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When Things Don’t Go Your Way
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  • Published: 29 April 2025
  • ISBN: 9780241989951
  • Imprint: Penguin General UK
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 296
  • RRP: $30.00

When Things Don’t Go Your Way

Zen Wisdom for Difficult Times

Formats & editions
Paperback
29 Apr 2025
Hardback
23 Apr 2024
Audiobook
28 Mar 2024
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A beautifully illustrated guide to coping with the struggles of modern life, from the Zen Buddhist monk and internationally bestselling author

What if moments of great difficulty are, in fact, opportunities for growth and self-discovery? What if they can serve as stepping stones to greater things in life?

Modern life doesn't always go our way. Loss, rejection, uncertainty and loneliness are unavoidable parts of the human experience -- but there is solace to be found. In When Things Don't Go Your Way, Zen Buddhist teacher Haemin Sunim provides simple but powerful wisdom for navigating life's challenges. Through his trademark combination of beautiful illustrations, insightful stories, and contemplative aphorisms, Sunim helps us reframe our mindsets and develop emotional agility.

Whether you're in the midst of a crisis or simply seeking to improve your mental and emotional wellbeing, When Things Don't Go Your Way is a soothing balm that helps us all find courage and comfort when we need it most.
  • Published: 29 April 2025
  • ISBN: 9780241989951
  • Imprint: Penguin General UK
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 296
  • RRP: $30.00
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About the author

Haemin Sunim

Haemin Sunim is one of the most influential Zen Buddhist teachers and writers in the world. Born in South Korea and educated at Berkeley, Harvard and Princeton, he received formal monastic training in Korea and taught Buddhism at Hampshire College in Massachusetts. He has more than a million followers on Twitter (@haeminsunim) and Facebook and lives in Seoul when not traveling to share his teachings. In Korea, The Things You Can See sold more than three million copies and spent 41 weeks at Number One. Love For Imperfect Things was Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller.

portrait photo of Haemin Sunim

Also by Haemin Sunim

Love for Imperfect Things
The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down
See all

Praise for When Things Don’t Go Your Way

In When Things Don’t Go Your Way, Haemin Sunim offers readers a warm and reassuring path through the most challenging moments of our lives. By sharing his hard-won wisdom, he guides us from hardship to self-discovery, helping us to stay centered and feel whole.

Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

Imagine receiving a warm hug from a book - that's exactly what you'll experience with this one. Sunim skillfully offers comforting wisdom in an accessible and gentle manner, while also embracing profound vulnerability, just as he has done with his previous books.

Vex King

Haemin Sunim is one of the wisest, most honest and authentic teachers I know. Drawn from his own lived experience, When Things Don’t Go Your Way offers the kind of guidance we most need when life doesn’t cooperate and we’re painfully, emotionally stuck. It shows us how our challenges themselves can become powerful fuel for spiritual awakening

Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance