Wait: A Love Letter to Those in Despair

Pause, find connection, and choose peace rather than harm when you feel overwhelmed in the crashing ocean of life.

You are the calm of the ocean, not the pounding wave. The tumultuous, confusing, and unbearable feelings that arise in life will never overtake your true essence and the peace you can find below the surface.

Written as a love letter to those in pain, Wait encourages us to seek out a path to peace and freedom from suffering. Cuong Lu, a long-time disciple of Thich Nhat Hanh, personally witnessed a shooting while fleeing Vietnam in 1975. The memory of this trauma prompted him to dedicate his life to sharing the wisdom of deep listening, finding understanding, and in his words, “defusing the bombs in our hearts.” We have waited long enough for the violence to stop. Now is the time to help turn the tide, interrupt the cycle of violence, and create a world where love and understanding thrive.

PRAISE

“Wise words to touch your heart, change your mind, and affect your actions—a path to view and experience life differently.”—Mo Gawdat, former chief business officer of Google [X], author of Solve for Happy

“Truly a book for our times. A poetic invitation to clarity and heartful living. Cuong Lu issues this call as someone who’s known the depths of trouble and pain and discovered relief and richness on the path. This voice is a much-needed balm in the heat of a divisive world.”—Ralph De La Rosa, LCSW, author of Don’t Tell Me to Relax and The Monkey Is the Messenger

“With simple, poetic, and honest prose, Cuong Lu offers indelible wisdom for a life well-lived. We learn about the power of the human experience, in all its sorrows and all its joys, through heartfelt stories and beautifully crafted language. A must-read for anyone wanting to cultivate genuine peace in the heart.”—Devon Hase, author of How Not to Be a Hot Mess.