Already Here tells of the death of Leo Galland’s son, Christopher, at the age of 22; the direct visual evidence Christopher showed him that our souls do go on; and the communications he received from Christopher’s spirit that dramatically changed Leo’s understanding of life and its meaning.

“True stories of healing are interspersed with the insights, milestones and synchronicities that guided the author along his path. Journal entries capture the dreams, premonitions and spiritual guidance that Mr. Cunningham received for years before he fully accepted his calling to heal. This culminated in a life shifting event in 1990 in which he was captured by Saddam Hussein’s army, and held hostage for over three months. It was during that period of captivity that Cunningham pledged to dedicate his life to helping others.”

Most of the world’s spiritual traditions encourage letting go in one form or another. Non-attachment to outcomes, surrendering desires, accepting the present, opening to a higher power, relinquishing the ego, forgiveness—they all entail a letting go. Letting go, it is claimed leads to greater happiness, open-heartedness, and inner freedom.

” When I was five, my grandmother who was a Russian midwife and healer told me a creation myth about a huge crystal bowl in the dark sky. One night it shattered into millions of tiny seeds of light that lodged inside of every being on the planet. Each was called a spot of grace. She told me that our task as humans is to find, grow, and shine that seed into the darkness of the world. She said that when everyone does this, the bowl will be made whole again...These days, in a fragmented world of more than 6 billion people, it’s more important than ever that each one of us understands we’re unique and make a difference. So I decided to ask people to send me stories about the people and moments that helped them recognize that uniqueness and grow it.”

We all understand the basics of physical fitness, and many resources teach mindfulness, business skills, and entrepreneurial chutzpah. But often undermining these goals are less-tangible roadblocks — mental and emotional baggage, deep-seated insecurity, self-judgment, and overwhelming stress and anxiety. In her new book The Full Spirit Workout , author Kate Eckman draws from her multifaceted training, as an athlete, executive leadership coach, and meditation teacher, to present a program that empower us to break through these blocks and accomplish our goals.

“Whether you’re coping with a loved one who has received a terminal diagnosis, has a long-term illness or disability, or suffers with dementia, caregiving is challenging and crucial. Those who face this responsibility, whether occasionally or 24/7, are brushing up against life’s sharpest point. In this book, Stan Goldberg offers an honest, caring, and comprehensive guide to those on this journey. Everyone wants to “do the right thing,” and this book provides the often-elusive how-to – from bedside etiquette to advice on initiating difficult conversations, caring for oneself while caring for another, navigating rapid changes in your loved one’s condition, and even offering “permission” for them to die…”

The Stoics themselves were immigrants from all over the Hellenistic and Roman world, from the upper echelons of Roman imperial society to the lower classes of slaves and low-skilled laborers.  They understood that despite our ethnic and social differences, all humans share bonds of care, kinship, and reason.  That applies today as much as it did for the several hundreds of years that Stoic philosophy was popular in the ancient world.

While empathy is a wonderful trait to have, it’s also possible to have too much of a good thing.  Unless they have strong boundaries, extremely empathic individuals, or empaths, often end up feeling overwhelmed, disconnected from self, and overly emotional as a result of taking on the negative energy of others.

With unfailing curiosity, Barasch poses vital questions: what can we learn from exceptionally empathetic people? Can we increase our kindness quotient with practice? How do we open our hearts to those who do us harm? What if the great driving force of our evolution were actually “survival of the kindest?” And he comes up with challenging, ultimately inspiring answers. Drawing on science and spirituality, history and popular culture, he creates a smart, provocative argument that a simple shift in consciousness changes “pretty much everything”.