Pathways to Inner Peace is a personal guide and a practical workbook that lays out nine distinct “paths”: mindful presence, community, kindness, nature, meditation, purpose, intuition, the arts, and joy, to cultivate a calmer, more connected life. Why was this an important book for you to write?

Our lives are filled with potential. Yet in these challenging times, our ability to flourish can be compromised by disconnection, stress, and uncertainty. My goal in this book is to help people cultivate greater peace of mind, resilience, and hope by sharing nine powerful pathways to inner peace that have been practiced through centuries of spiritual tradition, described by poets and philosophers, and are now supported by the latest scientific research.

For readers who are intimidated or overwhelmed by the idea of slowing down and practicing mindfulness, what advice do you have for them to help them get started down the path to inner peace?

Readers don’t have to follow a demanding meditation regimen to gain inner peace. They can begin by simply pausing for a moment whenever they feel stressed and taking a deep breath to become more centered. They can find ways to connect more deeply with nature, the beauty of the arts, and the people in their lives. Pathways to Inner Peace offers these and other simple practices from nine research-validated pathways.  Readers can choose the practices they’re most comfortable with to chart their own path to greater peace of mind.

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

After a series of personal losses, I began searching for greater connection and peace of mind. While studying extensive research in psychology and neuroscience, I discovered nine powerful pathways to peace of mind. Trying them myself, I learned how profoundly they can affect us. I found that taking a short walk in a natural setting can help relieve depression. I learned that even a brief connection with another person—waving at a neighbor, exchanging greetings with the clerk at the grocery store—can benefit both people, relieving stress, and activating our immune systems. And I discovered how a simple gratitude practice—thinking of three things we’re grateful for—can bring us greater peace of mind and restore our trust in life. I share these and other simple practices in this book.

What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Pathways to Inner Peace?

I’d like readers to discover, as Viktor Frankl realized so long ago, that no matter what life brings us, we have a choice in how to respond. By following the practices in these nine pathways, we can all choose to live with greater peace of mind, meaning, and hope.

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