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| July, 2009 | ||
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EVERY so often, a book comes along that speaks as much to the younger generation as it does to the elders. Steve O’Brien, the lawyer-author of Elijah’s Coin, has penned such a story. Written in the first person, it revolves around Tom Wagner, a young man who experiences a devastating tragedy. Spiraling into a life of crime, Tom is unexpectedly confronted by a mysterious night-watchman, Elijah King, during his first robbery attempt. “What separates successful people from unsuccessful people is how they adapt to fortune—good and bad,” says Elijah, who seems to appear and disappear at key moments. Elijah reveals that he’s mentored three other people who were at crossroads in their own lives and offers Tom a choice: Either learn certain lessons or be turned over to the police. Tom grudgingly decides to accept Elijah’s proposition to meet again the next night, when he catches a strange coin Elijah tosses his way. He decides to search for the three men Elijah had mentored in the past and is serendipitously led to them. Tom learns that each has a coin exactly like his, and each is passionately driven, yet calmly confident and willing to assist him. Over the next several years, Tom continues to piece together the puzzle of Elijah and his message. He applies what he has learned and builds a life that fulfills his ambition and heart. But once again the tables are turned, and he finds himself face-to-face with the biggest challenge of his life. As he reflects on his roller-coaster existence, Tom questions if he can maintain balance, coming to the conclusion that “...in every life one person can make a difference. There is tremendous power in helping others, in taking a chance on someone, in investing in people to help them find their potential.” The outcome of his decisions and actions turns out to be bigger than anything he could have ever imagined. As a special gift, each book contains two of Elijah’s coins—one for the reader to keep as a reminder of the principles, and another to give away to “pay it forward.” |
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| —Mary Francis | ||
THE heartening message of Julia Cameron’s searching new book Faith and Will is that the storms in our spiritual life can bring renewal. Experiencing a midlife crisis, feeling empty and disconnected, and disappointed with the direction of her career, Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, sets out to explore these feelings and to rebuild her faith. This book is an account of that exploration. In rebuilding her lost faith, she discovers that the storms of life are opportunities to evolve in consciousness. Cameron shows her readers that the storms of life—those periods of emptiness and disconnection—can lead to a fuller realization of divine love and wholeness. Over the course of her quest, Cameron’s faith gradually returns as an ego-based self-will gives way to the insight that God’s will for her is always in her best interest. She finds that her faith is restored one day at a time, through a willingness to see and to trust the divine presence in her life. The result for her is an inner peace, a relaxing and spacious freedom to be. Cameron delves honestly and poignantly into her unsettling crisis of faith. By candidly sharing her feelings of stagnation and confusion, she allows her readers to engage in the healing process along with her. As Cameron questions the ways of God, readers can enter into the process of facing within themselves areas of doubt and fear, and find encouragement to do so honestly and deeply. Some insights that come to Cameron include the realization that faith in God means trusting that whatever is happening is exactly what needs to be happening, and that the benevolent will of God is always present, available, and active. Emptiness is really openness, as Cameron makes clear. For all who may be feeling cut off from the flow of good in their life, this book provides supportive guidance in ceasing to struggle but instead to trust. Numerous prayers, many from twelve-step programs, as well as many scriptural quotations, add wisdom and comfort to this personal reflection on the spiritual journey. |
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| —Kathy Juline | ||
| Additional Science of Mind Book Recommendations for May | ||
John Bradshaw, known as the pioneer of “inner child” work and a dominant figure in addiction/recovery and family systems, offers an exploration of the life of virtue, how we can develop it in ourselves, and how to teach it to our children. Bradshaw draws on case studies and his own experience to examine the inborn moral intelligence found in each individual, an inner guidance system that can lead one in making moral choices. These choices are not based in guilt or traditional rule-based dogma, but come from a higher place of ethical sensibility. Bradshaw examines the scope of human development from ancient Greek philosophers to recent discoveries of neuroscience and distills wisdom to ground one’s life in a clear sense of virtue and the ability to make moment-to-moment choices and “do the right thing at the right time for the right reason.” Equipped with this type of virtue, humanity can take responsibility for finding a common bond among all on the planet.
Julia Cameron combines the principles from her famous Artist’s Way program with an inspiring weight-loss plan that encourages readers to count words instead of calories and substitute writing’s “food for thought” for food cravings. Readers will use journaling to explore their relationship with food and examine what they are truly craving in their lives. Also included are success stories of those who have found a creative path to a slimmer, more fulfilled lifestyle.
Tibetan Buddhist master Yongey Mingyur explores the premise that every chapter of human history could be described as an “age of anxiety.” Most individuals attempt to escape or succumb to the problems they face. Mingyur says that Buddhism offers a third option. He teaches that we are all Buddhas; we just do not recognize it. Once we develop an awareness of our true nature, we can recognize obstacles as opportunities for growth. This practical book of wisdom offers insights into how to identify the source of unease, methods of meditation to help one transform the experience, and practical applications of ancient wisdom to modern life. Graced with joy and humor, Joyful Wisdom makes the ancient tradition of Buddhism easily accessible.
Mary Beth Sammons’s Second Acts that Change Lives appeals to individuals who may be looking for inspiration to reinvent their lives and pursue lost dreams or find the time to truly give back. The book offers a collection of stories of middle-aged trailblazers with the courage to make radical changes in their lives and share their talents and skills to make a profound difference in the world. Sammons’s stories inspire readers to look deep inside their hearts and find the inspiration to ignite their own “second acts.”
In Of Character: Building Assets in Recovery, Denise Crosson reminds readers that the greatest assets we have in life are those qualities of character that are the essence of one’s higherself. Crosson states, “I believe developing character is using what we have to rise above the limits we impose upon ourselves because of fear, greed, selfishness, and hatred.” Of Character explores 58 such assets. Each asset is defined, each definition is followed by a thought provoking quote, and wisdom is offered to help one see how to develop this asset in life. At the end of each section, a meditative thought or affirmation is given to help embody the principle. Those in recovery programs are the target audience for this book, but the character-based assets could assist any individual in making positive changes. Used daily, one could contemplate the assets in this beautiful little book and find a guide to a new “balance sheet,” the blueprint for a balanced, inspired life. |
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| —Claudia Abbott | ||
Elijah’s Coin
Faith and Will
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