Further to my review of Gratitude & Trust from July of 2014. At that time I wrote “(a)s I have only just begun to implement their six steps in my own life I can not say they work for people with compulsive or other self-destructive behaviours. An update will be provided down the road.”
It has been a year and a half since I first read the book. This is the promised update.
Elsewhere I’ve discussed my visceral response to ‘be grateful’– or rather to ‘just be grateful’ as a societal control method (c.f. guilt). Add in my aversion to fundamentalist world views that try and say one specific prescription will work for every person in every situation every time, and my undergoing hypnotherapy to unleash blocked memories, and perhaps you won’t be surprised that I have not adhered to daily practise of the six steps. Which is not to say that I have ignored the affirmations or the passages from the book that stick in my mind. But there are plenty of things (medical prescriptions, advertising campaigns, physical exercise routines, etc) that lose effectiveness if not maintained. Major changes in routine or attitude that aren’t consistent aren’t as effective as they could be.
The first post was based on reading an uncorrected proof via a Goodreads give-away. I was blessed to receive an autographed copy of the published hardcover edition last month (btw a paperback edition was published last year). Random act of kindness or a sign from the universe? Believe as you will. I don’t do ‘new year’s resolutions’ but I have decided that these six affirmations are now part of my spiritual life.
I won’t post the six steps here- but this picture shows the First Affirmation as I have it on my cellphone. A subtle reminder.
Something Needs to Change,
and it’s Probably Me
Rather than feel guilt over the ‘wasted time’ that original copy sat on a shelf, I chose to believe that it was waiting for the right moment. Just as those decks of Tarot (and other ‘divination cards’) that I purchased some 30 years ago but have not used in public since moving to Ohio are now calling me. Oh I’m not a fortune teller (that’s a post for another day) but I do believe in a spiritual reality and am open to using tools and ‘cheats’ that help me remember this physical world is not the be all and end all.
This may not be the review you hoped to read; it’s as much a public reminder for me as it is a review of the book.
Related Posts:
Therapy Post #3
FTC disclosure: links from this blog to Bookshop.org (in this and any other post) are ‘affiliate links’ and I will earn a small fee should you make a purchase after following one of the links.
