Tina Turner is shedding light on her path to peace in her new book, Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good, in which she details how her Buddhist practices helped her out of the darkest times of her life.
“I really do believe that age is just a number, and I have never let age stand in my way,” Turner writes in an excerpt shared by People. “Not at 42, when people said that I was too old to be a rock star. And not now, in my eighties, when the book I dreamed of writing for decades is finally in your hands. I’ve passed 80, but I have not ‘arrived,’ because I still challenge myself to grow, to step out of my comfort zone, to improve my life, and to be of service to others.”
She detailed her struggles with depression and a “litany of problems” in an interview with USA Today on Friday (Dec. 4), adding that she “became so hopeless that I attempted suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills.”
Thankfully, she was taken to the hospital, where she recovered. “Not long after that, a number of people suggested I try chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and studying Buddhist principles,” she continued. “The more I learned about it, the more I found the philosophy helpful, and it made perfect sense to me. Buddhism literally saved my life, and I’ve been happily chanting every day for about 50 years now.”
As for what she wants fans to take away from the book, the icon told that publication that her “wish is to inspire readers and give them tools to increase joy in their lives.”
“I believe we all have the potential for indestructible happiness, and we already have within us everything we need to be joyful,” she continued. “We must simply tap into it. To me, a truly happy life means feeling optimistic and confident, no matter what circumstances we may face, because we know that our inner wisdom can guide us to make positive choices. We always have a choice, even if it is as seemingly small as choosing to think a more positive thought or being grateful for a cherished moment we’ve experienced. In this book, I share the ways I’ve created joy even during the hardest times of my life, including financial ruin and health problems, and how everyone who reads Happiness Becomes You can do the same.”
Happiness Becomes You is out Tuesday (Dec. 8).