Choices

by BEATTIE MELODY

• ISBN13: 9780060088293
• ISBN10: 006008829X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-04-25
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

In Choices, the author who changed forever how we experience our relationships once again revolutionizes how we see our lives. Don't do more, be better, or try harder, she says, but understand that all our actions have consequences and we must listen to our hearts and souls to gain a clear sense of how life, relationships, and love really work. We are not helpless; we have choices. We can choose our path and create meaningful lives. Melody Beattie shows us how even the smallest choices matter. By paying attention to everyday decisions and nurturing an intimate awareness of our lives, we build a strong foundation that can support us whenever the most difficult conditions loom large and require us to act. Beattie's compassionate wisdom shines light on the ways we sabotage ourselves from getting what we want and deserve, whether it's tangible -- good relationships, success in our career -- or the intangible benefits of grace, contentment, and peace. By clearly laying out situations in which we tend to give away our power or make decisions that compromise or diminish us, Beattie shows us the true range of choices we actually have. This book is about feeling again -- coming alive, not staying numb. It's about timeless values that we've walked away from, like service, caring about other people -- and ourselves. It's a new look at some great old ideas that will serve us well in our search for happiness, love, and making sense of the mystery of our lives. It's about reconciling the joy and the sadness, the failures and successes in life, and being willing to live comfortably with what we don't understand. It's about being willing to let go of guilt, and to live with pain. Filled with illuminating stories and offering the kind of practical yet inspirational guidance and comfort that have gained Beattie an audience measured in the millions, this book will move anyone who reads it to a new level of personal freedom, power, and wholeness.

Author Biography

Melody Beattie is an expert on codependency, and lectures worldwide.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Open Your Present	xi
Section I: The Great Law	1	(34)
She Wanted a Baby	9	(3)
A Sad Week in Coventry	12	(2)
A Moment of Truth	14	(2)
The Drive Wasn't What He Expected	16	(4)
Karma with Feet	20	(4)
She Had to Explain	24	(3)
First Class	27	(4)
He Hit the Wall	31	(4)
Section II: Living in the Mystery	35	(34)
She Found the Key	43	(4)
An Angel Whispered to Him	47	(3)
She Couldn't Decide	50	(2)
He Saw the Light	52	(4)
She Stopped Running	56	(4)
She Saw a Monster in Her Bedroom	60	(4)
She Liked It	64	(5)
Section III: As the Wheel Turns	69	(44)
Night Shift	77	(5)
He Felt Spun	82	(3)
Her Room Was a Mess	85	(3)
She Found Herself in Nowhere	88	(6)
He Had to Backtrack	94	(6)
She Missed a Step, Too	100	(4)
She Laughed Away the Gray	104	(2)
He Was Sick of Being Sick	106	(3)
She Rode the Wheel	109	(4)
Section IV: Bringing Heaven to Earth	113	(26)
She Made a Hard Call	121	(3)
He Found Peace in a War Zone	124	(3)
And Goodwill Toward Men	127	(4)
He Got What He Paid For	131	(2)
She Got a Tip	133	(6)
Section V: Opposites Attract	139	(30)
She Found the Right Words	147	(3)
Horse Sense	150	(2)
She Turned the Tables	152	(3)
He Knew How He Felt	155	(3)
Let the Winds Blow	158	(2)
She Got Swept off Her Feet	160	(3)
Her Fantasy Became Real	163	(3)
He Went to Extremes	166	(3)
Section VI: Go for the Gold	169	(32)
She Called the Law	177	(2)
She Blamed Herself	179	(5)
He Got Even	184	(5)
Mommy Dearest	189	(2)
Her Halo Fell Off	191	(3)
He Wanted to Make Amends	194	(7)
Section VII: Staying on Track	201	(20)
They Dug Deeper	209	(3)
A Curious Table	212	(3)
She Made a Good Call	215	(6)
Section VIII: Going Toward the Light	221	(26)
He Ran Out of Hope	229	(4)
She Couldn't Sit Still	233	(2)
He Saw the Future	235	(2)
She Learned Nonattachment	237	(2)
He Found the Rainbow and the Pot of Gold	239	(8)
Bibliography	247	(4)
Acknowledgments	251	(2)
Index	253