Love and Power
A Guide for Cultivating the Values of the Heart
Paperback: $12.99
Kindle: $6.99
Our troubled lives and times are a call to remember that the path to love is a sacred, revolutionary journey. In this book Dr. Bud Harris will not let us forget that we are born to be loved and to love. We are born and challenged to nurture love and create a passion for caring, compassion and unity as parents to our children, for ourselves, our society and the planet. Our great religious traditions, each in its own way, have told us this truth for centuries. Dr. Harris shares his journey through many decades of personal and professional experiences that have taught him hope can be found. Even when it may seem impossible, we must remember we have this healing and life-giving power within us. We can learn to accept, understand and live with love as the foundation of our human destiny.
Reading this book is a journey through the nine lessons Dr. Harris presents for learning what love really means, how we can find and cultivate it, along with the inner strength and far-reaching visions to transform these troubled times. “Points to Ponder” in every lesson invite us to re-examine our personal reactions, fears, or hidden and debilitating experiences that may have surfaced as we were reading. These are stumbling blocks that keep us from fully realizing and living our capacities for strength, power in its positive sense, and love.
Dr. Bud Harris has been in the field of Jungian psychology for over 40 years and has authored and co-authored over 20 books. Now in his mid-80s he has a long-standing practice that continues to thrive. He wrote this book because he believes that healing alienation and cultivating compassion, beginning with ourselves, are the necessary steps for creating a finer world for our children and grandchildren. His hope is this book will help guide you to the source of strength and love within you.
Reviews
“‘We are born to love and be loved.’ This is a profound and central truth for living from meaning, often difficult to practice in the face of struggle, conflict, and fear. Love and Power provides a Medicine for our society that has sadly lost its moral and behavioral compass over the past many decades. As instinctive as love is, it is difficult to access for most, often morphed and camouflaged by its opposite—power, sadly normalized and misinterpreted by the collective.
“Dr. Bud Harris has unpacked and disseminated profound wisdom and instruction in this most recent literary jewel, easily accessed on any page, providing guidance and clarity about what behaved authentic love actually is. His words, as always, inspire and provoke transformation. They land deeply and alchemically inside, evoking courage and urgency for us to be the bearers of fierce love during these troubled times. This book is a must read for any and all people dedicated to ‘being the change they want to see in the world.”
—Kalpana (Rose) Kumar M.D., Founder and Medical Director of The Ommani Center for Integrative Medicine and Author of Becoming Real: Reclaiming Our Health in Midlife
“Have you been affected by the toxic stress, anger, and alienation that permeate society? Is your sense of well-being threatened by dehumanizing forces beyond your control? Bud Harris is a voice crying in the wilderness. His message is clear: We are born to love and be loved. With serious changes of heart, mind, and action we can unite love with power. As love warriors we can fight for the true needs of our souls and heal the world in the process.”
—Dr. Jean Raffa, recipient of the Nautilus Silver Medal Award for her new book, The Soul’s Twins: Emancipate Your Feminine and Masculine Archetypes
“Love and Power challenges the reader to become personally engaged in the difficult times in which we are living. The writing which shares Dr. Harris’ personal experience, and calls on the reader’s involvement, is refreshing. The book’s title intrigued me; I viewed love and warrior as opposites. After reading this book, I agree the two belong together. Jung’s view about the transcendent function came to mind—we must hold the tension of the opposites until a new third appears.
“This book is not some abstract reflection on love. It is a call for action in the troubling times in which we live. Dr. Harris is deeply concerned about our current social situation which he characterizes as ‘fragmented, self centered, and callous—now on a suicidal journey.’ Harris challenges the reader to confront this situation and personally become a love warrior. If we personally and collectively accept this challenge, Harris believes, ‘we may be spared the worst possibilities that now face us.’ This book includes many practical activities and practices to help assimilate the material and become a love warrior.”
—J. Linn Mackey, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Appalachian State University
“Take courage. Armed with enduring concepts of Dr. Carl Jung and wisdom of many authors including himself, Dr. Harris presents lessons for living in difficult times. This is a harsh season for humanity: alienation among people, harsh effects of climate change, extremes of poverty, and displacement of citizens of the world. But the message of love is a message for all seasons. In Love and Power Dr. Harris encourages us to engage fully in the world as we confront realities of our current crises, after thorough self-examination. Emboldened by the fierceness of love that comes from forces deep within our hearts, we can arm ourselves with courage. And, as Dr. Harris writes, ‘the reward is to lift our lives beyond the ordinary and to open our eyes to a new perspective upon ourselves and the world.'”
—Sim Cozart, DDS, Community Organizer and Activist
Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction: Renewing the Promise of Life
JUNGIAN IDEAS ON LOVE AND POWER
Lesson One: Facing the Truth of Our Reality
Lesson Two: Love’s Foundation
Lesson Three: Power Supporting Love
Lesson Four: Love Chooses Life
Lesson Five: Cultivating Courage
Lesson Six: The Healing Power of Self-Love
Lesson Seven: Love Must Be Strong
Lesson Eight: Healing Alienation is Crucial
Lesson Nine: Cultivating Compassion
ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGES OF THE HEART
Appendix: Helpful Practices for the Journey
Journaling Suggestions:
Dreams as Friends
Paying Attention
Listening
Questioning
Reflecting