Since we were young children, we’ve learned to build narratives around what’s true about the universe and about ourselves. These beliefs build up year after year until they are so enmeshed with our identity that we don’t know how to untangle what feels true in our experience from the religious or other belief systems we were taught.

I am a Christian. I am an atheist. I am a Democrat. I am a Republican. And so on.

When beliefs and identity are intertwined, letting go of one threatens the other. But it is possible to get to a place where beliefs and thoughts are tools we can pick up or put down to create a more peaceful and congruent life.

The journey begins by learning to Pay Attention. Recognizing that reality is what it is, apart from the stories we tell ourselves about it. Taking our eyes off the tree in front of us and experiencing the breadth and magnitude of the forest. Observing the love and effort all around us and within us that paved the way for our very existence. In this space, there is freedom and acceptance that extends not only to ourselves but to the people around us.

You don’t have to do this alone. This book provides a conversational roadmap, free from shame and judgment, to offer some guidance and companionship along the way.