The Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life
August 8, 2010 by Deborah Ivanoff
Filed under Actualization Bookshelf
A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life
By Jack Kornfield
If you are actively practicing to marry the spiritual with the everyday, this book holds many insights, practical tools, and a strong supportive voice for the challenges of pursuing a spiritual practice in a world that acts to thwart your efforts at every turn.
Jack Kornfield helps East meet West, and vice versa, a in a way that I felt comforting. I’ve had the opportunity to be in friend’s homes where they took out their rag-tag, underlined and bookmarked copy of this book as if it were a lifeline. Jack Kornfield does that, gives us all a lifeline on our spiritual journey when we feel like we’re “the only one” experiencing the mishaps along the way.
I was greatly relieved and comforted, and still am, when reading Jack’s other book:
After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path
By Jack Kornfield
Another one to check out…
Chop Wood, Carry Water
August 8, 2010 by Deborah Ivanoff
Filed under Actualization Bookshelf
Chop Wood, Carry Water
By Rick Fields
What Rick has done with this book is give an overview of what have become the standard practices to reach “enlightenment”. If that is your goal, I think this is a good basic, a good place to start and see what resonates, what appeals to you. Then you can explore that specific topic or method, further, and more in depth.
I’ve talked to a number of people that told me that this book was a jumping off point for them some years ago and a supportive force in their continued spiritual journey. A good basic, a good standard.
Tools to Transform
August 8, 2010 by Deborah Ivanoff
Filed under Actualization Bookshelf, Empowerment Bookshelf, Flexibility Bookshelf
Natural Brilliance
By Paul R. Scheele
This is such a wonderful book. Paul Scheele has really brought together a few, simple tools that encompass and help with the actual practical practice of spiritual/personal mastery. It’s compact, but don’t be deceived. This book really focuses on some very important tools to support transformation with your personality along for the ride.
Who Do You Pray To, When You Pray?
August 8, 2010 by Deborah Ivanoff
Filed under Actualization Bookshelf, Books
To God Or As God by Darel A. Rutherford
I think this is the definitive work in the BEING THE SOLUTION collection. The book includes many useful examples from Darel’s live workshops. If you’re a fan of Darel’s earlier works, Being The Solution and So Why Aren’t You Rich, you’ll enjoy this final work.
Darel maintains that we are “an individualization of God”; like individual drops of a much larger ocean and that we have been bestowed with the Power, if we only choose so.
Down To Earth Enlightenment
August 8, 2010 by Deborah Ivanoff
Filed under Actualization Bookshelf, Books
Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing By Jed McKenna
I got such a kick out of this book. If you’re tired of flowery or over-intellectualized writing on Enlightenment, and don’t mind someone speaking boldly, you may well find this book refreshing.
For me, the book was worth reading for chapter 28 alone. It’s billed as an “uncommon” book, and I’d have to agree. If you read it, please, please I would love to know what you think (especially about chapter 28).
You Think You Use Your Mind?
August 8, 2010 by Deborah Ivanoff
Filed under Actualization Bookshelf, Brain Bookshelf, Empowerment Bookshelf, Flexibility Bookshelf, Leadership Bookshelf, Self Coaching Resources, Strategies Bookshelf
Thinking Clearly: An Adventure in Mental Fitness
Jerry Stocking
Jerry Stocking is one of my favorite teachers. He has such a different energy and insights, all in the direction of helping people release themselves from illusion and learn how to be deeply intimate with themselves and others.
This book is a brilliant introduction to how the mind actually works, and it’s probably not the way you might think. I especially like his explanation of “grounded” vs. “ungrounded” assessments as an alternative to “truth” or “reality”.
If You Can Only Buy One Book
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life
Marshall B. Rosenberg
If you can only buy one book to help you in a practical way, with your relationships in life, this is the one. Marshall Rosenberg, in his audio workshop on Nonviolent Communication, admits to having regrets about choosing the name for his work. He said he really doesn’t a name that says what it isn’t.
I understand. And I understand why he did call his work “Nonviolent” communication. Think about it. So much of our communications spark upsetting feelings because the method of communication is inherently flawed.
Marshall teaches us how to speak to one another (and for those of you who fancy yourselves advanced students, I dare you to regale me with stories of how you used NVC on your own self talk) in a completely different way than anything we were raised with in our homes and institutions.
I’ve been a student of his work for 16 years (the age of my daughter) and I’ve only scratched the surface. I miss the mark many times. But it’s so worth the practice. And the payoff comes in peace, peace of mind, intimacy, and trust of myself and others.
Couple this work with Forgiveness work (see Colin Tipping’s Radical Forgiveness) and the idea of making amends when you’ve made a mistake…and we truly could change our world in a heart beat.
