Living a Conscious Life: How to Find Peace, Wholeness, and Freedom in a Chaotic World

Leadership consultant Johnson debuts with a solid if somewhat scattered collection of life advice. Drawing from the 10 years he spent in an ashram, his professional career, and his personal relationships, Johnson offers lessons for inner growth that include dismantling limiting beliefs, practicing gratitude, and reframing challenges as sources of inspiration. Other sections tackle workplace upheavals (readers who feel they’ve “lost [their] identity” after being laid off should develop new skills and focus on the “process, not the outcome” of their next job search) and interpersonal dynamics (when dealing with “difficult people,” keep in mind that “life is not about being right”). An extended section on meditation puts things in perspective: “True joy is not derived from people, places, or things.... It comes from the soul.” While the book’s patchwork structure means that the general principles (practice gratitude, be honest with oneself) tend to repeat, Johnson’s advice is effectively anchored by candid, vulnerable recollections of his failed relationships and marriages, the ups and downs of corporate America, and his winding spiritual journey, which included joining a cult after he graduated from college. Best dipped into and out of, it’s a motley array of wisdom from a colorful life. (June)