Rosamund and Benjamin Zander provide a wealth of mindframe-resetting stories, anecdotes, and exercises, that helped broaden the horizon of my life’s storylines – about who I am, who I could be, and how told the world works. Rosamund is a family therapist, and Benjamin is the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. The stories and perspectives they share are from their personal and professional lives, covering so many facets of human behavior, both as individuals and within the construct of our society. The biggest takeaway from this book is that when we shift our perspective from the viewpoint of scarcity to one of possibility, we find that we can create the life we want to live. I cannot recommend this book enough and often use it in my coaching practice with clients who feel stuck and who see nothing but roadblocks in their life.
I have gifted this beautiful book and recommended it more times than I can remember, and to this day remains one of the top two in my personal library. I have read and listened to Art of Possibility around 20 times thus far, and when I get stuck, I return to particular chapters or even the entire work once more. I highly suggest the audio version of the book because Ben Zander’s English accent is divine, and he is such a fantastic storyteller. Plus, you can also hear the music from the classical works he conducts and references in his stories. Also best read from beginning to end because the concepts the authors present build upon themselves, so you’ll want to get the entire context by not skipping around.
Find more information about the authors, Rosamund and Benjamin Zander, on their website.
My 8 favorite quotes from this book:
“It’s all invented anyway, so we might as well invent a story or a framework of meaning that enhances our quality of life.”
Rosamund Zander
“We keep looking so hard in life for the specific message, and yet we are blinded to the fact that the message is all around us and within us all the time. We just have to stop demanding that it be on our terms or conditions, and instead open ourselves to the possibility that what we seek may be in front of us all the time.”
Benjamin Zander
“When our attention is primarily directed to how wrong things are, we lose our power to act effectively.”
Rosamund Zander
“I discovered a person cannot live a full life under the shadow of bitterness.”
Benjamin Zander (quoting his father)
“Giving yourself an A is not about boasting or raising your self esteem. It has nothing to do with reciting your accomplishments. The freely granted A lifts the success-failure ladder and spirits you away from the world of measurement into the universe of possibility. It is a framework that allows you to see all of who you are, and be all of who you are, without having to resist or deny any part of yourself.”
Rosamund Zander
“My dear friend, I’ve seen many things in my life, but never anything as remarkable as this. Would you be willing to share with me the secret of rule number 6?”. “Oh very simple,” replies the resident prime minister, “Rule number 6 is ‘don’t take yourself so goddman seriously.” “Ahhh”, says his visitor, “that’s a fine rule.” After a moment of pondering he inquires, “And what may I ask are the other rules?” “There aren’t any.”
Benjamin Zander (Story about Rule Number 6)
“Grace comes from owning the risks we take in a world by and large immune to our control.”
Rosamund Zander
“Giving way to passion has two steps. The first step is to notice where you are holding back and let go. Release those barriers of self that keep you separate and in control, and let the vital energy of passion surge through you, connecting you to all beyond. The second step is to participate wholly. Allow yourself to be a channel to shape the stream of passion into a new expression for the world.”
Benjamin Zander
BONUS! If you’d like to see my technique for fully digesting the books, podcasts, and videos that impacted me, check out My Learning Process in the Toolshed.
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