It is easy to lose your way exploring how to benefit from Buddhist wisdom in the contemporary Western world. In this fresh and original work, Ken McLeod demystifies the essential teachings of Buddhism as he illuminates a path to living fully in the present. Writing without jargon or obscure terminology, he uses delightful stories from around the world to explain clearly and compellingly how we can utilize the practices of Buddhism to awaken to the full potential of our lives. Most of us live behind a wall of illusion. Wake Up to Your Life gives us all the tools we need to "dismantle" that wall. Readers will learn to move out of the reactive patterns that create suffering and curb true freedom by using meditations and reflections that point the way to wisdom, awareness, compassion, and inner strength. Each meditation is described in detail and is accompanied by a lucid commentary on its meaning and value. Using everyday language, stories, and examples accessible to westerners, Wake Up to Your Life presents the Buddha's original teachings separate from the cultural context of religious ritual and belief. Highlighted with quotes from thinkers as diverse as Mulla Nasrudin, Samuel Beckett, Yogi Berra, Albert Einstein, Kalu Rinpoche, James Baldwin, and Bob Dylan, this authoritative guide offers a warm and engaging approach to awakening our true self and walking the liberating path of mindful and compassionate living.