Undimmed: The Eight Awarenesses for Freedom from Unwanted Habits

Mak, cofounder of ClearLife Reset, a program that aims to help people reduce or quit their use of alcohol, debuts with a lucid guide to defeating destructive habits. Drawing from her own life, the author describes how she began drinking to fit in as a teen and continued to rely on alcohol to blunt feelings of dissatisfaction as a adult. After kicking the habit in the midst of getting divorced, she was able to start “making decisions from a clearer and more confident place.” Mak explains how readers can break free from their own “dimming habits,” like binge-eating or overworking, which minimize difficult feelings but make it harder to live intentionally and to fully connect with others. Readers can do so by recognizing and acting on eight core truths, among them the notions that life is better “clear” and that one’s trauma isn’t their identity. (Overidentifying with the pain and fear that drives one’s coping mechanisms can perpetuate self-defeating narratives, according to Mak.) Readers will appreciate Mak’s refreshingly candid exploration of her attempts to live more authentically, and her flexible, middle-of-the-road approach wisely leaves room for cutting back on or reframing harmful habits rather than abstaining from them entirely. Readers looking to make major life changes will be informed and inspired. (Jan.)