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Finding the Freedom to Get Unstuck and Be Happier
The ancient and scientific secrets to getting unstuck from negative habits
Everyone gets stuck in habitual patterns, including emotional, behavioral, and relational habits. We have the same arguments repeatedly with our parents, partners,
and children despite wanting to stop. Often by the time we realize we’re stuck, we no longer know how to get unstuck. The secret to finding freedom is to understand karma
and free will.
Why is it useful to understand karma and free will correctly? If you misunderstand karma, you’re more likely to get stuck. And if you misunderstand free will, you’re more likely to stay stuck.
Joining Western psychological science and traditional Buddhism, experimental psychologist and Zen monk Ven. Dr. Douglas Cheolsoeng Gentile describes how our minds can be simultaneously our greatest weakness and greatest asset. We are controlled by both external forces and internal habits of mind, while simultaneously believing ourselves to be ‘free’. This conundrum can be solved by seeing where our biases begin, how our natural ability to learn traps us, and how we unintentionally undermine the progress we intend to make. This book can help you find freedom from negative habits, relationship patterns, and feelings.
You don’t need to be Buddhist to be able to use these ideas to be happier, just as you don’t need to be a mathematician to be able to add. You just need to have an accurate understanding of the processes to make them work for you.
Everyone gets stuck in habitual patterns, including emotional, behavioral, and relational habits. We have the same arguments repeatedly with our parents, partners,
and children despite wanting to stop. Often by the time we realize we’re stuck, we no longer know how to get unstuck. The secret to finding freedom is to understand karma
and free will.
Why is it useful to understand karma and free will correctly? If you misunderstand karma, you’re more likely to get stuck. And if you misunderstand free will, you’re more likely to stay stuck.
Joining Western psychological science and traditional Buddhism, experimental psychologist and Zen monk Ven. Dr. Douglas Cheolsoeng Gentile describes how our minds can be simultaneously our greatest weakness and greatest asset. We are controlled by both external forces and internal habits of mind, while simultaneously believing ourselves to be ‘free’. This conundrum can be solved by seeing where our biases begin, how our natural ability to learn traps us, and how we unintentionally undermine the progress we intend to make. This book can help you find freedom from negative habits, relationship patterns, and feelings.
You don’t need to be Buddhist to be able to use these ideas to be happier, just as you don’t need to be a mathematician to be able to add. You just need to have an accurate understanding of the processes to make them work for you.
182 pages, Paperback
Published May 12, 2022
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 12, 2022
✨Book Review✨
Finding The Freedom to Get Unstuck and Be Happier by @dagentile
Rate: 5🌟
QOTD: Have you watched Harry Potter when Professor Trelawney said “broadened your mind”?
Well,this book broadened my mind,yes! It does feel like Atomic Habits meets The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, a decent version ofc😆
We often think karma functions like fate. However, it is actually more than that! Karma is in fact planting behaviour seeds that turn into lifelong habits.
Did you know, learning is also karma? We learned something when we were a child and some of them we still practiced until now. In another word, we tend to do the same thing which made us keep on moving in the same circle. Why? Because we learned that behaviour back then and it was easier to learn rather than unlearned!
To free ourselves, one needs to truly understand karma, everything occurs has a cause, including our happiness and unhappiness.
We need to remember that everything matters. Our actions, speech, feelings and even our thoughts! All these might produce different resonance to our surroundings which then will effect our own circle.
I love this book! The writing is simple but precise with only one person as an example, it doesn’t create any confusion at all.
Thank you @penguinbookssea for this e-ARC in return of honest review.
#zeereads #bookstagrammalaysia #findingthefreedomtogetunstuck
Finding The Freedom to Get Unstuck and Be Happier by @dagentile
Rate: 5🌟
QOTD: Have you watched Harry Potter when Professor Trelawney said “broadened your mind”?
Well,this book broadened my mind,yes! It does feel like Atomic Habits meets The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, a decent version ofc😆
We often think karma functions like fate. However, it is actually more than that! Karma is in fact planting behaviour seeds that turn into lifelong habits.
Did you know, learning is also karma? We learned something when we were a child and some of them we still practiced until now. In another word, we tend to do the same thing which made us keep on moving in the same circle. Why? Because we learned that behaviour back then and it was easier to learn rather than unlearned!
To free ourselves, one needs to truly understand karma, everything occurs has a cause, including our happiness and unhappiness.
We need to remember that everything matters. Our actions, speech, feelings and even our thoughts! All these might produce different resonance to our surroundings which then will effect our own circle.
I love this book! The writing is simple but precise with only one person as an example, it doesn’t create any confusion at all.
Thank you @penguinbookssea for this e-ARC in return of honest review.
#zeereads #bookstagrammalaysia #findingthefreedomtogetunstuck
January 14, 2025
I found a sentence in this book particularly meaningful: "The universe, and almost everything in it, is conspiring to make you happy. It is doing it very sneakily, so we don’t usually see it, but that just means that the conspiracy is wide and deep."
We need this kind of awareness as we face our personal challenges and the global challenges now so very threatening to us all. In this book we are given very practical guidance on how to get more out of life and thereby contribute more and more of our own wisdom to others who need our encouragement.
You will find intriguing, innovative, insightful and practical information on Karma, Free Will, and Freedom. He created a composite character named Diane based on several of his clients. You will see how Diane changes as she becomes more aware of her karma or the things she has learned and needs to unlearn. Don't we all have things we need to unlearn so we can become more free?
We need this kind of awareness as we face our personal challenges and the global challenges now so very threatening to us all. In this book we are given very practical guidance on how to get more out of life and thereby contribute more and more of our own wisdom to others who need our encouragement.
You will find intriguing, innovative, insightful and practical information on Karma, Free Will, and Freedom. He created a composite character named Diane based on several of his clients. You will see how Diane changes as she becomes more aware of her karma or the things she has learned and needs to unlearn. Don't we all have things we need to unlearn so we can become more free?
November 8, 2023
I have long criticized the common misinterpretation of karma by Westerners. They consider "karma" as moral retribution, reducing all actions to a simplistic dichotomy of good and bad. They believe that karma rewards the good deeds and punishes the bad ones. This overly simplified view neglects the much broader, more complex concept of Karma in Buddhism.
Understanding the limitations of Free Will and its relationship to Karma is even more challenging when we cross the East/West divide. We westerners love to cling to our individuality with the notion that we have complete and independent control over all our choices and actions. This book reveals where we have control over our choices—not as simple as we think.
I know Ven. Cheolsoeng Gentile, as a colleague, and I can vouch for his being a sincere practitioner and an esteemed educator. He uses trustworthy sources and real-world experiences to back up what he poses throughout the book. The writing is approachable and relatable. This book avoids idealistic scenarios only achievable by a few exceptional individuals. Using case studies provides a deeper understanding of karma and Free Will for non-Buddhists that is practical and applicable to anyone.
Buddhists can still find this book informative and beneficial. Our Buddhist study group discussed this book and each of us commented the book offered deep insight into our own practice and understanding.
This book is a necessary read for comprehending karma, Free Will, and finding peace in a chaotic world.
Understanding the limitations of Free Will and its relationship to Karma is even more challenging when we cross the East/West divide. We westerners love to cling to our individuality with the notion that we have complete and independent control over all our choices and actions. This book reveals where we have control over our choices—not as simple as we think.
I know Ven. Cheolsoeng Gentile, as a colleague, and I can vouch for his being a sincere practitioner and an esteemed educator. He uses trustworthy sources and real-world experiences to back up what he poses throughout the book. The writing is approachable and relatable. This book avoids idealistic scenarios only achievable by a few exceptional individuals. Using case studies provides a deeper understanding of karma and Free Will for non-Buddhists that is practical and applicable to anyone.
Buddhists can still find this book informative and beneficial. Our Buddhist study group discussed this book and each of us commented the book offered deep insight into our own practice and understanding.
This book is a necessary read for comprehending karma, Free Will, and finding peace in a chaotic world.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews