Living Like You Mean It: Use the Wisdom and Power of Your Emotions to Get the Life You Really Want - Hardcover

by Ronald J. Frederick (Author)

In LIVING LIKE YOU MEAN IT, author Ronald J. Frederick, does a brilliant job of describing why people are so afraid of their emotions and how this fear creates a variety of problems in their lives. While the problems are different, the underlying issue is often the same. At the core of their distress is what Dr. Frederick refers to as feelings phobia. Whether it s the experience of love, joy, anger, sadness, or surprise, our inborn ability to be a fully feeling person has been hijacked by fear--and it s fear that s keeping us from a better life.

The book begins with a questionnaire-style list that help readers take an honest look at themselves and recognize whether and how they are afraid of their feelings. It then moves on to explore the origins of fear of feeling and introduces a four-part program for overcoming the fear: (1) Become aware of and learn to recognize feelings--anger, sadness, joy, love, fear, guilt/shame, surprise, disgust. (2) Master techniques for taming the fear. (3) Let the feeling work its way all the way through to its resolution. (4) Open up and put those feelings into words and communicate them confidently. With wisdom, humor, and compassion, the book uses stories and examples to help readers see that overcoming feelings phobia is the key to a better life and more fulfilling relationships.

Front Jacket

Living LIKE YOU MEAN IT

You describe your life as full. Your days are jam-packed and busy. You have friends, work colleagues, family, maybe even a partner or spouse.

Why do you feel like something is missing from your life? You are not alone.

Millions long to feel more alive and present in our lives, and closer to those we love. Why is it so hard? The problem, says Dr. Ronald J. Frederick, has to do with fear--fear of our feelings and of sharing them more openly with others. It's this fear that keeps us stuck, detached from the wisdom and power inside us, and at a distance from the people in our lives. Based on cutting-edge science, Living Like You Mean It offers a practical guide that will not only help you break through old patterns and open up to the energy inside you, but will fundamentally change the way your brain works. You will feel more alive, vital, and present in your life, and closer to those you love.

In Living Like You Mean It, Frederick outlines a four-step approach that will help you

• Recognize the common signs of fear in yourself as well as the ways in which you unknowingly cut yourself off from your power
• Understand how to tame your fear and be in control
• Learn how to experience your true emotions and make use of their many resources
• Develop effective ways to express and share your feelings

Once you learn this simple process, you can unleash the power within you to transform your life. Your anxiety level will decrease and you will feel energized and empowered. You will uncover your personal truth, live more authentically, and experience a profound sense of meaning, purpose, and belonging in your life and relationships. Your life will be more gratifying. No longer held back, you will live your life "like you mean it!"

Back Jacket

PRAISE FOR Living LIKE YOU MEAN IT

"Finally, someone is helping us get closer to our emotions and who we are--instead of further away from our power. A moving and inspirational read for anyone in the challenging times we're all going through." --MELODY L. BEATTIE, author of the New York Times bestsellers Codependent No More, The Language of Letting Go, and Choices

"What a joy it is to read Dr. Ron Frederick's Living Like You Mean It. Well informed, accessible and engaging, this wonderful book is full of powerful strategies that will enliven your soul, enrich your relationships, and help you have a more deeply meaningful life. I recommend it with enthusiasm!" --JOHN BRADSHAW, author of the New York Times bestsellers Healing the Shame that Binds You, Homecoming, Creating Love, and Reclaiming Virtue

"Ron Frederick is a master therapist and a gifted teacher. With energy and passion, he guides the reader through the vibrant inner landscape of the emotions. The tools and insights he offers can help prevent depression and anxiety. Even more, they point the way toward a vital and engaged life--a life fully lived." --HENRY EMMONS, MD, author, The Chemistry of Joy

"With compelling insight into the way emotion shapes our lives, Living Like You Mean It invites us on a tremendously useful journey into the mind and brain and shows us how the day-to-day ways we defend against feeling our feelings keep us from living the lives we really want. But no more! Through practical suggestions, compelling stories, and powerful insights, this book dishes up a readily accessible plan to free us from the prison of our own fear of feeling. Frederick is a liberating guide--and after joining him on this trek, you'll be ready to feel fully alive!" --DANIEL J. SIEGEL, MD, director, the Mindsight Institute, and author, The Mindful Brain and Parenting from the Inside Out

Author Biography

The Author RONALD J. FREDERICK, Ph.D., is a cofounder of the Center for Courageous Living, which offers innovative therapy, coaching, and consulting. He is a licensed psychologist and life coach with more than fifteen years experience helping people get the life they really want. Frederick is a senior faculty member of the Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy Institute as well as the clinical supervisor of Park House, an outpatient program of Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota.