages, thinking about what they mean with a really good highlighter! (Oooh, there's a good quote for my own daily book!)
Granted I didn't read the whole book -- I read from the back (this is a weird thing I do unless it is a book of fiction) and was unimpressed. Then this morning, I went to page one, Jan 1, and decided to give this a chance. I read, "Precious Human Birth. Of all things that exist, we breath and wake and turn it into song." He began to incorrectly describe what that precept is all about (and in any scholarly -- not spiritual -- Buddhist 101 book they'd give it to you accurately) then took off on his own digression. He even threw in a chop-wood-carry-water reference -- just to let you know he knew a bit about Zen/Taoism/Eastern thought!
Okay, it is a good thing to contemplate what he said -- to marvel at how great it is to be human and give thanks to be able to reflect and be conscious (and he implies other forms of life do not do this) -- BUT BUT BUT, this is not the precept. There is so much more to it. The precept of "Precious Human Birth" is not just about being grateful for the gift of a human body, it is also to contemplate that you have a gift in that you have heard good teachings, truths that you can use toward consciousness, compassion, openheartedness. It is a contemplation you do at the beginning of every Buddhist prayer -- in any branch of Buddhism -- so understand that it is core to a mind-set toward all the practices and meditation, from the most difficult or elaborate to the simple act of zazen. You contemplate four thoughts:
1) having this precious moment free of tyranny or fear, perhaps;
2) of the fact that you can die at any time;
3) of karma, (what you do -- thinking too, if we are honest -- whether virtuous or nat, traps you into cause and effect;
4) and of the suffering of others.
The last one eventually leads many on to the Bodhisattva vow, to not rest until all are released from suffering (Reader's Digest explanation.) These are four preliminaries are words, and in the beginning of my path I thought them a bit mundane and boring. Then I wondered, "Why do they all yak on and on about these obvious things?" Wondering why teachers I respected yakked on about them, and trusting them a bit to guide me, led to contemplation. I committed to my practice and went deeply with them, discovering in the gratitude beyond the wonder of blue sky, into the synchronicity of my precious life and its more painful moments as well. And to look for the consciousness in all things.
When Nepo reduces this to more than the statement of "contemplate your Precious Human Birth," and begins to reduce it to you meditating on how you are different than the rock and the bench, he takes your practice away from you. He leads you into a sense of false security that you are pretty hot stuff, and your life is pretty damn good. Then during the day you may wonder why that feeling doesn't last.
Real practice, any real practice (although I think there are better practices and worst practices if you want to awaken), will not just make you feel good for a few minutes, or make you think you have 4,678 friends. It will make you feel the discomfort you have, and offer a way to seriously cope and grow through the discomfort, just as an awake person may enjoy their FaceBook friends but also know that most are not "real" friends but acquaintances or less, and in that number there are a few good friends who must be tended, spoken to, cried for, cared about, shared with, and celebrated.
While I was so-so on some of the quotes and his commentary about them, I had a great deal of trouble with several of the religious precepts I perused. If you are going to use religious quotes and precepts, then know them. OR, tell your readers you are a dabbler and going loosey-goosey on everyone, throwing your shallow interpretation on the wall to see if it sticks. OR, say you like this quote, saw it as graffiti on a bathroom wall, what it means to you, and that you've not spent much time on it. OR, don't interpret a quote at all and just write what you want to say. A quote doesn't validate you, but to a reader, it might make them think you know what you are talking about.
I was gifted with the book. It is poorly written. While it is true, everyone has the right to take a word and reinterpret it anyway one likes, language and culture are based on the dialogue between the differences and similarities of thought. And it may be true that I know more than your average bear about a lot of religious ideas, going deeply into four of them. Still, Nepo has taken many precepts, religious quotes, and has not bothered to really understand them. He has given a platitude version of a quote for the ages. While this may have helped someone, somewhere, I have a problem with what the man robs a reader of the opportunity for, and that he holds himself out as a meditation instructor who is guiding you to a deeper and more awakened life, when it is really a Hallmark day-book. I postulate he wastes your time for 15 minutes over 365 days (roughly 90 hours) when in that same time you might get to some sort of awakening by picking up a Buddhist, Jewish, Shamanic, Catholic -- insert your faith here -- book and going deeply into the pages, thinking about what they mean with a really good highlighter! (Oooh, there's a good quote for my own daily book!)
Granted I didn't read the whole book -- I read from the back (this is a weird thing I do unless it is a book of fiction) and was unimpressed. Then this morning, I went to page one, Jan 1, and decided to give this a chance. I read, "Precious Human Birth. Of all things that exist, we breath and wake and turn it into song." He began to incorrectly describe what that precept is all about (and in any scholarly -- not spiritual -- Buddhist 101 book they'd give it to you accurately) then took off on his own digression. He even threw in a chop-wood-carry-water reference -- just to let you know he knew a bit about Zen/Taoism/Eastern thought!
Okay, it is a good thing to contemplate what he said -- to marvel at how great it is to be human and give thanks to be able to reflect and be conscious (and he implies other forms of life do not do this) -- BUT BUT BUT, this is not the precept. There is so much more to it. The precept of "Precious Human Birth" is not just about being grateful for the gift of a human body, it is also to contemplate that you have a gift in that you have heard good teachings, truths that you can use toward consciousness, compassion, openheartedness. It is a contemplation you do at the beginning of every Buddhist prayer -- in any branch of Buddhism -- so understand that it is core to a mind-set toward all the practices and meditation, from the most difficult or elaborate to the simple act of zazen. You contemplate four thoughts:
1) having this precious moment free of tyranny or fear, perhaps;
2) of the fact that you can die at any time;
3) of karma, (what you do -- thinking too, if we are honest -- whether virtuous or nat, traps you into cause and effect;
4) and of the suffering of others.
The last one eventually leads many on to the Bodhisattva vow, to not rest until all are released from suffering (Reader's Digest explanation.) These are four preliminaries are words, and in the beginning of my path I thought them a bit mundane and boring. Then I wondered, "Why do they all yak on and on about these obvious things?" Wondering why teachers I respected yakked on about them, and trusting them a bit to guide me, led to contemplation. I committed to my practice and went deeply with them, discovering in the gratitude beyond the wonder of blue sky, into the synchronicity of my precious life and its more painful moments as well. And to look for the consciousness in all things.
When Nepo reduces this to more than the statement of "contemplate your Precious Human Birth," and begins to reduce it to you meditating on how you are different than the rock and the bench, he takes your practice away from you. He leads you into a sense of false security that you are pretty hot stuff, and your life is pretty damn good. Then during the day you may wonder why that feeling doesn't last.
Real practice, any real practice (although I think there are better practices and worst practices if you want to awaken), will not just make you feel good for a few minutes, or make you think you have 4,678 friends. It will make you feel the discomfort you have, and offer a way to seriously cope and grow through the discomfort, just as an awake person may enjoy their FaceBook friends but also know that most are not "real" friends but acquaintances or less, and in that number there are a few good friends who must be tended, spoken to, cried for, cared about, shared with, and celebrated.
December 28, 2024
“We are faced with a never ending choice: to become the wound or to heal”
Besides the Bible, I have found this to be the only book that literally changed the way I live. The very way I think about the pain I experience, the world I live in, and the life I live has shifted as a result of this book’s repeated reminder that I have all I need in the here and now. It is impossible to overstate the role that reading this book over the last 2.5 years has had in my healing and the way I view my perpetually emotional and anxious heart!
“To suffer means to feel keenly. For to feel deeply and precisely with full awareness is what opens us both to joy sorrow. It is the capacity to feel keenly that reveals the meaning in our experiences”
February 2, 2020
This is a daily read,,, truly one of the best I’ve had
December 31, 2024
It's amazing how almost each entry gave me an answer to a question I needed an answer to, or it gave me comfort, strength, and encouragement. I will be starting it again tomorrow, January 1, 2025. But this time, I will stay with each entry longer than a day until I feel ready to move on to the next.
Read
August 16, 2025Mark Nepo’s "The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have" is a gentle yet profound reminder of the power of presence in shaping a meaningful life. In a world that pulls us in countless directions - toward ambition, performance, and approval - Nepo invites us to pause and turn inward. He draws from personal experience, stories, and spiritual traditions to show how clarity and fulfillment emerge not from constant striving, but from slowing down, listening deeply, and inhabiting life as it is. His words are not instructions but reflections, offering guidance for those moments when life feels heavy, uncertain, or beautifully ordinary. What he reveals is that true awakening lies not in fixing or perfecting life but in stepping fully into it, breath by breath.
At the heart of Nepo’s message is the rare privilege of being human. To be alive is not something to be taken for granted; it is a chance to notice, to feel, and to create meaning. He illustrates this with the story of a young divinity student who, after being paralyzed by polio, slowly regained movement and eventually became a pioneer of modern dance. What transformed his life was not only his physical recovery but his decision to live directly inside his body rather than observing it from the outside. This presence, raw and immediate, awakened him from within. Nepo suggests that we all face similar choices. Too often, we trade authenticity for approval, silence ourselves when we long to speak, or twist into shapes that please others. In doing so, we diminish our aliveness. But awakening means granting ourselves permission to live honestly, without waiting for validation, and shaping life according to who we really are.
Slowing down becomes another quiet but radical practice. Nepo uses the image of a traveler reaching a walled garden, panicking at the locked gate, only to discover that the wall is a facade with space to enter if one simply walks around. Rushing and urgency often blind us to the openness already present. Life’s thresholds - emotional, relational, and spiritual - rarely yield to force but instead soften when met with patience. Many people try to treat emotional pain like a problem to solve, yet true healing often begins when we pause long enough to name the hurt and let it breathe. Even the rhythm of our breath is a reminder: taking in, letting go, without rush. In slowing our pace, we uncover clarity that speed cannot provide, and we begin to sense the guidance of our deeper self.
Nepo also emphasizes the necessity of embracing pain rather than escaping it. To be fully alive means to experience joy and grief side by side, laughter and sorrow within the same day. Though the mind craves order, life resists tidy categories. When difficulties weigh heavily, the instinct is to pull back or scramble for solutions. But often, the most grounding response is to remain present, to acknowledge feelings without forcing them into coherence. This act of staying, of simply allowing emotions to exist, becomes a form of honesty and courage. We do not need certainty about the future to take the next small step; showing up is itself a kind of wisdom. By letting go of control, we become more connected - not only to others but to the quiet flow of life carrying us forward even in uncertainty.
Through presence, we also begin to weave invisible threads that connect us to something larger. Nepo retells the Ojibway story of a tiny worm who spun delicate silk strong enough to hold the world together when it began to unravel. In the same way, our attention and breath, though small and unseen, bind our lives to the lives around us. Staying with our experiences - whether joyful or painful - creates a kind of inner silk, shaping us over time and offering strength to others. We need not seek grand gestures to make meaning; it is enough to remain awake to what is happening, allowing each moment to leave its quiet imprint. Transformation, like the worm emerging as a butterfly, comes not through force but through surrender to life’s natural cycles.
Letting go is another lesson that Nepo explores with tenderness. Holding onto outdated versions of ourselves - old habits, beliefs, or identities - often creates more pain than release. Growth requires recognizing what no longer fits and laying it down intentionally, not as an erasure but as nourishment for what is to come. He draws a distinction between burying and planting: one hides what hurts, while the other allows renewal. Grief and renewal are intertwined, and every new beginning carries traces of what was lost. When we release what no longer serves us, we create space for something more authentic to emerge. This process is rarely comfortable, but it is essential for living truthfully.
Presence also transforms the way we learn and interact with life. Nepo shares the story of a student listening to a stream with great effort, only to be taught by a playful monkey who splashed joyfully in the water. The student realized he had been straining to understand while the monkey simply entered the flow. The lesson is clear: wisdom often arises not from analyzing but from immersing ourselves fully in the moment. Stillness, then, is not passive - it is a deeper form of listening, an openness that allows truth to reveal itself naturally. Life cannot always be solved through thought; sometimes it must be felt, lived, and trusted.
Throughout the book, Nepo poses the quiet question of whether we are building or breaking, integrating or dividing. Growth arises from balance - between experience and reflection, effort and surrender, speaking and listening. Too often, we perform for imagined eyes, living as if under a spotlight, yet true joy arrives when we step out of performance and live without rehearsal. The invitation is to notice where we are pulling things apart instead of bringing them together, and to choose integration over conquest, belonging over ownership. This shift creates healing not only within us but in the world around us.
Loss, too, becomes a teacher. Shattered dreams, broken plans, and failed expectations are not necessarily tragedies; they are part of life’s natural unfolding. What we often call failure may simply be growth pulling us in a new direction. While loss leaves marks, it also clarifies what truly matters. Rather than rushing to repair or deny what is broken, we can learn from it. Presence teaches us to inhabit the reality of what is, to let go of what no longer serves, and to pay attention to what life is asking of us now. In this way, endings are not conclusions but beginnings disguised as grief.
In the end, "The Book of Awakening" is less about achieving a certain kind of life and more about inhabiting the one we already have. Its central message is that presence - steady, compassionate, and unguarded - forms the ground of meaning. By slowing down, embracing pain alongside joy, letting go of outdated versions of ourselves, and listening deeply to what is already here, we begin to live with honesty and belonging. The moments we choose to inhabit fully, rather than rush past or avoid, become the ones that carry us into new clarity. Nepo reminds us that awakening is not a destination but a practice of staying awake to what is real, and in that presence, life unfolds as it was always meant to - whole, imperfect, and profoundly alive.
At the heart of Nepo’s message is the rare privilege of being human. To be alive is not something to be taken for granted; it is a chance to notice, to feel, and to create meaning. He illustrates this with the story of a young divinity student who, after being paralyzed by polio, slowly regained movement and eventually became a pioneer of modern dance. What transformed his life was not only his physical recovery but his decision to live directly inside his body rather than observing it from the outside. This presence, raw and immediate, awakened him from within. Nepo suggests that we all face similar choices. Too often, we trade authenticity for approval, silence ourselves when we long to speak, or twist into shapes that please others. In doing so, we diminish our aliveness. But awakening means granting ourselves permission to live honestly, without waiting for validation, and shaping life according to who we really are.
Slowing down becomes another quiet but radical practice. Nepo uses the image of a traveler reaching a walled garden, panicking at the locked gate, only to discover that the wall is a facade with space to enter if one simply walks around. Rushing and urgency often blind us to the openness already present. Life’s thresholds - emotional, relational, and spiritual - rarely yield to force but instead soften when met with patience. Many people try to treat emotional pain like a problem to solve, yet true healing often begins when we pause long enough to name the hurt and let it breathe. Even the rhythm of our breath is a reminder: taking in, letting go, without rush. In slowing our pace, we uncover clarity that speed cannot provide, and we begin to sense the guidance of our deeper self.
Nepo also emphasizes the necessity of embracing pain rather than escaping it. To be fully alive means to experience joy and grief side by side, laughter and sorrow within the same day. Though the mind craves order, life resists tidy categories. When difficulties weigh heavily, the instinct is to pull back or scramble for solutions. But often, the most grounding response is to remain present, to acknowledge feelings without forcing them into coherence. This act of staying, of simply allowing emotions to exist, becomes a form of honesty and courage. We do not need certainty about the future to take the next small step; showing up is itself a kind of wisdom. By letting go of control, we become more connected - not only to others but to the quiet flow of life carrying us forward even in uncertainty.
Through presence, we also begin to weave invisible threads that connect us to something larger. Nepo retells the Ojibway story of a tiny worm who spun delicate silk strong enough to hold the world together when it began to unravel. In the same way, our attention and breath, though small and unseen, bind our lives to the lives around us. Staying with our experiences - whether joyful or painful - creates a kind of inner silk, shaping us over time and offering strength to others. We need not seek grand gestures to make meaning; it is enough to remain awake to what is happening, allowing each moment to leave its quiet imprint. Transformation, like the worm emerging as a butterfly, comes not through force but through surrender to life’s natural cycles.
Letting go is another lesson that Nepo explores with tenderness. Holding onto outdated versions of ourselves - old habits, beliefs, or identities - often creates more pain than release. Growth requires recognizing what no longer fits and laying it down intentionally, not as an erasure but as nourishment for what is to come. He draws a distinction between burying and planting: one hides what hurts, while the other allows renewal. Grief and renewal are intertwined, and every new beginning carries traces of what was lost. When we release what no longer serves us, we create space for something more authentic to emerge. This process is rarely comfortable, but it is essential for living truthfully.
Presence also transforms the way we learn and interact with life. Nepo shares the story of a student listening to a stream with great effort, only to be taught by a playful monkey who splashed joyfully in the water. The student realized he had been straining to understand while the monkey simply entered the flow. The lesson is clear: wisdom often arises not from analyzing but from immersing ourselves fully in the moment. Stillness, then, is not passive - it is a deeper form of listening, an openness that allows truth to reveal itself naturally. Life cannot always be solved through thought; sometimes it must be felt, lived, and trusted.
Throughout the book, Nepo poses the quiet question of whether we are building or breaking, integrating or dividing. Growth arises from balance - between experience and reflection, effort and surrender, speaking and listening. Too often, we perform for imagined eyes, living as if under a spotlight, yet true joy arrives when we step out of performance and live without rehearsal. The invitation is to notice where we are pulling things apart instead of bringing them together, and to choose integration over conquest, belonging over ownership. This shift creates healing not only within us but in the world around us.
Loss, too, becomes a teacher. Shattered dreams, broken plans, and failed expectations are not necessarily tragedies; they are part of life’s natural unfolding. What we often call failure may simply be growth pulling us in a new direction. While loss leaves marks, it also clarifies what truly matters. Rather than rushing to repair or deny what is broken, we can learn from it. Presence teaches us to inhabit the reality of what is, to let go of what no longer serves, and to pay attention to what life is asking of us now. In this way, endings are not conclusions but beginnings disguised as grief.
In the end, "The Book of Awakening" is less about achieving a certain kind of life and more about inhabiting the one we already have. Its central message is that presence - steady, compassionate, and unguarded - forms the ground of meaning. By slowing down, embracing pain alongside joy, letting go of outdated versions of ourselves, and listening deeply to what is already here, we begin to live with honesty and belonging. The moments we choose to inhabit fully, rather than rush past or avoid, become the ones that carry us into new clarity. Nepo reminds us that awakening is not a destination but a practice of staying awake to what is real, and in that presence, life unfolds as it was always meant to - whole, imperfect, and profoundly alive.
January 4, 2017
Nepo is a wonderful poet and storyteller, so don't let the "self-help" title turn you off. These short vignettes of his experiences of loss, of his own cancer, and lighter moments, contain all sorts of wisdom and surprising little moments of self recognition. I've given this book as a gift many times, and keep returning to it myself. One of those books I'd want on the proverbial deserted isle.
Merged review:
Nepo is a wonderful poet and storyteller, so don't let the "self-help" title turn you off. These short vignettes of his experiences of loss, of his own cancer, and lighter moments, contain all sorts of wisdom and surprising little moments of self recognition. I've given this book as a gift many times, and keep returning to it myself. One of those books I'd want on the proverbial deserted isle. Recommended for: anyone, but especially if you're dealing with a traumatic event.
Merged review:
Nepo is a wonderful poet and storyteller, so don't let the "self-help" title turn you off. These short vignettes of his experiences of loss, of his own cancer, and lighter moments, contain all sorts of wisdom and surprising little moments of self recognition. I've given this book as a gift many times, and keep returning to it myself. One of those books I'd want on the proverbial deserted isle. Recommended for: anyone, but especially if you're dealing with a traumatic event.
January 19, 2012
This book was okay but it could have been better. No doubt, there were many wonderful lessons contained within its pages, and on certain days it is EXACTLY what you need to hear. While there are many wonderful stories, quotes, meditations, etc. to enjoy within this book I thought that it would have been even MORE improved if the author had not included soooooo many personal stories. I wanted this book to be a little more objective in its advice and parables; I did not need yet another story about how Mark Nepo survived cancer and learned to forgive his horrible family. The daily stories that I found most rewarding and have pondered on the most were the ones that were told entirely in the third person and did not reference Mark at all.
August 15, 2012
This is a kind of daily reflection 'Bible' for me and almost always 'primes the pump' when it comes to personal reflection as well as an incentive for my own writing. Mark Nepo is a cancer survivor which was his 'hitting bottom' so to speak and part of his transformational experience. Nepo is also able to effectively combine the spirituality of the world, embracing so many branches, from Christianity to Buddhism, Hinduism and much more in his personal and thoughtful year of daily reflections. The author concludes each reflection with a way to 'practice' it and work it into ones daily walk. I own and have used MANY varieties of daily reflection books that encourage me, but none that goes as deeply and practically as this one.
August 15, 2019
This book is amazing.
I grew up in a very secular environment and I've never had any interest for reading anything else than programming manuals and the like. So picking up this book was very unusual for me. In fact, I don't even know how to categorize it - Spirituality? Meditation? Philosophy? Poetry? For me it was all of the above. One chapter per day, a 3 minute read, left me deeply fulfilled in a place inside, for which I can't even find a name. Some of the chapters stayed with me for the whole day, or even until now.
Very accessible yet very fulfilling.
I grew up in a very secular environment and I've never had any interest for reading anything else than programming manuals and the like. So picking up this book was very unusual for me. In fact, I don't even know how to categorize it - Spirituality? Meditation? Philosophy? Poetry? For me it was all of the above. One chapter per day, a 3 minute read, left me deeply fulfilled in a place inside, for which I can't even find a name. Some of the chapters stayed with me for the whole day, or even until now.
Very accessible yet very fulfilling.
December 31, 2022
I always like the idea of reading a small passage each day and spent my year with The Book of Awakening. although it has been a popular book (thanks to Oprah, and has a forward by Jamie Lee Curtis) it was not my favourite book. There were sprinkles of wisdom and really thought provoking sections but a lot of it was dull and parts focused on religion which is not for everyone. I appreciate that the author has had a struggle in his life but felt like continuing to mention his poor relationship with his parents did not help me to reflect on the words in his book.
August 10, 2015
Here we have a list of random stories, each ending with a random list of "action points," not necessarily related to the story even remotely. Plus each chapter mentions "God this," or "God that," or "prayer."
Please don't waste your time on this Ridiculous Religious Collection of Randomness.
Please don't waste your time on this Ridiculous Religious Collection of Randomness.
November 19, 2013
Reading this daily. Each reading gives such a window to a deeper, richer, examined life. Nepo is a gifted writer who has really taken this journey. Grateful for his insight which helps
Improve mine.
Improve mine.
August 17, 2025
SUMMARY
I’ve had Mark Nepo’s The Book of Awakening by my bedside for years—it’s been a soul-nourishing, visual reminder that speaks directly to my heart. Written as a daily guide, it doesn’t attempt to “solve” life but instead helps me soften into it, finding joy through acceptance rather than control.
What struck me most were several passages that reframed the way I meet my days:
1. The Story of the Wounded Bird– Nepo shares how trying to rush a bird’s healing only hinders its natural recovery. It’s a tender reminder that my own growth doesn’t come from forcing clarity, but from allowing time and patience to do their work.
2. The Practice of Holding Nothing Tightly – Instead of clinging to what I fear losing, Nepo invites us to hold life gently, trusting its ebb and flow. That image of opening my hand rather than grasping tight has helped me breathe easier in uncertain times.
3. The Reflection on Broken Open Hearts – He reminds us that joy is not the absence of pain, but the willingness to let our cracks become windows where the light gets in. Acceptance, here, isn’t resignation—it’s the doorway to wonder.
REVIEW
Reading this book has been more than inspiring; it has been grounding. At a time when I’ve been sorting through what truly matters, The Book of Awakening has given me space to process and to prioritize. It hasn’t offered me every answer, but it’s taught me to embrace discomfort and live with grace.
I can’t recommend it highly enough for anyone seeking not certainty, but presence.
I’ve had Mark Nepo’s The Book of Awakening by my bedside for years—it’s been a soul-nourishing, visual reminder that speaks directly to my heart. Written as a daily guide, it doesn’t attempt to “solve” life but instead helps me soften into it, finding joy through acceptance rather than control.
What struck me most were several passages that reframed the way I meet my days:
1. The Story of the Wounded Bird– Nepo shares how trying to rush a bird’s healing only hinders its natural recovery. It’s a tender reminder that my own growth doesn’t come from forcing clarity, but from allowing time and patience to do their work.
2. The Practice of Holding Nothing Tightly – Instead of clinging to what I fear losing, Nepo invites us to hold life gently, trusting its ebb and flow. That image of opening my hand rather than grasping tight has helped me breathe easier in uncertain times.
3. The Reflection on Broken Open Hearts – He reminds us that joy is not the absence of pain, but the willingness to let our cracks become windows where the light gets in. Acceptance, here, isn’t resignation—it’s the doorway to wonder.
REVIEW
Reading this book has been more than inspiring; it has been grounding. At a time when I’ve been sorting through what truly matters, The Book of Awakening has given me space to process and to prioritize. It hasn’t offered me every answer, but it’s taught me to embrace discomfort and live with grace.
I can’t recommend it highly enough for anyone seeking not certainty, but presence.
March 13, 2019
I’ve not completed it and though the writing was thought provoking I’ve been moving in a new direction with meditation and the writing was no longer facilitating or reflecting on my process but rather distracting from it. I may pick it up at another time as the writing was lovely, but for now, and likely for a long time to come, this is being shelved as read. I had been using it as something to reflect on for my meditation and perspective and had read a good portion of it but having experienced a significant shift in both those areas the book is no longer engaging me.
January 1, 2025
Over the past several years, I have leaned hard into feeding myself first each day. One of the first things I do each morning is sit and read something that connects me to my spirituality while having my morning cup of coffee. This book was frequently quoted from by one of my spiritual mentors and I’ve savored the daily journey of small bites of truth that help ground me in my day. I loved this book so much I bought for each of my kids for Christmas. And now it is Jan 1,2025 and I’m starting back at the beginning!
July 4, 2025
I think I'll keep reading this book. I love the set up... one short meditation per day. Some of these were deeply meaningful and some meant nothing. Very similar to other sacred practices, I'm assuming it also has to do with my own heart and state of mind. It is great for beginner meditators like me.
May 21, 2017
This harks back to 1999 but the call to slow down, pay attention, and get past ego I feel is more important than ever. I listened to the author read this and I am ordering a copy for myself to have at hand for always. It contains a parable and a meditation presented for each day of the year. There is so much meaty wisdom here, I cannot wait to delve into it over and over again.
December 27, 2018
I read this book year after year and learn something new each time!! I’ve also purchased copies for friends who are searching for deeper meanings in life. I definitely recommend anything by Mark Nepo.
May 20, 2021
This is the second time I've tried this book. There are some great bits of knowledge to meditate on, but since you read one portion a day I feel like it should built on itself.
December 30, 2019
Great daily reading over the past year. Thought provoking daily passages encouraging the reader to slow down and enjoy all aspects of our lives including the good and bad.
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