Tuesday 25 November 2008

Life changing spiritual books, have you read one lately?


Image from Gurusoftware




See Ive always been one to go searching and searching for books, books and more books. When I'm in a groove , ill suck them up like a hoover on coke! But I have one proviso now when book hunting ; that they leap out at me and say , "you must must read me" , otherwise I just feel its not meant for me (that leap out looks very much like someones turned the saturation button up on the colours of the front cover). Although recently I picked up Eat Pray Love in an Airport shop and I just had to buy it , despite putting it back several times on the shelf , (as I had taken 3 new books already & by the way I still haven't started) . I'm halfway and so far I'm really enjoying it. Its one of those books I look forward to going to bed for so I can get down into it. Until this book, that resonance hasn't happened for some time. One theory from my teacher is that Ive done enough input work , now I need to output, do the practicals.



I tend to have a few of them ,(well quite a few stacked by my bed on the floor and often when tidying I just sit and thumb through them). The main one in my recent past that has done that bam thing for me was Home with God and it blew my mind.

I remember going on the underground the day I finished it and had the most amazing experience. Yer I know , like how can travelling on the underground in London be amazing when you've been doing it for over 20 years. It was like I suddenly saw and felt what is was all about. I had this overwhelming feeling and its so hard to put it into words here, but I will try;


I suddenly felt that oneness with everything and saw through the illusions. Sitting there on the platform in the subdued light, I felt a connectedness and a wonder and I couldn't stop staring at everyone around me. It felt so surreal , and yet amazing all at the same time. I felt small and yet I felt joined. For that brief few minutes I expanded my consciousness beyond the layers of the tunnels, tarmac, road and tubing. It uplifted me out of myself and I felt joy without any need, energy without outside stimulus and a calm that came unfettered. I cant remember beyond this, but I think I was able to tap it briefly for a few weeks after. It was if I was allowed a brief window into our existence but the window wasn't opened for long for its energy was so powerful to comprehend.


Apart from climbing to the top of Angels Landing in Zion Canyon many years ago and riding a horse alone in Monument valley for an afternoon , Id say that this was very oddly one of the most amazing mystical moments of my life! Thats right , down on the dark , smelly, crazy busy London Underground!


So if you have one spiritual book that you felt really changed your thoughts and feelings on life , or made you fizz with recognition and gave you inspiration, new intentions or new ways to be , what was that?

6 comments:

taste memory said...

I did read *eat pray love* + enjoyed it very much. the author made me recognize how complex to be artist/woman/mother/businessW/wife/girlfriend/daughtr + everything else we try to be all at once.

I am guilty of reading about a dozen + one books at once, like you have stacks about the house. One of my favorites about meditation/contemplation: Fire Within and let's not forget the timely Women That Run With The Wolves.

Enjoy your writing very much.....esp. sharing transparency in all things.

thanks for writing ;-)

Leah said...

One life-changing book for me was "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron.

And more recently, "Steering by Starlight" by Martha Beck.

There are so many fabulous books out there. I loved reading about your experience on the subway!

@GiftedHand said...

-tastememory, thank you for taking the time to come onto my blog, most appreciated. Im very drawn to yours too , all those lovely photographs & the vibrancy of character.

The layers of life and all that juggling, what a marvel we really are, despite my moans at 7am and the reality of all that!!

The stacks must be a commonality when awakening. A friend of mine absolutely loves Women That Run with Wolves. Its more of a shamanistic vibe, one Ive not yet really tapped, although I was told in a reading many years ago I was once a witch Doctor in Arizona.

I don't know were some of the writing comes from,esp tonight as Im suffring from a great lack of rest and sleep),as Ive mentioned its been a great challenge for me over my years.Light inspired I feel lately,its as if something other than myself is flowing from above and through to my fingers on the keyboard.

Will have to look up Fire within, I love to read about meditation.

- Leah, nice to meet you on here. Your paintings have a lovely charm to them. I will definitely have to increase my reading wish list now!

What was the force behind "The Artists way" that was such an influence?

Becky said...

A great book that really changed my life was "Elijah's Coin: A Lesson for Life," written by Steve O' Brien. It was a fun read and an indispensable guide on how to achieve true success in today's world.

@GiftedHand said...

Thank you Becky for your suggestion , Im looking into it right now to add to my ever growing list of must reads. Success can be defined in many different ways by so many people. It depends on what your value system is. It will be intruiging to see what this authors stance is.

meintheniverse said...

Ask and it is Given - The Teachings of Abraham by Esther and Jerry Hicks. These are the Teachings that for me, put together all the different pieces of life experience, personal and spiritual development into one phenomenal easy to understand (once I got used to their language)stunningly beautiful, loving, package. A proper gift from God which arrived with such clarity, the answer to all my asking. I was on a workshop, self help, holistic therapy quest, for fourteen years and each time had high hopes that the next thing would be the thing that really got me where I wanted to be. With each new thing I gained more insight, but always felt there was something missing. That thing was a clear understanding of the Law of attraction and The Law of Allowing as Taught through Esther. I cannot put into words how much my outlook on life has changed, how much more fun I now have, how much my relationships have improved, just how much better life is in every way since discovering Abe and applying their teachings on a regular basis. The thing I Love about applying the theory is that every single time I do it I feel better than I did when I started. It was nearly one and a half years ago that I began learning Abe, and like you, I haven't been drawn to another spiritual book, so haven't read any. The one exception????? Eat, Pray Love!!! I haven't actually read it yet, but after one friend offered to lend it to me and I said no thanks, it arrived in the post, sent by a different completely unconnected (as if there is such a thing :))friend!!! At this point I decided that perhaps there is something here for me!! I think I will get it out tomorrow! So much looking forward to reading more of your blog. XXX