Amazon.com
Everyone loves a good fable, and this is certainly one. The protagonist is Julian Mantle, a high-profile attorney with a whacked-out schedule and a shameful set of spiritual priorities. Of course it takes a crisis (heart attack) to give Mantle pause. And pause he does--suddenly selling all his beloved possessions to trek India in pursuit of a meaningful existence. The Himalayan gurus along the way give simple advice, such as, "What lies behind you and what lies before you is nothing compared to what lies within you." Yet it is easy to forgive the story's simplicity because each kernel of wisdom is framed to address the persistent angst of Western white-collar professionals. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
Wisdom to Create a Life of Passion, Purpose, and Peace
This inspiring tale provides a step-by-step approach to living with greater courage, balance, abundance, and joy. A wonderfully crafted fable, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari tells the extraordinary story of Julian Mantle, a lawyer forced to confront the spiritual crisis of his out-of-balance life. On a life-changing odyssey to an ancient culture, he discovers powerful, wise, and practical lessons that teach us to:
- Develop Joyful Thoughts,
- Follow Our Life's Mission and Calling,
- Cultivate Self-Discipline and Act Courageously,
- Value Time as Our Most Important Commodity,
- Nourish Our Relationships, and
- Live Fully, One Day at a Time.
Customer Reviews:
Weak, very weak........2007-09-23
This is terrible writing, at its best, marketed to the masses. The dialogue is so unreal. The characters, you can't even relate to them. It's so hokey, and nothing original. Unrealistic practices, rose meditation, c'mon, I'm to do this for two weeks. There are many, many other better books out there. Trying Being Peace by TNH.
Good luck, and if this book worked for you, great. I reviewed this in a positive mood too.........
This could be the best advice you'll ever receive from one book........2007-08-14
Enormous amount of wisdom is covered here. I finished this thinking that this is one of the best books I've ever read on how to live in this world. I was shocked at the amount of principles covered in this story. I just wasn't expecting what I got from this.
I initially refrained from underlining and marking up my book because I thought I might want to loan it out. So, I took notes. I've since decided that I'm gonna read it again and underline the great parts I want to revisit. Just when I thought this guy had covered most everything, he pulled out even more! This is an awesome book.
Okay, the other nice thing about this is each chapter ends with an action summary. I liked how this wraps up each chapter. So, you get the chance to think about what happened in the story, the points being made, and the great thing is it gives you the techniques.
I read a few reviews where people were criticizing the story. I thought the story was good, with a few weak spots. But the story isn't the main point, it was just the vehicle to deliver the goods.
I loved this book! This is one that I think can definately make a difference in your life. The thing about books like this is, usually people read it once, decide that there is something to it and maybe even make a few changes in their life and a little while later they slide right back into living the way they always have. Reread it, absorb it, and make lasting changes.
Amaizing.......2007-07-06
the situations described in this book reflects my situation in the company I use to work for: work, work, no personal life, filling guilty for a day off ( and that if you ever manage a day off).
it is really a inspiration.
Fun but fluffy.......2007-07-01
This is an easy afternoon read that is kind of enjoyable at first but gradually starts grinding away at your nerves. The story is, as another reviewer noted, both shallow and hackneyed....a rich guy has a health scare and changes his life's direction, blah blah blah....
Bottom line is that there are many many better books that will offer you deeper and more lasting insights into personal growth and enlightenment....one's that immediately come to mind are 'Autobiography of a Yoga' or 'Krishnamurti's notebook'. Come to think of it, pretty much anything by Krishnamurti, including his grocery list, is better written than this piece of fluff.
But, to be fair and "positive", the ideas within are not stupid ones....the problem is that they are blatantly obvious but presented in a breathy and falsely enthusiastic way that suggests that the author is trying (vainly) to turn a molehill into a mountain.
There's nothing wrong with trying to become a more spiritually healthy person, but I recommend that anyone who reads this book continue on to solid authors such as Krishnamurti or Paramahansa Yogananda,
for their works offer much deeper insight into serious life questions.
Good book -Worth reading........2007-06-27
This is a very light read. My spirits were uplifted after reading this book. So I would rate it 5 stars.
Mostly the author has drawn inspirations from Gita and other Vedic books either directly or indirectly but bottom line is that it is a good read.
Customer Reviews:
Life changing.......2007-10-05
I have only finished chapter 3 and already have received some life changing revelation which I will remember forever. Get the video!
Extremely clear and concise...a must read!.......2007-09-10
One of the best books about a favorite character of the Bible...Joseph. I could relate with each test he went through. A must read if you feel you're always living in the dream, but never realizing your destiny. I also recommend the video series. We are using it with our community group at church. GET THIS BOOK!!!
A Must Read ..........2007-06-12
From Dream to Destiny changed my life. Reading this book helped me see and get through one the life lesson's God was dealing with in me at my workplace. I bought several books and gave them out to my clients and recently purchased more to use in a book study at church to teach others the 10 Lessons We Must Go Through to Reach Our Destiny.
You, have a God given destiny.......2005-09-30
You (and everyone) have a God given "destiny". Pastor Morris explains the life of Joseph to walk you through your own "thinking process" and your own desires to fulfill God's plan for your life. The writing is very enjoyable and the content is spiritually encouraging. Pastor Morris uses many scripture references. You will be blessed. - MDP
Empowering and Uplifting! Your Destiny Awaits You!.......2005-07-29
This book is a blessing! It is filled with many answers concerning destiny. The author, Robert Morris expounds on the life of Joseph (Gen. 37-50), his journey from the pit to the palace.
Joseph is the perfect example of a person being tried in many areas while traveling to his destiny. He faced many difficult challenges which makes FROM DREAM TO DESTINY a book so encouraging for anyone facing difficulties.
Robert Morris elaborates on the 10 tests we must pass in order to walk in our destiny. They are: pride, pit, palace, purity, prison, prophetic, power, prosperity, pardon and purpose. All of which we must go through if we are to reach our destiny. The author also reminds us that many tests occur after our dream but before our destiny.
Don't give up between your dream and fulfilling your destiny!
Happy Reading!
(...)
Book Description
The Simplest Path, Step One: Free Your Mind delineates, in one slim volume, a complete system for achieving personal spiritual awakening, along with a straightforward, no-nonsense plan individuals and groups so enlightened can follow to awaken Humanity en masse and positively transform the world. This book contains keys to awakening. Awakening from our personal dream shatters the solid "box" of limitation memes have built around our lives, and frees us to fluidly craft our personalities, environments, relationships, careers, etc. as an artist paints a landscape or a sculptor teases form from formless clay. All of us awakening together from the shared dream of the planet will mark the birth of our species out of our current global nightmare of decline into a limitless future literally beyond our present ability to imagine, even in our "wildest dreams," indeed.
Customer Reviews:
Way Beyond "Socrates Revisited".......2007-08-22
After reading the commentary attached to the one star rating given by the young man from Texas, I feel compelled to step forward in defense of this very fine book. With only one exception, every point made in that negative review is simply wrong. Just not factually correct. The reviewer identifies himself as a young man (... "to my young mind"), and since all of his other Amazon reviews are of TV episodes on DVD, video games and rock music CDs I take him at his word. Well, I am an "old man," closing in on my sixty-third birthday, and I came to Mr. Casspriano's book after six decades of life experience, the last three of those decades a zealous practitioner of Zen Buddhism. I say this not to "brag," but simply to qualify myself as a reviewer before beginning.
I'll start where the one star reviewer closed his argument, with his statement that the simplest path reduces to two Socratic concepts: "Admit that you don't know anything" and "know yourself."
The first part is nominally true (the exception). Like Zen Buddhism, a central tenet of the simplest path is working to release the false notion we all hold that we know ourselves, other people, the world around us. But identifying and releasing our attachments to our illusions is a life's work, not some brash "I don't know nothin'!" as the young Texan seems to imply. Under normal circumstances, we go about our daily lives with no idea we are deluded about anything, as Maya (the illusion of the phenomenal world around and even inside us) is so convincing that most of us never even think to question its validity. Casspriano did not invent the notion of human beings being trapped in illusion, as this truth was known to the timeless authors of the Hindu Vedas and is central to all schools of Buddhism (not just Zen). But his scientific/spiritual exploration of the mechanism by which Maya ensnares our minds and can, with effort, be overcome is among the best "plain English" explanations of this process I have read. There is no "inscrutable mystery" in the simplest path (a criticism that has been accurately leveled toward Zen Buddhism, as a lot of Eastern thought truly does come off as "inscrutable" when translated into English and/or the metaphors of Western culture). Casspriano lays out in no-nonsense American English exactly what our brains are doing when they create the illusion we mistake for reality, then shows the reader in the same clear terms how to train his or her brain to break free of illusion and taste reality as-it-is. In just 216 pages, that is no mean feat. After thirty years of Zen practice and numerous kensho experiences (of varying depths and intensities), I can say from personal experience that Casspriano is correct. Enlightenment comes as the fruit of a long, incremental process of retraining the mind to touch reality in a new way, and the process described in the simplest path is the same as that followed in Zen practice, especially Rienzi Zen koan study (I'll have more to say about this in a later paragraph). Casspriano's approach and language is very different from traditional Zen (more "scientific," and no sitting meditation is required), which I think would appeal to Americans and other Westerners seeking to experience "awakening" without necessarily committing themselves to a religion like Buddhism, but the internal mental/spiritual process and final destination are the same.
"Know yourself," on the other hand, is not in this book at all, at least not in the way the young reviewer, or Socrates for that matter, uses the phrase. As in Buddhism, Casspriano takes pains to demonstrate that "self" is as much of an illusion as our misapprehension of the phenomenal world, and is a byproduct of exactly the same mind process that creates outer Maya. A core teaching of Buddhism is that our "self," our personality/ego, is nothing more than an aggregation of outside influences that cluster together in our minds like shiny stones gathered into a pile, and which we mistake not only for something "real," but tragically, for our essential selves. Yet this "pile" has nothing really to do with who we are at all. Buddhism teaches "no-self." Belief in the illusion of a unique and independent "self" is our greatest obstacle to enlightenment. Wasting time and energy getting to "know yourself" in the Western sense is foreign to Eastern thought. Casspriano again does a great job of translating the Buddhist concept of "no-self" into Western scientific/spiritual terminology. He shows the process by which our ego/personality aggregate "piles up," as well as how to take the pile down, stone by stone. Enlightenment is what the pile was covering up, and so it naturally appears as soon as the pile is removed - but oh how we cling to our personal pile of stones! "Self" is what we must trade for enlightenment, what must be surrendered, and Casspriano returns to this truth many times in the simplest path. My point is that the one star reviewer's reduction of the simplest path to "know yourself" has no basis at all in the actual book.
As to the book being "gimmicky": Yes, the words "The Simplest Path" recur frequently throughout the book, but not in reference to the book itself (at least that's not how I took it), but rather to the system of understanding the mind and working toward "awakening" Casspriano is describing - and it is a complete system that deserves to be considered as a whole, on its own. At times the repetition does have a feel of "branding" in the commercial sense, so I understand where the reviewer may have taken his impression. But the simplest path, while resonant with Zen Buddhism (and apparently, according to Casspriano, with the Toltec philosophy espoused by Carlos Castaneda, of which I have no personal knowledge, so I'll have to take the author's word for that) is far enough different that it needs its own "name" to set it apart from other schools of similar but not identical thought. The reviewer's criticism is like saying that every use of the term "Zen" in a book called "Zen Buddhism" should be taken as a reference to the book, and not to the larger practice of Zen Buddhism as a spiritual discipline that the book is describing. Casspriano's point in repeatedly linking The Simplest Path, Zen Buddhism and Toltec Shamanism throughout the book, at least as I understood it, is to highlight these three spiritual practices as related reliable paths through a dark forest of illusion, a forest in which many apparent (and more popular) paths, including most (all?) religious beliefs, actively vie to mislead travelers toward deeper ensnarement in the dream, rather than leading them toward "awakening."
I want to say a word about koan study in Rienzi Zen and how it relates to the simplest path. Koans are those quirky Zen sayings and stories like "what is the sound of one hand clapping?" or "what was your original face before you (or your parents) were born?" that have no rational answer, and which Zen students turn and turn in their minds like the tumblers of a combination lock until their imprisoned psyches "explode" in a "super-rational" experience of reality beyond the illusion ("irrational" would be the wrong term, as that implies "nonsense"). That "super-rational" vision of reality is called "kensho." I have experienced it myself, more than once in my lifetime. I have come to think of Casspriano's "Key Questions" in the second half of the simplest path, especially the later seven of the ten, as "cultural koans" designed to trigger "collective kensho" for the whole human race at once. Like "what is the sound of one hand clapping?", unflinching consideration of the value of human life, of how our beliefs about the future shape the present, of the true origin and destiny of life on Earth, etc., especially as seen through the lens of Casspriano's "Key Question Technique," reveals that none of these questions have rational answers, yet all require our active and immediate response. Successful resolution of these larger riddles that impact everyone will require us all to eventually "explode" into reality, together, in a "super-rational" way. We'll have to break through the illusion and wake up together, as one (which has been the goal of Mahayana Buddhism, of which Zen is a sect, since around 200 BCE). That is the "Planetary Awakening" addressed in this book, and I believe Casspriano's "Key Questions" are a concrete step in that direction. I'm glad I spent my fifteen dollars.
This is my "old man" take on the simplest path, having encountered it after 30 years of Zen Buddhist practice (I'm not veering off my chosen path here, just bowing respectfully in passing toward Casspriano's). From a Buddhist perspective, the simplest path is true Dharma, though I do not get the impression from reading his book that Vincent Casspriano is himself a Buddhist or a follower of any religion. That to my mind makes his book all the more interesting.
True, but gimmicky.......2007-08-09
Casspriano's book is scientifically and philosophically sound as best as my young mind can tell, but I don't recommend this book. Its scattered with numerous pages of advertising about how his "program" works and how it compares to other religions and spiritual movements. Why must this author physically write out "The Simplest Path" in reference to his book every other page, and talk about his second volume? Perhaps because he's not out for pure truth, but for our money.
All this book comes down to after you strip away the nonsense is two things. First, admit that you don't truly know anything. Second, know yourself. Do those two things (they essentially both mean to question EVERYTHING), and you'll have Casspriano's "Planetary Awakening," with 15 bucks still in your pocket. And you'll be following the fundamental truths already said by Socrates.. so do yourself a favor and pick up Plato's "Apology" and read up on the Socratic dialogue on how to live a good life. And don't stop there, because you can't be sure he's right.
And I have 10 bucks that says these other couple of reviews were written by the book publisher. In any case, ignore the hype.
A Unique and Inspiring Wake-up Call.......2007-05-15
This is one of the most clear-headed books I've read in years on the subject of real, nitty gritty, get your hands dirty spiritual development (as opposed to the fru fru New Age variety). So much of what passes for "spirituality" in our time amounts to some author, celebrity, priest, philosopher or self-appointed guru telling us what to "believe," sight unseen, if we want to reach heaven, attain enlightenment, achieve "ascension," etc. Casspriano takes an at times startling opposite approach. For Casspriano, such unquestioned/unquestionable beliefs are not only NOT the path to spiritual awakening, they represent the chief obstacle blocking our realization of higher consciousness. And it's not just religious beliefs ("faith") he's talking about, but all our beliefs about reality, especially those that enclose our thinking in "boxes" that limit our freedom to find solutions to real-world threats like Peak Oil, overpopulation, Global Warming, etc. Though much of the book focuses on individual enlightenment, for Casspriano, these larger planetary issues are "spiritual," as well. Whether the issue is our personal inability to find happiness or Humanity's collective rush toward physical extinction, the cause is the same - our wrong-headed beliefs about what's real. The solution is the same, as well - continuous, deep questioning. Using Richard Dawkins' concept of "memes" as a central metaphor, Casspriano first breaks down the basic process of belief, showing the mechanism in our brains by which beliefs misdirect and control our psyches, then he walks the reader through an exploration of a series of ten "anti-meme questions" aimed at breaking down the walls of our mental "boxes" and setting our minds free. With each question, he supplies an exercise designed to allow the reader to attain a personal taste of reality "beyond the box," especially as flavored by that chapter's "Key Question." For the most part, this formula works very well (with a few rare moments of over-exuberance on the author's part, as already described in other reviews, though as a card carrying vegan environmentalist, I can't say I particularly minded), delivering a cumulative series of death-blows to some of the most basic "pillars" of our present human consensus reality. Beyond the walls those pillars supported lies real reality, where we are all interconnected and interdependent, and, in Casspriano's view, mutually destined for greatness, if we can just wake up and grab the reins of our runaway culture in time. This is not a book for spiritual "feel gooders" seeking soft assurances that they're perfect just they way they are and everything's going to be all right, no matter what. This is a wake up call, a tool kit and a concrete action plan for becoming individually enlightened and collectively saving the world, all rolled up into one. That, I think, is a cause well-worthy of exuberance.
Challenge Consensus Reality!.......2007-05-10
This is a thoughtful book that addresses how we may go about developing a process to question our everyday consensus reality. I suppose if I have learned anything in 49 years of life, it is that all personal and social problems stem from our fundamental views on the nature of reality itself. Vincent Casspriano uses the concept of a "meme" as a fundamental unit of ideas, assumptions, etc. that often block our understanding of reality itself. One such meme, for example, may be that we have to "fight for our freedom" or the world's a "fearful" place and hence, we have to be ready to kill to protect ourselves. I suppose you could also use the word "paradigm" here as well, but the essential point of this book is that we "unconsciously" function in our life with many limited points of view that block our ability to solve problems on both a personal and a social basis.
While Vince Casspriano is to be congradulated for producing a book that presents both a methodology and a motivation for personal transformation, there are a few pitfalls here that the potential reader should be aware of before tackling this material. The author has some rather strong views on fossil fuel consumption, meet consumption, and the role of humans in the cycle of procreation. While I generally agree with his analysis on fossil fuel consumtion and meat consumption (as I have viewed large tracks of deforrested grazing land in developing countries), these viewpoints can distract the reader from the essential point here which is to rigourously question consensus reality. Since I am single, and have no motivation to have children, I definitely disagree with his views on the necessity of human procreation on this planet, but here again, it is important to extract the essential meaning rather than get caught in the specific political/social debates that these issues may spawn.
If you are serious about personal transformation with the potential for changing our global consciousness, than this book can be an invaluable tool. I do agree with the Author that a world population of "high functioning" people can resolve every planetary problem we face today. As we systematically question our consensus reality, we will see our problems in new ways, and with this new perspective, problems can often be quickly resolved or transcended.
A Simple Cure For What's "Eating Us".......2006-11-13
I considered titling this review, "Stop Whining, Wake Up and Get Busy Saving the World," but decided "Eating Us" would be more attention-grabbing - which matters because I believe Vincent Casspriano, Jr.'s "The Simplest Path, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND" is an important book, and I want to do whatever I can to draw your attention to it. Pick the title you like best. Both very fittingly describe what you will find within the pages of this remarkable new release from New Paradigm Press.
I have selected three short quotations to explore in this review that I think best summarize Casspriano's overall message:
From Chapter One, "The Boxes We Dream In":
"Right now, this very moment, you are asleep... Even if you are reading these words in broad daylight - sitting at your desk or beside the kitchen table, your feet firmly planted on the floor, eyes open, senses alert, feeling the weight of this book in your hands as sounds of life rise and fall rhythmically around you - you are deeply asleep, and dreaming furiously"
Now, the idea that Humans are sleeping, and must therefore "awaken," is by no means unique to Casspriano's "Simplest Path" spiritual system, being the root observation underlying pretty much all Eastern religion, and a lot of Western Occultism and New Age metaphysics, as well. In fairness, Casspriano makes no claim to this as an original insight, openly supporting his assessment of the human predicament with quotations taken from Animism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. He then flows seamlessly into a list of complementary illustrations from the secular realms of Quantum Physics, brain/consciousness research, and most to-the-point, the study of memes and memetics, ala Evolutionary Biologist and world's best-known cheerleader for scientific atheism, Richard Dawkins.
If you've never heard of memes or memetics, a quick Google of those terms will reveal hundreds of serious, information-rich websites devoted to this now thirty-year old science. In a nutshell, a "meme" is a sort of contagious thought-form that spreads between people by way of imitation. Obvious memes in our environment include advertising jingles, fads and fashions, etc. Casspriano somewhat radically extends the concept to include just about everything that makes up the contents of our individual brains and shared human culture. While he resists redefining the word "meme" wholesale, he decidedly expands its definition to make memes and "memeplexes" (what you get when a number of memes band together into an organic, relational unit, like a religion or cultural or political movement) the basic, fundamental building blocks of everything we habitually label "real..."
And then he demonstrates, in at times excruciating detail, the complete emptiness of the "apparent-reality" that is a byproduct of memetic activity in our brains. What we call "real" is not real at all. It's an illusion spun up by our memes. And our memes are not original to us. They are "viral invaders" assailing our minds from without. Worse - and, while even this thought is not wholly unique to Casspriano, he certainly gives it his own very effective spin - memes are by no means mere passive beliefs or simple "harmless ideas." They are, Casspriano believes, actively predatory psychic parasites whose survival depends on our buying into the illusions they create in our minds. Think of illusion (Samsara, Maya, etc.) as a web we're caught in. Memes are the spider. We are the fly. Gotcha.
One thing I like very much about Casspriano's book is that he never asks us to take anything on faith, least of all this rather ugly depiction of the human psychic/spiritual condition. He not only challenges readers to test his hypothesis firsthand in order to experience what is real and true for ourselves, he spends a large chunk of the book outlining specific exercises anyone can do to escape memetic interference and personally experience reality as-it-is. The exercises in Part II of the book are powerful medicine... But this is a digression, so let me return to the point.
Memes are the spider, and we are the fly. A better metaphor might be that memes are the farmer, and we are the cow. Domesticated and docile, we allow memes to milk us daily, to extract from our minds the potent human psychic energy which, if reclaimed by us and put to proper human use, would quickly and positively transform our lives and our world. This transformation is awakening, ascension, enlightenment, metanoia, the Buddha-like change of consciousness most religions and spiritual systems on Earth hint at, but few ever actually deliver to followers. In this analysis, Casspriano's "Simplest Path" is very much in line with Gurdjieff's "Fourth Way," Carlos Castaneda's Toltec sorcery, and a few other well known spiritual practices inhabiting a somewhat darker, though perhaps more realistic corner of the New Age. But unlike most of those other systems, Casspriano's prescription for escaping illusion and awakening to reality is remarkably, well... simple.
From Chapter Three, "Waking Up":
"The simple truth is that we are sleeping because we lack sufficient energy to wake up."
And later in the same chapter:
"The real work that brings about awakening, rather than merely granting the external appearance of "being spiritual," while actually embroiling us ever more deeply in the dream, is a rigorous, daily commitment to the identification and elimination of every self-serving belief from which our personal dream-lives are constructed."
For "belief" in the quotation above, read "meme/memeplex." Casspriano certainly does, treating the terms as largely interchangeable. In the end, this genuinely simple - at least in the sense of being uncomplicated and pragmatic - spiritual practice amounts to discovering reality as-it-actually-is less by searching for a glimpse beyond the illusion, than by systematically withdrawing our participation in, and identification with, the dream. When we disentangle our psyches from memetic illusion, only reality remains. We don't have to chase it; to a meme-free mind, reality just appears. This is "Satori" in Zen Buddhism. This is "stopping the world" in the Toltec sorcery of Castaneda and others. Casspriano's genius lies in his talent for exposing the core mechanism behind such complex and often inscrutable spiritual systems, and for putting into plain language clear instructions for unraveling the dream and achieving personal awakening. The virus-like process by which memes take over and control our human minds, as described by Casspriano is, to my mind, very complicated (but well worth struggling through). What is genuinely simple about "The Simplest Path," however, is Casspriano's prescription for breaking those bonds, once you've made the effort to understand how they are created and maintained. For Casspriano, remaining a victim of spiritual sleep and energetic exploitation by memes is a complex activity in which we unconsciously invest enormous amounts of psychic energy every day of our lives. Awakening is the product of a simple act of withdrawing that investment, which automatically re-energizes of our minds and lives. Or as Casspriano cleverly phrases it when closing Chapter Three, "Waking Up":
"Unweave the tapestry of the dream, and awakening happens."
Anyone can do this. Spiritual awakening, in Casspriano's view, may be hard work, but it is not complicated work. The path to enlightenment is really rather shockingly simple. Fall out of love with the dream. Reclaim your psychic energy. Wake up to reality.
The ten "Key Questions" Casspriano explores in the second section of the book are designed to put the theory laid out in Part I to practical and immediate use. Essentially, I think Casspriano sees these ten issues - why we treat enlightenment as an "airy-fairy" ideal instead of a measurable transformation of brain functioning, the excuses we make for avoiding personal responsibility and integrity along the lines of Castaneda's "impeccability," the fallacy of belief in a "separate self," etc. - as pillars of both our personal and collective human dreams. They are by no means an exhaustive listing of the memes twisting our minds. But they are primary keystones on which layers upon layers of the grand illusion are built. Topple these ten baseline pillars and the larger structure crumbles.
Casspriano explores some "Keys" more successfully than others. One downside to the book is that, especially in the "Keys," Casspriano's own memetic prejudices shine at times rather glaringly through, as when, in his discussion of the American "What Would Jesus Do?" religious fad, he characterizes the Evangelical Christian purveyors of WWJD as, "ultra-conservative, right wing ideologues." Even should the reader personally agree with such pronouncements, its hard to resist thinking, "Hey Vince! Your memes are showing!" But where he nails his point, Casspriano's prose can be downright inspiring, as with the "Key" cosmological study "Is Earth the Center of the Universe?," which explores the gap between what we know, scientifically, about the Universe and what our daily choices and behavior says we really believe, about the cosmos and about ourselves. His closing "Key" "Are We Alone?" so poetically frames the true stakes of our global human predicament - species survival VS extinction - that its hard to imagine anyone keeping their gaze glued squarely to their own self-involved navel in the wake of reading it. Of course we are not alone. There are six and a half billion of us on Planet Earth, and whether we awaken to what's best in us or follow our darkest drives over History's cliff into oblivion, we do so as one. One planet, one fate.
This notion of "oneness" and of a common, intertwined human spiritual and biological destiny is a core theme in The Simplest Path, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND that sets it apart from any spiritual book in recent memory. My final quotation from the book returns us to the opening lines of Chapter One, "The Boxes We Dream In":
"We are all aware of the challenges facing us as we enter together into the 21st Century:
· World oil supplies are running out.
· Global warming is transforming the Earth into a steamy greenhouse.
· Even as our technology connects the world, ideological extremism, terrorism and militarism divide us as never before.
· Headlines bombard us with news of war, famine, pestilence and death until we feel overwhelmed and unable to respond.
· Time is running out..."
Vincent Casspriano, Jr.'s "The Simplest Path to Personal and Planetary Transformation, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND" does not offer easy escape from these very pressing real-world human ills, but rather, a down to Earth, workable prescription for their cure. Yes, we must awaken as individuals, and, rest assured, "The Simplest Path" shows spiritual seekers exactly how to do that. But a prime message of "The Simplest Path" is that, for personal awakening to have meaning, it must occur within the context of a complete re-visioning of global culture, and a mass wrenching away of the wheel of History from the control of viral memes, that we might create a common cosmic human destiny worthy of our highest potential as a species.
Now that's a meme worth feeding.
Average customer rating:
- How to achieve your destiny through positive emotions
- Great resource for changing the way you think
- Be Creative With Your Destiny
- Very Good
- Create a more Joyful Life
|
Your Destiny Switch: Master Your Key Emotions, and Attract the Life of Your Dreams
Peggy McColl
Manufacturer: Hay House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Motivational | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Personal Transformation | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Emotions | By Topic | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Walsch, Neale Donald | ( W ) | Authors, A-Z | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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The Astonishing Power of Emotions
ASIN: 1401912362 |
Book Description
Your Destiny Switch isn’t just another self-help book. It’s a powerful concept and process that can consciously and creatively transform your life. You could call it a paradigm shift in creative consciousness, a shift that speaks to your demand for a richer and more experiential engagement in your quest for growth. More than a book, Your Destiny Switch allows you to balance your key emotions in order to reach your destiny.
Peggy McColl supports this work with a wealth of reference materials that provide an abundance of valuable and usable life-changing tools: state-shifters, the scale of human emotions, performance indicators, measurement tools, and a daily and weekly destiny planner. This book will help you understand your own creative power by way of your emotions and, more important, show you how to use this power to create desired results by tapping into a powerful energy source within.
Customer Reviews:
How to achieve your destiny through positive emotions.......2007-09-08
The authors concept of achieving your destiny is first through identifying what it is that you truly desire, then to create very positive affirmations in words and through acting it out if possible (like visiting the type of house you would like to own). You journey toward them ever day through positive emotions. She gives you many to choose from, you are suppose to pick out the 4 most powerfule ones for you and place them on the top of either a drawn set of 4 switches or buy a real dimmer switch and place the four positive emotions on the top switches and there negative counterparts on the bottom of the switches. You are to review how you felt daily and move the switches up or down based on your feelings. The goal is to eventually max out the switches toward there top due to a learned focus toward positive emotion. If your goal is to feel more love, love would be on the top of the switch and hate would be on the bottom, each day as you felt more love for others you would slide your switch upward. Positive emotions to choose from are calm, confidence, faith, kindness, trust, curiosity, worthiness, inspiration, motivation, and wonder. I really liked the authors premise of how we attract people and circumstances to ourselves based on our emotions, it is an interesting concept to the law of attraction. It works!!!
Great resource for changing the way you think.......2007-09-06
Peggy has created a great resource for changing the way you think. She offers the critical reminders that your emotions guide your destiny, and that you have at your constant disposal an array of powerful tools to impact them. Sound content coupled with good examples and practical processes make this book an effective tool for anyone wanting to improve the way they use their mind to purposely define their life.
Be Creative With Your Destiny.......2007-09-03
"Your Destiny Switch: Master the Key to your Emotions and Attract the Life of your Dreams" by Peggy McColl is a most delightful book about a paradigm shift in co-creating with the Universe, and thereby manifesting a richer and more experiential practice of intentional living and higher consciousness.
Highly recommended!
My most recent best find in New Age novels where the main character embarks on a metaphysically spiritual healing journey is...
Nexus: A Neo Novel
Very Good.......2007-08-26
This was a good reminder of what most of us already know. If you don't know about keeping emotions in check then this is a must read. Very informative.
Create a more Joyful Life.......2007-08-23
Wonderful and helpful book. Should be highly recommended to people of all ages, especially young people!
Customer Reviews:
EXTRAORDINARY.......2000-08-14
EVERY CHRISTIAN HAS A PLAN AND PURPOSE IN GOD. THE HOLY SPIRIT PUTS A DREAM IN OUR HEARTS, AND WE NEED TO PROTECT IT FROM BEING STOLEN FROM US. MR. RENNER GIVE SOUND ADVICE AND BRINGS TO LIFE THE SCRIPTURES WITH HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE GREEK. HE IS ABLE TO BRING A DEEPER CLARITY OF THE SCRIPTURES WITH THE IMPARTATION OF THE MEANING OF WORDS IN GREEK THAT OPEN UP THE SCRIPTURES TO OURS HEARTS. THIS BOOK RESTORED MY FAITH IN MY DREAM. I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO THE NEWLY SAVED AND OLD TIMER ALIKE AS IT WILL STIR UP THE DREAMS IN OUR HEARTS!
Book Description
The bleak wilderness of America's 49th state challenges three women in different eras: Julie, a nurse, who must serve victims of a 1925 diphtheria epidemic; Beth, whose Canadian-born husband is killed in World War II; and Rita, who takes on the ultimate test of endurance, the Iditarod dog sled race. Each must surmount the obstacles of her life, and perhaps, with God's help, find true love as well. As a special bonus, 'Alaska' also includes Tracie Peterson's novella 'Christmas Dream.'
Customer Reviews:
Too much of the happy, sappy, goody-goody to be realistic........2007-08-31
I picked this book up because I'm going to Alaska and wanted to get myself excited for the trip; unfortunately, this book really didn't help much. Although it did get into the Iditarod, dog sledding, and blizzards, it really did not cover the culture of living in Alaska like I thought it would--and let's not even talk about the characters. As a Christian woman, some parts of the book (such as Rita Eriksson's fight to be independent of God) were definitely realistic; however, in the end it seemed as if every single character, even the less important ones, were model Christian citizens, and because of that these stories lost much of their [realistic] appeal.
A Magnificent Tale.......2002-11-15
I found this collection of novelas to be magnificent. I didn't want to put it down. At one point I acutally cried. The characters become so real to you that you are moved with their pain and elated in their victories. I also found them spiritually uplifting. Now I just wish I could go see the places that were so wonderfully discribed.
Alaska.......2001-01-19
I do not read alot but I could not put this book down. I live in Alaska and have been in the same place as the charcter in the book. I liked the spiritual content too. Differently better than the trashy love novels you can buy.
IDENTIFY WITH THE CHARACTERS.......2000-03-14
I liked the second story the best, because it really made me ask myself "What would I have done if I were in her situation? Would I have put God first? Would I have denied myself a strong opportunity like that because God said NO?" But I liked all four of them. They were realistic romance but not mushy or improper. A MUST-READ...YOU WON'T FORGET THIS BOOK AND (HOPEFULLY) THE LESSONS YOU LEARNED THROUGH PRACTICAL EXAMPLES OF SUBMISSION TO GOD.
Good Book.......1999-12-02
This book seems to have all the love that the author has known in her heart. ..I really liked it and it made me think of my own life and loves. If you want to read a book that goes straight to your heart, read Stolen Moments by Barbara Jeanne Fisher. . .It is a beautiful story of unrequited love. . .for certain the love story of the nineties. I intended to give the book a quick read, but I got so caught up in the story that I couldn't put the book down. From the very beginning, I was fully caught up in the heart-wrenching account of Julie Hunter's battle with lupus and her growing love for Don Lipton. This love, in the face of Julie's impending death, makes for a story that covers the range of human emotions. The touches of humor are great, too, they add some nice contrast and lighten things a bit when emotions are running high. I've never read a book more deserving of being published. It has rare depth. Julie's story will remind your readers that life and love are precious and not to be taken for granted. It has had an impact on me, and for that I'm grateful. Stolen Moments is written with so much sensitivity that it made me want to cry. It is a spellbinder. What terrific writing. Barbara does have an exceptional gift! This book was edited by Lupus specialist Dr. Matt Morrow too, and has the latest information on that disease. ..A perfect gift for someone who started college late in life, fell in love too late in life, is living with any illness, or trying to understand a loved one who is. . .A gift to be cherished forever.
Book Description
The future begins with a dream!
The heavenly Father has a special gift for each person. When he first plants this gift in their hearts, it is tiny as the smallest seed. But no one should be fooled. It has the potential to grow into something great and marvelous in both size and beauty. The gift is simply a dream.
What better way for Satan to rob Christians of their future than to quench their enthusiasm for this God-given vision? And he is definitely ready with every trick he knows to sow seeds of doubt, fear, distraction, and discouragement into the believer's life.
The good news is that with God's help, Satan does not have the power to take away what God has given--unless allowed to do so. That's precisely why best-selling author Jerry Savelle teaches readers biblical truths that include--
--Satan's #1 strategy for robbing individuals of their dreams
--The telltale signs that indicate one's faith is wavering--and what to do about it immediately
--The secrets of recapturing one's dreams
--The four universal principles of bringing dreams into reality
Millions of people have the desire to be and do something extraordinary but have allowed disappointments and hardships to rob them of this vision. God is ready and able to help them recapture and dream what He has planted in their hearts.
Customer Reviews:
This Is A Book EVERYONE Should Own!! .......2005-07-01
I pray that you get the MAJOR blessings I got out of this book. God Bless Jerry Savell....I'll read EVERY book he's ever published. May God bless you and your's with your heart's desires.....In Christ, Julianna
Book Description
Wounded by scandal and the unsolved murder of his sister-in-law, David Pennington is outwardly insolent and arrogant. But nothing will stop him from escorting his childhood friend, Gwyneth Douglas, to Scotland-and saving the Scottish heiress from fortune hunters. But with their arrival in Scotland comes terrible danger. Now, if they ever hope to satisfy their fiery desire, they will need to thwart the evil that threatens to destroy both their lives...
Customer Reviews:
This was a good book.......2007-02-22
I didn't realize I was reading the 3rd in the series but I still enjoyed this one on its own. The 2 leads were great! Part of it started to lag but it picked back up. Emma really was a great villian! I also didn't realize this was a husband/wife team writing it. I will look for more from this duo.
enjoyable Georgian romance.......2004-04-29
In 1771 heiress Gwyneth Douglas writes adventure tales under a pseudonym. Her life seems fine though she frowns at the licentious behavior of her older married cousin Emma, who she once adored as a role model. However, tragedy strikes the family when Emma is found dead having fallen from the side of a cliff. Though her husband survived the same fall, everyone including his two younger siblings assumes Lyon Pennington killed his spouse.
A few years later, a desperate Gwyneth has decided to elope with a friend Allan Ardmore to escape her aunt and that of a blackmailer. Lyon's brother David, just returned from military duty, intercepts her. He accompanies her on her trek to Scotland and the passion that had been at the surface when Emma died, erupts as they fall in love with one another However, her aunt blames his brother for her daughter's death and rogues like Allan and the blackmailer want to gain control of Gwyneth's loot so that killing David is quite acceptable.
Fans of Georgian romance will take immense delight with the entertaining DREAMS OF DESTINY that completes May McGoldrick's fine trilogy. The story line is action-packed, but at its best when the lead couple banter and try to trump one another. The villains don't match up to the heroic duo, but provide enough diverse tension so that the audience receives a wonderful historical tale of love conquering all.
Harriet Klausner
From the Outside Looking In -- 3.50 Stars........2004-04-24
Something to consider when reading a trilogy - read it in order. "Dreams of Destiny" is book three in May McGoldrick's "Scottish Dream Trilogy"; unfortunately, I did not follow my golden rule. No, I jumped right into book three and shortly into the book I wondered, "Who are all these people?" A missing character buildup and the lack of a worthy introduction probably caused my dismay.
However, an intriguing maneuver carried me through to the end. May McGoldrick chose to run two storylines simultaneously -- the results: a clever enhancement.
Gwyneth Douglas loves David Pennington, her neighbor and friend, but she is marrying another man. David intervenes and the reader's fun begins. Their romantic spree is a delight.
Yet, in contrast, is a lingering dark story. Walter Truscott, David's loyal cousin, struggles with memories of Emma - Gwyneth's scheming, beautiful, dead cousin. His reflections are grave and melancholy; yet this gloom is a terrific side-dish. McGoldrick weaves the two storylines magnificently and creates a reading boon. Further spice: McGoldrick reintroduces Violet - a character from a parent book.
Yes, I jumped into the third episode but every novel should stand alone. Reading in sequence is my golden rule, but it should not be a necessity.
MaryGrace Meloche.
Product Description
In this facinating book by Paul Keith Davis, you´ll discover supernatural visions, revelations, and divine encounters that describe library rooms in heaven containing precious mysteries, unfathomable knowledge, and boundless wisdom. Here is what some friends say about the book... Your heart will be captured and inspired by the revelatory dimensions of this marvelous and exciting book. Paul Keith Davis shares how God is drawing each of us to journey behind the veil into His manifest presence. Read these pages and discover the glorious secrets awaiting you.-BOBBY CONNER Founder, Eagles View Ministries Lifes best moments are always characterized by peace, fulfillment, and blessings-an experience treasured only by those who have truly discovered their destiny or purpose. Paul Keith Davis excellently conveys this age-old principle in his profound work, Books of Destiny. This powerful book will incite you to walk in the special plans God has designed for you. I highly recommend it!-DR. KINGSLEY A. FLETCHER International Speaker, Government Advisor, Author, Pastor Paul Keith Davis Books of Destiny takes you into a heavenly realm. He brings you into such an intimate place of revelation that you actually feel as if you are seated at the feet of the Father, experiencing His love and wisdom. This is a book of faith for a hungry generation.-DR. CHUCK D. PIERCE President, Glory of Zion International Ministries Vice President, Global Harvest Ministries Books of Destiny is a window into understanding key mysteries about the spiritual realm. Paul Keith Davis provides insight that is not just helpful, but essential to understanding Gods Kingdom. I had a dream the first day I met Paul Keith Davis, and in it he sat writing in the library room of Heaven accompanied by the scribe angels of eternity. I believe this book came from his experience and will leave an impartation with its readers.-SHAWN BOLZ
Customer Reviews:
Awesome revelation..amazing man of God.......2007-07-28
Awesome revelation..amazing man of God
Keys to Third Heaven...Using Third Heaven Revelation to Impact a World
Seers Handbook
good stuff.......2006-10-31
It is very well written. I thoroughly enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. It gives such an incredible insight and there isn't a boring chapter anywhere to be found. Easy to read. Would recommend it to anyone looking for a deeper revelation of Jesus Christ and His endtime purposes and plans for the Church.
Book Description
Bestselling author Bruce Wilkinson shows how to identify and overcome the obstacles that keep millions from living the life they were created for. He begins with a compelling modern-day parable about Ordinary, who dares to leave the Land of Familiar to pursue his Big Dream. With the help of the Dream Giver, Ordinary begins the hardest and most rewarding journey of his life. Wilkinson gives readers practical, biblical keys to fulfilling their own dream, revealing that there's no limit to what God can accomplish when we choose to pursue the dreams He gives us for His honor.
Are you living your dreamâ or just living your life?
Welcome to a little story about a very big idea. This compelling modern-day parable tells the story of Ordinary, who dares to leave the Land of Familiar to pursue his Big Dream.
You, too, have been given a Big Dream. One that can change your life. One that the Dream Giver wants you to achieve. Does your Big Dream seem hopelessly out of reach? Are you waiting for something or someone to make your dream happen?
Then you’re ready for The Dream Giver.
Let Bruce Wilkinson show you how to rise above the ordinary, conquer your fears, and overcome the obstacles that keep you from living your Big Dream.
You were made for this. Now it’s time to begin your journey.
Customer Reviews:
The Dream Giver.......2007-09-23
I highly recommend this book and plan to purchase copies for future gifts. It is very inspirational and leads to productive self reflection.
Seeking Divine Direction? Get This Book!.......2007-09-19
If you're at a place in your life where you're questioning whether you're on the right path..or if you should be further than you are..or if you suspect you aren't all that you should be - this is a great book for you! This little charmer fell into my life when I was at a crossroads (well, ok, a mid-life crisis). I was desperately seeking God's direction, and was listening so hard I missed all the signs. It's not about achieving the dream(s) you've been after, it's about achieving the dreams God has planned for you - which of course, are far greater than we can ever imagine for ourselves. Don't waste another day...get it!
A Must Read for all - it will change your life.......2007-08-26
I first read this book in Jan 2004 and from that day on I have always rated it as the one book I would recommend for anyone to read - because it will change their life. Last year -Dec 2006 I walked into a bookshop and bought all the copies they had and gave them away to my friends as a Christmas gift. I also told them that this is the best gift I could ever give them and I know that as soon as they begin reading this book they will start listing down the names of all their friends and relatives who they will want to recommend this book too. And sure enough this is exactly what happened. I retained an extra copy for myself which I proceeded to share with people and the same thing happened. As a Toastmaster I was required to do a persuasive speech, and I chose to persuade people to read "The Dream Giver", at the end of the speech people were curiouis as to whether I was getting paid royalties for recommending it, and I told them no - this book so impacted my life that I would wish anyone I know to read this book so that they too can rekindle their dream and pursue it! Again several of those listening to me purchased the book and they agreed entirely with what I had said. I recommend this book to people of all ages - it is never too late to realize & pursue your dream! If I had the means to do it I would ensure that every family in the world had a copy of this book - it's truly an inspirational book to read!
At least it was better than "The Prayer of Jabez...".......2007-07-22
Like many people, I became familiar with Bruce Wilkinson after the publication of his "The Prayer of Jabez." Quite frankly, I was very unimpressed and unaffected by that little book and rather annoyed with the Jabez hysteria that ensued. Since that time, I've read some other stuff from Wilkinson, particularly related to holiness and found it to be more helpful. So, I purchased this unabridged, audiocassette version of "The Dream Giver" with hesitant optimism.
As is becoming increasingly popular (Andy Stanley, Patrick Lencioni, etc.), Wilkinson begins the book with a lengthy parable about a man named Ordinary from the land of Familiar who is given a Big Dream from the Dream Giver. He goes into great detail to describe how Ordinary has to leave Familiar, overcome his Giants, pursue his Big Dream, and so on. Quite honestly, the parable was quite engaging, and I really enjoyed that first half of the book.
For the second half, Wilkinson then takes his parable and fleshes out the principles in direct fashion. This is where the book began to drag for me. In fact, the problem with the second half is connected with the quality of the first half. I felt like I already understood the principles after hearing the parable, so the second half seemed redundant.
One surprise bonus was the great job that Wilkinson did in reading the book for the audiocassette. He was absolutely fantastic, especially during the parable when he was providing voices for characters. If his ministry completely disintegrates, Wilkinson could have a second career reading audiobooks.
Overall, I thought that the book was fine but unremarkable. It was definitely a notch or two beyond the standard "pursue your dreams, you can do anything that you put your mind to" psychobabble so prevalent in today's culture and church. There was some depth to this book. But I was left with the impression that the book wasn't nearly so significant as Wilkinson thought that it was. I can't say that I heard anything new, just some old ideas freshly reformatted. I was also wondering if Wilkinson would write this same book in 2007, now that his dream for Africa has largely deteriorated.
In any case, I think that this book is worth something and would be happy to recommend it to folks who want a jolt of energy and passion to pursue big dreams that God has laid on their hearts.
A life changing book.......2007-07-21
I have bought 30 copies of this book to give to people God tell me to bless. This book has changed my life. Next to the bible, this book needs to be taught in churches especially to the young people. Our future needs the benefit of knowing the obstacles they will face but they will overcome if they faint not. Thank you Mr. Wilkinson for this great piece of work!
Gabby, Tx
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