You Are Not Alone

For all those who have been struggling to reconcile their head with their hearts, science with faith and pragmatism with idealism, here is a book that will capture your attention and offer solace for the doubts that may have haunted you for years.

I happened to come across Martha Beck’s TEDx talk and was immediately captivated, not only because of her animated story telling, but because she spoke from her own experience and also described some concepts that intuitively made complete sense to me.  She has been able to give structure to ideas that one ‘knows’ but is sometimes unable to spell out with clarity.  So I had a look at her website and read the sample chapter of her book, “Finding Your Way in a Wild New World“.  

Some of the first lines to touch my heart were: “Londolozi is a Zulu word meaning “protector of all living things. The people who gave that  name to this wilderness have spent their lives doing something they call “restoring Eden. The land under my feet was once a bankrupt cattle farm, almost devoid of life. This ecosystem was restored to its original state by just a few people, including Alex, my friend Boyd Varty and his family, and Shangaan trackers like Solly. These folks have already helped restore an area of the Earth larger than Switzerland, and they have no intention of stopping.“

This instantly reminded me of my own suggestions in my book, “SOUL- Student of Universal Law‘.  While SOUL was a fictionalized version of actual tools and means for what I see as a conscious, healthy way forward for earth and all it’s inhabitants, here was mention of a real life case with real people doing some very real work.  It was extremely encouraging and heart warming.  Martha Beck goes on to describe her idea of the ‘Healing Team’ and ‘Wayfinders’ or ‘Menders’. If you have felt called to discover and express your true nature, feel deep compassion and connection with all of nature, have artistic interests, high sensitivity and empathy, are drawn to healing work and so on… you will fit her description.

I went ahead and ordered the book from Flipkart.com and completed it in two days.  Why do I recommend this book to all the healers, therapists, visionaries, thought pioneers and other leaders desirous of being the change they wish to see in the world? For many reasons. Martha Beck has covered an enormous amount of material in this book.  She shares anecdotes from her own severe life challenges and interesting interactions with people from around the world.  She shares information and data from a wide variety of subjects.   She provides real, simple and doable exercises for all her Four Technologies of Magic, namely, Wordlessness, Oneness, Imagination and Forming.  She describes her own experiments and real life encounters with nature, animals and people in ways that will renew your hopes of a more connected world.

What I particularly liked is that instead of teaching ‘manifestation’ laws, what she shares is how to tune into what wants to emerge.  That appeals greatly to me.  I have often felt that the current emphasis on attempting to manipulate things to meet our limited ideas of ‘what should be’ are actually misguided.  Her constant reminders to return to Wordlessness and Oneness are a welcome change.

So if you, like me, have been moved to tears by John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ and have often wondered if you are a misfit in today’s sometimes cynical world, do have a read.  I am delighted to be able to repeat my sentiments from Everyday Revelations, that I am grateful to authors like Martha Beck (and Rachel Naomi Remen), for their ability to acknowledge the miraculous and to share it openly.

It is good to know that you are not alone.

Related Link:  Against The Grain