Lisa Oz: 'US: Transforming Ourselves and the Relationships that Matter Most.'

April 6, 2010 — -- Lisa Oz is the co-author of the best-selling "YOU: The Owner's Manual" series of books.

An entrepreneur and radio talk show host, Oz also is a Reiki master, actress and mother of four.

She is married to surgeon and television host Dr. Mehmet Oz.

In the book "US: Transforming Ourselves and the Relationships that Matter Most," the Oz discusses the connection between healthy minds and healthy relationships.

Check out an excerpt of the book below, then head to the "GMA" Library for other great reads.

Introduction: Who Am I?

This is not actually a book about "relationships." You won't find any tips on dating or rules for attracting the opposite sex here. This is instead a book about being in relationship. What's the difference?

Well, the former is a thing and the latter is a state, and a state is part of what defines us at any given moment rather than something outside ourselves that we have or don't have. We all exist in relationship; we can't not. It's like magnetic force.

Every object, by its very nature, exerts a pull on every other object. And whether we are aware of it or not, we are in relationship with all other things in this universe (and possibly otheruniverses as well, but that's another book).

So, why is this relevant and who am I to expound on the significance of our place in the cosmos?

Well, in answer to the first part of the question, understanding the nature of our interactions is important because the quality of our existence is determined by the quality of our relationships. What we believe, who we are, and who we can become are all manifest through our dealings with others. It is here that thoughts and emotions become actualized and our true self revealed. Our behavior is the only real measure of our character, and 90 percent of the time our behavior involves someone else.

And who am I? Trick question, right? Most of you probably know me as the wife of the "great and powerful (Dr.) Oz." But the wife of a wizard is not necessarily a witch -- or a doctor. I am not one of those educated professionals who are qualified to tell you how you should be living your life. Rather, like you, I am a seeker.

Sticking with the Oz paradigm for a moment, I am like the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Lion all wrapped into one, striving for compassion and wisdom while I struggle to remain brave. You get to be Dorothy, joining me for a skip down a winding road.

I will warn you up front: there will be flying monkeys, but I will try to keep the soporific flowers to a minimum. At the end of this book we will have gotten to where we are going, which will be where we have always been. The difference is that we will know ourselves a little better. We will have caught a glimpse of who we are by becoming more aware of how we are in each of our relationships. And I hope we will be friends.

The title US in one sense refers to you, the reader, and me, the writer. We too exist in relationship. My intention is that you will see aspects of your own life reflected in my personal stories. My ramblings and musings are supposed to entertain but also lead to a place of connection. I have a hunch we are not that dissimilar, you and I.