For years I've wanted to create something truly powerful that I could give freely to anyone, something I knew could change lives. This book and companion course emerged from that deep desire, shaped by thousands of conversations — first as an executive coach working with leaders carrying immense pressure, then through a course called The Big Shift that somehow reached over 1,000 people across 64 countries.

What kept striking me was how universal our patterns are. Whether I was sitting with a surgeon wrestling with burnout or a tech founder questioning their path — or through the course a PhD student struggling with ADHD — the core truth emerged again and again: we already have everything we need to create lives that feel genuinely good to live. The challenge isn't becoming more than we are, but learning to listen to what's already here.

These aren't just ideas. Every practice and story in this book emerged from real experience — people discovering that their emotions weren't problems to solve but sophisticated guidance systems, that their struggles weren't character flaws but signals pointing toward what matters most. Time and again, I watched as simple attention to direct experience transformed people's relationship with themselves and their lives.

May you discover the wisdom that's already within you.

-Eric Lanigan
EnjoyExisting.org
EricLanigan.com