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The Light We Give

The Light We Give

How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life

An inspiring approach to a happier, more fulfilling life through Sikh teachings on love and service.

Product Code: 9030
ISBN: 9780593087978
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Pages: 320
Published Date: 07/19/2022
Availability:In stock
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Price: $28.00
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As a boy growing up in South Texas, Simran Jeet Singh and his brothers confronted racism daily: at school, in their neighborhood, playing sports, and later in college and beyond. Despite the prejudice and hate he faced, this self-described “turban-wearing, brown-skinned, beard-loving Sikh” refused to give in to negativity. Instead, Singh delved deep into the Sikh teachings that he grew up with and embraced the lessons to seek the good in every person and situation and to find positive ways to direct his energy. These Sikh tenets of love and service to others have empowered him to forge a life of connection and a commitment to justice that have made him a national figure in the areas of equity, inclusion, and social justice.

The Light We Give lays out how we can learn to integrate ethical living to achieve personal happiness and a happier life. It speaks to those who are inspired to take on positive change but don’t know where to begin. To those who crave the chance to be empathetic but are afraid of looking vulnerable. To those who seek the courage to confront hatred with love and compassion. Singh reaches beyond his comfort zone to practice this deeper form of living and explores how everyone can learn the insights and skills that have kept him engaged and led him to commit to activism without becoming consumed by anger, self-pity, or burnout.

Part memoir, part spiritual journey, The Light We Give is a transformative book of hope that shows how each of us can turn away from fear and uncertainty and move toward renewal and positive change.


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Contents

Prologue
Introduction: Where I’m Coming From

Part I
Seeing With Fresh Eyes
1. Home?
2. Between Worlds
3. Turbans in Texas
4. Seeing Ourselves
5. Moving Out and Looking In
6. Growing Pains
7. More Run-Ins
8. Life and Death
9. From Locked Out to Unlocking
10. Finding Answers
11. Moving Forward

Part II
Radical Connection
12. The Massacre
13. Activating
14. Insights
15. Insight 1: How We Feel
16. Enhancing How We Feel
17. Insight 2: How We See
18. Refining How We See
19. A Fresh Perspective
20. Building Empathy
21. Insight 3: How We Connect
22. Advancing How We Connect
23. The Power of Connection

Part III
From Connection To Love
24. Expanding Our Love
25. Limitless Love
26. Love in Action
27. Love Is Connection
28. Cultivating Connection
29. Connecting Through Meditation
30. Love and Soccer
31. Love is Selfless
32. Love Erases Self-Centeredness
33. Practicing Humility and Seflessness

Part IV
Cultivating Our Values
34. How We Prioritize
35. Resetting and Rebalancing
36. Why What We Do Matters
37. Identifying Our Values
38. How Our Values Can Save Us
39. Embodying Our Values
40. The Value of Creativity (karta purakh)
41. The Value of Fearlessness (nirbhau)
42. The Power of Discipline

Part V
Seva As A Spiritual Practice
43. Serving Others, Serving Ourselves
44. Seva as an Empathy Practice
45. Seva as a Practice of Love
46. Challenging the Darkness
47. Seva as Mindfulness
48. Putting Seva into Practice
49. Seva as an Authenticity Practice
50. Seva as a Humility Practice
51. Practicing Seva

Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Glossary

“Clever, informative, and very accessible, Singh's first book for adults explores tenets of the Sikh faith and applies them to everyday life…he uses relatable humor and amusing anecdotes to connect with readers about his faith and show them how they, too, can apply it to their lives…Readers will come away from the book wanting to be better themselves and to work for positive change in the world.” —Booklist

“An accessible work that combines personal testimony of a fascinating and little-understood ethnic and religious minority in America…A worthwhile and readable introduction to Sikhi and a strong testament to peaceful living.” —Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW

“I've appreciated Simran's writing for years now, and I really love this book. The Light We Give is a beautiful reflection of how so many Sikhs experience our world and what Sikh teachings have to offer all of us today. This is an essential book for people who care about kindness, justice, and living a good life.” —Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party

“Beautiful, profound, and above all transformative, The Light We Give is a book that will not only stay with you but change you. Through harrowing stories of personal experiences and a rarely seen exploration of the tenets of the Sikh faith, Simran Jeet Singh calls us to have empathy and love and to operate in them. This book couldn’t be more timely.” —Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give

“I love this book: The riveting story of Simran Jeet Singh’s life growing up as a Sikh kid in San Antonio with his brown skin and turban, written so beautifully, both somehow exciting and humble. It is rich in wisdom, religious and personal, and it is absolutely charming.” —Anne Lamott, author of Dusk, Night, Dawn
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As a boy growing up in South Texas, Simran Jeet Singh and his brothers confronted racism daily: at school, in their neighborhood, playing sports, and later in college and beyond. Despite the prejudice and hate he faced, this self-described “turban-wearing, brown-skinned, beard-loving Sikh” refused to give in to negativity. Instead, Singh delved deep into the Sikh teachings that he grew up with and embraced the lessons to seek the good in every person and situation and to find positive ways to direct his energy. These Sikh tenets of love and service to others have empowered him to forge a life of connection and a commitment to justice that have made him a national figure in the areas of equity, inclusion, and social justice.

The Light We Give lays out how we can learn to integrate ethical living to achieve personal happiness and a happier life. It speaks to those who are inspired to take on positive change but don’t know where to begin. To those who crave the chance to be empathetic but are afraid of looking vulnerable. To those who seek the courage to confront hatred with love and compassion. Singh reaches beyond his comfort zone to practice this deeper form of living and explores how everyone can learn the insights and skills that have kept him engaged and led him to commit to activism without becoming consumed by anger, self-pity, or burnout.

Part memoir, part spiritual journey, The Light We Give is a transformative book of hope that shows how each of us can turn away from fear and uncertainty and move toward renewal and positive change.


Bookmark and Share
Contents

Prologue
Introduction: Where I’m Coming From

Part I
Seeing With Fresh Eyes
1. Home?
2. Between Worlds
3. Turbans in Texas
4. Seeing Ourselves
5. Moving Out and Looking In
6. Growing Pains
7. More Run-Ins
8. Life and Death
9. From Locked Out to Unlocking
10. Finding Answers
11. Moving Forward

Part II
Radical Connection
12. The Massacre
13. Activating
14. Insights
15. Insight 1: How We Feel
16. Enhancing How We Feel
17. Insight 2: How We See
18. Refining How We See
19. A Fresh Perspective
20. Building Empathy
21. Insight 3: How We Connect
22. Advancing How We Connect
23. The Power of Connection

Part III
From Connection To Love
24. Expanding Our Love
25. Limitless Love
26. Love in Action
27. Love Is Connection
28. Cultivating Connection
29. Connecting Through Meditation
30. Love and Soccer
31. Love is Selfless
32. Love Erases Self-Centeredness
33. Practicing Humility and Seflessness

Part IV
Cultivating Our Values
34. How We Prioritize
35. Resetting and Rebalancing
36. Why What We Do Matters
37. Identifying Our Values
38. How Our Values Can Save Us
39. Embodying Our Values
40. The Value of Creativity (karta purakh)
41. The Value of Fearlessness (nirbhau)
42. The Power of Discipline

Part V
Seva As A Spiritual Practice
43. Serving Others, Serving Ourselves
44. Seva as an Empathy Practice
45. Seva as a Practice of Love
46. Challenging the Darkness
47. Seva as Mindfulness
48. Putting Seva into Practice
49. Seva as an Authenticity Practice
50. Seva as a Humility Practice
51. Practicing Seva

Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Glossary

“Clever, informative, and very accessible, Singh's first book for adults explores tenets of the Sikh faith and applies them to everyday life…he uses relatable humor and amusing anecdotes to connect with readers about his faith and show them how they, too, can apply it to their lives…Readers will come away from the book wanting to be better themselves and to work for positive change in the world.” —Booklist

“An accessible work that combines personal testimony of a fascinating and little-understood ethnic and religious minority in America…A worthwhile and readable introduction to Sikhi and a strong testament to peaceful living.” —Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW

“I've appreciated Simran's writing for years now, and I really love this book. The Light We Give is a beautiful reflection of how so many Sikhs experience our world and what Sikh teachings have to offer all of us today. This is an essential book for people who care about kindness, justice, and living a good life.” —Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party

“Beautiful, profound, and above all transformative, The Light We Give is a book that will not only stay with you but change you. Through harrowing stories of personal experiences and a rarely seen exploration of the tenets of the Sikh faith, Simran Jeet Singh calls us to have empathy and love and to operate in them. This book couldn’t be more timely.” —Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give

“I love this book: The riveting story of Simran Jeet Singh’s life growing up as a Sikh kid in San Antonio with his brown skin and turban, written so beautifully, both somehow exciting and humble. It is rich in wisdom, religious and personal, and it is absolutely charming.” —Anne Lamott, author of Dusk, Night, Dawn
Be the first to submit a review on this product!
Review and Rate this Item

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