Book excerpt: Many people think they know exactly what they want, but the way our brain works, what we really want is hidden from us. When most of us are asked what we want most in life, our answers usually come in broad strokes, such as having a certain amount of money, success, free time, living in a happy family, having a less stressful job, getting married, etc. Dr. Uram guides people to dig beneath the surface of what they think they want most. And through Essential Living we can discover what they discovered: most of us are on an indirect route that actually leads away from what we truly want most. After years of professional experience, Dr. Uram concludes that when we become aware of what we really want most and learn to calm and better regulate certain areas of our brain, we can change course and get on a path that takes us directly to our true desires. We are born with the four qualities we most want. They are actually inherent to our most basic nature, our Core Self, which we have lost touch with over time. As we grow up, however, we must turn our focus toward the "business of life" while our Core Self fades quietly into the background. As adults, our inherent Core Self is still the deepest driving force in our lives, yet we have forgotten how to recognize and connect with it. In Essential Living Dr. Uram shows us how we lost touch with our Core Self, and how we can train our brain to reconnect with it. We can then expand from where we are to where we truly want to be; experiencing life with greater peace, happiness, love and freedom.