Book description
Four simple phrases -- "Please forgive me," "I forgive
you," "Thank you," and "I love you" -- carry
enormous power. In many ways, they contain the most powerful words in
our language. These four phrases provide us with a clear path to
emotional wellness; they guide us through the thickets of interpersonal
difficulties to a conscious way of living that is full of integrity and
grace.
In The Four Things That Matter Most, Dr. Ira Byock, an
international leader in palliative care, teaches us how to practice
these life-affirming words in our day-to-day lives. Too often we
assume that the people we love really know we love them. Dr. Byock
reveals the value of stating the obvious and provides insights into
how we burden ourselves by hanging on to old grudges unconsciously and
unnecessarily. He shows us how to avoid living with those awkward
silences and uncomfortable issues that distance us from the people we
love and erode our sense of well-being and joy. His insights and
stories help us to forgive, appreciate, love, and celebrate one
another more fully.
The inspiring stories in The Four Things That Matter Most
demonstrate the usefulness of the Four Things in a wide range of life
situations. They also show that a degree of emotional healing is
always possible and that we can experience a sense of wholeness even
in the wake of family strife, personal tragedy, divorce, or in the
face of death. With practical wisdom and spiritual punch, The Four
Things That Matter Most gives us the language and guidance to
honor and experience what really matters most in our lives every day.
Zorba Paster, M. D. Author of The Longevity
Code, host of public radio's Zorba Paster on Your Health,
and host of the public television special How to Live a Long, Sweet
Life The Four Things That Matter Most provides simple,
insightful words and stories that move the heart and the soul. Dr.
Byock shows us a graceful way to nurture relationships and heal those
that need mending.
Ira Byock, M. D., is a leading palliative care
physician and longtime public advocate for improving care through the
end of life. He is past president of the Academy of Hospice and
Palliative Medicine and cofounder of Life's End Institute: Missoula
Demonstration Project, Inc., a community-based research and quality
improvement organization focused on end-of-life experience and care.
He heads the national Promoting Excellence in End-of-Life Care program
for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He is director of palliative
medicine at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and a faculty member of
Dartmouth School of Medicine.
