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| March, 2009 | ||
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“SHOW, don’t tell” is a longstanding tenet of good writing. In her collection of personal essays Barbara Stahura, beloved longtime contributor to Science of Mind, does just that. Rather than telling the reader her “So-Many-Steps to Spiritual Living,” in What I Thought I Knew, she shows how an ongoing spiritual inquiry has challenged and enriched her life, and sprinkles kernels of hard-won wisdom through the sharing of her personal journey. One reads of her spirituality between the lines: in the bewilderment of a fourteen-year-old girl who wonders if her father, who has just died, ever really loved her; in the struggles of a young, single woman determined to succeed in a career as a freelance writer; in the fear and utter darkness of a newlywed whose husband suffers from a traumatic brain injury. With a refreshing and endearing vulnerability, Stahura’s masterfully crafted essays graciously invite the reader to experience the joys and pains of a half-century of otherwise-ordinary living, and to appreciate the blessings she gains from following her passion and listening to her heart. “Life is all about choices,” she writes. “Learning how to change your mind, when the moment is right, is often the best gift you can give yourself.” The pleasure comes to the reader who recognizes herself in the anecdotes: in the awareness that Stahura’s journey is no different than her own and that insights she gained similarly may be found within. In a defining essay entitled “Love is God,” Stahura establishes her spiritual credentials, from growing up in the Roman Catholic tradition to her discovery of New Thought and her personal realization of the Oneness inherent in all. Her soul’s task, she writes, is to offer love as best she can. “Every day, there are thousands of ways, large and small, in which we can extend love to one another,” she writes. “The most difficult part is often arriving at the understanding that we can choose to do so.” |
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| —Donna Mosher | ||
IF you are a spiritual self-help bookworm, then you may want to check out the series of books written by Tom Butler-Bowdon, the most recent one being 50 Prosperity Classics. In this title as well as all his previous works,, Butler-Bowdon provides concise summaries of the books he believes to be the essential classics, old and new, in the subject area of the volume. Unlike other attempts to provide book summaries, Butler-Bowdon does not abridge his write-up to the degree that he loses the essence of the book. Rather, for each he provides a well-written six-page overview of the book that does an outstanding job of capturing its basic points. In addition, he provides vital quotes from the title, a one sentence summary of the book, a list of similar books, and a short author description. Those who might quibble with his 50 selections might want to check his appendix with very short descriptions of 50 other classics. 50 Prosperity Classics highlights many books that will be familiar to Science of Mind readers such as Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret, AbrahamHicks’s Ask and It is Given, Catherine Ponders’ Open Your Mind to Prosperity, and many more. These summaries are great for refreshing your memory on their key concepts as well as discovering a fresh take on the title. However, readers will, no doubt, be introduced to many new books by Butler-Bowdon that they may want to add to their libraries. As you bounce around this book, soon you start seeing connections between the various classics and having those wonderful moments when you go “Aha.” In fact, Butler-Bowdon obviously had the same experience, as he offers a section with the “prosperity principles” he identified from the books he digested. Many of these principles will be familiar to metaphysical students and serve as a great reminder of what Ernest Holmes discovered—that there are golden threads of truth that run through all the wisdom literature. |
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| —Mark Gilbert | ||
“DO you have regrets?” So asks the cover of Regretland, a delightful, quick read for anyone living with regret and disappointment. Rather than live with “coulda, woulda, shoulda,” author Adrienne Golday leads the reader down an illuminated path of spiritual truth written in storybook form through such places as “Pinnacle Mountain” “Victimville,” “Futureland,” “Successland,” and the final destination: “The Land of Deity.” We follow Joe the baker, an ordinary, jolly man who has spent his life pursuing higher knowledge and assisting people to live happier, more fulfilling lives. Every year for fifteen years, Joe has traveled to a retreat in Sedona to raise his spiritual awareness and replenish his spirit, but one year he realizes that something important is missing. He has spent his life searching for peace of mind, but he questions his experiences. Joe embarks on a journey of exploration, and as he walks through “Measureland,” for the first time in his life he compares himself to others and finds himself lacking. Words of wisdom he’s written in his local newspaper’s self-help column return to him and it dawns on him that he needs to live the words himself. Walking through “Victimville,” he realizes that’s not where he wants to settle down and continues his expedition through “Regretland,” ultimately realizing it’s never too late. But his journey isn’t finished yet. He enters “Failure Hall,” where people like Edison, Einstein, and even Oprah sat until they realized that failure paved the way to their success. As Joe pieces his life together, he joyfully experiences the synchronicities that manifest his dreams, but he comes to understand that there is one major element missing: bliss. Dare he risk losing everything he’s worked for and all he’s gained to experience bliss? Will he make the final trek to “The Land of Deity?” To find out and perhaps chart your own journey to freedom from regret and disappointment, join Joe in Regretland and experience your own uplifting, powerful spiritual adventure. |
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| —Frances Mary | ||
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