I've Been Thinking...: Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations for a Meaningful Life

by Maria Shriver

Overview

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“[I've Been Thinking…] is beautiful...I felt your soul on these pages.” –Oprah Winfrey

“If you are feeling stuck, lost, or you just need a pick-me-up, this is the book for you. Shriver’s wisdom will fill you up.” —Hoda Kotb, coanchor, The Today Show

The ideal book for those seeking wisdom, guidance, encouragement, and inspiration on the road to a meaningful life.

As a prominent woman juggling many roles, Maria Shriver knows just how surprising, unpredictable, and stressful everyday life can be.

In this moving and powerful book, she shares inspiring quotes, prayers, and reflections designed to get readers thinking, get them feeling, get them laughing, and help them in their journey to what she calls The Open Field—a place of acceptance, purpose, and passion—a place of joy.

I've Been Thinking . . . is ideal for anyone at any point in her life. Whether you feel like you've got it all together or like it's all falling apart—whether you're taking stock of your life or simply looking to recharge, this is the book you will turn to again and again. Spend the weekend reading it cover to cover, or keep it on your nightstand to flip to the chapter you need most. Like talking with a close friend, it's the perfect daily companion—an exceptional gift for someone looking to move forward in life with hope and grace.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780525522607
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/27/2018
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	33,705
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Maria Shriver is the mother of four, a Peabody Award-winning and Emmy Award-winning journalist and producer, the author of seven New York Times bestselling books and a bestselling coloring book, an NBC News Special Anchor, and founder of The Women's Alzheimer's Movement. When she's not thinking or writing, she can be found hanging with her kids.

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The Power of Gratitude
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "I've Been Thinking . . ."
by .
Copyright © 2018 Maria Shriver.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Introduction 1

I Am Who I Choose to Become 5

Seeing the Jewel Inside 8

Working on "Intestinal Fortitude" 11

Life Is Yours to Create … and to Re-create 14

What I Learned About Power from a Community of Nuns 17

The Power of Peace Starts from Within 21

The Power of Gratitude 24

The Power of Positive Thinking 26

The Power of the Mind 31

The Power of Women 33

The Power of Presence 36

The Power of the Pause 39

The Power of Listening 44

The Power of Empathy 49

The Power of Letting Go 53

The Power of Thank You 56

The Power of Motherhood 59

The Power of Laughter 62

The Power of Faith 64

The Power of Prayer and Meditation 66

The Power of Forgiveness 69

The Power of Your Story 72

Chasing the Illusion of Perfection 75

Why Acceptance Is the Path to Finding Peace 79

Why It Takes Courage to Care 81

An Omen from God 84

I've Learned to Deserve 89

Bring Joy into Your Home 94

When Life Throws You a Curveball, Do This 97

It's Okay-in Fact, It's Crucial-to Grieve 100

When Is It Time to Move On? 104

Faith Keepers 107

What Is Love? 109

Loving Motherhood 112

Talk of Love, Not Hate 115

We're in Need of a Social Kindness Movement 118

Go Back to Move Forward 121

I'm Giving Up on Complaining 123

Six Family Truths I've Learned Along the Way 127

We All Have Mental Health Issues. Here's Why It's Okay. 131

Why We Should Stop Trying to "Go It Alone" 135

Looking for the Light in the Cracks 140

One Person Can Make a Huge Impact on You 144

Men and Kindness 149

A Message from My Mother I Will Cherish Forever 152

Finding Peace in Your Decisions 155

Why We Need Time to Think and Reflect 158

Mother's Day Every Day 161

We're All in This Together 164

"We Are the Ones We've Been Waiting For" 167

Something to Focus on Other Than Your Lips, Thighs, and Eyes 171

Reflections on a Whirlwind Week 174

My Easter Reflections 177

A Time to Rest 181

What I'm Grateful for This Thanksgiving 186

What I'm Carrying with Me into Each New Year 189

Don't Call Me an Empty Nester 193

Sixty Life Lessons for My Birthday 198

Hope 205

Epilogue 207

Oh! And One More Thing: The Power of Reevaluating 211

Acknowledgments 225

Editorial Reviews

12/11/2017
In a collection of reflections that are more sincere than eloquent, Shriver (Ten Things I Wish I’d Known—Before I Went Out into the Real World) meditates on finding a meaningful life. The award-winning journalist, former First Lady of California, and niece of President John F. Kennedy writes informally about her four children, four brothers, and 60 years of learning and praying. She pays homage to her mother, Eunice, and her father, Sargent. When the latter developed Alzheimer’s, Shriver became adamant about working toward a cure for the disease, and her work raising money and awareness is mentioned frequently. Each short chapter (of which there are over 50) begins with a quote from a speaker, activist, writer, or spiritual leader such as Maya Angelou, Louisa May Alcott, St. Ambrose, and even Shriver herself. Each chapter ends with a prayer that flows from her heart, if not so smoothly from her pen: “Dear God, don’t let me be caught in resentment or any other form of fear and hate. If they appear, please turn my thoughts into prayer for my enemy or someone in need.” Among the topics she covers are kindness, mental health, peace, time to reflect, grief, and power—of the mind, of women, of the pause, of empathy. The honesty of this uplifting book will please Shriver’s established readership as well as new readers looking for inspiration. Agent: Jan Miller, Dupree Miller. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

This book is full of hope, inspiration, wisdom—from a woman [who] embodies all that she writes. Such a wonderful read.” —People

“Shriver tackles motherhood, faith, acceptance, and more in her search for how we can all live a more meaningful life. With quotes, prayers, and personal anecdotes, this book feels like a long walk with a close friend.” —PopSugar

"An uplifting collection. . . intimate and thought-provoking.” —goop

“Sometimes, we could all use a read that makes us feel good and inspired. . . .  a collection of moving quotes and reflections from Maria Shriver designed to get you through whatever journey you’re on.” –Hello Giggles

“The honesty of this uplifting book will please Shriver’s established readership as well as new readers looking for inspiration.” –Publishers Weekly 

“Maria Shriver is a beacon of compassion and understanding—a life force.” —Tom Brokaw
 
“This book is superb. Shriver teaches all of us in the graduate program of life to seek meaning through the joy of following your heart. Just the kind of advice a heart surgeon cherishes.” —Mehmet Oz, MD
 
“In I’ve Been Thinking . . . Shriver serves up golden nuggets of wisdom, honesty, and inspiration that take us out of our individual worlds and connects us to what’s important, true, and meaningful in the journey of being human.” —Mark Hyman, MD; director, Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine 
 
“Maria Shriver is a person of unusual compassion, intelligence, and honor. If you want to feel uplifted, inspired, and comforted, read it. This book, like its author, is a precious gift to the world.” —Martha Beck
 
“Thought-provoking, spirited, a deep and personal message to help one discover a meaningful and joyful life.” —Deepak Chopra
 
“If you are feeling stuck, lost, or you just need a pick-me-up, this is the book for you. Shriver’s wisdom will fill you up.” —Hoda Kotb, coanchor, The Today Show
 
“There’s so much noise in the world, so many distractions, responsibilities, choices. Shriver’s soulful words of wisdom, guidance, and strength are both beautiful and invaluable.” —Elizabeth Lesser, cofounder, Omega Institute

“Maria Shriver has always been a voice of hope, unity, equality, and love—a wise, steady voice calling us to become our best selves. Here, she gives us her hard-earned wisdom, tenderness, courage and wildly gorgeous, inclusive, accessible faith. . . . It’s a book every person should keep close.” —Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love Warrior

“A gem. . .  a spiritual and emotional gift to everyone who reads it.” —Joan Chittister

“This book will fill up your inspirational tank until it overflows! Essential for anyone needing to restore peace, purpose, and passion.” —DeVon Franklin 

From the Publisher

2017-11-26
An award-winning television journalist muses on how to successfully negotiate the challenges of living in the modern world.Shriver (Just Who Will You Be?, 2008, etc.) grew up a member of the storied Kennedy family. Despite great privilege, however, she has continually struggled with defining what constitutes a "meaningful life," especially in an age when we are all "inundated with news and information about how terrible everything is." This collection, which emerged from the author's "I've Been Thinking" column in her digital newsletter, The Sunday Paper, provides a series of short meditations on everything from the power of gratitude and positive thinking to the blessings of love and family. Each piece begins with quotations from the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Oprah Winfrey, and Gandhi and ends with personal prayers that reflect Shriver's deep devotion to her faith. The author begins with observations on the need for cultivating self-acceptance and "intestinal fortitude" to withstand a world that has become increasingly hostile and "unsteady." As she celebrates female empowerment, she also remarks on the need for people—and women in particular—to care for their physical, mental, and spiritual health, now more than ever. In speaking of the work she has done in her life as a journalist and advocate for Alzheimer's education, Shriver notes that motherhood, "the biggest, most powerful, most all-encompassing job on the planet," has been her greatest challenge. Her four children have been bearers of important lessons in "patience, kindness, and acceptance" as well as the most difficult but necessary lesson of all: letting go. What partially saves this well-intentioned book from reading like a series of trite platitudes is Shriver's underlying understanding of current events. Beyond positive thinking, what we all need are "leaders who bring us together" and citizens who can "listen with open minds…to find a common thread."A heartfelt but unexceptional book.

Kirkus Reviews

02/01/2018
Journalist Shriver writes about her quest for a meaningful life, borrowing from her digital newsletter, the Sunday Paper, along with "personal reflections, memorable quotations and prayers." She fully embraces the power of positive thinking, which sometimes makes for some rather lightweight affirmations. These include pithy recommendations such as, "Nothing like laughter to turn your day around" and "To keep going you must have hope." She does, however, encourage deeper contemplation on issues that stem from a mature life, such as the loss of parents, empty nesting, and social justice. Shriver shares nothing of her own brush with public humiliation; she considers herself a storyteller who opts not to share the intimacies of her public life and winsomely concludes that this book's singular purpose is encouragement—to compel others to think about what makes for their own meaningful life. VERDICT An optimistic reminder to be gentle with oneself.—Sandra Collins, Byzantine Catholic Seminary Lib., Pittsburgh

Library Journal