How do we stand firm amid the ups and downs of existence?
In today's culture of polarization and constant change, how do we find the confidence to navigate challenges? Is now really the time for meditation, for looking inward? What do we do with mindfulness? Meditation teacher Ethan Nichtern tackles these questions, taking contemporary considerations of power, identity, ethics, and confidence to new heights in this essential guide to self-discovery.
Ethan examines the Buddhist concept of the Eight Worldly Winds, the four paired opposites of praise and blame, pleasure and pain, fame and insignificance, and success and failure. Delving into these dichotomies reveals invaluable insights into our relationships with others (including teachers, friends, leaders, the disgraced, and the adored) and ourselves. With transformative meditation exercises, Confidence empowers us to cultivate and access our innate wisdom.
Ethan Nichtern is a renowned contemporary Buddhist teacher and the author of The Dharma of "The Princess Bride" and the widely acclaimed The Road Home. Ethan teaches meditation and Buddhist psychology classes and retreats online via Dharma Moon and around the US. He lives in Brooklyn with his daughter.
EthanNichtern.com
"In this guide to cultivating confidence, we learn how the eight worldly winds - pleasure and pain, success and failure, fame and insignificance, praise and criticism - can lure us off course and make it difficult to find peace. Nichtern provides powerful tools to corral these dichotomies, and rather than hide from them or fight them, use them instead to remind ourselves that we are alive."
- Lion's Roar
"Real confidence, true confidence, comes not from a false front or a fleeting achievement; it goes way deeper than that. And Ethan Nichtern, a deft and experienced teacher, will take you there. I wish I'd had this book when I was much younger. It would've prevented me from all manner of suffering and embarrassment."
- Dan Harris, author of 10% Happier
"Confidence. We post it, we lack it, we want it, we seek it, we hoard it, we lord it, we try to buy it and, I hope, offer it to others. It's a simple word with complex origins and imprints and expectations, and we all need help with it. I'm so glad that Ethan Nichtern is offering this practical access point to confidence!"
- Jamie Lee Curtis
"Ethan Nichtern guides readers to a resilient inner balance while dealing with the challenges of life, and each page sings with his kind and soulful voice. With skill and grace, he brings together Buddhist wisdom, clear seeing of injustice, heart-touching examples, and practical suggestions in this timely and very useful book. It's a pleasure to read, and the benefits will ripple through your life and onward, outward to the world."
- Rick Hanson, PhD, author of Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom
"This book is a masterclass in marrying vulnerability with badassery, showing us that true confidence is about leaning into our authentic selves and owning our stories, sassy quirks and all. As Ethan Nichtern shows, real confidence comes from knowing ourselves fully - shadows, light, and all. A must-read for anyone ready to live boldly and unapologetically."
- Sah D'Simone, bestselling author of Spiritually, We
"In a world where it's easy for self-doubt to cloud our vision, Ethan Nichtern shares his profound insight and practical wisdom to illuminate the importance of cultivating confidence to navigate life's complexities. Like everything Ethan teaches and writes, Confidence provides clarity and overflows with compassion, making it an essential read for anyone seeking self-discovery by unearthing and unleashing their inner strength."
- Shannon Watts, author and founder of Moms Demand Action
"In such wild times as these, this book offers us brave good medicine."
