What will I learn about: Consciously scheduling time to pause and reflect allows you to change your perspective on life's unavoidable challenges and redirect your path?

Consciously scheduling time to pause and reflect allows you to change your perspective on life's unavoidable challenges and redirect your path.

What will I learn about: Practices like the Jesuit 'Process of Discernment' show that prayer and meditation are not just demonstrations of faith, but practical tools for guiding difficult decisions?

Practices like the Jesuit 'Process of Discernment' show that prayer and meditation are not just demonstrations of faith, but practical tools for guiding difficult decisions.

What will I learn about: Motherhood requires profound leadership skills, and society would benefit greatly if business and political leaders adopted a culture of motherly care and compassion?

Motherhood requires profound leadership skills, and society would benefit greatly if business and political leaders adopted a culture of motherly care and compassion.

What will I learn about: Grieving is a highly personal process, and true healing comes from surviving the pain at your own pace rather than suppressing your emotions to meet others' expectations?

Grieving is a highly personal process, and true healing comes from surviving the pain at your own pace rather than suppressing your emotions to meet others' expectations.

What will I learn about: Personal growth requires the courage to regularly reevaluate your long-held beliefs and deliberately choose which habits to 'bury' and which to 'bring' into your future?

Personal growth requires the courage to regularly reevaluate your long-held beliefs and deliberately choose which habits to 'bury' and which to 'bring' into your future.

I’ve Been Thinking

Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations for a Meaningful Life

Maria Shriver

★ 4.3 / 5(99 ratings)

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Categories:

Religion & Spirituality Motivation & Inspiration

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡How can the traditional, 'feminine' qualities of motherhood be transformed into powerful leadership skills for business and politics?
💡What is the 'Bury and Bring' exercise, and how can you use it to effectively reevaluate your habits and beliefs each year?
💡Why might forcing yourself to 'move on' from grief actually hinder your healing process, and what alternative approach does the author recommend?

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Key Takeaways from I’ve Been Thinking

✓Consciously scheduling time to pause and reflect allows you to change your perspective on life's unavoidable challenges and redirect your path.
✓Practices like the Jesuit 'Process of Discernment' show that prayer and meditation are not just demonstrations of faith, but practical tools for guiding difficult decisions.
✓Motherhood requires profound leadership skills, and society would benefit greatly if business and political leaders adopted a culture of motherly care and compassion.
✓Grieving is a highly personal process, and true healing comes from surviving the pain at your own pace rather than suppressing your emotions to meet others' expectations.
✓Personal growth requires the courage to regularly reevaluate your long-held beliefs and deliberately choose which habits to 'bury' and which to 'bring' into your future.

Learning Tools

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Mind Map

I’ve Been Thinking

Power of Pausing & Reflecting+

Cultivating Inner Peace+

Motherhood & Leadership+

Building Community+

Navigating Grief+

Evolving Beliefs+

Daily Actions+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8

According to the author, what is the primary benefit of consciously scheduling time to 'press pause' in your daily life?

A. It allows you to disconnect completely from your responsibilities.
B. It helps you reevaluate situations, change your reactions, and align with your values.
C. It guarantees that you will eventually find definitive answers to your life's purpose.
D. It prevents unexpected and negative events from occurring in your life.

Question 2 of 8

How does the author suggest using the Jesuits' 'Process of Discernment'?

A. As a technique to convert others to a more spiritual way of life.
B. As a daily gratitude practice to list three positive things every morning.
C. As a step-by-step prayer process to guide difficult decision-making.
D. As a method for grieving the loss of a loved one or a missed career opportunity.

Question 3 of 8

What perspective does Maria Shriver hold regarding qualities traditionally associated with motherhood, such as kindness and compassion?

A. They are essential leadership skills that business, culture, and politics could greatly benefit from.
B. They are liabilities in the corporate world but highly effective in community organizing.
C. They should be reserved strictly for raising children within the immediate family.
D. They are outdated concepts that prevent women from achieving their full potential in society.

Question 4 of 8

How did Maria Shriver cope with the 'empty nest' feeling when her youngest son left for college?

A. She organized the largest women's conference in California to stay busy.
B. She started a 'Sunday Dinner' tradition to invite friends, neighbors, and colleagues into her life.
C. She wrote a children's book to process her feelings of loneliness.
D. She adopted a daily 10-minute meditation practice to find inner peace.

Question 5 of 8

The author references Mahatma Gandhi to describe forgiveness as what?

A. 'A daily necessity.'
B. 'The foundation of inner peace.'
C. 'An attribute of the strong.'
D. 'The ultimate motherly trait.'

Question 6 of 8

What is a key insight the author shares about the process of grieving?

A. You must actively force yourself to move on to avoid emotional suppression.
B. Grieving should be a private process, kept separate from friends and family.
C. There is a strict timeline for grieving that everyone must eventually follow.
D. It is necessary to grieve in your own way and time, and it is OK to not be OK for a while.

Question 7 of 8

What is the purpose of the 'Bury and Bring' list that Maria Shriver creates every New Year's?

A. To physically bury sentimental items and bring new ones into her home.
B. To let go of negative attitudes from the past year and carry forward beneficial habits.
C. To forget past relationships that failed and focus on bringing in new friendships.
D. To document her financial losses and set goals for future investments.

Question 8 of 8

According to the book's actionable advice, what can happen when we wait for 'grand romantic gestures' in life?

A. We fail to notice and appreciate the small, everyday acts of kindness around us.
B. We set ourselves up for inevitable heartbreak and disappointment.
C. We place unfair expectations on our partners and family members.
D. We lose touch with our own grand existential purpose.