Chasing Peace - by Tom Rosshirt (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Chasing Peace is about how profound change is possible through twenty-first-century neuroscience. It is about how a lifelong seeker used the cutting-edge science of neuroplasticity to turn his emotional breakdown-one defined by escalating bouts of burnout, disillusionment, and debilitating anxiety-into a lasting personal breakthrough. AN OPEN FIELD PUBLICATION FROM MARIA SHRIVER Tom Rosshirt was like millions of people chasing peace. He believed he could get it through performance, perseverance, and hard work-attacking both his career and meditation practices with a strict dedication. Instead of peace, his achievements brought anxiety, depression, and a merciless perfectionism that left him overwhelmed and wanting out. He spent his time maneuvering around a list of triggers that grew longer by the day and was guided by his near desperate search for relief. Then, right after another dead-end session with a psychiatrist, Tom found the emerging science of neuroplasticity, which provided a new understanding of how the mind affects the brain and body. Through a support group of individuals equally exhausted by their developed hypervigilance, and following months of research and reframing, Tom started to see his breakdown as a chance for a breakthrough. He realized every thought about who we are supposed to be is a barrier to peace. And neuroplasticity can help us starve the thoughts that create the self-image that causes the suffering. It marks the shift from "getting what I want" to "wanting what I get." The first is chasing peace; the second is finding it. Chasing Peace is a personal journey that can inspire anyone who is tired of chasing peace and wants to find happiness in who they really are"--

Book Synopsis

Chasing Peace is a guide for turning emotional breakdowns into breakthroughs with the insights of modern neuroscience. It's the story of a lifelong seeker who suffered years of escalating depression and anxiety, then discovered that the latest practices from brain science offered a path to the peace he longed for.

AN OPEN FIELD PUBLICATION FROM MARIA SHRIVER

Tom Rosshirt, like millions of people chasing peace, put his faith in the scripture of our culture: we find peace by becoming who we want to be. So Tom aimed high, worked hard and excelled. But instead of peace, he experienced debilitating anxiety, depression, and discouraging bouts of brain fog that forced him out of his life. He was one of a rising number of people now getting sidelined by conditions doctors can't cure. Many sufferers never find their way back, but Tom got lucky. After another dead-end session with a psychiatrist, Tom heard about self-directed neuroplasticity--a daily practice of retraining the brain based on the discovery that pain and illness often start in the brain's neural circuits, and what the brain learns, the brain can unlearn. After months of using this approach, Tom began to see an alignment between neuroplasticity and the principles of spiritual practice. Reversing the patterns that made him ill did more than make him well; it opened the path from stress to peace--from striving to be who we want to be to becoming who we are.

Brimming with hope, Chasing Peace is for anyone who is sick of chasing peace--but might be willing to read one more book.

Review Quotes

Praise for Chasing Peace

"A spiritual roadmap to a better life."
--Maria Shriver

"Chasing Peace is for those seeking the love, grace, and peace of the second half of life--and who might falsely think they've failed after a crisis or a loss. Tom helps us see that loss can be a turning point to find the peace we were born for. I give it my wholehearted blessing!"
--Richard Rohr, New York Times Bestselling author of The Universal Christ

"Chasing Peace is a beautifully written book that is poignant, compelling, wise, and funny. It will upend almost everything you think you know about anxiety, depression, addiction and chronic pain. Tom Rosshirt's story is the story of millions of people who are stuck and trapped and are misled by modern medical practices. Tom's journey to reclaim his life offers invaluable lessons that everyone should learn."
--Howard Schubiner, MD, author of Unlearn Your Pain

About the Author

Tom Rosshirt is a co-founder of UNITE, a co-creator of The Dignity Index, and an editor of The Call to Unite. Previously, Tom was a high school teacher, a Capitol Hill press secretary, a White House speechwriter, and a co-founder of West Wing Writers.