One of the most common misconceptions about self-love is that it’s selfish. Michael debunks this myth, explaining that caring for oneself is essential for overall well-being and happiness. When we prioritize our needs and desires, we become better equipped to love and support others.

Self-Love is Not Selfish

Our inner child is a powerful force that shapes our beliefs and behaviors. Michael encourages readers to reconnect with their inner child through play, creativity, and self-compassion. Through nurturing this part of ourselves, we can heal past wounds and live more authentically

Embrace Your Inner Child

Affirmations are positive statements that can help reprogram our subconscious mind. Michael provides a variety of affirmations to help readers cultivate self-love and confidence. By repeating these affirmations daily, we can shift our mindset and create a more positive reality.

he Power of Affirmations

Holding onto past hurts and regrets can weigh us down and prevent us from moving forward. Michael offers practical tips for letting go of the past, including forgiveness, journaling, and mindfulness. Freeing ourselves from the burdens of the past we can embrace the present and create a brighter future.

Let Go of the Past

Surrounding ourselves with positive and supportive people can have a profound impact on our mental health and well-being. Michael emphasizes the importance of finding a tribe of like-minded individuals who can offer love, encouragement, and understanding.

Find Your Tribe

Self-care is essential for maintaining a healthy mind and body. Michael provides a wide range of self-care practices, including meditation, exercise, healthy eating, and spending time in nature. When we prioritize self-care, we can reduce stress, boost our mood, and increase our overall resilience.

Practice Self-Care

Everyone is unique and has their own special gifts and talents. Michael encourages readers to embrace their individuality and celebrate their differences. By embracing our uniqueness, we can live more authentically and contribute to the world in meaningful ways.

Embrace Your Uniqueness

Bunny Michael’s Hello, Higher Self is a heartwarming and insightful guide to self-love and acceptance. Through a blend of personal anecdotes and practical advice, Michael offers readers a roadmap to go through the challenges of life and embrace their true selves.

A "must-read" (Yung Pueblo) "inspirational manifesto for creative misfits and sensitive souls" (James McCrae): an inclusive guide to radical self-love, joy, and acceptance that "softens the harshness that we can't help but let in from the world" (Ilana Glazer) Insecurities, inadequacies, self-doubt; we all have them, and never more so than in this age of media saturation and technical voyeurism. Enter Bunny Michael, an interdisciplinary artist and podcast host whose work picks up where Alex Elle, Brené Brown, and Julia Cameron leave off.    Bunny knows what it is firsthand to be an outsider: from trying to find their footing in an art world dictated by social media followers, to coming to terms with their queer identity, to dealing with the societal traumas they’ve inherited as a person of color in a society that privileges whiteness. It was at a real low point that Bunny first got in touch with their higher self—and ever since has been helping their followers do the same through their art and inspiring Instagram presence.    Building from Bunny’s viral memes, Hello, Higher Self Is a self-care manifesto, calling on readers to radically shift their perspectives from the Learned Hierarchal Beliefs (LHBs) we’ve all internalized to the self-acceptance we were born into, aka our Higher Selves. This book shines a light into eighteen areas of life where LHBs often lurk—from creativity, to work, to relationships, to race, to sexual pleasure. Bunny’s mix of meditative advice, written exercises, and personal examples make for a jaw-dropping read.    “Hello Higher Self offers the dose of radical self-compassion we all need and serves as a potent reminder that we are enough. Bunny Michael offers us a powerful invitation to dismantle the harmful beliefs society imposes on us and embrace our true and lasting worth. This is a must read.” —Yung Pueblo, New York Times bestselling author of Inward, Clarity & Connection, and The Way Forward

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

mindfulness

Mindfulness

mentalhealth

Mental Health

books

Books

Bunny Michael

Hello, Higher Self

The book presents ideas from Alfred Adler's psychological theory, which emphasizes personal responsibility, the importance of community, and the ability to change.

Based on Adlerian Psychology

The book encourages readers to take control of their lives, make decisions independently, and not be influenced by past traumas or external factors.

Focus on Self-empowerment

Happiness is not something that happens to you, but rather something you choose through your actions and attitudes.

The Role of Happiness

One of the main ideas is separating your tasks from others’ tasks. Focus on what you can control and don’t let others' expectations or opinions dictate your actions.

The Concept of Separation of Tasks

The book teaches that constantly seeking validation or approval from others limits personal growth and prevents true freedom.

The Danger of Seeking Approval

rue happiness comes from contributing to the community and building positive relationships rather than seeking to be liked by everyone.

Interpersonal Relationships

Accepting personal responsibility for your life, choices, and actions leads to true freedom. This freedom allows you to live without being dependent on external circumstances.

Freedom Through Responsibility:

The book emphasizes the importance of living true to yourself, regardless of societal pressures, and embracing the courage to be disliked.

Living Authentically

The past does not determine who you are. You can choose to change your narrative and focus on the present and future, rather than being defined by past experiences.

Reframing the Past

Real change requires the courage to make decisions that might not always be accepted by others, but are essential for personal growth and happiness.

The Courage to Change

The book highlights the idea that individuals have the power to create their own happiness by living authentically, embracing personal responsibility, and rejecting the need for external validation.

A single book can change your life. Already an enormous bestseller in Asia, with more than 3 million copies sold, The Courage to be Disliked demonstrates how to unlock the power within yourself to be the person you truly want to be. Using the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the three giants of 19th century psychology alongside Freud and Jung, it follows an illuminating conversation between a philosopher and a young man. The philosopher explains to his pupil how each of us is able to determine our own lives, free of the shackles of past experiences, doubts and the expectations of others. It's a way of thinking that's deeply liberating, allowing us to develop the courage to change, and to ignore the limitations that we and those around us can place on ourselves. The result is a book that is both highly accessible and profound in its importance. Millions have already read and benefited from its wisdom. Now that The Courage to be Disliked has been published for the first time in English, so can you

philosophy

Philosophy

Ichiro KISHIMI Philosopher, Adlerian psychologist and translator of English and German languages. Born in 1956.M.A.in philosophy from Kyoto University. Director of the Japanese Society of Adlerian psychology. Former counselor at Maeda Clinic in Kyoto and has taught philosophy and ancient Greek at various institutions such as Kyoto University of Education and Nara Women's University. He presently teaches educational psychology and clinical psychology at Meiji School of Oriental Medicine in Suita, Osaka. Kishimi now has his own private counseling office in Kameoka, Kyoto, and devotes his time to giving lectures on Adlerian Psychology and child education.

Ichiro Kishimi

Fumitake Koga is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Fumitake Koga has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Fumitake Koga's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

Fumitake Koga

The Courage to Be Disliked

Trauma impacts the brain's structure and function, particularly in areas related to memory, emotion, and self-regulation. The body holds onto this trauma in ways that can lead to long-term physical and psychological consequences.

Trauma Affects the Body and Brain:

Traditional talk therapies can be insufficient for trauma recovery. Van der Kolk emphasizes the role of the body in healing trauma, noting that somatic (body-based) experiences are key in overcoming trauma’s grip

The Importance of the Body in Healing

Traumatized individuals often experience fragmented or dissociative memories. The traumatic events might not be processed as coherent narratives, and these disjointed memories can resurface unpredictably.

Trauma and Memory

The brain is capable of change throughout life, a process called neuroplasticity. Trauma can alter brain functioning, but therapeutic interventions can help rewire the brain and promote recovery.

Neuroplasticity

Trauma activates the body’s fight-or-flight response, which can become stuck in a heightened state. This dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system leads to chronic stress, anxiety, and hypervigilance.

The Role of the Autonomic Nervous System:

Healthy, supportive relationships play a critical role in healing trauma. Building trust and connection with others is a central element in therapeutic recovery.

The Power of Relationships

Van der Kolk advocates for trauma-informed therapies, such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), yoga, and neurofeedback. These methods help individuals reconnect with their bodies and regulate their emotions.

The Effectiveness of Trauma-Informed Approaches

Traumatized people often feel disconnected from their bodies, experiencing a lack of agency, control, or safety. Reconnecting with the body through movement, mindfulness, and other practices is essential for healing.

Disconnection from the Body

Bessel van der Kolk emphasizes how childhood trauma profoundly impacts brain development and emotional regulation. Traumatic experiences in early life can lead to dysregulated stress responses, difficulty forming secure relationships, and persistent feelings of fear and helplessness. Children exposed to trauma often struggle with emotional numbing, hypervigilance, and trouble processing emotions, which can affect their ability to function in adulthood. Van der Kolk highlights the importance of early intervention and therapeutic approaches like trauma-focused therapy and mindfulness.

The Impact of Childhood Trauma

Van der Kolk emphasizes that while trauma has far-reaching effects, healing is possible. By understanding the relationship between mind, brain, and body, trauma survivors can learn to reestablish a sense of safety, control, and connection.

Hope for Healing

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk examines how trauma reshapes the brain and body. It discusses the impact of trauma on memory and emotions and highlights healing methods like EMDR, yoga, and neurofeedback, focusing on the importance of body-centered recovery.

#1 New York Times bestseller “Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding and treating traumatic stress and the scope of its impact on society.” —Alexander McFarlane, Director of the Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies A pioneering researcher transforms our understanding of trauma and offers a bold new paradigm for healing in this New York Times bestseller   Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.

Bessel A. Van der Kolk is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Bessel A. Van der Kolk has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Bessel A. Van der Kolk's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

Hello, Higher Self

The Courage to Be Disliked

The Body Keeps the Score

Nick Kelly