"By the time you finish this book, there will be nothing holding you back."—from the Introduction Most people have a vision for their lives that they're not pursuing, half-heartedly pursuing, or pursuing with all their might yet somehow falling short. This vision can be modest or grand. It may involve breaking free of a destructive habit or finding a truly healthy relationship. It might have to do with making a real difference in the world or helping to lead a company to extraordinary success. In The One Thing Holding You Back , Raphael Cushnir, a leading voice in the world of personal and professional development, reveals that whenever people aren't living their dreams it's because they're not yet willing and able to feel specific emotions related to those dreams. Once we access and understand these emotions, our dreams can and will come true. Cushnir asserts that mere emotional awareness, commonly referred to as emotional intelligence, is not enough. For maximum benefit we must directly and consistently connect with our emotions. In particular, we need to connect with the emotions we routinely avoid, resist, or attempt to dismiss. It's these emotions that possess the key to our greatest goals. And learning to connect with them is another rarely taught but essential skill. The One Thing Holding You Back provides real solutions that can be implemented immediately and without external support and includes true stories of people who have put Cushnir's process to work and transformed their lives. Delivering a step-by-step program in accessible language, this landmark book will turn the obstacles in front of us into tremendous opportunities for achieving the life we always wanted. Counselor and lecturer Cushnir ( Setting Your Heart on Fire; Unconditional Bliss ) has developed a four-step formula for achieving success and unlocking undeveloped potential. His ideas will be familiar to readers of popular psychology. He advises first connecting to an emotion, experiencing fully the corresponding physical sensation in the body, and waiting until the sensation changes before examining and analyzing. The next steps follow a continuous loop: identify the issue, imagine the worst thing that could happen, visualize the situation, feel the associated emotions, and continue the process until able to move forward. Using examples from his clients, Cushnir applies this process to problems of addiction, compulsion, and communication in relationships and in the workplace. Useful tips are given for when it may be wise to regulate emotions or postpone expressing feelings. In a final section, Cushnir imagines the benefits if emotional connection were taught in schools and used in politics. Appendixes answer questions and summarize principles, but no bibliographical references or suggestions for further reading are given. Cushnir's genius lies in his compilation of easy-to-follow principles, highlighted core concepts, and key refinements. Recommended for popular psychology collections in public libraries.—Lucille M. Boone, San Jose P.L., CA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. “Raphael Cushnir gives readers dozens of practical tools to break through difficult emotions and make their dreams come true.” - Rick Hanson, Ph.D, The Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom “Cushnir’s method is deceptively simple considering the magic it unleashes.” - Gwen Gordon, Transformation Consultant “In this beautifully written and wise book, Raphael Cushnir spells out how resistance to emotions is often what gets in the way of our most important goals. Then, tenderly and patiently, he shows us exactly how to reconnect and break free.” - Terry Patten, co-author of Integral Life Practice Cushnir (Unconditional Bliss) introduces fascinating and iconoclastic ideas about health and healing in this book, which argues that ‘emotions are physical. Our bodies are the only places they can ever be found.’” - Publishers Weekly “This is a wise, practical, and liberating book.” - Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart “The One Thing Holding You Back is just plain brilliant! Read it, apply it, and change your life!” - Christiane Northrup, M.D., author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom “Raphael Cushnir shows us the way to fulfillment and happiness in this brilliant new book. I’m confident you will learn something new from this fresh take on how to break through your personal barriers to reach your ultimate goals.” - Marci Shimoff, NY Times bestselling author of Happy for No Reason and featured teacher in The Secret “Emotions are so often misunderstood. Raphael Cushnir shows us a how to connect with our our feelings and move past the obstacles that can block our way.” - Deepak Chopra, author of Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment “This is a brilliant and important book. I recommend it for everyone―lay people and professionals.” - Harville Hendrix, Ph. D. Getting the Love Y