The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self
Martha N. Beck
Bestselling author, life coach, and sociologist Martha Beck explains why “ integrity ”— needed now more than ever in these tumultuous times — is the key to a meaningful and joyful lifeAs Martha Beck says in her book, “Integrity is the cure for psychological suffering. Period. ”In The Way of Integrity , Beck presents a four-stage process that anyone can use to find integrity, and with it, a sense of purpose, emotional healing, and a life free of mental suffering. more
327 pages, Hardcover
First published The Open Field
4.17
Rating
6656
Ratings
599
Reviews
Martha N. Beck
22 books 878 followers
Dr. Martha Beck is a New York Times bestselling author, life coach, and speaker. She holds three Harvard degrees in social science, and Oprah Winfrey has called her “one of the smartest women I know.” Martha is a passionate and engaging teacher, known for her unique combination of science, humor, and spirituality. Her forthcoming book, The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self, is out in April 2021.Community reviews
Luckily I made notes about the good bits because I had to throw the book away after I read it. I took the filling out parts a bit too far and wrote some very incriminating and dark shit in there. Like when I finished it I was like what if I give this to someone without thinking and they find out about all the shameful shit I've done. Hideous. Aside from that, I think it had some great points which I'll try and take on board. more
This is a wonderful, life-changing book for everyone who reads it and especially for those who feel they are serving everyone but themselves. I'm late to the Martha Beck phenomenon but happy to have found this book (one of many she has written) and would recommend this book to anyone open to examining their choices and how those choices in life either fulfill them or exhaust them. It is beautifully written, and of all the books I've read on habit and fulfillment, I think this one is the most accessible and has the best shot at actually changing your behaviors. I'll probably read this one again and again. . more
This is my favorite of her books, though I always say that. It’s more subtle than her other self-development books, quieter in a way, more nuanced but also bolder, and it’s probably the most impactful. Though it’s fully stand-alone and its own subject, it builds developmentally on all her prior work. Worth the wait. . more
This book is about unity and alignment with yourself. After thirty years of writing self-help and coaching people, the author concluded that the single cause of psychological suffering is a loss of structural integrity with all the parts in place. And when we fall out of structural integrity, we crash. The book talks about the suffering that happens when we split from ourselves. We're all born with a genuine nature and integrity until culture hits us. more
I really liked the 1st half of this book. Beck makes a lot of references to Dante's Divine Comedy so I simultaneously listened to that book on Audible. Beck maps out the steps to living in peace, which she proposes only comes from within when you live with integrity. "Integrity is the cure for unhappiness. " But I kind of feel the last few chapters fizzle out. more
So, let’s get straight into it. A LOT is going on in The Way of Integrity. Martha Beck has not only led one hell of a life (from conservative Mormon to lesbian self-care and life coach superpower), she’s also written a self-care book based on The Divine Comedy. It can’t work, can it. I kinda feel like it did. more
Retreading Old GroundHaving read Finding Your North Star and Finding Your Way in a Wild New World,I was very disappointed to find that this latest book Integrity is the very same material in a different format. This time,she uses Dante’s model of the circles of hell and entry into heaven to pin her stages of change on to but it is a re-run of her previous work. more
Very rarely give a book 1 star but again don't read this kind of book usually anyway. This one do not deserve even one more star. This was the first time and will be for sure the last that I'll read a book a celebrity recommends- my dear Miranda Heart, seriously. This was a book of cliche. Call me sad and miserable but are you f*** kidding me. more
Would’ve been a good book for me 20 years ago. Now, a decent refresher. . more
Written around the analogy of the three volumes of Dante's The Divine Comedy, this book takes you on a quest for complete spiritual integrity. Sometimes the literary comparisons seem like a stretch, but other times they perfectly illustrate how you can find your way back to your true self: where all of life's treasures await you. I like reading spiritual/personal-development books, but I'm equally interested in the lives of the authors who write them. Several times, Martha Beck mentioned Byron Katie's work—now, I've heard her name often, I've even watched one of her interviews (though her content seemed a bit too woo-woo for me), but what I never knew, until reading The Way of Integrity, is that Byron Katie is married to, of all people, Stephen Mitchell—THE Stephen Mitchell, who happens to be the translator of, among other well known works, The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke (Rilke is one of my favorite poets). I was, of course, delighted, and instantly decided that I was no longer going to shun Byron Katie's books. more
While reading this book, a dialogue from Shakespeare's Hamlet, spoken by Polonius to his son Laertes, came across my mind: "This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. ”This book is about being true to ourselves. When we're not true to ourselves, when our actions don't align with our true values and what we truly want, we create divisions inside our own selves and it causes suffering and unhappiness. In The Way of Integrity, the author doesn't mean the word Integrity in a moralizing sense. She says, "To be in integrity is to be one thing, whole and undivided. more
IncredibleThis is a handbook for life that brims with optimism and love. This is one brave lady who has had to cope with some huge hurdles but has come out an awesome human being. more
I ranged from zero stars and eye rolling to 5 stars and note taking on this one but will average out at 3. 5. Some of the concepts will stick with me and others need contemplation but overall a few key takeaways and I’m glad I finished. more
Phenomenal. Will promptly reread this one, so much to soak in . more
This book started out a little slow for me but by the time it ended, I couldn’t put it down. It was expansive and gave me SO much to think about, reflect on, and move towards. Her own story as part of the framework and journey towards integrity was inspiring, humanizing and powerful. I loved the use of Dante’s divine comedy as a framework for how to move towards personal attunement, integrity and freedom. The path as outlined is not for the faint of heart but also makes me feel that we can all do it if we want. more
Confession time, folks. I have never picked up a self-improvement book in my twenty-four years of life because of my twin thoughts:1. Self-help books are absolute garbage. 2. Self-help books are not going to help me, for I'm a delusional bastard who can singlehandedly solve her own problems - thank you very much. more
This book helped me learn to find the light, energy, and warmth that comes from living in radical truth and honesty. It helped me see the world as safe, enticing, and alive. I hope to remember to revisit this book when I feel stuck. What a gift. . more
Introduction consists of an author bragging about how smart she is, how many people she’s helped/saved, and how she knows “the way”. *begin paragraph*“This book is meant to guide and accompany you along that way. Wherever you may be in life, however you may feel right now, the way of integrity will take you from this very spot to a life with meaning, enchantment, and fascination. I’ve helped hundreds of people experience this. I’ve also left a whole process myself—and believe me, I was not an easy case. more
As a born-and-raised people-pleaser, this book has given me some much needed perspective and courage. Some of the exercises, stories and advice really resonated with me. But other exercises, reflections and tie-ins to Dante’s Divine Comedy seemed a bit too radical/spiritual for me and really affected how engaged I was with the book at some points. I especially appreciate the guidance to make 10-minute or 1-degree changes instead of more drastic adjustments to help maintain those intentions. I’m going to try to lie less to the people I care about. more
🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼💛💛💛🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼I listened to this on audio and purchased a physical copy, too. This is how I think and live my life. What a beautiful person and amazing book. . more
Life changingMade me question all that I was doing in my life right now and spell out the many things I had been lying to myself about. more
Listened to audio book. There were some nuggets for me in terms of living in integrity. The Dante references were a little too abstract for me . more
This was brilliant. Martha Beck is so good she can even almost make me like Dante. Almost. Maybe. I’m obsessed with the meditation at the end. more
I wavered between a 3. 5-4 on and off throughout this book. I thought there were many takeaways that I have found myself reflecting on, and it validated some of my thoughts I myself have been having lately. What I struggled with were the chapters in which she felt her so , Adam, her baby boy blessed with Down syndrome, was seen as a hardship she was encourage to abort-due to his disability- and how she wavered. It was all very valid experiences and concerns, just content I personally struggle with. more
This book was recommended to me several times before I actually picked it up. Sometimes books find you at just the right time, and this was certainly an example of that. I was not familiar with Martha Beck before reading this but was instantly taken by her wit, charm, and authenticity. I am very picky when it comes to "self-help" books, as I can find many of them to be pretentious, self-indulgent, or even downright yawn-inducing. This book held none of those traps. more
This was a very quirky read. I really enjoyed it. This book was put on my heart to read at the perfect time. I love books who’s timing is therapeutic. There are some things I’m a bit skeptical about but for the most part it was an enlightening read. more
Martha Beck describes integrity as "to be one thing, whole and undivided. "Seems pretty simple enough, yet most often times challenging to accomplish. I know that I strive to live my life whole heartedly with integrity, but alas, I have teenagers that constantly challenge my wits and will to no end lol That being said, I found The Way of Integrity to be just what I needed in order to help me make sense of how to truly live with purpose, to heal, and to rediscover that integrity can help you to be true in what you think, say and do. . more
'do and say whatever feels like harmony in your body/mind/heart/soul. You'll know the truth by the sense of solid alignment that comes with it. ' Recommended by Joyce, this book could not have come at a more perfect time. It articulates the season I'm in to the tee and gives me the words to understand why I'm feeling what I'm feeling. Thankful for books and the people in my life who recommend them to me ❤️. more