The premise of the book is great and the author really delivers. Great read. Highly recommended. .

"As Rilke said, 'Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart, and love the questions themselves.' When embarking on inner work, it's essential to remember that life is a work in progres, and there is not end goal to healing. As humans, we are both whole and broken, formed and unformed. But there is a critical difference between having broken parts that need attention and believing that there's something fundamentally wrong with you. There is nothing wrong with you. You are intrinsically good, loved, and whole."

I usually read a book in 1-2 days. I will sit with it, dive into it and then come up for air when I am done. I expected to do that with this book as well and I couldn't have been more wrong. This book turned out to be a journey for me. A journey through my own anxiety, my own childhood, my ability to be kind and generous with myself. I could not take this journey in one day, I needed it in bits and pieces, I needed to sit with it all.

I have highlighted 73 different sections in this book. I can't quote all of them here but here's one more that is the most resonant for me, especially as a parent but also for my own child-self:

"As a parent, one of my deepest desires is for my sons to know that they are loveable and loved exactly as they ae, no matter now angry, loud, messy, or disrespectful they are. I want them to know that all their feelings are welcome and important. I may not always like their behavior - and I let them know - but it doesn't alter my love for them, which is unchanging and eternal. I'll say to them "I didn't like how you treated your friend today, but nothing will ever change how much I love you." The message I hope to impart is: I love you because I love you. I don't love you because you're beautiful (even thought you are.) I don't love you because you're creative (although I do reflect back an awareness of your creativity.) I love you because I love you. And that will never change no matter what you do. "

This book is a reminder that anxiety is about a call inward to fill your well, it's an opportunity to be curious and to be kind and to learn. It's an opportunity for wisdom and growth. What a kind and generous perspective. It's the kind of book that encourages action and growth through curiosity, openness and self-kindness instead of blame and shame. I am so incredibly grateful for the time I've spent with it and I know there will be times I will refer back to this to remember all of the wonderful and kind lessons she imparts.

Huge thanks to netgalley and sounds true for an early copy and for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

This book came into my life at the perfect time. I have dealt with anxiety and depression and this book shed some light on different aspects of anxiety that are not as well though about. This book also provided some helpful tricks that are unique to helping manage anxiety.

Sheryl has written an invaluable book for anyone who experiences anxiety or for those who love and care for someone with anxiety. Serious clinical anxiety is a terribly painful affliction, but even the minor anxieties, which we all have at times, may be mitigated by a careful reading of Sheryl's truly wonderful approach to her topic. Apart from her own analysis of the issues, born of her own direct experience, she offers solutions, practises and exercises one can easily follow. Her premis that anxiety itself offers an invitation to better health is kind of radical but a really great start to healing. She offers many references and further reading which explains the history and philosophy of this positive invitation. Highly recommended.

The Wisdom of Anxiety is a great book with some interesting information with people who suffer from anxiety. There is valuable information in here that we all could try in this stressful world.

The 21st Century has been labeled by many as the Age of Anxiety. Nearly 300 million people worldwide have received anxiety diagnoses and millions more are undiagnosed. Anxiety, when balanced, is beneficial to us. It alerts us to what we should pay attention to, use caution toward or what to examine for more data. It’s helpful. It’s a natural human response that help us survive and thrive. It’s when anxiety becomes imbalanced that it becomes problematic. The reasons for the rise in anxiety disorders are many. The approach to eradicate it has become mainstream. Author Sheryl Paul proposes that anxiety should be approached first and foremost as a learning tool, stripping away the shame that is often attached to It which leads us on a quest to completely eradicate or hide it.
This book offers a holistic, spiritual (not to be confused with religious) and motivational approach to dealing with anxiety rather than a purely scientific approach. Much reference is made to the soul and spiritual healing. The typical accoutrements of anxiety, such as rumination, worry, intrusive thoughts and insomnia are covered alongside the concept of nonidentification (although not explicitly described as such). The assurances that we are not defined by our anxiety, our emotions or our challenges is consistently and comfortingly woven throughout the pages. I recommend this book to those whose self-esteem has taken a hit from their anxiety.

This was an exceptional book! I learned so much from reading this! So many things I had no idea could be associated with anxiety. As someone who suffers from severe anxiety, I found this book to be quite soothing and helpful. It gave me a new outlook on a lot of things!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own