Ragini Elizabeth Michaels is an internationally acclaimed trainer of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and hypnosis, and an accomplished Behavioral Change Specialist. She has traveled the world sharing her Facticity Program, a unique process for living with paradox. In this fascinating paperback, Michaels takes a cue from the mystics of all religions who have seen that it is possible to achieve peace and contentment through the practice of equanimity. It is not an easy thing to learn given the dualism (the world is characterized by battles between good and evil, the righteous ones and the bad guys) which assaults us every day in our culture and our media. Instead of arming ourselves and getting ready for battle, we can be unflappable, which means not losing our cool, dealing with the ample paradoxes of life, and "simultaneously [embracing] the emotional roller coaster ride of being human and the reflective calm of being divine."
Adapting this ancient wisdom of the mystics means shifting our normal perspectives. For example, Michaels suggests we give up the notion peddled by consumer culture that we grab all the good stuff and avoid all the bad stuff that makes us unhappy. Organizing our lives around what we like vs. what we dislike is counter-productive and results in discontent. Instead, Michaels advises us to see that "Life is not made of contradictions. It is made of complementary opposites." Competition and cooperation can both advance the cause of personal growth. Acceptance and rejection can be used as fuel for creativity. Here are passports to the wonderful world of both/and instead of either/or. The opposites we thought were at war with each other are actually oneness in disguise!
Michaels closes with a rousing overview of a 6-Step Process to Becoming an Unflappable Person, which includes stop comparing yourself to others, stop putting yourself down by always looking for something better, set aside the internal tug of war between your desires and responsibilities, and accept the fact that where you are is the best place for you to be. The roadmap to a richer and deeper life presented here opens new doors to personal transformation, the value of paradoxes, and the viability of a both/and understanding of reality.
