Compassionate Assertiveness

Many people who strive to be kind have trouble with assertiveness. Eknath Easwaran talks about it in his book Passage Meditation: we can be calm and try to understand the needs and point of view of others, but as he puts it, that does not mean “being a doormat”. This can be a delicate balance. So I was glad to see an entire book devoted to achieving this balance. The author, Sherrie Mansfield Vavrichek, is well qualified to write on this topic because she is a cognitive behavioral therapist who is also well-versed in Buddhist philosophy, mindfulness, and meditation. I highly recommend this book.