Book Reviews
Reviews by RAnnRousseau
Read RAnnRousseau's Blog
The Importance of Being Extraordinary
Mar 24, 2013
The Importance of Being Extraordinary is a 2 CD set featuring an inspirational talk given by Wayne Dyer and Eckhart Tolle in Hawaii.
Eckhart and Wayne tell us that to be extraordinary is to live your life in conscious awareness. They say most people put more value on doing and less value on being. When you're living an extraordinary life, you are in an Awakened Doing state. You will balance the Awakened Doing with Spacious Presence which is contentment, peacefulness, quietness. They say that when you live an extraordinary life by balancing Awakened Doing with Spacious Presence, there is a deep aliveness in you which liberates you from your false sense of self. They referenced Zen Buddhism. They told us that monks often ask, "What is Zen?" The answer is Nothing. It can't be defined. It is beingness. I was surprised Buddhist monks actually ask that question.
Conscious Awareness is a wonderful concept and practice--one that requires a constant reminder in today's fast paced world which can knock us unconscious with one cut off on the highway. I think the value in listening to these CDs is to check in with yourself to determine where you're out of balance in the real world. Are you spending too much time alone? Perhaps you're leaning too hard in the Spacious Presence direction. Are you running around like a mad person, going to work, picking up kids, making dinner, cleaning, screaming, and completely worn out? You're out of balance in the Awakening Doing part of your life AND Spaciousness Awareness. Actually, if you're at that point, there's not much awakeness and aliveness going on. You've completely checked out of your own life.
I've said this before when reviewing Wayne Dyer's work, his quotes drive me insane. They're a crutch. Wayne Dyer constantly quotes other people. Eckhart Tolle makes statements and observations that other people quote. It's the difference between a spiritual teacher (Wayne Dyer) and a spiritual master teacher (Eckhart Tolle). I challenge Wayne Dyer to write a book or give a lecture quote free. Will he feel naked? Will he be inspired and give us himself fully awakened? Will he transform himself from spiritual professor to spiritual master and just BE the concepts he talks about? He needs no one and nothing to support what he knows to be true in his life. Quoting others is trying to defend an observation or experience.
I give the CD 3 out of 4 stars because the concept of present moment awareness is timeless and requires review for time to time. Wayne and Eckhart together is interesting with a noticeable difference in style. I didn't hear anything mind blowing or awe inspiring in these CDs. If you've listened to these two before, it's just a refresher about present moment awareness. I recommend it for those in traffic to add to their commuter library.
Disclosure: I am a Hay House Book Reviewer which means I may receive a book free of charge for review. My credibility is extremely important to me. This site is independently owned and the opinions expressed here are my own. Sometimes that's very obvious. I am also an affiliate of Hay House Publishing and Amazon. This means I receive a commission if you purchase Hay House or Amazon products linked from this website.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. Ann Rousseau writes about metaphysical, spiritual and astrology topics on her blog Explore Beyond the Usual. She is author of the new novel Portsmouth, A Love Story.
Eckhart and Wayne tell us that to be extraordinary is to live your life in conscious awareness. They say most people put more value on doing and less value on being. When you're living an extraordinary life, you are in an Awakened Doing state. You will balance the Awakened Doing with Spacious Presence which is contentment, peacefulness, quietness. They say that when you live an extraordinary life by balancing Awakened Doing with Spacious Presence, there is a deep aliveness in you which liberates you from your false sense of self. They referenced Zen Buddhism. They told us that monks often ask, "What is Zen?" The answer is Nothing. It can't be defined. It is beingness. I was surprised Buddhist monks actually ask that question.
Conscious Awareness is a wonderful concept and practice--one that requires a constant reminder in today's fast paced world which can knock us unconscious with one cut off on the highway. I think the value in listening to these CDs is to check in with yourself to determine where you're out of balance in the real world. Are you spending too much time alone? Perhaps you're leaning too hard in the Spacious Presence direction. Are you running around like a mad person, going to work, picking up kids, making dinner, cleaning, screaming, and completely worn out? You're out of balance in the Awakening Doing part of your life AND Spaciousness Awareness. Actually, if you're at that point, there's not much awakeness and aliveness going on. You've completely checked out of your own life.
I've said this before when reviewing Wayne Dyer's work, his quotes drive me insane. They're a crutch. Wayne Dyer constantly quotes other people. Eckhart Tolle makes statements and observations that other people quote. It's the difference between a spiritual teacher (Wayne Dyer) and a spiritual master teacher (Eckhart Tolle). I challenge Wayne Dyer to write a book or give a lecture quote free. Will he feel naked? Will he be inspired and give us himself fully awakened? Will he transform himself from spiritual professor to spiritual master and just BE the concepts he talks about? He needs no one and nothing to support what he knows to be true in his life. Quoting others is trying to defend an observation or experience.
I give the CD 3 out of 4 stars because the concept of present moment awareness is timeless and requires review for time to time. Wayne and Eckhart together is interesting with a noticeable difference in style. I didn't hear anything mind blowing or awe inspiring in these CDs. If you've listened to these two before, it's just a refresher about present moment awareness. I recommend it for those in traffic to add to their commuter library.
Disclosure: I am a Hay House Book Reviewer which means I may receive a book free of charge for review. My credibility is extremely important to me. This site is independently owned and the opinions expressed here are my own. Sometimes that's very obvious. I am also an affiliate of Hay House Publishing and Amazon. This means I receive a commission if you purchase Hay House or Amazon products linked from this website.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. Ann Rousseau writes about metaphysical, spiritual and astrology topics on her blog Explore Beyond the Usual. She is author of the new novel Portsmouth, A Love Story.
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E Squared
Mar 07, 2013
The book E2 Nine Do-It-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality by Pam Grout is an entertaining way to take your interest in the law of attraction to the next level. Pam tells us that it's not enough just to believe the law of attraction works. We need to know it works by proving it to ourselves. To do that, she introduces us to 9 energy principles with an experiment to go along with each of them. She says you can prove to yourself once and for all, what you think, you create.
This is no boring quantum physics manual. Pam is an entertaining writer, keeping the reader's interest, making them laugh while they learn.
Pam says her book is about a "space heater" or an "invisible energy source." She claims this 'space heater' is 100% reliable. She says, "It works every time like a set of math principles or law of physics. Two plus two always equals four. Balls dropped off roofs always fall. Your every thought always affects physical reality."
Pam challenges the reader to know this 'space heater' type energy exists by experimenting with it on their own. Most of these experiments are expected to produce results within 48 hours or less with little cost.
I Explored Beyond the Usual and tried most of the experiments myself. I was surprised to find one of them worked within minutes. Here are the results of my tests:
The Abracadabra Principle: Failed
The Dude Abides Principle: Took a little longer than 48 hours but did work
The Volkswagon Jetta Principle: This test not only worked with what I wrote down to manifest, it worked with what she wrote down to manifest-- sunsets beige cars and butterflies. I had crossed out her manifestation selections and wrote in my own. I manifested both selections within 24 hours (within minutes really).
The Alby Einstein Principle: Passed
The Dear Abby Principle: Undetermined. No noticeable response to the question asked.
The 101 Dalmations Principle: Failed
So, a mixed bag really. I loved reading the book. Pam Grout is a great storyteller. Her writing is top notch and entertaining. It's a great way to learn how energy works in our lives. I would recommend the book to those who want to take their interest and knowledge of the law of attraction to the next level and start working with the concept is a structured but fun way.
This is no boring quantum physics manual. Pam is an entertaining writer, keeping the reader's interest, making them laugh while they learn.
Pam says her book is about a "space heater" or an "invisible energy source." She claims this 'space heater' is 100% reliable. She says, "It works every time like a set of math principles or law of physics. Two plus two always equals four. Balls dropped off roofs always fall. Your every thought always affects physical reality."
Pam challenges the reader to know this 'space heater' type energy exists by experimenting with it on their own. Most of these experiments are expected to produce results within 48 hours or less with little cost.
I Explored Beyond the Usual and tried most of the experiments myself. I was surprised to find one of them worked within minutes. Here are the results of my tests:
The Abracadabra Principle: Failed
The Dude Abides Principle: Took a little longer than 48 hours but did work
The Volkswagon Jetta Principle: This test not only worked with what I wrote down to manifest, it worked with what she wrote down to manifest-- sunsets beige cars and butterflies. I had crossed out her manifestation selections and wrote in my own. I manifested both selections within 24 hours (within minutes really).
The Alby Einstein Principle: Passed
The Dear Abby Principle: Undetermined. No noticeable response to the question asked.
The 101 Dalmations Principle: Failed
So, a mixed bag really. I loved reading the book. Pam Grout is a great storyteller. Her writing is top notch and entertaining. It's a great way to learn how energy works in our lives. I would recommend the book to those who want to take their interest and knowledge of the law of attraction to the next level and start working with the concept is a structured but fun way.
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Messages From Margaret
Jan 20, 2013
Messages from Margaret Down-to-Earth Angelic Advice for the World ...and You is a book about Gerry Gavin communicating in writing with his guardian angel, named Margaret. Chapter by chapter, Gerry shares the information Margaret has given him on big topics such as homosexuality, religion, extraterrestrials and this moment in our evolutionary history.
"For many scientists, their work is done in a vacuum--a church-and-state type of separation from religion. For many religious leaders, science is considered the enemy of faith because it defies the traditional writings in the holy books by trying to offer logical explanations for things that are taught to be above the comprehension of mortal man." -Margaret, Messages from Margaret
Really? I found this book a regurgitation of material I've heard a million times over and no different than any other channeled type book I've read. It seems that when people claim to channel other worldly beings, they always seem to talk about the same thing...world peace, science and religion, mass destruction of the environment, this being a critical time in our evolutionary history. These channeled beings never seem to give interesting and personal information to anyone when they supposedly have a bird eye view on our lives.
I was unimpressed and would say, "Pass," to anyone asking me what I thought about this book. It gets two stars instead one because it's nicely edited.
Disclosure: I am a Hay House Book Reviewer which means I may receive a book free of charge for review. My credibility is extremely important to me. This site is independently owned and the opinions expressed here are my own. Sometimes that's very obvious. I am also an affiliate of Hay House Publishing and Amazon. This means I receive a commission if you purchase Hay House or Amazon products linked from this website.
"For many scientists, their work is done in a vacuum--a church-and-state type of separation from religion. For many religious leaders, science is considered the enemy of faith because it defies the traditional writings in the holy books by trying to offer logical explanations for things that are taught to be above the comprehension of mortal man." -Margaret, Messages from Margaret
Really? I found this book a regurgitation of material I've heard a million times over and no different than any other channeled type book I've read. It seems that when people claim to channel other worldly beings, they always seem to talk about the same thing...world peace, science and religion, mass destruction of the environment, this being a critical time in our evolutionary history. These channeled beings never seem to give interesting and personal information to anyone when they supposedly have a bird eye view on our lives.
I was unimpressed and would say, "Pass," to anyone asking me what I thought about this book. It gets two stars instead one because it's nicely edited.
Disclosure: I am a Hay House Book Reviewer which means I may receive a book free of charge for review. My credibility is extremely important to me. This site is independently owned and the opinions expressed here are my own. Sometimes that's very obvious. I am also an affiliate of Hay House Publishing and Amazon. This means I receive a commission if you purchase Hay House or Amazon products linked from this website.
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The Only Thing That Matters
Dec 18, 2012
I was sitting in a restaurant waiting for my friend Amy and her husband Ed to show up when I cracked open the book The Only Thing That Matters by Neale Donald Walsch. I started reading....
“Dear Companion on the Journey: It is wonderful that you have come here. There is something you wish to know and something you wish to do, and Life understands this. That is why you are reading this. Here is what you wish to know…98% of the world’s people are spending 98% of their time on things that don’t matter.
You have been part of that 98%. Now, you are no longer. From this day forward you choose to spend your time on The Only Thing that Matters. The question is, what is that? Find your answer to that question.
This requires a deep exploration of the Self. You are in the right place for such an important and remarkable undertaking. Trust that. If you weren’t in the right place to find your answer, you would not be here. Do not think you have come to this book by chance.”
My friend Amy calls my cell phone, "We're on Middle Road. Where are you?"
"You're going to my house not the restaurant. I'm at the restaurant," I said.
"Oh, you're right. I set the GPS for your house address in error."
I gave her directions to the restaurant and kept reading...
“That inner voice is correct. Your life does not have to be a series of worrisome and challenging crisis involving finances, or relationships or health or family—or all of the above. Or, for that matter, on some days, nothing particular…just a nagging sense of out-of-orderness. Neither does the world at large have to be a container of constant calamity engulfing its governance and politics, its commerce and economics, its environment and ecology, its cultures and religions. Listen to that voice…IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY. That is not wishful thinking. That is your Awareness speaking.”
I received a second call from my friends, "I think we're almost there."
I kept reading, having a sense there was a message in this book for me. It seemed that my friends were sent on a wild goose chase so I could read.
After moving through three chapters, my friends walked into the restaurant as I turned the page and saw Chapter 4: You’re About to Become an Author.
This felt like a similar message I received just before writing Portsmouth A Love Story. I was trying to figure out what to write about when the book Writing Spirit by LynnAndrews came to me in an unusual way. The book was in the wrong section of Barnes and Noble and it stuck out at me on the shelf. I thought, Writing Spirit? What’s this about? I turned the book around to find a message: “You are a writer. Your act of power is the book or the story that you are creating. It is now time for you to bloom.” After I saw that quote, the idea for a novel started to download on me.
My friends came into the restaurant and apologized for being late. I told them it wasn't there fault. It was the book. It wanted to sidetrack them so I could read. They laughed and understood exactly what I was talking about. That's the fun of having friends who get it.
I truly enjoyed the first part of the book. Walsch asks questions that make you look at the big picture of your life –where you are and where you want to go. Walsch plays the part of Omniscient narrator, addressing you, the reader, directly as if you’re having a conversation with God. His technique is engaging and holds the reader’s interest. It’s a great book to snuggle up with on a cold winter day and ponder your life direction.
The only thing I didn’t like about this book, which is true about most of Walsch’s books after Conversations with God was that he takes ideas from other authors in the spiritual metaphysical space and doesn’t give them credit. For example, he talks about recognizing that all your problems have been solved. This is straight out of A Course in Miracles Lesson 80: Let Me Recognized that My Problems Have Been Solved. Other concepts in Walsch’s book he takes from A Course in Miracles, is my Will and God’s Will are one, and all it takes is a Little Willingness to name a few. There are also sections that sound a lot like The Secret.
What is The Only Thing That Matters? You’ll have to read the book!
The Only Thing That Matters is a self published book distributed by Hay House Publishing.
Disclosure: I am a Hay House Book Reviewer which means I may receive a book free of charge for review. My credibility is extremely important to me. This site is independently owned and the opinions expressed here are my own. Sometimes that's very obvious. I am also an affiliate of Hay House Publishing and Amazon. This means I receive a commission if you purchase Hay House or Amazon products linked from this website.
“Dear Companion on the Journey: It is wonderful that you have come here. There is something you wish to know and something you wish to do, and Life understands this. That is why you are reading this. Here is what you wish to know…98% of the world’s people are spending 98% of their time on things that don’t matter.
You have been part of that 98%. Now, you are no longer. From this day forward you choose to spend your time on The Only Thing that Matters. The question is, what is that? Find your answer to that question.
This requires a deep exploration of the Self. You are in the right place for such an important and remarkable undertaking. Trust that. If you weren’t in the right place to find your answer, you would not be here. Do not think you have come to this book by chance.”
My friend Amy calls my cell phone, "We're on Middle Road. Where are you?"
"You're going to my house not the restaurant. I'm at the restaurant," I said.
"Oh, you're right. I set the GPS for your house address in error."
I gave her directions to the restaurant and kept reading...
“That inner voice is correct. Your life does not have to be a series of worrisome and challenging crisis involving finances, or relationships or health or family—or all of the above. Or, for that matter, on some days, nothing particular…just a nagging sense of out-of-orderness. Neither does the world at large have to be a container of constant calamity engulfing its governance and politics, its commerce and economics, its environment and ecology, its cultures and religions. Listen to that voice…IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY. That is not wishful thinking. That is your Awareness speaking.”
I received a second call from my friends, "I think we're almost there."
I kept reading, having a sense there was a message in this book for me. It seemed that my friends were sent on a wild goose chase so I could read.
After moving through three chapters, my friends walked into the restaurant as I turned the page and saw Chapter 4: You’re About to Become an Author.
This felt like a similar message I received just before writing Portsmouth A Love Story. I was trying to figure out what to write about when the book Writing Spirit by LynnAndrews came to me in an unusual way. The book was in the wrong section of Barnes and Noble and it stuck out at me on the shelf. I thought, Writing Spirit? What’s this about? I turned the book around to find a message: “You are a writer. Your act of power is the book or the story that you are creating. It is now time for you to bloom.” After I saw that quote, the idea for a novel started to download on me.
My friends came into the restaurant and apologized for being late. I told them it wasn't there fault. It was the book. It wanted to sidetrack them so I could read. They laughed and understood exactly what I was talking about. That's the fun of having friends who get it.
I truly enjoyed the first part of the book. Walsch asks questions that make you look at the big picture of your life –where you are and where you want to go. Walsch plays the part of Omniscient narrator, addressing you, the reader, directly as if you’re having a conversation with God. His technique is engaging and holds the reader’s interest. It’s a great book to snuggle up with on a cold winter day and ponder your life direction.
The only thing I didn’t like about this book, which is true about most of Walsch’s books after Conversations with God was that he takes ideas from other authors in the spiritual metaphysical space and doesn’t give them credit. For example, he talks about recognizing that all your problems have been solved. This is straight out of A Course in Miracles Lesson 80: Let Me Recognized that My Problems Have Been Solved. Other concepts in Walsch’s book he takes from A Course in Miracles, is my Will and God’s Will are one, and all it takes is a Little Willingness to name a few. There are also sections that sound a lot like The Secret.
What is The Only Thing That Matters? You’ll have to read the book!
The Only Thing That Matters is a self published book distributed by Hay House Publishing.
Disclosure: I am a Hay House Book Reviewer which means I may receive a book free of charge for review. My credibility is extremely important to me. This site is independently owned and the opinions expressed here are my own. Sometimes that's very obvious. I am also an affiliate of Hay House Publishing and Amazon. This means I receive a commission if you purchase Hay House or Amazon products linked from this website.
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Is Your Life Mapped Out?
Nov 08, 2012
Is Your Life Mapped Out? Unraveling the Mystery of Destiny vs Free Will by David Hamilton is a quick read. It's a primer for those looking to learn about the Law of Attraction and how it works.
The reader gets introduced to all facets of intuition (ESP, presentiment, premonitions, precognitions, remote viewing), consciousness, power of thoughts, power of prayer, epigenetics, geomagnetic fields, astronomical cycles as reflected in astrology, quantum physics and entanglement, synchronicities, life before and after death, Spirit Guides and even God.
While briefly discussing these topics, he gives us a sample of the science behind these theories. He introduces the reader to Dean Radin's work on presentience and entanglement, experiments by Institute of Heartmath, Russell Targ's work on remote viewing at the Stanford Research Institute in the 1970s, Larry Dosey's work in the Power of Premonitions, data studies of the effect of mass human consciousness and world events conducted at the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) and many others.
Hamilton provides a laundry list of what is going on in the field of energy work, but nothing the intermediate or advanced reader of these topics hasn't heard before.
If you're looking to be introduced to the concept of energy and how it can be harnessed and used in your life, you'll be able to grasp the concepts fairly easily with this book.
After reading the book, perhaps we can say that our destiny is determined by our free will which is always guided by a divine plan that we can never mess up. Perhaps the title should be Me vs Me, questioning the unquestionable.
It's a good, well written primer. I give it three stars for those who are just beginning to dip their baby toe into the the fascinating world of energy.
Disclosure: I am a Hay House Book Reviewer which means I may receive a book free of charge for review. My credibility is extremely important to me. This site is independently owned and the opinions expressed here are my own. Sometimes that's very obvious. I am also an affiliate of Hay House Publishing and Amazon. This means I receive a commission if you purchase Hay House or Amazon products linked from this website.
The reader gets introduced to all facets of intuition (ESP, presentiment, premonitions, precognitions, remote viewing), consciousness, power of thoughts, power of prayer, epigenetics, geomagnetic fields, astronomical cycles as reflected in astrology, quantum physics and entanglement, synchronicities, life before and after death, Spirit Guides and even God.
While briefly discussing these topics, he gives us a sample of the science behind these theories. He introduces the reader to Dean Radin's work on presentience and entanglement, experiments by Institute of Heartmath, Russell Targ's work on remote viewing at the Stanford Research Institute in the 1970s, Larry Dosey's work in the Power of Premonitions, data studies of the effect of mass human consciousness and world events conducted at the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) and many others.
Hamilton provides a laundry list of what is going on in the field of energy work, but nothing the intermediate or advanced reader of these topics hasn't heard before.
If you're looking to be introduced to the concept of energy and how it can be harnessed and used in your life, you'll be able to grasp the concepts fairly easily with this book.
After reading the book, perhaps we can say that our destiny is determined by our free will which is always guided by a divine plan that we can never mess up. Perhaps the title should be Me vs Me, questioning the unquestionable.
It's a good, well written primer. I give it three stars for those who are just beginning to dip their baby toe into the the fascinating world of energy.
Disclosure: I am a Hay House Book Reviewer which means I may receive a book free of charge for review. My credibility is extremely important to me. This site is independently owned and the opinions expressed here are my own. Sometimes that's very obvious. I am also an affiliate of Hay House Publishing and Amazon. This means I receive a commission if you purchase Hay House or Amazon products linked from this website.
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What Makes Us Healthy
Oct 16, 2012
"To those whom much is given, much is expected." -JFK...sort of.
I hold Hay House Publishing in high regard for the work they do around the world. I've seen the hope and inspiration this company gives to those in pain and looking to get through the next day. That's why when I listened to this CD set, I found the material deeply disturbing. I say this while I think about the many listeners I've heard call into Hay House Radio over the years--those who are moving through a serious illness or emotional upheavals in their lives and those who appear to be permanently disabled--all looking for direction--how to be healthy again.
Then along comes Caroline Myss and her CD set What Makes Us Healthy? The title sounds like it may be answer. Here is an excerpt from the CD:
On CD 1 she says, "Health has been a leading indicator of narcissism. The reason you're not healing is because you can't get over yourself and the events that happened to you. Somehow the world should wrap itself around you and apologize as if it owes you something. Until the world acquiesces to your moods and temper tantrums, you simply won't heal. You won't play the game of life. Boo hoo to you. I've met more people like that than those who are willing to actually heal. How did we get this way?
Is this the best we can expect from a Hay House author who is regarded as spiritual leader in the world? Is this the message we want to give to those in pain?
I went through each of the 6 CD's and thought, I need Mel to listen to this.
When I'm given something this troubling to review, I get a second opinion. So, I call a friend who will give me their thoughts straight up. Mel is like that. He's been on a spiritual path since the 1960's and he's not afraid to tell the truth. I like the fact that he's seen Caroline's live lectures twice.
He dropped off the CD's to me yesterday, shook his head and said, "This is awful."
He described the CDs as six hours of being judged, labeled, defined, and belittled. "She rants about how horrible everyone is, bashes the gay community and calls everyone an addict."
I was shocked that Hay House would put out a CD where the author bashes gay people (stereotypes them) considering Louise Hay's deep ties with this community.
Caroline Myss goes on to bash spiritual seekers, the very core of the Hay House community, and tries to tell them what they think:
"People talk a lot about pursuing consciousness but they don't even know what that is. It baffles them. Today we casually talk about energy healing, chakras, healing today's illness that may be carry over from past lives. People are under spell. They don't have a clue. When people say they're on a spiritual path, they don't have a clue what that means. They're completely baffled. Does that mean you are suddenly conscious of values that you think other people never had? Is that what you think that means? That you're in search of peace and tranquility as if other people have never been in search of peace and tranquility? That great masters have no idea about peace and tranquility? What does that mean? A spiritual path is about illumination and truth. It's not about tranquility. That's the name of a spa. A spiritual path is not self serving. It's about serving others."
Disclosure: I am a Hay House Book Reviewer which means I may receive a book free of charge for review. My credibility is extremely important to me. This site is independently owned and the opinions expressed here are my own. Sometimes that's very obvious. I am also an affiliate of Hay House Publishing and Amazon. This means I receive a commission if you purchase Hay House or Amazon products linked from this website.
I hold Hay House Publishing in high regard for the work they do around the world. I've seen the hope and inspiration this company gives to those in pain and looking to get through the next day. That's why when I listened to this CD set, I found the material deeply disturbing. I say this while I think about the many listeners I've heard call into Hay House Radio over the years--those who are moving through a serious illness or emotional upheavals in their lives and those who appear to be permanently disabled--all looking for direction--how to be healthy again.
Then along comes Caroline Myss and her CD set What Makes Us Healthy? The title sounds like it may be answer. Here is an excerpt from the CD:
On CD 1 she says, "Health has been a leading indicator of narcissism. The reason you're not healing is because you can't get over yourself and the events that happened to you. Somehow the world should wrap itself around you and apologize as if it owes you something. Until the world acquiesces to your moods and temper tantrums, you simply won't heal. You won't play the game of life. Boo hoo to you. I've met more people like that than those who are willing to actually heal. How did we get this way?
Is this the best we can expect from a Hay House author who is regarded as spiritual leader in the world? Is this the message we want to give to those in pain?
I went through each of the 6 CD's and thought, I need Mel to listen to this.
When I'm given something this troubling to review, I get a second opinion. So, I call a friend who will give me their thoughts straight up. Mel is like that. He's been on a spiritual path since the 1960's and he's not afraid to tell the truth. I like the fact that he's seen Caroline's live lectures twice.
He dropped off the CD's to me yesterday, shook his head and said, "This is awful."
He described the CDs as six hours of being judged, labeled, defined, and belittled. "She rants about how horrible everyone is, bashes the gay community and calls everyone an addict."
I was shocked that Hay House would put out a CD where the author bashes gay people (stereotypes them) considering Louise Hay's deep ties with this community.
Caroline Myss goes on to bash spiritual seekers, the very core of the Hay House community, and tries to tell them what they think:
"People talk a lot about pursuing consciousness but they don't even know what that is. It baffles them. Today we casually talk about energy healing, chakras, healing today's illness that may be carry over from past lives. People are under spell. They don't have a clue. When people say they're on a spiritual path, they don't have a clue what that means. They're completely baffled. Does that mean you are suddenly conscious of values that you think other people never had? Is that what you think that means? That you're in search of peace and tranquility as if other people have never been in search of peace and tranquility? That great masters have no idea about peace and tranquility? What does that mean? A spiritual path is about illumination and truth. It's not about tranquility. That's the name of a spa. A spiritual path is not self serving. It's about serving others."
Disclosure: I am a Hay House Book Reviewer which means I may receive a book free of charge for review. My credibility is extremely important to me. This site is independently owned and the opinions expressed here are my own. Sometimes that's very obvious. I am also an affiliate of Hay House Publishing and Amazon. This means I receive a commission if you purchase Hay House or Amazon products linked from this website.
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Awakening the Luminous Mind
Aug 28, 2012
Awaking the Luminous Mind is about incorporating awareness into your everday life with a focus on Tibetan practices. The goal, according to the author, is to discover the hidden jewel in ordinary experiences. The focus of the book is on how to overcome difficulties through the practice of stillness, silence and spaciousness. Those who enjoy Eckhart Tolle's work, will enjoy this book as well.
There's nothing new here but it does reinforce the concept of having an Empty Mind to move the reader through difficult emotions such as fear, jealousy and anger. Similar to Tolle, Rinpoche refers to the the low energy state of dis-ease as The Pain Body.
In Chapters 1-4, Rinpoche discuses the principle of Inner Refuge: Pulling in for self reflection when life feels like it's off course
In Chapters 4-8 Rinpoche gives Heart Advice: Facing the experiences of your life directly and with authentic awareness. The goal is to integrate your spiritual practices and values into your everyday life.
What I liked
Rinpoche says, "We need a sense of where to turn when we become confined or encounter difficulties. In my tradition, we obtain this help by going for inner refuge."
I liked the concept of Inner Refuge. It's something I hadn't quite heard from Eckhart Tolle as a strategy for dealing with life's troubles. What I got from this concept is that you go into Inner Refuge by getting quiet and removing yourself from every day issues by spending time alone in silence. Then, there is the Inner Refuge in every day life--when you can't take time off to sit in the silence for an extended period of time. Rinpoche shows the reader that Inner Refuge can be found in the middle of life's craziness. It can be practiced at work, in a loud airport, in your home when your family members are making demands of you.
Attempting to practice Rinpoche's Inner Refuge myself when I was thrown a few curve balls recently, I had a hard time shifting my energy from the chatter monkey mind where fear resides and the still mind where peace resides...but eventually I did. It takes intention to put yourself back in the driver's seat but it works. It takes conscious consciousness.
If you really want to be at peace and find the space where solutions reside, the author and many before him will tell you that consciousness is the answer. To move yourself from pain to consciousness, you must have a willingness to shift the energy which is sometimes difficult. Rinpoche shows you the way to get to that space.
What I didn't like
I was looking forward to the meditation CD that came with the book but found it uninspiring.
Because of the issues I was dealing with in my own life, I had a hard time focusing on the concepts. When I made time to sit and focus, I recognized that this was a book I should have read BEFORE I was in the eye of the storm and so should you. The concepts work to dissolve pain and conflict in your life and open up the energy for new solutions to flow through you. The only challenge is that you've got to want peace more than you want pain. Your intention is what will get you into the empty space where solutions reside.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. Ann Rousseau writes about metaphysical, spiritual and astrology topics on her blog Explore Beyond the Usual. She is author of the new novel Portsmouth, A Love Story.
There's nothing new here but it does reinforce the concept of having an Empty Mind to move the reader through difficult emotions such as fear, jealousy and anger. Similar to Tolle, Rinpoche refers to the the low energy state of dis-ease as The Pain Body.
In Chapters 1-4, Rinpoche discuses the principle of Inner Refuge: Pulling in for self reflection when life feels like it's off course
In Chapters 4-8 Rinpoche gives Heart Advice: Facing the experiences of your life directly and with authentic awareness. The goal is to integrate your spiritual practices and values into your everyday life.
What I liked
Rinpoche says, "We need a sense of where to turn when we become confined or encounter difficulties. In my tradition, we obtain this help by going for inner refuge."
I liked the concept of Inner Refuge. It's something I hadn't quite heard from Eckhart Tolle as a strategy for dealing with life's troubles. What I got from this concept is that you go into Inner Refuge by getting quiet and removing yourself from every day issues by spending time alone in silence. Then, there is the Inner Refuge in every day life--when you can't take time off to sit in the silence for an extended period of time. Rinpoche shows the reader that Inner Refuge can be found in the middle of life's craziness. It can be practiced at work, in a loud airport, in your home when your family members are making demands of you.
Attempting to practice Rinpoche's Inner Refuge myself when I was thrown a few curve balls recently, I had a hard time shifting my energy from the chatter monkey mind where fear resides and the still mind where peace resides...but eventually I did. It takes intention to put yourself back in the driver's seat but it works. It takes conscious consciousness.
If you really want to be at peace and find the space where solutions reside, the author and many before him will tell you that consciousness is the answer. To move yourself from pain to consciousness, you must have a willingness to shift the energy which is sometimes difficult. Rinpoche shows you the way to get to that space.
What I didn't like
I was looking forward to the meditation CD that came with the book but found it uninspiring.
Because of the issues I was dealing with in my own life, I had a hard time focusing on the concepts. When I made time to sit and focus, I recognized that this was a book I should have read BEFORE I was in the eye of the storm and so should you. The concepts work to dissolve pain and conflict in your life and open up the energy for new solutions to flow through you. The only challenge is that you've got to want peace more than you want pain. Your intention is what will get you into the empty space where solutions reside.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. Ann Rousseau writes about metaphysical, spiritual and astrology topics on her blog Explore Beyond the Usual. She is author of the new novel Portsmouth, A Love Story.
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The Man Who Wanted to Be Happy
Jul 13, 2012
Explore Beyond the Usual Recommends this Book!
The Man Who Wanted to Be Happy is a short work of fiction by author Laurent Gournelle. It was originally published in France in 2008 and sold over a million copies. The book is about a school teacher named Julian who vacations in Bali and decides to visit a well known healer named Master Samtyang. Master Santyang gives Julian a healing massage, and asks, "What's wrong with your life? Your health is very good. So what is it? Work? Your love life? Your family?"
Puzzled, Julian attempts to answer these questions and finds that he is not at all happy with these aspects of his life. With Master Samtyang, he begins a journey of self discovery into the power of thoughts and beliefs-- a lesson which transforms him in surprising ways.
"When you believe something about yourself, positive or negative, you behave in a way that reflects that thing. You show it to others all the time and even if it was originally a creation in your mind, it becomes reality for other people, then for you." -Master Samtyang
What I Liked About this Book
I loved this book. It was well written in its simplicity and gave even the advanced reader of spiritual metaphysical books something to ponder. The book is written in the tradition of Dan Millman's The Way of the Peaceful Warrior and The Celestine Prophecy where the reader is taken on a journey and questions his own life decisions along the way. It's always great to read a book where the reader is left better off than where they started and opens up an inner dialogue with the soul.
What I Didn't Like About this Book
There was really not too much about this book I didn't like. The daily lessons with Master Samtang could have been more involved and meatier. The author could have delved more in depth into the life of Julian and the issues he faced. There could have been a follow up visit. But overall, I like the light format. I think even readers with short attention spans who catch their spiritual lessons in sound bites will enjoy this novel.
The Man Who Wanted to Be Happy is a short work of fiction by author Laurent Gournelle. It was originally published in France in 2008 and sold over a million copies. The book is about a school teacher named Julian who vacations in Bali and decides to visit a well known healer named Master Samtyang. Master Santyang gives Julian a healing massage, and asks, "What's wrong with your life? Your health is very good. So what is it? Work? Your love life? Your family?"
Puzzled, Julian attempts to answer these questions and finds that he is not at all happy with these aspects of his life. With Master Samtyang, he begins a journey of self discovery into the power of thoughts and beliefs-- a lesson which transforms him in surprising ways.
"When you believe something about yourself, positive or negative, you behave in a way that reflects that thing. You show it to others all the time and even if it was originally a creation in your mind, it becomes reality for other people, then for you." -Master Samtyang
What I Liked About this Book
I loved this book. It was well written in its simplicity and gave even the advanced reader of spiritual metaphysical books something to ponder. The book is written in the tradition of Dan Millman's The Way of the Peaceful Warrior and The Celestine Prophecy where the reader is taken on a journey and questions his own life decisions along the way. It's always great to read a book where the reader is left better off than where they started and opens up an inner dialogue with the soul.
What I Didn't Like About this Book
There was really not too much about this book I didn't like. The daily lessons with Master Samtang could have been more involved and meatier. The author could have delved more in depth into the life of Julian and the issues he faced. There could have been a follow up visit. But overall, I like the light format. I think even readers with short attention spans who catch their spiritual lessons in sound bites will enjoy this novel.
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The Real Rules of Life
Jun 25, 2012
The Real Rules of Life Book Review
Posted by R. Ann Rousseau
In the book, The Real Rules of Life - Balancing Life's Terms with Your Own, Ken Druck tells us his personal story about the loss of his daughter and how he learned to cope with the fact that Life doesn't always make sense. He talks about starting a foundation to help other parents deal with the loss of their child and his Life Coaching practice.
He gives examples how others from his coaching practice have dealt with crisis in their lives.From his experiences and the experiences of others, Ken has come up with 23 Rules for Balancing Life's
Terms with Your Own. For example:
Real Rule#5 Life is Designed to Break Your Heart
Real Rule # Closure is a Myth: Healing is a Lifelong Process
Real Rule #21 "Home Free" Is a Bill of Goods: Stop Waiting for Perfect
What I Liked About this Book
In my opinion (IMO as my friend Chad likes to say), the book reads well and it appears to be well edited. I liked Real Rule #8 called Listening with Love, where the author says, "Truly listening to someone allows them to go deeper into their own heart and soul, their truth and longings. It's one of the most honorable things we can do in service to another person, precisely because it forms the very basis for knowing them..."
I agree with this statement whether it's a personal relationship or a business relationship. Listening requires extreme patience and is test to see how balanced we are in the moment. It also shows respect for the other person and what they have to say.
I also identified with Real Rule #15 Taking an Honesty Inventory: Overcoming Our Blinds Spots where the author draws a parallel between our family and work relationships. "In a corporate setting, those who refuse to kiss up to the boss eventually rebel and leave. It's the same in a family. Much of the responsibility often rests on the shoulders of the boss and parents. Bosses and parents who never learn to share power with their employees or children, instead focusing on having power over them, set themselves up for struggle."
If we have issues with our family relationships, it's not surprising when we have similar issues at work.
What I Didn't Like About this Book
As I read this book, I thought of Byron Katie's question, "Where would you be without your story?"
It seemed to me that the author was stuck in the past--the death of his daughter and wanted to take the reader there. He's set up a foundation which he talks about, The Jena Druk Center. I felt the book was self promotional--written to bring attention to the center and give him an opportunity to promote his coaching business.
There were more than a few concepts or rules I didn't agree with such as the concept of Closure of which he says "There's no such thing."
Maybe that's true for the author. My friend died last December and my father died a few years ago. I can tell you, there is closure...of course, unless you want to stay stuck in your pain and keep it as your story. He says that if we think there is closure then we're bottling up our feelings. Wrong. There's closure. Nothing bottled. I'm not one to be made to feel guilty about that either.
I think this book may be helpful for those dealing with grief in their lives. It helps to know there are others who have gone through similar situations and support is available if you want to reach out for it.
My overall thought about the book is that it didn't grab me. I'm not going through the loss of anyone in my life right now, so I had a hard time connecting with the author. The tone felt a little fatal to me (this is the way life is...get used to it). I prefer to feel more uplifted and hopeful when I close a book. I really didn't feel that way with this one.
Posted by R. Ann Rousseau
In the book, The Real Rules of Life - Balancing Life's Terms with Your Own, Ken Druck tells us his personal story about the loss of his daughter and how he learned to cope with the fact that Life doesn't always make sense. He talks about starting a foundation to help other parents deal with the loss of their child and his Life Coaching practice.
He gives examples how others from his coaching practice have dealt with crisis in their lives.From his experiences and the experiences of others, Ken has come up with 23 Rules for Balancing Life's
Terms with Your Own. For example:
Real Rule#5 Life is Designed to Break Your Heart
Real Rule # Closure is a Myth: Healing is a Lifelong Process
Real Rule #21 "Home Free" Is a Bill of Goods: Stop Waiting for Perfect
What I Liked About this Book
In my opinion (IMO as my friend Chad likes to say), the book reads well and it appears to be well edited. I liked Real Rule #8 called Listening with Love, where the author says, "Truly listening to someone allows them to go deeper into their own heart and soul, their truth and longings. It's one of the most honorable things we can do in service to another person, precisely because it forms the very basis for knowing them..."
I agree with this statement whether it's a personal relationship or a business relationship. Listening requires extreme patience and is test to see how balanced we are in the moment. It also shows respect for the other person and what they have to say.
I also identified with Real Rule #15 Taking an Honesty Inventory: Overcoming Our Blinds Spots where the author draws a parallel between our family and work relationships. "In a corporate setting, those who refuse to kiss up to the boss eventually rebel and leave. It's the same in a family. Much of the responsibility often rests on the shoulders of the boss and parents. Bosses and parents who never learn to share power with their employees or children, instead focusing on having power over them, set themselves up for struggle."
If we have issues with our family relationships, it's not surprising when we have similar issues at work.
What I Didn't Like About this Book
As I read this book, I thought of Byron Katie's question, "Where would you be without your story?"
It seemed to me that the author was stuck in the past--the death of his daughter and wanted to take the reader there. He's set up a foundation which he talks about, The Jena Druk Center. I felt the book was self promotional--written to bring attention to the center and give him an opportunity to promote his coaching business.
There were more than a few concepts or rules I didn't agree with such as the concept of Closure of which he says "There's no such thing."
Maybe that's true for the author. My friend died last December and my father died a few years ago. I can tell you, there is closure...of course, unless you want to stay stuck in your pain and keep it as your story. He says that if we think there is closure then we're bottling up our feelings. Wrong. There's closure. Nothing bottled. I'm not one to be made to feel guilty about that either.
I think this book may be helpful for those dealing with grief in their lives. It helps to know there are others who have gone through similar situations and support is available if you want to reach out for it.
My overall thought about the book is that it didn't grab me. I'm not going through the loss of anyone in my life right now, so I had a hard time connecting with the author. The tone felt a little fatal to me (this is the way life is...get used to it). I prefer to feel more uplifted and hopeful when I close a book. I really didn't feel that way with this one.
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Tales of Everyday Magic: My Greatest Teacher DVD
Jun 16, 2012
Tales of Everyday Magic - My Greatest Teacher is a movie portraying one
Wayne Dyer's many life stories. It's a compelling drama that speaks to
us about the power of forgiveness. The main character, Dr. Ryan Kilgore,
a professor at a major university, finds his life spinning out of
control when his drive to succeed takes priority over family. Driving
him is the unexamined rage and unforgiveness tucked deep in the memory
of his father abandoning the family when he was just a boy. His father's
unexpected departure leaves his mother penniless forcing her to put
Ryan and his two brothers in separate foster homes. As an adult, Ryan
finds himself still longing to connect with and understand the father he
never knew. With clues from distant relatives, he tracks his father
down in California where he finds himself confronting painful feelings
and seeing the truth about the man he never knew. As a result, the
journey becomes a life altering event which allows him to release the
anger, forgive his father and move into a better place in his life.
As I watched the movie, I was reminded of a scene in my own novel Portsmouth A Love Story, where the main character, Severine Champagne, is confronted by her father who teases and abuses her because of her weight. That too is a painful life story--mine. It also reminded me of being five years old again and waiting around all day for a father who never showed.
Like clockwork, my father would play golf every Saturday and Sunday morning. In the afternoon, he would come home and sit in the basement family room with his gin and tonic and watch golf on television. I would tug on his shirt and say, "Dad, you told me last night you would take me for an ice cream when you got home from golf," or "Dad, you said we would take a drive to the beach today. Can we go now?"
He would often say, "Let me rest for a while. I've been playing golf all morning. I'll take you later."
It was always later...but later never came.
My mother would watch as I peered through the basement windows watching and waiting for my father as he started to fall asleep on the couch with the gin and tonic by his side.
My mother would say, "Robin, why do you always believe him? He always makes promises to you that he never keeps. Why haven't you learned your lesson yet?"
I never had an answer when I was five, but I do now. I want to believe the best in people. I want to believe that people are honest and keep their word.
After watching the movie, I thought about how people disappoint us in our lives. Sometimes it's our family, friends, people we encounter in our work lives, or neighbors. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who deals with people who disappoint, but I know I'm not.
My friend Dawn just had three rounds of interviews at a company. They told her they would be calling her references--a sure sign that a job offer was imminent. After 3 weeks, 2 un-returned calls and emails asking about the status of her application, they never responded. Only after tracking down someone who works at the company did she learn that they hired someone else.
I can't tell you how many of these stories I hear about going on in the job market these days, where companies don't even respond to applicants after rounds of interviews or tell them they'll get back to them and never do. They just leave them hanging. Like my father did to me.
I know I'm not the only one who has experienced disappointment. The challenge and question is, can we forgive those people who act with a blatant disregard for our feelings...even when we're still in pain as a result of being disappointed?
In the end, my father never took me for the ice cream or to the beach when he said he would. My father never attended my college graduation, and never congratulated me when I passed the CPA test or when I got a job with one of the top accounting firms in the country. When I made my big announcements, all he could ask was, "When are you getting married?"
My father passed away twelve years ago, and I've long since forgiven him. Whether I'm five years old or forty-eight years old, I still have to grapple with the fact that there are people who don't live their lives with integrity. Should it make me angry, mean and untrusting? No. Like Wayne Dyer, we need to use these people as our greatest teachers. If we can scrounge up all the energy we have to forgive and release these people, we can free ourselves from the pain they've inflicted on us..
Because of our disappointments, we hold the space for integrity knowing how our actions effect other people. We return emails and phone calls. We show up when we say we will. When we're in a position to hire people, we treat them with the respect they deserve by telling them if they're hired or not within a reasonable period of time--just as we would want. When a friend invites us to a party, we show up and not cancel at the last minute. We celebrate the successes of our friends even if we're not doing so well in the moment--knowing our time will come. By forgiving the past and releasing the pain, we're able to show up for life and lead by example. If we don't, we're them.
As I watched the movie, I was reminded of a scene in my own novel Portsmouth A Love Story, where the main character, Severine Champagne, is confronted by her father who teases and abuses her because of her weight. That too is a painful life story--mine. It also reminded me of being five years old again and waiting around all day for a father who never showed.
Like clockwork, my father would play golf every Saturday and Sunday morning. In the afternoon, he would come home and sit in the basement family room with his gin and tonic and watch golf on television. I would tug on his shirt and say, "Dad, you told me last night you would take me for an ice cream when you got home from golf," or "Dad, you said we would take a drive to the beach today. Can we go now?"
He would often say, "Let me rest for a while. I've been playing golf all morning. I'll take you later."
It was always later...but later never came.
My mother would watch as I peered through the basement windows watching and waiting for my father as he started to fall asleep on the couch with the gin and tonic by his side.
My mother would say, "Robin, why do you always believe him? He always makes promises to you that he never keeps. Why haven't you learned your lesson yet?"
I never had an answer when I was five, but I do now. I want to believe the best in people. I want to believe that people are honest and keep their word.
After watching the movie, I thought about how people disappoint us in our lives. Sometimes it's our family, friends, people we encounter in our work lives, or neighbors. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who deals with people who disappoint, but I know I'm not.
My friend Dawn just had three rounds of interviews at a company. They told her they would be calling her references--a sure sign that a job offer was imminent. After 3 weeks, 2 un-returned calls and emails asking about the status of her application, they never responded. Only after tracking down someone who works at the company did she learn that they hired someone else.
I can't tell you how many of these stories I hear about going on in the job market these days, where companies don't even respond to applicants after rounds of interviews or tell them they'll get back to them and never do. They just leave them hanging. Like my father did to me.
I know I'm not the only one who has experienced disappointment. The challenge and question is, can we forgive those people who act with a blatant disregard for our feelings...even when we're still in pain as a result of being disappointed?
In the end, my father never took me for the ice cream or to the beach when he said he would. My father never attended my college graduation, and never congratulated me when I passed the CPA test or when I got a job with one of the top accounting firms in the country. When I made my big announcements, all he could ask was, "When are you getting married?"
My father passed away twelve years ago, and I've long since forgiven him. Whether I'm five years old or forty-eight years old, I still have to grapple with the fact that there are people who don't live their lives with integrity. Should it make me angry, mean and untrusting? No. Like Wayne Dyer, we need to use these people as our greatest teachers. If we can scrounge up all the energy we have to forgive and release these people, we can free ourselves from the pain they've inflicted on us..
Because of our disappointments, we hold the space for integrity knowing how our actions effect other people. We return emails and phone calls. We show up when we say we will. When we're in a position to hire people, we treat them with the respect they deserve by telling them if they're hired or not within a reasonable period of time--just as we would want. When a friend invites us to a party, we show up and not cancel at the last minute. We celebrate the successes of our friends even if we're not doing so well in the moment--knowing our time will come. By forgiving the past and releasing the pain, we're able to show up for life and lead by example. If we don't, we're them.
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Yes! Energy
May 27, 2012
Explore Beyond the Usual Gives Yes! Energy 4 Amazon Stars!, May 27, 2012
By R. Rousseau "R. Ann Rousseau"
This review is from: Yes! Energy: The Equation to Do Less, Make More (Hardcover)
After reading Loral Langemeier's new book Yes! Energy The Equation to Do Less, Make More, I understood why it hit #1 on the Australian Best Seller list. Since Australia has been the only country to escape the Great Recession, perhaps we need to do as Aussies do and embrace the concepts in this book.
When I read this passage in the Intro,
If this economy has been brutal to you and you feel physically, emotionally, or spiritually wounded, you need to engage the Energy Equation. If you are making it, but it takes every inch of everything you've got and you know your life can have more ease, grace, and clarity, then you need to find your Yes! Energy.
I got excited. Even though the recession hit back in 2008, there are still many who are struggling to get back to where they were before the rug was pulled out from under them. Day to day living has turned into survival of the fittest. In many parts of the world today, the recession is still in play and people are looking for answers and inspiration. It's one of the first books Hay House has put out since the recession hit that really energizes the reader to get out of the JOB mentality and get the creative business juices flowing. It's not just a Rah, Rah Go Team book. There's practical step by step guidance to help move the reader in the direction of their own business. Loral shares personal war stories about business and her personal life and shows you how she used the Energy Equation to turn things around.
The book breaks down the Energy Equation into 5 parts:
Part One is called the Energy Equation where she talks about the energy needed for forward motion in getting you back from the edge of broke.
Part Two is called A New Conversation where she helps you to examine your own self talk to shift your boat around and focus on success.
Part Three is called Faith, Confidence, Certainty, and Dreams where she talks about the importance of having faith in yourself and partnering with a higher power to achieve better results in your life.
Part Four is called Honoring Your Gifts where she helps you to kick the tires on your own talents and gifts and challenges you to offer those gifts to the world.
Part Five is called Team and Sequencing where she talks about the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people who will allow you to spend more time on the things that are important to you. She talks about the power of sequencing which is a form of visualization to plan out your day, meeting, or creative project in advance of starting the day.
What I Liked About this Book
I hate to admit it but my whole book is underlined in pencil so choosing my favorite is tough.
I always love when an author shares their personal stories instead of parables or Bible stories. I like real life examples and Loral delivers. The reader gets to learn from her business mistakes and successes which makes her Energy Equation more credible.
Loral uses the word CASH throughout the book. Cash is not a dirty word. It's inspiring! How often do we really use that word in our everyday lives anymore? With debit and credit cards, and EFTs, do we even know what it feels like to hold cash in our hands? Yet, the word just feels good and motivates you to want to generate more and treat it with respect. With Loral's honesty and spiritual approach to businesses, she focuses YOU on generating more cash in your life using her Energy Equation to get you moving in the right direction. Who wouldn't like more cash in their lives?
Her section about sequencing also stuck with me. I liked her practical, usable way to incorporate a visualization practice into your daily routine. Many people may have a vision board or visualize on occasion. Loral shows how to incorporate visualization to sequence your day. I've started using it myself.
In Loral's no non-sense style, she encourages people to use their God given talents and envision a new and freeing life for themselves through self employment. She motivates the reader to create, develop and build something in their lives and get out of the work mindset. Nothing can be more freeing than creating something and offering it to the world. This book helps to light a fire under you and get you going.
What I Didn't Like About this Book
To be honest, there was nothing I didn't like about this book. There is a section I wanted more of though--Section 4-Honoring Your Gifts. Many people are lost in this area and would start a business if they could only pinpoint the product, service or innovation to focus on. I feel like Loral only skimmed the surface here and didn't give away the Secret Sauce. I believe she could do a whole book on this topic. She could call it Mining Your Gifts and Talents to allow the reader an in-depth experience of uncovering what it is they have to offer. Loral could include mining stories from other entrepreneurs who took a deep dive into who they really are and how they leveraged their talents into a business.
All in all, I loved Yes! Energy The Equation to Do Less, Make More and look forward to more financial coaching from Hay House. The world needs this type of inspiration now more than ever. Loral Langemeier's contribution to this conversation is much needed and long overdue and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. Ann Rousseau writes about metaphysical, spiritual and astrology topics on her blog Explore Beyond the Usual. She is author of the new novel Portsmouth, A Love Story. Follow R. Ann Rousseau on Twitter @RAnnRousseau or Facebook.
By R. Rousseau "R. Ann Rousseau"
This review is from: Yes! Energy: The Equation to Do Less, Make More (Hardcover)
After reading Loral Langemeier's new book Yes! Energy The Equation to Do Less, Make More, I understood why it hit #1 on the Australian Best Seller list. Since Australia has been the only country to escape the Great Recession, perhaps we need to do as Aussies do and embrace the concepts in this book.
When I read this passage in the Intro,
If this economy has been brutal to you and you feel physically, emotionally, or spiritually wounded, you need to engage the Energy Equation. If you are making it, but it takes every inch of everything you've got and you know your life can have more ease, grace, and clarity, then you need to find your Yes! Energy.
I got excited. Even though the recession hit back in 2008, there are still many who are struggling to get back to where they were before the rug was pulled out from under them. Day to day living has turned into survival of the fittest. In many parts of the world today, the recession is still in play and people are looking for answers and inspiration. It's one of the first books Hay House has put out since the recession hit that really energizes the reader to get out of the JOB mentality and get the creative business juices flowing. It's not just a Rah, Rah Go Team book. There's practical step by step guidance to help move the reader in the direction of their own business. Loral shares personal war stories about business and her personal life and shows you how she used the Energy Equation to turn things around.
The book breaks down the Energy Equation into 5 parts:
Part One is called the Energy Equation where she talks about the energy needed for forward motion in getting you back from the edge of broke.
Part Two is called A New Conversation where she helps you to examine your own self talk to shift your boat around and focus on success.
Part Three is called Faith, Confidence, Certainty, and Dreams where she talks about the importance of having faith in yourself and partnering with a higher power to achieve better results in your life.
Part Four is called Honoring Your Gifts where she helps you to kick the tires on your own talents and gifts and challenges you to offer those gifts to the world.
Part Five is called Team and Sequencing where she talks about the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people who will allow you to spend more time on the things that are important to you. She talks about the power of sequencing which is a form of visualization to plan out your day, meeting, or creative project in advance of starting the day.
What I Liked About this Book
I hate to admit it but my whole book is underlined in pencil so choosing my favorite is tough.
I always love when an author shares their personal stories instead of parables or Bible stories. I like real life examples and Loral delivers. The reader gets to learn from her business mistakes and successes which makes her Energy Equation more credible.
Loral uses the word CASH throughout the book. Cash is not a dirty word. It's inspiring! How often do we really use that word in our everyday lives anymore? With debit and credit cards, and EFTs, do we even know what it feels like to hold cash in our hands? Yet, the word just feels good and motivates you to want to generate more and treat it with respect. With Loral's honesty and spiritual approach to businesses, she focuses YOU on generating more cash in your life using her Energy Equation to get you moving in the right direction. Who wouldn't like more cash in their lives?
Her section about sequencing also stuck with me. I liked her practical, usable way to incorporate a visualization practice into your daily routine. Many people may have a vision board or visualize on occasion. Loral shows how to incorporate visualization to sequence your day. I've started using it myself.
In Loral's no non-sense style, she encourages people to use their God given talents and envision a new and freeing life for themselves through self employment. She motivates the reader to create, develop and build something in their lives and get out of the work mindset. Nothing can be more freeing than creating something and offering it to the world. This book helps to light a fire under you and get you going.
What I Didn't Like About this Book
To be honest, there was nothing I didn't like about this book. There is a section I wanted more of though--Section 4-Honoring Your Gifts. Many people are lost in this area and would start a business if they could only pinpoint the product, service or innovation to focus on. I feel like Loral only skimmed the surface here and didn't give away the Secret Sauce. I believe she could do a whole book on this topic. She could call it Mining Your Gifts and Talents to allow the reader an in-depth experience of uncovering what it is they have to offer. Loral could include mining stories from other entrepreneurs who took a deep dive into who they really are and how they leveraged their talents into a business.
All in all, I loved Yes! Energy The Equation to Do Less, Make More and look forward to more financial coaching from Hay House. The world needs this type of inspiration now more than ever. Loral Langemeier's contribution to this conversation is much needed and long overdue and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. Ann Rousseau writes about metaphysical, spiritual and astrology topics on her blog Explore Beyond the Usual. She is author of the new novel Portsmouth, A Love Story. Follow R. Ann Rousseau on Twitter @RAnnRousseau or Facebook.
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I Believe
Apr 28, 2012
In the winter of 2011, I commuted from New Hampshire to San Diego to be an Interim Controller for a plastics manufacturer. Once a month, I would stay over for the weekend and see the local sites. Those who know me know I’m directionally impaired. My time in San Diego was no exception.
I decided one Saturday morning that I would try to find Ocean Beach from my hotel in Mission Valley. I trusted and believed my GPS would get me to my destination without an issue.
After 15 minutes on the road, the GPS lady sent me in circles, and we quickly got into an argument. As she yelled, “Recalculating…Recalculating,” I was yelling, “Yes, but which ramp do I take while you’re recalculating?!”
Even though you (or I) might not think so, you’re always exactly where you’re supposed to be (I think the GPS lady is in on this grand scheme). While I was screaming, I passed a sign that read, SEA WORLD ahead. I was frustrated and had no idea if I would ever find Ocean Beach and the meter was running out on my fun day off. As a side note, I’m single with no kids so a trip to Sea World would never make my top 10 places to visit while on vacation. I decided this is where the Universe wanted to take me that day so there I was—me and thousands of little mini me’s wearing neon sneakers with flashing lights carrying stuffed whales—all excited about spending the day at Sea World.
All in all, it turned out to be a fun relaxing day. I got a high out of watching how excited the children got seeing the dolphins and whales perform. You can’t help but feel joy in the presence of an ecstatically happy child. Personally, I fell in love with the Polar Bears. I have a soft spot for these beautiful animals. I didn’t think Sea World would've been their top choice for a vacation day either but we both made the best of it.
It was 4 PM when I attended my last show of the day—the killer whales. It was a show I will never forget. Instead of the usual announcement with whales racing around the pool jumping through hoops, there was an inspiring introduction called Believe. They taught the children (and adults) in the audience that if they believed in themselves and what their potential could bring, they could do anything. They told the story of a whale trainer on their staff. The trainer had loved whales since he was a kid. He lived in a spot where he could see them and ride along in his boat with them. He always dreamed of growing up and working with these animals. The program showed how his dream came true. He came out and waved to the crowd. It was a truly inspiring story. I get chills today thinking of it. It inspired me (and I read a lot of inspirational books) and I have no doubt it inspired those in the audience.
I started tearing up when I thought of how I got there that day. The prior year had been particularly rough for me financially, as I tried to inspire friends through the recession and stay inspired myself. The San Diego consulting contract came in just when I needed it. I thought the Believe presentation was there just for me, as a treat, to tell me to never give up even when things look bleak, because in short order you could find yourself across the country working with wonderful people having an exciting day at Sea World with polar bears and whales. Life has a funny way of winking at you when you least expect it.
If that wasn’t synchronistic enough, I pulled out of the Sea World parking lot and guess what I saw? A sign that read Welcome to Ocean Beach. I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
When I saw the release of Eldon Taylor’s new book I Believe – When What You Believe Matters! I got the chills again. I was hoping this book would be as inspirational as the Sea World presentation I had seen a year ago in San Diego.
The book is split up into twenty-six chapters where Eldon discusses what he thinks or believes about each topic such as Goals and Ambitions, Instinct and Intuition, Afterlife and End of Life, and Relationships.
The last paragraph of the book jacket states that, “Eldon Taylor has spent more than 25 years researching the power of the mind and developing scientifically proven methods to enhance the quality of your life. I Believe is a book that will not only inspire you, but will highlight the kinds of beliefs you hold that may be causing you to fail. In the process, it will provide you with the opportunity to choose, once again, that will drive your life.”
What I Didn’t Like About this Book
That’s six you’s or your’s in one book jacket paragraph. Problem is, there was nothing about the You that is Me in this whole book. The reader is an afterthought. I started counting how many times Eldon started a sentence with “I Believe,” but then lost count. For someone who has spent 25 years in science, I wasn’t expecting to read parables, quotes and some Bible stories to support his thoughts about how he arrived at his beliefs. Does the reader really care what Eldon believes? Some people might. When a reader picks up a book with this title, they want to gain a deeper understanding about themselves, what they believe and then be inspired to pursue that belief. The reader should not be an afterthought in the last paragraph of each chapter in a section called Reflection where Eldon asks, “So what is it that you believe?” Do you really care?
What I Did Like About this Book
I liked Eldon’s personal stories. I liked where he used real examples to support his belief or position. I loved his mention of his wife and his devotion to her. That was lovely.
There was nothing new here except if you care to know what Eldon Taylor believes about various aspects of life which might be best put into an autobiography. I don’t think what I believe matters at all to the author, therefore I was not inspired by this book. I was hoping for a book that would prompt some introspection but instead I got talked at. My recommendation-Pass.
Explore Beyond the Usual gives this book 2 stars.
I decided one Saturday morning that I would try to find Ocean Beach from my hotel in Mission Valley. I trusted and believed my GPS would get me to my destination without an issue.
After 15 minutes on the road, the GPS lady sent me in circles, and we quickly got into an argument. As she yelled, “Recalculating…Recalculating,” I was yelling, “Yes, but which ramp do I take while you’re recalculating?!”
Even though you (or I) might not think so, you’re always exactly where you’re supposed to be (I think the GPS lady is in on this grand scheme). While I was screaming, I passed a sign that read, SEA WORLD ahead. I was frustrated and had no idea if I would ever find Ocean Beach and the meter was running out on my fun day off. As a side note, I’m single with no kids so a trip to Sea World would never make my top 10 places to visit while on vacation. I decided this is where the Universe wanted to take me that day so there I was—me and thousands of little mini me’s wearing neon sneakers with flashing lights carrying stuffed whales—all excited about spending the day at Sea World.
All in all, it turned out to be a fun relaxing day. I got a high out of watching how excited the children got seeing the dolphins and whales perform. You can’t help but feel joy in the presence of an ecstatically happy child. Personally, I fell in love with the Polar Bears. I have a soft spot for these beautiful animals. I didn’t think Sea World would've been their top choice for a vacation day either but we both made the best of it.
It was 4 PM when I attended my last show of the day—the killer whales. It was a show I will never forget. Instead of the usual announcement with whales racing around the pool jumping through hoops, there was an inspiring introduction called Believe. They taught the children (and adults) in the audience that if they believed in themselves and what their potential could bring, they could do anything. They told the story of a whale trainer on their staff. The trainer had loved whales since he was a kid. He lived in a spot where he could see them and ride along in his boat with them. He always dreamed of growing up and working with these animals. The program showed how his dream came true. He came out and waved to the crowd. It was a truly inspiring story. I get chills today thinking of it. It inspired me (and I read a lot of inspirational books) and I have no doubt it inspired those in the audience.
I started tearing up when I thought of how I got there that day. The prior year had been particularly rough for me financially, as I tried to inspire friends through the recession and stay inspired myself. The San Diego consulting contract came in just when I needed it. I thought the Believe presentation was there just for me, as a treat, to tell me to never give up even when things look bleak, because in short order you could find yourself across the country working with wonderful people having an exciting day at Sea World with polar bears and whales. Life has a funny way of winking at you when you least expect it.
If that wasn’t synchronistic enough, I pulled out of the Sea World parking lot and guess what I saw? A sign that read Welcome to Ocean Beach. I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
When I saw the release of Eldon Taylor’s new book I Believe – When What You Believe Matters! I got the chills again. I was hoping this book would be as inspirational as the Sea World presentation I had seen a year ago in San Diego.
The book is split up into twenty-six chapters where Eldon discusses what he thinks or believes about each topic such as Goals and Ambitions, Instinct and Intuition, Afterlife and End of Life, and Relationships.
The last paragraph of the book jacket states that, “Eldon Taylor has spent more than 25 years researching the power of the mind and developing scientifically proven methods to enhance the quality of your life. I Believe is a book that will not only inspire you, but will highlight the kinds of beliefs you hold that may be causing you to fail. In the process, it will provide you with the opportunity to choose, once again, that will drive your life.”
What I Didn’t Like About this Book
That’s six you’s or your’s in one book jacket paragraph. Problem is, there was nothing about the You that is Me in this whole book. The reader is an afterthought. I started counting how many times Eldon started a sentence with “I Believe,” but then lost count. For someone who has spent 25 years in science, I wasn’t expecting to read parables, quotes and some Bible stories to support his thoughts about how he arrived at his beliefs. Does the reader really care what Eldon believes? Some people might. When a reader picks up a book with this title, they want to gain a deeper understanding about themselves, what they believe and then be inspired to pursue that belief. The reader should not be an afterthought in the last paragraph of each chapter in a section called Reflection where Eldon asks, “So what is it that you believe?” Do you really care?
What I Did Like About this Book
I liked Eldon’s personal stories. I liked where he used real examples to support his belief or position. I loved his mention of his wife and his devotion to her. That was lovely.
There was nothing new here except if you care to know what Eldon Taylor believes about various aspects of life which might be best put into an autobiography. I don’t think what I believe matters at all to the author, therefore I was not inspired by this book. I was hoping for a book that would prompt some introspection but instead I got talked at. My recommendation-Pass.
Explore Beyond the Usual gives this book 2 stars.
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Enough Already
Apr 03, 2012
You know I like a book when large sections in every chapter are underlined and starred ***. Reading Alan Cohen's book Enough Already is like getting advice from a trusted friend who always seems to have all the right answers. As soon as you start reading, a calmness washes over you. He tells you that everything will be and is OK. He gives you permission to exhale and makes you feel better than when you started--trust me.
To give you a brief overview of the book, there are 32 chapters, each covering a different life topic including relationships, money, work and everything in between--all designed to teach through example how you can overcome the challenges in your life with a shift in perception.
Alan teaches us about money, relationships and all the issues in between through his personal stories. Alan says, "Enough Already can...mean refusing to accept any situation not in harmony with your well being. We have all engaged in relationships, business situations, and living arrangments that demean us or lack integrity. Upon recognizing that we have sold out to fit in, we must say no to what does not serve us so we can make space for what does. You cannot afford to settle for any situation that dampens your spirit. When you discovered you have detoured, you must do whatever it takes to return to the path of joy. Putting your foot down is a prerequisit to stepping ahead."
I'll step ahead by starting with the end in mind, the last chapter in the book called All Ready, Already. Alan says, "The thing you envision is already so, and you pluck it from universal mind. When the object of your intention becomes sufficiently real in your inner world, you generate the momentum to birth it in the outer world."
As I read this chapter, I thought about a professional Board I sit on. We run seminars several times a year so members can receive the continuing education credit they need to maintain their professional designation. A few years ago, a bad apple fell onto our Board. He was a State worker who always saw the glass half empty. His whole department was steeped in bad news coming out in the paper every day. In turn, he brought his negative energy to the Board--a Pig Pen person I call these people after the Charlie Brown character who walks around in a cloud of dirt.
Each time someone on the Board came up with an interesting topic for a seminar or a new speaker they wanted to invite in, Mr. Pig Pen always found a reason to shoot down the idea. "No, we can't do that. It will cost us too much." Or, "No, we'll never attract enough people to the seminar to afford that facility."
On and on he went. I decided to propose a new venue for our seminars--a boat. We would have an all day seminar aboard the Isle of Shoals Steamship then take a one hour guided tour down the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth, New Hamsphire. I said, "Wouldn't it be great to get out of a hotel conference room and do something different?"
Everyone on the Board was excited about the idea except Mr. Pig Pen. "No, No, No, that will never work. That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard. No one will sign up for this seminar."
I said, "I'll bet you they will"
He said, "Fine. If we fail, it's all your fault."
I said, "We won't fail. We'll attract more people than we ever expected."
"You're dreaming," He replied.
The Board was watching the war of light and darkness play out. Several weeks went by and only a few people signed up. Pig Pen kept sending out "I told you so," emails to everyone. At one point he said, "I think we need to pull out and get our deposit back."
I told the other members, "His bad energy is sliming this seminar. I refuse to let this guy sink the ship." I sent prayers out and envisioned registrations coming in through Paypal. I get the Paypal email when someone registers so I looked through old Paypal registrations and imagined they were current registrations. Two weeks before the seminar, registrations started coming in.
On the day of the seminar, Mr. Pig Pen sat in the front row. I watched him as he was engaged as anyone in the topics of the seminar--topics he complained were too "touchy feely." The seminar included topics such as How to Think Outside the Box for Auditors, Reaching Higher, How to Sell Your Ideas to Key Stakeholders.
As I watched him from the back of the boat, I realized he was a man starving for inspiration. I wondered if he would learn something and drink in the inspired energy of the seminar or crawl back into the same dark hole he usually lived in.
Shortly after the seminar, he quit the Board. I had my answer. As Eckhart Tolle says in A New Earth and A Course in Miracles says, "Darkness can't exist in the presence of light. It finds it completely indigestible."
For me, the whole experience was a success. Others on the Board learned that a positive attitude attracts successful outcomes. They saw what a negative attitude could potentially do if it's not nipped in the bud. Everyone learned that they must believe in a successful seminar in advance for the reality to manifest just as Alan Cohen teaches in his book Enough Already.
I have one more secret to confess. I also saw (in advance) Mr. Pig Pen stepping off the Board. It was my Enough Already desire as a win-win solution for all concerned. The object of my intention (his departure) had become sufficiently real in my inner world, that I generated the momentum to birth it in the outer world (with his resignation). I can now say that I'm radically content with my participation on the Board. I plucked the outcome from the Unviersal mind.
Explore Beyond the Usual gives this book 4 stars!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. Ann Rousseau writes about metaphysical, spiritual and astrology topics on her blog Explore Beyond the Usual. She is author of the new novel Portsmouth, A Love Story. If you would like to be notifed when the novel is available for sale, please email us info@explorebeyondtheusual.com
To give you a brief overview of the book, there are 32 chapters, each covering a different life topic including relationships, money, work and everything in between--all designed to teach through example how you can overcome the challenges in your life with a shift in perception.
Alan teaches us about money, relationships and all the issues in between through his personal stories. Alan says, "Enough Already can...mean refusing to accept any situation not in harmony with your well being. We have all engaged in relationships, business situations, and living arrangments that demean us or lack integrity. Upon recognizing that we have sold out to fit in, we must say no to what does not serve us so we can make space for what does. You cannot afford to settle for any situation that dampens your spirit. When you discovered you have detoured, you must do whatever it takes to return to the path of joy. Putting your foot down is a prerequisit to stepping ahead."
I'll step ahead by starting with the end in mind, the last chapter in the book called All Ready, Already. Alan says, "The thing you envision is already so, and you pluck it from universal mind. When the object of your intention becomes sufficiently real in your inner world, you generate the momentum to birth it in the outer world."
As I read this chapter, I thought about a professional Board I sit on. We run seminars several times a year so members can receive the continuing education credit they need to maintain their professional designation. A few years ago, a bad apple fell onto our Board. He was a State worker who always saw the glass half empty. His whole department was steeped in bad news coming out in the paper every day. In turn, he brought his negative energy to the Board--a Pig Pen person I call these people after the Charlie Brown character who walks around in a cloud of dirt.
Each time someone on the Board came up with an interesting topic for a seminar or a new speaker they wanted to invite in, Mr. Pig Pen always found a reason to shoot down the idea. "No, we can't do that. It will cost us too much." Or, "No, we'll never attract enough people to the seminar to afford that facility."
On and on he went. I decided to propose a new venue for our seminars--a boat. We would have an all day seminar aboard the Isle of Shoals Steamship then take a one hour guided tour down the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth, New Hamsphire. I said, "Wouldn't it be great to get out of a hotel conference room and do something different?"
Everyone on the Board was excited about the idea except Mr. Pig Pen. "No, No, No, that will never work. That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard. No one will sign up for this seminar."
I said, "I'll bet you they will"
He said, "Fine. If we fail, it's all your fault."
I said, "We won't fail. We'll attract more people than we ever expected."
"You're dreaming," He replied.
The Board was watching the war of light and darkness play out. Several weeks went by and only a few people signed up. Pig Pen kept sending out "I told you so," emails to everyone. At one point he said, "I think we need to pull out and get our deposit back."
I told the other members, "His bad energy is sliming this seminar. I refuse to let this guy sink the ship." I sent prayers out and envisioned registrations coming in through Paypal. I get the Paypal email when someone registers so I looked through old Paypal registrations and imagined they were current registrations. Two weeks before the seminar, registrations started coming in.
On the day of the seminar, Mr. Pig Pen sat in the front row. I watched him as he was engaged as anyone in the topics of the seminar--topics he complained were too "touchy feely." The seminar included topics such as How to Think Outside the Box for Auditors, Reaching Higher, How to Sell Your Ideas to Key Stakeholders.
As I watched him from the back of the boat, I realized he was a man starving for inspiration. I wondered if he would learn something and drink in the inspired energy of the seminar or crawl back into the same dark hole he usually lived in.
Shortly after the seminar, he quit the Board. I had my answer. As Eckhart Tolle says in A New Earth and A Course in Miracles says, "Darkness can't exist in the presence of light. It finds it completely indigestible."
For me, the whole experience was a success. Others on the Board learned that a positive attitude attracts successful outcomes. They saw what a negative attitude could potentially do if it's not nipped in the bud. Everyone learned that they must believe in a successful seminar in advance for the reality to manifest just as Alan Cohen teaches in his book Enough Already.
I have one more secret to confess. I also saw (in advance) Mr. Pig Pen stepping off the Board. It was my Enough Already desire as a win-win solution for all concerned. The object of my intention (his departure) had become sufficiently real in my inner world, that I generated the momentum to birth it in the outer world (with his resignation). I can now say that I'm radically content with my participation on the Board. I plucked the outcome from the Unviersal mind.
Explore Beyond the Usual gives this book 4 stars!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. Ann Rousseau writes about metaphysical, spiritual and astrology topics on her blog Explore Beyond the Usual. She is author of the new novel Portsmouth, A Love Story. If you would like to be notifed when the novel is available for sale, please email us info@explorebeyondtheusual.com
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Wishes Fulfilled
Mar 12, 2012
Wayne Dyer’s new book Wishes Fulfilled – Mastering the Art of Manifesting appeared to come about as he was dealing with a diagnosis of Leukemia. This diagnosis, as any serious crisis in our lives, brings us face to face with the spiritual principles we have dabbled with but now use as our life preserver. We toss away the concepts that don’t seem to manifest the results we need and embrace the ones that do. When we find what works, we pass that knowledge onto others.
That’s what Wayne Dyer has done with this book. Refusing to be branded with the stamp of illness, Wayne he has found the spiritual techniques that have kept him in a state of wellness and peace and passes those on to you. His desire was to manifest health and well being. Yours may be to manifest prosperity and financial security. Others may want to manifest friendships or intimate relationships in their life. Whatever your heart desires, Wayne shares the wisdom he has acquired to help you to manifest those dreams.
The book is has two parts:
Part I is called The Higher Aspects of Yourself
This is where he talks about the non-physical aspects of you—the part of you that is connected to the divine source of energy or as some call it, God. He shows the reader the power this source brings to your life and how to use it to manifest what you have a burning desire to experience.
Part II is called The Five Wishes Fulfilled Foundations
He shows you how imagination is the first step to manifesting anything in your life. He talks about Living from the End—assuming it’s already a reality and Feeling It—knowing and creating the feelings of having what you want right now. The next foundation concept is aligning with what you want by placing your Attention on it. Finally, he shows how powerful the subconscious mind can be in manifesting your dreams. He talks about using the subconscious mind during your dream state to power up the manifestation process.
One of the stories I related to was when Wayne said, “Throughout my life I’ve often been called excessively persistent and even obsessive in going after what I wish to fulfill. The truth is that I have within me a very powerful knowing that when I place something into my imagination, it is already a fact for me.”
Wayne gives the example of getting his Ph.D. He was told, “Nine out of ten doctoral students do not receive their degree because they cannot complete the vigorous requirements of writing a dissertation.” He says, “I knew that this did not apply to me, because I was already a doctor in my imagination.” I think we know Wayne Dyer went on to get his Ph.D.
I can relate to Wayne Dyer’s story. I went back to school at age 30 to finish my bachelors degree in Accounting. When I graduated, I decided to sit for the CPA exam. For several months before the exam, I took an all day prep class on Saturdays to get ready for the test. I remember sitting in the cafeteria during lunch being surrounded by other women in my CPA review class. One by one, they went around the table stating that they would “Never pass the test. No one passes it. It’s too hard.”
I couldn’t’ believe my ears. I wondered why anyone would attend an all day review class on Saturdays to take a test they think they’ll never pass. I declared at the table, “I’m going to pass this test. Watch me! And after that, I’m going to work for a big 4 accounting firm.”
Like my fellow classmates, they said, “You’ll never get hired by a big 4 accounting firm. You’re too old. They only hire people who are 22 to 24 years old so they can groom them.”
Once again, I stated, “Watch me!”
My friend and former neighbor Dave can attest to this story. I put a big sign up in my apartment that said Big 4 or Bust! I packed all my belongings and had stacks of boxes in my apartment expecting to move. Dave walked in one day and said, “Where are you going?”
I said, “I don’t know yet. All I know is that I’m going to work for a Big 4 accounting firm.”
I can’t say the process was easy, but I was determined and focused. I was rejected many times over but I kept on for months on end. Finally, I got the Success in Uncommon Hours phone call. Wayne Dyer often repeats a quote by Henry David Thoreau that goes like this:
I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Henry David Thoreau
After almost a year of trying to get into a Big 4 Accounting firm, I got a call from Ernst and Young’s Dallas office. They flew me down and made me an offer in the interview! Who ever gets a job offer IN the interview?! I did. Not only that, it was for more money than I expected and they paid for my move.
Oh and by the way, I passed the CPA test. Not one woman I ate lunch with did…just as they imagined.
I can attest to the manifesting techniques Wayne Dyer is talking about in Wishes Fulfilled – Mastering the Art of Manifesting. Without knowing it, I followed all of the steps he outlined and I did manifest my wish…several of them actually. Of course, once you get what you want, you need to come up with a new wish. That’s what life is all about right?
The new wish I’m manifesting is getting my novel published. It’s called Portsmouth – A Love Story. It’s about falling in love in Portsmouth but also falling in love with Portsmouth. Since the 1800’s, many people have written about The Mystique of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I know that mystique and enjoy writing about a city I passionately love.
At Wayne’s suggestion in one of his PBS specials, I had a book cover made up that I look at during the manifestation process. What I know for sure is that it’s already published in some time space reality—similar to my experience attaining my CPA license and the job I held at a Big 4 Accounting firm. I’m excited about seeing my creative prodigy enjoyed by others.
There’s an anonymous man in the movie Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts who wanders the streets of Hollywood, a place where dreams comes true. He asks a simple but profound question to passersby—a question I will ask of you now, “What’s Your Dream?”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. Ann Rousseau writes about metaphysical, spiritual and astrology topics on her blog Explore Beyond the Usual. She is author of the new novel Portsmouth, A Love Story. If you would like to be notifed when the novel is available for sale, please email us info@explorebeyondtheusual.com
That’s what Wayne Dyer has done with this book. Refusing to be branded with the stamp of illness, Wayne he has found the spiritual techniques that have kept him in a state of wellness and peace and passes those on to you. His desire was to manifest health and well being. Yours may be to manifest prosperity and financial security. Others may want to manifest friendships or intimate relationships in their life. Whatever your heart desires, Wayne shares the wisdom he has acquired to help you to manifest those dreams.
The book is has two parts:
Part I is called The Higher Aspects of Yourself
This is where he talks about the non-physical aspects of you—the part of you that is connected to the divine source of energy or as some call it, God. He shows the reader the power this source brings to your life and how to use it to manifest what you have a burning desire to experience.
Part II is called The Five Wishes Fulfilled Foundations
He shows you how imagination is the first step to manifesting anything in your life. He talks about Living from the End—assuming it’s already a reality and Feeling It—knowing and creating the feelings of having what you want right now. The next foundation concept is aligning with what you want by placing your Attention on it. Finally, he shows how powerful the subconscious mind can be in manifesting your dreams. He talks about using the subconscious mind during your dream state to power up the manifestation process.
One of the stories I related to was when Wayne said, “Throughout my life I’ve often been called excessively persistent and even obsessive in going after what I wish to fulfill. The truth is that I have within me a very powerful knowing that when I place something into my imagination, it is already a fact for me.”
Wayne gives the example of getting his Ph.D. He was told, “Nine out of ten doctoral students do not receive their degree because they cannot complete the vigorous requirements of writing a dissertation.” He says, “I knew that this did not apply to me, because I was already a doctor in my imagination.” I think we know Wayne Dyer went on to get his Ph.D.
I can relate to Wayne Dyer’s story. I went back to school at age 30 to finish my bachelors degree in Accounting. When I graduated, I decided to sit for the CPA exam. For several months before the exam, I took an all day prep class on Saturdays to get ready for the test. I remember sitting in the cafeteria during lunch being surrounded by other women in my CPA review class. One by one, they went around the table stating that they would “Never pass the test. No one passes it. It’s too hard.”
I couldn’t’ believe my ears. I wondered why anyone would attend an all day review class on Saturdays to take a test they think they’ll never pass. I declared at the table, “I’m going to pass this test. Watch me! And after that, I’m going to work for a big 4 accounting firm.”
Like my fellow classmates, they said, “You’ll never get hired by a big 4 accounting firm. You’re too old. They only hire people who are 22 to 24 years old so they can groom them.”
Once again, I stated, “Watch me!”
My friend and former neighbor Dave can attest to this story. I put a big sign up in my apartment that said Big 4 or Bust! I packed all my belongings and had stacks of boxes in my apartment expecting to move. Dave walked in one day and said, “Where are you going?”
I said, “I don’t know yet. All I know is that I’m going to work for a Big 4 accounting firm.”
I can’t say the process was easy, but I was determined and focused. I was rejected many times over but I kept on for months on end. Finally, I got the Success in Uncommon Hours phone call. Wayne Dyer often repeats a quote by Henry David Thoreau that goes like this:
I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Henry David Thoreau
After almost a year of trying to get into a Big 4 Accounting firm, I got a call from Ernst and Young’s Dallas office. They flew me down and made me an offer in the interview! Who ever gets a job offer IN the interview?! I did. Not only that, it was for more money than I expected and they paid for my move.
Oh and by the way, I passed the CPA test. Not one woman I ate lunch with did…just as they imagined.
I can attest to the manifesting techniques Wayne Dyer is talking about in Wishes Fulfilled – Mastering the Art of Manifesting. Without knowing it, I followed all of the steps he outlined and I did manifest my wish…several of them actually. Of course, once you get what you want, you need to come up with a new wish. That’s what life is all about right?
The new wish I’m manifesting is getting my novel published. It’s called Portsmouth – A Love Story. It’s about falling in love in Portsmouth but also falling in love with Portsmouth. Since the 1800’s, many people have written about The Mystique of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I know that mystique and enjoy writing about a city I passionately love.
At Wayne’s suggestion in one of his PBS specials, I had a book cover made up that I look at during the manifestation process. What I know for sure is that it’s already published in some time space reality—similar to my experience attaining my CPA license and the job I held at a Big 4 Accounting firm. I’m excited about seeing my creative prodigy enjoyed by others.
There’s an anonymous man in the movie Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts who wanders the streets of Hollywood, a place where dreams comes true. He asks a simple but profound question to passersby—a question I will ask of you now, “What’s Your Dream?”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. Ann Rousseau writes about metaphysical, spiritual and astrology topics on her blog Explore Beyond the Usual. She is author of the new novel Portsmouth, A Love Story. If you would like to be notifed when the novel is available for sale, please email us info@explorebeyondtheusual.com
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Choice Point
Feb 20, 2012
I knew by the sound of my wheels something wasn’t quite right. I’ve been commuting to Boston every morning and sitting in my car for hours on end. When you spend that much time driving, you notice when your vehicle is doing strange things. It was that damn speed bump at the Comfort Inn, I said to myself. I’m out of balance!
Over the weekend, I took my car to a local tire shop and spent over an hour sitting on oil stained waiting room seats watching ESPN, which I could care less about. I finally found the remote, pressed mute and started reading the new book I had just picked up at Barnes and Noble…Choice Point – Align Your Purpose by Harry Massey and David Hamilton.
Immediately, the book caught my attention as I started reading about communicating and aligning with the current energy patterns in the Universe to flow into my life purpose. I was intrigued. I thought I had overdosed on books about finding a life purpose, but these authors had a new twist using quantum physics concepts (entanglement and the observer effect) to form new patterns or fractals. They made me think about my own life path and asked if I liked where I was going or if I wanted to move in a new direction.
The term Choice Point is borrowed from physics. The authors say, “It is a place of branching or forking. It is a point of possibility. We can also think of it as a fork that creates another road. The idea behind Choice Point is that we can choose which of those two roads to travel down. If we make the same choices that we have made in the past, then we will choose the road that will lead us to the same problems, only on a larger scale.”
You can tell when you’re at a Choice Point. Your life starts making noises—like my car. First pings, then clunks, then break down if you choose not to listen. Or maybe it won’t break down. Maybe you’ll just go on doing what you’ve always done with the same ole clunker of a fractal life pattern you’ve created for yourself. If you want change, then read on.
The book is arranged into three sections: Part 1-Understand Your World which about understanding cycles and patterns in your personal life and those on a global scale. The next section is called Align Your Purpose, which takes you to the next level. Once you observe the cycles and patterns in your own life and in the world, the book talks about the importance of aligning with theses cycles so you can provide the services you came her to perform. Finally, Part 3 is called Be the Change where you step into your power to effect positive change in the world. Think of it as Observation, Commitment, and Action to align with your life purpose.
The authors interviewed people most would think lead successful lives such as John Paul DeJoria, Richard Branson, and Peter Buffet. Rather than just a How to Find Your Life Purposeconcept book, the authors let these people tell their own story about how they became the change they wanted to see.
There’s nothing like a true story that holds my attention.
As I was reading, the mechanic told me my car was ready. He informed that he balanced my tires but I should think about getting some new ones and provided me with an estimate for $800.00. Ugh.
I drove away and noticed the problem wasn’t resolved with just balancing. Maybe he was right. I thought. Maybe it’s time for tires with new treads. I equated the experience of tire balancing with a massage. A massage might feel good for a little while but it doesn’t really fix the underlying problem.
I called around for tire prices and ended up in the waiting room of another tire shop continuing to read my book. I was told, “We can put new tires on your car but you need an alignment."
I told him I just had them balanced. “Doesn’t matter,” he said. “We’re putting on new tires. We can balance them but what you really need is an alignment.”
There’s that word again, I thought.
“What’s the difference?” I asked (clearly more of an accountant/writer rather than a tire/car girl).
“An alignment measures and adjusts the suspension of the vehicle to set the direction the wheels point and the angle of contact with the road and how these change when turning. Suspensions that are not adjusted properly can cause excessive tire wear and reduced control of the vehicle. This condition can be both annoying and unsafe.”
Interesting, I thought. Essentially he was telling me I need to point the wheels of my life in a new direction. Otherwise, life will become annoying and unsafe.
He went on, “Balancing spins the wheel to make sure the wheel and tire assembly does not have a heavy spot. Things that spin fast but are not balanced can vibrate violently. This is can be annoying and unsafe. In some cases, it can cause the wheel to fall off.”
Sounds like the romantic relationship I was dealing with where the wheels were about to the fall off because we hit a heavy spot. We weren’t vibrating violently yet but that could be the next step if we continued with the same pattern.
I wondered, Is it worse to be out of balance or out of alignment?I was at a Choice Point in the road.
Thinking I wanted to align myself with the experience of having a safe ride to work, I conceded and went for the full package, “Go ahead. Balance and align me.”
While I waited, I asked myself, Are you aligned with the things, people, energy you want to attract in your life? Are you participating in the current world cycle by providing a service in alignment with your life purpose?
In some ways Yes, in some ways No. Honestly, I have one foot in both worlds—my past cycle and my current cycle. Somewhere along the way, there was a shift in my life purpose and only half of me was willing to go along with it and my vehicle was reflecting this.
Overall, I loved the book but I have to admit, the last three chapters hit a speed bump and didn’t keep my attention through to the end. I think the book slipped out of balance at that point. But overall, Choice Point is definitely worth reading and aligning with.
Over the weekend, I took my car to a local tire shop and spent over an hour sitting on oil stained waiting room seats watching ESPN, which I could care less about. I finally found the remote, pressed mute and started reading the new book I had just picked up at Barnes and Noble…Choice Point – Align Your Purpose by Harry Massey and David Hamilton.
Immediately, the book caught my attention as I started reading about communicating and aligning with the current energy patterns in the Universe to flow into my life purpose. I was intrigued. I thought I had overdosed on books about finding a life purpose, but these authors had a new twist using quantum physics concepts (entanglement and the observer effect) to form new patterns or fractals. They made me think about my own life path and asked if I liked where I was going or if I wanted to move in a new direction.
The term Choice Point is borrowed from physics. The authors say, “It is a place of branching or forking. It is a point of possibility. We can also think of it as a fork that creates another road. The idea behind Choice Point is that we can choose which of those two roads to travel down. If we make the same choices that we have made in the past, then we will choose the road that will lead us to the same problems, only on a larger scale.”
You can tell when you’re at a Choice Point. Your life starts making noises—like my car. First pings, then clunks, then break down if you choose not to listen. Or maybe it won’t break down. Maybe you’ll just go on doing what you’ve always done with the same ole clunker of a fractal life pattern you’ve created for yourself. If you want change, then read on.
The book is arranged into three sections: Part 1-Understand Your World which about understanding cycles and patterns in your personal life and those on a global scale. The next section is called Align Your Purpose, which takes you to the next level. Once you observe the cycles and patterns in your own life and in the world, the book talks about the importance of aligning with theses cycles so you can provide the services you came her to perform. Finally, Part 3 is called Be the Change where you step into your power to effect positive change in the world. Think of it as Observation, Commitment, and Action to align with your life purpose.
The authors interviewed people most would think lead successful lives such as John Paul DeJoria, Richard Branson, and Peter Buffet. Rather than just a How to Find Your Life Purposeconcept book, the authors let these people tell their own story about how they became the change they wanted to see.
There’s nothing like a true story that holds my attention.
As I was reading, the mechanic told me my car was ready. He informed that he balanced my tires but I should think about getting some new ones and provided me with an estimate for $800.00. Ugh.
I drove away and noticed the problem wasn’t resolved with just balancing. Maybe he was right. I thought. Maybe it’s time for tires with new treads. I equated the experience of tire balancing with a massage. A massage might feel good for a little while but it doesn’t really fix the underlying problem.
I called around for tire prices and ended up in the waiting room of another tire shop continuing to read my book. I was told, “We can put new tires on your car but you need an alignment."
I told him I just had them balanced. “Doesn’t matter,” he said. “We’re putting on new tires. We can balance them but what you really need is an alignment.”
There’s that word again, I thought.
“What’s the difference?” I asked (clearly more of an accountant/writer rather than a tire/car girl).
“An alignment measures and adjusts the suspension of the vehicle to set the direction the wheels point and the angle of contact with the road and how these change when turning. Suspensions that are not adjusted properly can cause excessive tire wear and reduced control of the vehicle. This condition can be both annoying and unsafe.”
Interesting, I thought. Essentially he was telling me I need to point the wheels of my life in a new direction. Otherwise, life will become annoying and unsafe.
He went on, “Balancing spins the wheel to make sure the wheel and tire assembly does not have a heavy spot. Things that spin fast but are not balanced can vibrate violently. This is can be annoying and unsafe. In some cases, it can cause the wheel to fall off.”
Sounds like the romantic relationship I was dealing with where the wheels were about to the fall off because we hit a heavy spot. We weren’t vibrating violently yet but that could be the next step if we continued with the same pattern.
I wondered, Is it worse to be out of balance or out of alignment?I was at a Choice Point in the road.
Thinking I wanted to align myself with the experience of having a safe ride to work, I conceded and went for the full package, “Go ahead. Balance and align me.”
While I waited, I asked myself, Are you aligned with the things, people, energy you want to attract in your life? Are you participating in the current world cycle by providing a service in alignment with your life purpose?
In some ways Yes, in some ways No. Honestly, I have one foot in both worlds—my past cycle and my current cycle. Somewhere along the way, there was a shift in my life purpose and only half of me was willing to go along with it and my vehicle was reflecting this.
Overall, I loved the book but I have to admit, the last three chapters hit a speed bump and didn’t keep my attention through to the end. I think the book slipped out of balance at that point. But overall, Choice Point is definitely worth reading and aligning with.
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