March 2005 
 
The Five Things We Cannot Change:
And
the Happiness We Find by Embracing Them
David Richo’s The Five Things We Cannot
Change…and
the Happiness We Find by Embracing Them takes us on a journey of
self-discovery by carefully and thoughtfully laying out a step-by-step
guide that helps us to identify life’s “givens” and
through acceptance of them, the ability to eventually find true happiness.
The “givens” that Richo explores are: (1) Everything
changes and ends; (2) Things do not always go according to plan;
(3) Life is not always fair; (4) Pain is part of life; and (5) People
are not loving and loyal all the time. He believes that you can find
true happiness if you change your way of thinking in connection with
these realities, and look them squarely in the face to find a deeper
meaning as to their true value in your life.
We all find ourselves seeking shelter in the wake of life’s
great difficulties, and sometimes it appears emotionally less painful
to flee our obstacles instead of facing them head-on. But Richo leads
us on a passionate journey where we discover that even in the darkest
hour there is something to be gained through adversity.
In The Five Things We Cannot Change... the author does not attempt
to make light of life’s challenges, but encourages us to meet
them—to value and embrace them, for they are as much a part
of us as life’s miracles. This book is beautifully written
and would be a useful self-help guide for anyone seeking personal
growth.
—Paula Yates
 
Wising Up: Life Without Regrets
The introduction to this book succinctly states its intended
purpose: “Your journey in life is truly an adventure! As we
grow older, something most of us need is a way of adding life to
our years.” Author Hal Milton, an ordained Unity Minister,
offers spiritual solutions to some of the challenges of aging gracefully
and wisely.
Chapter titles are more than a hint that Milton believes that at
any age we can become awakened and take steps to find our life’s
purpose. The first chapter introduces us to “The Adventure
of Aging,” and the last chapter is appropriately titled “The
Ending is the Beginning.” Other chapters address a myriad of
subjects that will be familiar ponderings for most of us: the challenges
surrounding being fully conscious, faith, prayer, and love.
The eleventh chapter, “The Twelve Pearls: Timeless Wisdom” introduces
the reader to Unity founder, Charles Fillmore’s belief that
the “God-mind” has twelve perfect attributes, six thinking
and six feeling. The thinking attributes are: will, order, judgment,
understanding, imagination, and elimination. The feeling attributes
are: faith, power, strength, zeal, life, and love. Never fear, these
pearls are not something that Milton believes you have to leave your
easy-chair to attain. The thinking here is that we are born with
all of them and that the power to use them is always available to
us. There is a caveat— some of the “pearls” fade
from our consciousness as we move from infancy through the cycles
of life and our ego becomes more prominent. The good news is that
as we move along on our spiritual journey, we can reclaim the twelve
attributes and bring them back into the forefront of our lives.
In addition to Milton’s personal stories about getting older,
Wising Up: Life Without Regrets offers practical suggestions for
self-discovery, journaling exercises, and well- founded spiritual
sensibilities for mature living.
—Yolanda Porter |
