untethered meaning: 1. not physically connected or fastened to something: 2. An untethered animal is not tied to anything, so that it is free to move in a large.
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I thought it possible for awhile, until I eventually realized that I was just suppressing all of the "unhappy" feelings and was building up negative feelings inside me. I would not recommend this book to anyone who wants to be happily in touch with their emotio This book actually changed me for what I once thought was the better. I would not recommend this book to anyone who wants to be happily in touch with their emotions, because this book will manipulate your mind and make you believe you are "free" when really, you're confined.
View all 6 comments. Oct 25, Jennifer Campaniolo rated it really liked it. On the back cover of this New York Times Bestseller is the question "who are you really? The Journey Beyond Yourself I realize that the answer is more philosophical and complex than all that. Basically who I am and who you are exists in the seat of our consciousness.
We are the person who obs On the back cover of this New York Times Bestseller is the question "who are you really? We are the person who observes our thoughts, emotions, actions. Why is this distinction of self important? Because, according to author Michael A. Singer, "you not only have the ability to find yourself, you have the ability to free yourself.
untethered - English-French Dictionary leondumoulin.nl
It occurred to me that I was missing most of my life because my inner thoughts were loud and ceaseless, like some annoying passenger on a five-hour train ride who decides to pass the time by calling everyone she has ever known on her cell phone which is why I try to get a seat in the Quiet Car as often as possible. I want to put these inner thoughts on mute so I don't miss the experience of being alive. The Untethered Soul struck a chord in me because it encourages detachment from this never-ending feedback inside our brains.
The truth is that most of life will unfold in accordance with forces far outside your control, regardless of what your mind says about it. In fact, your thoughts have far less impact on this world than you would like to think. Eventually you will see that the real cause of problems is not life itself. It's the commotion the mind makes about life that really causes problems.
The idea that we are not our thoughts is sometimes a difficult concept to get one's head around. But if you can understand this you are poised to enjoy your life much more than you ever could when you were viewing life through the filter of your inner thoughts and perceptions. I did take issue with some of the sweeping proclamations in the book, such as "Once you reach this state [of letting go] you will never have to worry about anything ever again.
Wouldn't that make us more like automatons than real people? Singer goes on to write, "No matter what happens, you can choose to enjoy the experience. If they starve you and put you in solitary confinement, just have fun being like Gandhi. There are certain situations where having fun with adversity would be a baffling response Can you imagine the Staten Island woman who lost her two sons in Hurricane Sandy "having fun with it? If it were not for Death, Singer reasons, we would not appreciate our life and the lives of others.
If you thought that this week was your last week on Earth or the last time you would talk to your mother or best friend , wouldn't you want to enjoy it and reach out to that loved one? If Death did not exist we would squander our time because there would be no end of it. So in this regard Death -- or our knowledge of it coming at any time -- becomes a gift.
Overall I responded to Singer's words and how he is able to boil life down to one choice: I don't think he's asking readers to wholly discard our difficult thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Instead he encourages us to transcend them, to see that who we are is in fact larger than all that. Depending on your religious beliefs, we are all existing on this constantly-changing, spinning Earth for a short time.
Do you want to give up your one chance to fully appreciate the ride? The Untethered Soul was not a quick read for me because there were many ideas I wanted to digest slowly. Like with life I wanted to pay close attention to this book. Aug 03, Chris rated it did not like it Shelves: Wasn't doing it for me. Mar 07, Bette rated it it was amazing.
I still milk on this book. I read this book and a second highlighted reading last year, shortly after its release. I didn't really need to highlight anything, because it is not full of cliches, or complexities. Actually, I would be more inclined to highlight every sentence. He's very economical in his style, but he does a very straightforward job for me of progressing his thoughts in I still milk on this book. He's very economical in his style, but he does a very straightforward job for me of progressing his thoughts in a textured, conversational way.
Singer totally simplified age-old profound ideas, some of which had come to make me believe a little that, gosh, I, my ego and spirit, were just too profound to understand. This book taught me differently. I am a great fan of Tolle, Jean Houston, Chopra, Butterworth, Dyer, Zukav, et al, but Singer delivered the normal big thoughts with such brevity and determined direction, and simplicity and lightness.
He doesn't presuppose that we don't know what he's talking about, or that his thinking is unique. The doors that he opened for me didn't creak with philosophy or dogma behind it, or slam shut with frustration of "getting it". I saw his interview on the Super Soul Sunday series, after my first reading and that reinforced what I had thought about him - he is the human we all are. He doesn't pretend to know more than what the rest of us know about spirit and soul and beingness. He just seemed to me to be walking the walk -- blue collar zeitgeist.
A mind catcher thought of his was:: Just lean back and let whatever it is flow by. Feb 06, Lisa rated it it was amazing. This gem of a book was transformational for me. We can let them go; they are not who we are. This is the book I most often give to others. Dec 09, Jennifer rated it really liked it.
This book is psychological bootcamp. Its purpose is quite literally to eradicate you.
If the principles of this piece are bought and practiced for a person's lifetime, then this book does have the power to change who you think you are and even where you are. To go into great detail on anything spiritual would be difficult for any review. Instead I'll bring up the parts of this work that I found relevant in hopes of you reading further into it beyond this review. Singer's main premise is what our This book is psychological bootcamp.
Singer's main premise is what our Self is not. Our self, who we are, is not our thoughts or feelings. These are merely reactions to external events. If you ask most people to explain who they are, you'll get a slew of facts like "asl" in a chat conversation. This is not who that person is. Instead, the definition of Self is just the "one who is aware that it is aware.
Everything that happens externally or internally is energy. It's the Self's job to watch the energy flow in and out of us and not try to focus specifically on any of it. If your Self focuses too closely on anything, even a positive experience, you become blocked and your ability to experience the smooth flow of other energies in and out of you won't be as smooth.
Next Singer presents the idea that because of our Self focusing in on specifics, those specifics become something important to the Self. Because the Self is so busy focusing on the specifics of that thing, it loses out on the chance it has every single minute to live in the minute. This is not good. Further, the more focused our Self becomes on specifics, the less quiet the mind and heart are.
The mind and heart lead one to confusion as suddenly their job becomes protecting that specific from other energy flows that may pass through us and bump up against it. We create walls and in doing so, our Self becomes lost behind them and all the noise of the heart and mind. People will create elaborate definitions of who they are from how they have crafted together the workings of confused minds and hearts.
According to Singer, the best way to eliminate all problems in this world is simply to not view anything as a problem. We're here on the planet just to experience life, that's it. Where we get into problems is when we try to change the external world to protect the walls we've put up inside ourselves. In the end we're all scared shitless and just about everything we say or feel comes directly from fear. He asks us to Stop. Acknowledge the constant inner voice that plays, acknowledge emotions but don't engage with them other than to relax through them as you're having them and let them go.
Some stranger just called you fat on the street. Never mind that the stranger was drunk, you immediately remember being harassed as a child for being fat. That stranger has ruined your day. You're the one who allowed your thoughts of being called in fat in childhood to remain with you all those years. In fact, you didn't even allow them to stay, your mind and heart which is not you did. All the guy said was the word fat. If you'd just let that childhood disturbance go then, you would have had a normal day.
It gets a little tricky beyond this point. To be constantly reminding yourself that nothing you think or feel is you, and you are just the one who watches what's thought and felt, can be a little Out There to most. I know for me my first thought upon reading this was panic. You mean that everything I say is not me? What's the purpose in communication if everyone is just protecting his inner fears? If all you're talking to is walls, how can you ever know anybody? That's where my mind went with it.
It only got harder the more I read. Eventually Singer introduces the idea that to be truly free of all disturbance your Self must stop being aware that it is aware. We know that our thoughts and heart aren't us, but now we must face the possibility of our Self's not even being us. Once we let go of that we're sucked up into the Divine Force and can experience God.
Through all this Singer claims that by letting go you will be peaceful and full of joy, but he also said something I'm still struggling with and that's that God is only interested in being hang out buddies with those people who are already happy and find everything in his creation beautiful. The next chapter Singer states that God has no judgment and is just in Ecstasy, but you might want to read that God is for the Happys chapter on your own to figure that out. Look, I'm not a religious person. What I do believe in is the fact that thoughts and emotions are pretty treacherous waters to navigate at times, and for that reason I recommend anyone of any beliefs to take this book for a test drive.
I'm sure I won't become enlightened tomorrow morning, but at least it's given me a place to start should I ever want to start on that path. I gave this only four stars for I felt at times it was written too simply. Where I wanted to see metaphors there were none, where I didn't need one, there were. That and he kept repeating "It really is that simple" which if heard enough can be patronizing over reassuring. Aug 07, Laurie rated it it was amazing. This is one of the best books I have read in a long time and will be added to my stack of all time favorites.
Michael Singer reminds us that the voice inside that is always chattering away is not us. He encourages us to get to the place where we can be the "observer" and watch that voice. It sounds easy, but it is not. It is very easy to as my friend Maryann Pomegranate said "to get caught up in our own movie". Stand firm in the seat of the witness and release the hold the habitual mind has on you. This is your life--reclaim it.
Nothing, ever, is worth closing your heart over. I need to let it pass through me and not hang on to it. Jul 30, Kaylee Sakellar rated it it was amazing. I love this book, it is easily one of my favorite self-help books. It is so different than any book I've ever read, and even though I'm picky in expanding the types of books I read, I'm so glad I decided to go with something different and choose this book. I love reading it in the morning or afternoon because it actually gives me energy and puts me in a good mood.
This is not a religious book, although it might look like it would be from the cover, it's not what so ever. It's not exactly a "how I love this book, it is easily one of my favorite self-help books. It's not exactly a "how to" meditation book, which is what I like about it. It tells you how to find your center and how to keep the energy flowing throughout your body. If your like me, your probably thinking that this book sounds cheesy by what I said in the last sentence, but the way it is written makes it not cheesy what so ever.
It's a book that's hard to put down, and you fly through the pages. But sometimes I like to go back and re-read some pages because you really need to absorb what you're reading in order to get the most out of it. Nov 28, Charla Brummel rated it it was amazing Shelves: I couldn't put this book down. This books has helped me realize how much destruction I am creating for myself by the walls I have built around me and the resistance I have for obstacles in life. In addition to learning about the barriers I have created for myself, I feel so equipped to deal with all future road blocks.
Ultima I couldn't put this book down. And who doesn't want that? Mar 16, Mary rated it it was amazing. Very deeply spirtual book with very heavy Buddhist leanings but I think that they are principles that could be applied within any religion. I think it's one of those books you would want to keep on hand and it could have different meanings for you each time you read and depending on where you are in your l Excellent book. I think it's one of those books you would want to keep on hand and it could have different meanings for you each time you read and depending on where you are in your life.
Jul 01, Esterina Ganija rated it it was amazing. I didn't expect to find such a compelling and illuminating read when I first picked up this book. The whole mindfulness and awareness thing seems to have been flogged almost to death in recent years with everyone pontificating their views and their tales of enlightenment.
untethered
So it was with a degree of trepidation and reserved cynicism that I began to read, needless to say my negativity was dissolved in the first chapter and this book has had a profound impact on my psyche. Would you like to be free I didn't expect to find such a compelling and illuminating read when I first picked up this book.
Would you like to be free of the incessant self talk inside your head, criticising every waking thought and action? No, not your name or your job or even your ambition, who are YOU? Singer is the guide as we explore these questions. We rediscover the heart and see it as much more than a muscle for pumping blood around the body, it's a sponge soaking up the pain of past transgressions but it's also an endless well of love.
We are introduced to the spiritual path of non resistance and unconditional happiness, paths which should be walked regularly by everyone. Every page of this book is a joy to read, Singer's compassion and peacefullness abounds. There is an accessability to these words that I have not found in other books of the same nature, in fact I felt drawn to it time and time again. I have read this book twice and each time gained a different insight into both my own true nature and the absolute inanity of the world we live in. To me this has been a gift gratefully received.
Mar 03, Rita rated it did not like it. I'm going to start by saying that I agree with the philosophy of this book. He's all about living the theme song to Frozen, whereas I've always been more about the imagery of being made of chain link -- instead of letting the issues be a gust that topples me as I try to fight it, I let it blow through me.
Same idea, different metaphors. So, of course I think the concept is good, but it's not new and it's not his. He didn't invent or discover it. He's only trying to explain it. And, that's where I'm going to start by saying that I agree with the philosophy of this book. And, that's where I have the issues. First off, this book is presented with such an overwhelming privileged white, cis, hetero male perspective.
Every example but one, which I'll elaborate on later is from a man's perspective. And nothing even relatable to my experience, either. He's super hung up on girlfriends dumping the reader or girlfriends cheating on the reader or being jealous because the reader suspects his girlfriend is cheating: How to use a word that literally drives some people nuts.
The awkward case of 'his or her'. Test your vocabulary with our question quiz! Examples of untether in a Sentence Recent Examples on the Web Treading water now, untethered in the chop, they were almost immediately torn in different directions. David Bowie," 19 Jan. First Known Use of untether circa , in the meaning defined above.
Learn More about untether. Resources for untether Time Traveler! Explore the year a word first appeared.
Dictionary Entries near untether Unterwalden untestable untested untether unthanked unthankful unthatch. She's afraid if she's too hard on her, she will lose her, while Lindy still makes a show of pretending to want Allie to live with her.
As with this author's other novel, there is a second story going on here as well. A 10 year old troubled girl, Morgan, that Allie tutors, has become very close to Allie. And there's something just not right going on with Morgan's family. When there is an event that combines the two, it all explodes and everything spins out of control. For the most part, I found the characters real and their reactions to be real as well, some of her characters just were not likeable people.
Char, while I understood what she was going through and her reasons for her reactions, I found her so weak until she put her big girl pants on towards the end. She couldn't seem to handle life in general and had to constantly call her brother or her friend to vent or ask for advice. Everytime something happened it was "reach for the phone" or monopolize lunch conversation with her life story. I wanted to smack some sense into her. There is a definite growth in her character towards the end. While Lindy, for obvious reasons, I never liked and had no respect for and I wanted to just smack her.
But she is one of the bad guys so we aren't supposed to like her. Allie, I had mixed feelings about. She just lost her father, which is devastating to a girl but she was acting like such a spoiled brat and was so disrespectful. I understood her reactions, the reasons for her behaviour but I couldn't totally excuse it. Both Allie and Char though seemed to do a total , maybe a little quicker than realistically. That one is obvious. I have read articles on the issue of rehoming and it just shocks me.
My heart broke for poor Morgan and all she had gone through on her 10 years. It took me a little while to get into it initially; that was my fault more than the book's fault as it was a busy season however the last 75 per cent I devoured on a lazy New Year's Day and enjoyed every minute of it. It was emotionally packed and this author's writing style has an easy flow; the story was fascinating. Sep 19, Laurel-Rain rated it really liked it. Her grades are slipping, she has chosen questionable new friends, and nothing Char can do seems to turn things around.
What is more challenging is that everyone seems poised, waiting for Lindy to call the shots regarding Allie, while she passively controls all of them when she keeps changing her mind. Yet when Allie visits her for spring break, she is mostly absent every day until late at night. Allie has a unique bond with a ten-year-old girl named Morgan, adopted out of foster care. Morgan has mental health issues and a dramatic and annoying way about her. When Allie began tutoring her, they connected. Their relationship becomes a focus later in the novel when something happens to the girl.
Something that will stun them all. Will Lindy use the episode to tear them apart even further? It was easy to empathize with Char, but she did have a tendency to sit back and let others call the shots, even the teenager, whom she seemed afraid to cross. The way she dealt with Lindy seemed too conciliatory, and I often wanted to yell at her. Lindy, of course, was so unlikeable that I hurried through the pages that showed her condescending attitudes and inability to remember the names of everyone that she had known for years. She had a way of putting everyone down, which may have been a way of covering her insecurities in the mothering role.
Themes of blended families, the broken foster care system, and abandonment did keep me engaged, and I enjoyed the story. I would have preferred being shown how the events unfolded, but the conclusion was a satisfying one. Apr 27, Teresa Kander rated it it was amazing Shelves: If it's anywhere near as good as this one, I know I'm going to love it.
Charlotte is a character I found it easy to empathize with as I read her story. She finds herself sort of drifting after her husband dies Lindy, the biological mother, wasn't very likable for me. As a mother, I can't comprehend not wanting to be fully engaged with my child I just wanted to shake her and wake her up to what she was missing! Allie and Morgan are very well written adolescent characters.
Honestly, I think the two of them were my favorite characters of the story. Morgan has so much to deal with for a ten year old, and I found myself rooting for her to be alright. Even though this book deals with some difficult topics, it handles them with dignity and respect. Definitely one of the best books I've read so far this year! All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. May 06, Myrna Gottlieb rated it it was ok. I won an uncorrected proof of this book in exchange for an honest review Truth to tell, after pages or so I put the book down.
I did not become emotionally involved in the story, which reads like a piece of non-fiction-two case studies. There's the newly-widowed woman grieving over the loss of her husband, her problems with the teen-age stepdaughter, who cares more for her "unworthy" birth mother than the stepmom who has been there for her and loves her deeply. Then there's a younger child wi I won an uncorrected proof of this book in exchange for an honest review Truth to tell, after pages or so I put the book down.
Then there's a younger child with psychiatric problems -this girl had been removed from her drug-addicted birth mother, spent years in foster care with many families, was finally adopted, but does not bond with her adoptive mother. Instead, she yearns for her birth mother; so she behaves oddly and hurts her body by bruising and cutting. Stepmom and Adoptive Mom share their worries, sadness, and bond with each other.
That's where I stopped reading. I have enjoyed several books by Jodi Piccoult- not all of them. But if Ms Piccoult had tackled the subject it would have been way more compelling The story would have been told from the points of view of more than one character; there would have been a court case; and then an unexpected ending. Instead this book, described as "a good choice for book clubs", seems best suited as reading for self-help discussion groups of step-parents and adoptive parents.
May 27, Patty rated it really liked it. What it's all about Bradley, Char and Allie are a family. Allie is Bradley's daughter Lindy is Allie's mom but since her parents' divorce she has never lived with her mom who just happens to live all the way across the country in California. Bradley dies and relationships begin to falter. Char is not Allie's mom Lindy is but doesn't really act like one.
untethered
Lindy has legal rights to 15 year old Allie. Char pretty much has no rights. Also there is a little girl.. Also there is a little girl Morgan has been in many different homes and has been given away in her last home. Char and Allie want to fix this but Lindy is always in the way.
Why I wanted to read it I really enjoy family stories and this sounded like an interesting one. What made me truly enjoy this book I really enjoyed the family issues and the complex relationships in this story. Allie acted out after her father's death and Char really had no way to deal with Allie's behavior plus Lindy was always interfering Why you should read it, too Readers who enjoy a unique family story will enjoy this story.
It focuses on unique families and how they work out their issues and complexities. Jan 28, Susan Peterson rated it it was amazing. What happens to a stepmom when her husband dies, and the child she has raised for 5 years suddenly has no legal connection to her anymore? This is what happens to Char when her husband, Bradley, passes away. She and her stepdaughter, Allie, have had a close, loving relationship for 5 years, but that bond is put to the test legally and emotionally, as Char and Allie both struggle with the knowledge that Allie might have to go live with her mother, Lindy.
In a secondary storyline, we meet Morgan, What happens to a stepmom when her husband dies, and the child she has raised for 5 years suddenly has no legal connection to her anymore? In a secondary storyline, we meet Morgan, the little girl who is tutored by Allie. Morgan is a former foster child who has been adopted, and Morgan and her new family are dealing with many issues themselves.
As the tension between Char and Allie grows, Allie comes to rescue Morgan from a very disturbing situation, and all of the relationships come to a head. This book takes the reader on a very emotional journey, as all of the characters learn what their new roles are, and relationships become strained and even broken. You will find yourself invested in all of the characters, especially Char, Allie, and Morgan, 3 people who will take up space in your heart, and have you cheering for them from the first page to the last. May 21, Kelly Hager added it. This was such a fascinating book in the way that it dealt with grief.
I immediately connected with Char and it was easy to feel her panic at the way that her life was disintegrating. It's obviously horrible to lose your husband, but she also ran the very real risk of losing Allie, who she views as her daughter but who is not actually related to her except through marriage. That's never mattered before but now that Allie's dad is dead, there's a very strong possibility that she's going to have This was such a fascinating book in the way that it dealt with grief.
That's never mattered before but now that Allie's dad is dead, there's a very strong possibility that she's going to have to go live with her mom, who lives in California. I can't even imagine how it would feel to go from being part of a family to realizing that there's a very good chance that you will lose your daughter, too.
And yet Char does this amazing job of holding herself and her family together. She keeps trying to stay strong for Allie and gives her an amazing amount of slack. Julie Lawson Timmer has become an author to watch. Apr 13, Holly's Little Book Reviews rated it really liked it. Julie Lawson Timmer looks at the role of stepmother in all new ways in Untethered.
Allie's stepmother, Charlotte, has been happily married to her dad for years, while Allie's biological mother plays a small role in her upbringing. When Allie's father dies, suddenly Charlotte's role as stepmother has become a tricky part to play. Since Charlotte was never able to formally adopt Allie, technically she has no rights to the child whom she raised for years as her own. At the same time Charlotte is st Julie Lawson Timmer looks at the role of stepmother in all new ways in Untethered.
At the same time Charlotte is struggling with these sudden changes, Allie has her own way of grieving while also trying to help ten year old Morgan, a girl she has been tutoring. Morgan was brought up in foster care, but was adopted by a family who, by all appearances, seems to be perfect. As worlds unravel and secrets are uncovered, readers don't know who to believe and find themselves asking, what really is in the best interest of the child? Readers who enjoy suspense and family drama will love Untethered.
This book also leads to excellent discussions for book clubs! Looking forward to Julie's next book! Jun 20, The Bibliophile rated it did not like it Shelves: To be honest I couldn't finish this book. I found the characters to be immature and couldn't relate to anyone of them, especially the 'mother' whom you would expect to act and talk more like an adult and less like a spoiled teenager. It's quite possible that the ending might have been satisfying but as the book failed to hold my interest thus far I don't really care enough to find out.
Aug 06, Marvisd rated it did not like it Shelves: Quite possibly the worst book I'll read in There is hope for me to become a published author if this trash can make it! Dec 10, Anita rated it it was amazing Shelves: Amazing story that had me at times frustrated with all the characters but I knew the love I was seeing in Char Allie and Morgan was real.