I received a complementary copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.
The Wisdom of Emotions: Building Genuine Happiness and Finding Inner Peace by Dr. David F. Coppola is a good introduction to the benefits of positive living. The author says he wrote the book “to help you effectively process your emotions and more easily access positive feelings.” I feel he achieves that goal.
I like how Coppola is realistic in having a positive outlook on life. “When I talk about shifting your orientation to live in a more positive emotional state, I am not saying that your life will be free of challenges, or that you will walk around in a perpetual state of bliss,” he writes. “When our base state is peaceful and stable, we can respond more effectively and efficiently to life’s many challenges.”
So how do you shift from a negative to positive orientation? Coppola offers many techniques, the primary one being to change your thoughts. “If you are stuck in negativity, change your thought patterns. Shift your focus from the negative emotion to the countering positive emotion,” he writes. I also like his discussion of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory to help understand what makes us tick inside. “Our emotions run through our bodies, just like electrical impulses are transmitted throughout our nervous systems, and blood runs through our arteries and veins,” he writes. ” The Chinese have taught us to recognize these energies running through our body as “qi” (pronounced “chee”).”
I say the book is a good “introduction” to positive living because Coppola touches on a number of subjects without going into any one of them in too much detail. The aforementioned TCM theory, Darren Weissman’s LifeLine Technique, the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal, Carolyn Myss’ thoughts on grace, and Taoism are a few of the topics explored. I like how the author summarizes these different models and gives references should the reader wish to dig deeper. For someone new to the self help genre The Wisdom of Emotions is a valuable first book to read.
“Happiness is within you all the time. You only need easy access to it,” Coppola believes. The Wisdom of Emotions is a worthwhile read for anyone wishing for more joy in his or her life.
For more about The Wisdom of Emotions watch this video from Dr. David Coppola:
