Robert J. Wicks - The Tao of Ordinariness

In the chaos of our modern world Robert Wicks elucidates the concepts of humility, simplicity, courage and persistence as integral strategies to achieving inner peace. The Tao of Ordinariness provides a roadmap for achieving clarity and acceptance of the uniqueness of self as a pathway to contentment and resilience. This is a welcome recipe as many of us struggle with ambiguity, uncertainty and the pressures of modern life.

Patricia Davidson, Ph.D., M.Ed., RN, FAAN

Dean

Johns Hopkins School of Nursing

So much energy is wasted on seeking to be someone or something we are not, but in this engaging and entertaining book Robert Wicks shows us the importance of being who we are. Bringing over forty years of clinical experience in helping others, and with wit and wisdom garnered from literature, philosophy, and psychology, this book is a great guide for everyone seeking to explore the possibilities within themselves.

Stephen Joseph, PhD.

Author, Authentic: How to Be Yourself and Why It Matters

Learning to accept what life hands us may be our biggest challenge. The Tao of Ordinariness is a wise and timely reminder that being ordinary means living the truth of who we are by facing life just as it is.

Cheryl Giles, Psy.D.

Francis Greenwood Peabody Senior Lecturer on Pastoral Care and Counseling;

Core Faculty, Buddhist Ministry Initiative

Harvard Divinity School

Robert Wicks takes us on an important journey; one of enlightenment and deep learning (and unlearning), if only we are open to listening, seeing, feeling, and experiencing what he shares with us. By peeling back the layers of interference from the world we have lived in and been influenced by, Wicks guides all those who seek the answers within. For all those who are open to embracing this process, this book opens the door to an important journey that can lead us to the happiness, contentment, and wholeness we each seek.

Jeffrey E. Barnett, Psy.D., ABPP

Past President, Psychotherapy Division, American Psychological Association;

Co-Editor, Handbook of Private Practice (Oxford University Press)

Night Call: Embracing Compassion and Hope in a Troubled World
(Oxford University Press: 2018)

Robert Wicks, a renowned psychologist and specialist in the area of resilience, has written a truly impressive book.

Robert Brooks, Ph.D.,

Faculty, Harvard Medical School;

Co-author of The Power of Resilience

With stories and words of wisdom, Wicks shows how persistence, compassion, and humility heal us all. His book is a great salve.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Perspective: The Calm within the Storm (Oxford University Press: 2014)

This is the kind of book you cant put down because it is so necessary.

Alexandra Fuller

N.Y. Times Bestselling Author ofCocktail Hour under the Tree of Forgetfulness

Bounce: Living the Resilient Life
(Oxford University Press: 2010)

Insightful, practical, and often humorous, Bounce is the right tonic for the spirit we need in a stressful world.

Helen Prejean

Author, Dead Man Walking

Riding the Dragon
(Sorin Books: 2003/2012)

Like a good friends support in tough times, Riding the Dragon is compassionate and wise.

Jack Kornfield

Author of A Path with Heart

Crossing the Desert: Learning to Let Go, See Clearly and Live Simply
(Sorin Books: 2017)

Crossing the Desert offers the reader inspiration, insight, and invaluable tools for discovering the sacred presence in daily life.

Tara Brach

Author, Radical Acceptance

Wonderfully sane, balanced, accessible, witty, and challenging.

Ronald Rolheiser

Author, The Holy Longing

ROBERT J. WICKS

Author

Night Call:
Embracing Compassion and Hope in a Troubled World

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Published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press

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Oxford University Press 2019

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by license, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reproduction rights organization. Inquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above.

You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer.

CIP data is on file at the Library of Congress

ISBN 9780190937171

eISBN 9780190937195

Wicks, R. (2010) Bounce: Living the Resilient Life. (New York: Oxford University Press). Used with permission of Oxford University Press.

Thank you to Ave Maria Press for permission to reprint select excerpts from the following books, all authored by Robert J. Wicks: Availability: The Challenge and the Gift of Being Present; Crossing the Desert; Streams of Contentment; and Touching the Holy. 1-800-282-1865; www.avemariapress.com.

For my son-in-law, Peter Kulick. His simplicity and genuineness put others at ease. In being nothing less nor nothing more than who he is, he exemplifies the rare spirit of authenticity that marks the virtue of a truly extra-ordinary person. His example reminds me of what a gift it can be to those around us when we are simply ourselves. I know he is certainly a fine role model for me to emulate in this respect.
Thank you, Peter.

One
An Elusive Companion Virtue: Humility

Two
Travel Lightly: Simplicity and Letting Go

Three
The Unrecognizable You: Addressing the Reputation You Currently Have with Yourself

Four
Becoming Sea-Kindly: Living with Greater Patience, Perseverance, and a Willingness to Fail

Five
Mentors in Ordinariness: Experiencing Authenticity in Practice

Six
Alonetime: Embracing Spaces Conducive to the Process of Self-Uncovering and Re-Discovering

If you are lost in the forest, that is not really lost.

You are really lost if you forget who you are.

~A jahn C hah

The punishment imposed on us for claiming true self can never be worse than the punishment we impose on ourselves by failing to make that claim. And the converse is true as well: no reward anyone might give us could possibly be greater than the reward that comes from living by our own best lights.