My First Prayer And Gratitude Journal

Two spiritual giants. Five days. One timeless question.

Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships—or, as they would say, because of them—they are two of the most joyful people on the planet.

In April 2015, Archbishop Tutu traveled to the Dalai Lama’s home in Dharamsala, India, to celebrate His Holiness’s eightieth birthday and to create what they hoped would be a gift for others. They looked back on their long lives to answer a single burning question: How do we find joy in the face of life’s inevitable suffering?

They traded intimate stories, teased each other continually, and shared their spiritual practices. By the end of a week filled with laughter and punctuated with tears, these two global heroes had stared into the abyss and despair of our time and revealed how to live a life brimming with joy.

This book offers us a rare opportunity to experience their astonishing and unprecendented week together, from the first embrace to the final good-bye.

We get to listen as they explore the Nature of True Joy and confront each of the Obstacles of Joy—from fear, stress, and anger to grief, illness, and death. They then offer us the Eight Pillars of Joy, which provide the foundation for lasting happiness. Throughout, they include stories, wisdom, and science. Finally, they share their daily Joy Practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives.

The Archbishop has never claimed sainthood, and the Dalai Lama considers himself a simple monk. In this unique collaboration, they offer us the reflection of real lives filled with pain and turmoil in the midst of which they have been able to discover a level of peace, of courage, and of joy to which we can all aspire in our own lives.

Journal
This beautiful journal from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu gives you all the space you need to notice and record what gives you joy. Arranged as a 365-day companion, it prompts you with inspiring quotes from The Book of Joy to help transform their joy practices into an enduring way of life. It is the perfect companion for The Book of Joy’s many passionate readers as well as the perfect gift for anyone looking to live a more joyful. Share the joy!

Today’s world knows little about perseverance. This is why so few people become innovators, entrepreneurs, and world-changers. Success is bypassed, not due to a lack of opportunity, but because we don’t know how to maximize the opportunities in front of us and PUSH – persevere until success happens.

In her encouraging and dynamic style, Dr. Cindy Trimm inspires you to go for it. It is one thing to read about the lives of great achievers—it is another thing to join their ranks.

Learn how to:

• Carry your dreams, visions, and goals “full term” and to complete fulfillment
• Exercise the power of faith to overcome the impossible and release God’s supernatural purposes into your life
• Resist the temptation to ‘cave’ under pressure and press on even when you don’t feel like it anymore
• Empower others to fulfill their divine destinies through co-laboring with them

“If you dare to believe that God has something great in store for you to do, to accomplish, or to achieve, you must be prepared to persevere in spite of your hardship, setbacks, and challenges in order to realize your dreams and accomplish your goals. This book is written to give you that extra push.”—Cindy Trimm