[Tessa] I have known of Rabbi Benjamin Shalva for over a decade. I can think back to when my kids were all at home and even then his words connected with me.

I read his book, Spiritual Cross Training: Searching Through Silence, Stretch, and Song, and was greatly inspired. Equally wonderful is his book, Ambition Addiction: How to Go Slow, Give Thanks, and Discover Joy Within.

About Rabbi Shalva

Benjamin Shalva’s poetry and prose have appeared in Image, Peauxdunque Review, Ponder Review, Spirituality & Health Magazine, and The Washington Post. He is the author of two books of nonfiction, Spiritual Cross-Training and Ambition Addiction, both published by Grand Harbor Press. A hospice chaplain, he lives in Baltimore, Maryland with his wife, two children, and two hound dogs.

Spiritual Cross-Training: Searching Through Silence, Stretch, and Song

On a quest for enlightenment, Benjamin Shalva journeyed through the wilds of Tibet and took a pilgrimage to a white-walled monastery in Rhode Island. He wrestled with demons, danced with temptresses, and sang with hundreds of voices under the stars. Now, using the lessons and techniques gained through years of religious exploration and inward reflection, Shalva offers simple and powerful ways to connect with your spiritual self, whether it be in a place of worship or the yoga studio, or even while sitting in traffic, working late at the office, or kneeling in your garden.

Ambition Addiction: How to Go Slow, Give Thanks, and Discover Joy Within

Ambition is a blessing. It is a key motivator driving people to achieve their hopes and dreams. But for many, accomplishment is never enough. In a culture obsessed with fame and celebrity, the burning desire for acclaim, conquest, and domination can be overwhelming—to the detriment of one’s personal life. This is ambition addiction: the all-encompassing yearning for success at any cost.

Self-described ambition addict Benjamin Shalva (Spiritual Cross-Training) has written an insightful and illuminating book for anyone who wants to control that destructive strain of ambition and live with integrity. He identifies the signs and symptoms of ambition addiction and profiles iconic achievers to help readers identify unhealthy motivations. Then he reveals the five steps to living a fulfilling life of healthy, productive ambition in which grand but elusive fantasies give way to the true happiness of the here and now.