The Woman’s Book of Joy

Eileen Campbell is a writer of inspirational books, including a successful series of anthologies described by the media as “treasures of timeless wisdom,” which sold collectively around 250,000 copies. She has studied with a variety of teachers from different traditions and brings a wealth of knowledge and life experience to her books. She is known for her pioneering and visionary career as a self-help and spirituality publisher, and has also written and presented for BBC Radio 2 and 4. She currently devotes her energies to yoga, writing, and gardening. She lives in England. Visit her at www.eileencampbellbooks.com.

Contents
Introduction


Finding courage

1. Recognizing our fears

2. Taking risks

3. Daring to be ourselves

4. Facing emotional pain

5. Finding a path back to life after tragedy

6. Embracing change and opening to possibilities

7. Seeing crisis as an opportunity for growth

8. Celebrating aging rather than fearing it

9. Dealing with illness and recovery

10. Transforming our perception of dying

11. Daring to embark on the spiritual journey


Developing awareness

1. Slowing down and creating space for ourselves

2. Paying attention

3. Taming the unruly mind

4. Adopting mindfulness

5. Practicing meditation

6. Finding a place to retreat to

7. Knowing ourselves—the journey inward

8. Listening to our intuition

9. Revealing ourselves in our closest relationships

10. Showing respect in all our relating


Letting go of negative emotions

1. Dropping our emotional baggage

2. Accepting what we can and can’t control

3. Realizing we don’t have to be perfect

4. Managing stress

5. Becoming aware of the Shadow

6. Cultivating healthy expression of anger

7. Eliminating envy

8. Banishing guilt and shame

9. Forgiving ourselves and others

10. Healing and becoming whole

11. Surrendering our expectations

12. Decluttering our lives and minds

13. Facing up to our addictions


Cultivating optimism

1. Accepting life’s challenges

2. Changing negative and limiting beliefs

3. Working with the Law of Attraction

4. Getting out of the rut

5. Retraining our brains

6. Making the changes we want to see in our lives

7. Acting “as if”

8. Maximizing luck

9. Reclaiming our power to heal our bodies

10. Flourishing and developing resilience

11. Creating a better future for all


Believing in our dreams

1. Knowing what we want/knowing who we are

2. Realizing our passion

3. Using imagination to create our vision

4. Practicing creative visualization

5. Making the commitment

6. Awakening our intuitive abilities

7. Using dreams to bring us closer to our goal

8. Unlocking our creativity

9. Underpinning with discipline

10. Going with the flow and releasing attachment


Practicing kindness

1. Being gentle with ourselves

2. Opening our hearts and making kindness a habit

3. Nurturing our most intimate relationships

4. Having realistic expectations of others

5. Listening and communicating with kindness

6. Appreciating our parents

7. Giving of ourselves as mothers

8. Deepening our friendships

9. The healing balm of kindness

10. Understanding those who cause pain

11. Widening the circle of our kindness


Trusting life’s process

1. Keeping our hearts open

2. Having faith in ourselves and others

3. Accepting the seasons of our hearts

4. Learning the dance of life

5. Heeding the messages

6. Letting the path be our teacher

7. Surrendering attachment

8. Receiving grace

9. Reassessing and rebuilding our lives


Living in the present moment

1. Changing our perception of time

2. Looking in the right place

3. Bringing conscious awareness into our lives

4. Moving beyond compulsive thinking

5. Restraint and keeping things simple

6. Practicing silence and solitude

7. Developing our capacity for patience

8. Creating ritual and sanctuary

9. Living each day as if it’s the only one we have

10. Accepting things as they are


Appreciating life’s blessings

1. Giving thanks on a daily basis

2. Seeing the bigger picture

3. Having enough and realizing nothing is lacking

4. Being appreciative of ourselves and others

5. Asking and receiving

6. Opening to wonder and miracles

7. Rejoicing in small things and celebrating the big

8. Increasing our generosity

9. Realizing how even loss can be a blessing


Finding our unique purpose

1. Asking the right questions

2. Trusting our unique purpose is unfolding

3. Connecting with a power greater than ourselves

4. Following our own path—the heroine’s journey

5. Harnessing the power of intention

6. Making a difference through the work we do

7. Recovering the soul

8. Enhancing our lives now

9. Linking our purpose with that of the whole