This is a great book to keep by your bedside and read again and again as you need. It is a guide to connecting with yourself and being who you are. I am a big proponent of inside-out living and this book has strong guidance on how to do that. How to feel your feelings and ensure you can move through them.

The author groups categories of emotions and helps guide you on how to move through them and is always gentle, encouraging and kind. I will refer to my copy again and again.


with gratitude to netgalley and Collective Ink Limited for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not for me. I found the information pretty routine, nothing I haven’t heard a hundred times before. The writing style read to me as a textbook and I almost couldn’t bring myself to keep reading.

The author is a psychologist and spiritual teacher and this well rounded, well written book is grounded in both disciplines. But it’s definitely grounded. This is practical, useful, and thought provoking advice. We’re asked to consider if we are really living ‘our’ life, the one we have chosen… our ‘true self’. There’s neurology and psychology and information on how we develop.

The core of the book is about different emotions, our (learned?) responses to them and real ways for us to examine those responses and see if they still serve us. There is a lot to think about in the book, a great deal to contemplate, and loads to put into action. Some sections I will be reading again.

The strength of the book for me would be the way it would feed into journaling. Mr Marando asks questions like "What would I do for someone I cared about if they were in the situation I was in?" Once you have your answer, see if you can turn the behaviour on to yourself.

Another question would be about what small steps can I take? Then take them. As you start to see progress, you build momentum and move steadily forward.

This is a strong guide to living your truth.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

A toolkit for dealing with emotions

This book breaks down our emotions into groups of opposing feelings and looks at them as a spectrum. For example happy and sad are two such opposites. Patrick then looks at the nature of the emotions, what they are trying to tell us and how to deal with feeling sad. He then applies the same approach to all the other emotional pairings, which makes it rather repetative to read from cover to cover.

I would say that it’s a book to dip into and use as a toolkit if you’re feeling a particular emotion and feel stuck. It would also be a useful resource for parents and young adults.

I was given this book from the author via netgalley only for the pleasure of reading and leaving an honest review should I choose to.

I received an ARC from Netgalley

Marando's book "Waking Up to Your True Self" offers a comprehensive roadmap to reconnecting with one's true self and achieving genuine well-being. By bridging spirituality and psychology, he provides practical steps for self-discovery, addressing the role of the mind and emotions in the process. Marando's compassionate tone and guidance make this book a valuable resource for personal growth and awakening.

#NetGalley #WakingUptoYourSelf

I love how the author gives ways for the readers to healthily manage negative emotions in order to grow and become your true self. It's digestible for people to easily understand and relate to.

Helpful book. I appreciated the questions and exercises the most - I'll definitely return to these. Also a great section about self-love/self-care/compassion/acceptance. Thanks for the ARC!

This book was an accessible guide to some really big complex topics related to self discovery. I enjoyed the pacing and the author’s ability to describe/define terms without becoming too wordy.

Thanks netgalley for the arc in exchange for my Feedback

A somewhere abstract guide to being human as you discover your true self, learn how to utilise your emotions and mind to our greatest benefit.
This book is about understanding your mind as it develops, works and is not always aligned with your free will.

Overall, I came away with new knowledge better understanding with practical waysto implement the teachings.
I'd recommend the book to others, particularly those who have some initial knowledge of the concept.

I loved it. Drawing on his extensive experience as both a spiritual teacher and a psychologist, Marando provides readers with a comprehensive roadmap to reconnecting with their true selves and achieving a life of genuine well-being and fulfillment.

Marando's approach to awakening bridges the gap between spirituality and modern psychology, making it accessible and relatable for readers from all walks of life. He delves into the reasons why we often become disconnected from our true selves and offers practical steps to help us remember and align with our inner truth.

One of the book's strengths is its exploration of the mind and its role in our journey towards self-discovery. Marando explains how the mind can sometimes act as a barrier to our true selves but also provides valuable insights on how to harness its power to support our awakening process. His clear explanations and practical exercises make complex concepts easy to grasp and apply in daily life.

The book also delves into our emotions, shedding light on why we experience them and how to effectively manage and utilize them as tools for aligning with our true selves. Marando's insights into common emotions provide readers with valuable tools for self-awareness and personal growth.

What sets "Waking Up to Your True Self" apart is the author's compassionate and encouraging tone. Marando understands the challenges and struggles that individuals face on their spiritual journeys, and his guidance is both empathetic and empowering. He offers wisdom and support every step of the way, creating a sense of trust and reassurance for readers.

The title Waking Up to Your Self really grabbed me as it aligns with work I've been doing in a therapeutic setting and so I was excited to read the book.

I very much enjoyed the explanations at the beginning of the book. I found the introduction to the concept of Self accessible and free from jargon. The deep dive into personal emotions and reactions was interesting and very useful. It felt that there were tips and exercises that could easily be used on a daily basis. I think it would have been good to have a variety of exercises, if possible, as each emotion and reaction exercise was the same format and became a little 'samey' to read.

Overall, I came away with new knowledge and understanding and a practical way to implement the teachings. I'd recommend the book to others, particularly those who have some initial knowledge of the concept.

Overly abstract guide to being human as you discover your true self, learn how to utilize your emotions and mind to your greatest benefit. This is about understanding your mind develops, works and is not always aligned with your free will.