I'm working on my next book. You say (and by you, I mean me) you'll never write another one, the next thing you know is that you're expecting. The fathers - a monk and a neuroscientist - have consummated with me to make a book. I'm due in about a year, then hopefully it will be a successful birth - as in bestselling. The working title is "The Manual - How To Be Human". (I'll make it funnier but that's really what it's about). I figure with the input of a monk (expert on the nature of the mind) and a neuroscientist (expert on the brain) we should come up with some answers to that niggling question about who we are? I like to think of it as 'existence - pros and cons.'
We're so advanced in the tech department, I am constantly confused by why we are such morons when it comes to insight? Why is it 2016 - almost 2017 - and we're still asking things like how to be happy or at least content with our lives? Rather than create an iPhone 7 couldn't we have given a little attention to that happiness thing? And now it's even more elusive to us, thanks to no sense of community or family unit, the fact we're under a constant bombardment of bad news; the need to constantly make choices like which toothpaste to buy out of 5,000 choices; and the loneliness of having hundreds of friends who've we've never met and don't know us - this is why we have this constant dissatisfaction whirring under our thoughts, questioning why we're not as happy as everyone else seems to be.
What a relief it is to work with these guys and find out everyone has the same anxieties, everyone feels a little lost and alone. The problem is there are a number of evolutionary hiccups that haven't been ironed out as yet; glitches in the engine room. Part of our brain still functions as if it's thousands of years ago and we haven't yet learnt to adjust it to deal with contemporary scenarios.
It's so liberating to find out that my problems aren't entirely my fault. I'm a result of genes, biology, culture and early experiences all happening without my knowledge or permission.
There's a brilliant writer, Wes Nisker, who says, "If you believe that you've sinned or that you are seriously flawed as a human being, I'm happy to tell you, that salvation has arrived. You did not choose to have your brain and nervous system or your instincts for bonding or self-preservation any more than you choose to have thumbs. You are not your fault."
Thank the Lord it's not my fault!!! I wish that I had found the neuroscientist and the monk when I was eighteen; I could have saved a lot of money on shrinks and medication.
If you can't wait a whole year for Ruby's new book, you can buy her latest bestseller, A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled right now - it's out in paperback on 29th December. Ruby is on tour throughout 2017 with her #Frazzled Show - tickets on sale now.
If you want to be the first to know when Ruby's new book will be published, as well as exclusive news, special offers and other things that might be useful to you, just tell Ruby where to get in touch.