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Soul Fuel

4 July, 2012

If you are about to make changes in your life, or you fear even thinking about changing some aspect of your life, read Mary Oliver‘s poem, The Journey. The greatest fear of change comes from the voices inside our minds that tell us we cannot, must not, dare not change anything.  The elation comes in listening intently to the voice that says – ‘yes, you can change your life’, and you begin.

Other books and authors certain to provide soul fuel:

His Holiness, the Dalai Lama – no introduction needed.  When I first heard him speak live at the Domain in Sydney, he rocked my world: far more empowering than the books.  When HH came to Dunedin last, he made me laugh, repeatedly.  If you can’t hear him in person though, read The Art of Happiness – a handbook for living.  

Eckhard Tolle – a profound, universal teacher in our modern age.  Read The Power of Now, and The New Earth.  

Pema Chödrön – a Buddhist nun who writes clearly and simply about pure and true happiness.  Read When Things Fall Apart, a book of simple wisdoms for helping us through grief and pain to open us to courage, compassion and wisdom from a Buddhist perspective.  Another of Pema’s books, Places that Scare You is on my list of books to read.  Pema’s virtual meditation retreat, Practicing Peace, takes place on her birthday, July 14, every year, on a global scale: join me there in meditation cyberspace.

Caroline Myss – author, mystic and medical intuitive. Anatomy of the Spirit is a place to start for an explanation of what brought her to serve her life purpose.

Stephanie Dowrick – A beautiful soul, whose regular ‘sermons’ at the Uniting Church in Sydney light up people’s lives.  Her many books are enlightening, including Choosing Happiness: Life and Soul Essentials.

Thomas Moore – Care of the Soul: a guide for cultivating depth and sacredness in everyday life.  See also Handbook for the Soul.

Tao te Ching, Lao Tzu – there are many translations of this 2,500 year old text described as ‘wisdom literature’.

David Tacey, ReEnchantment, and The Spirituality Revolution.  A discussion on a new consciousness about Aboriginal reconciliation and Australian attitudes towards spirituality.

You may want to delve into Deepak Chopra‘s many works, including his novel Buddha, which tells the story of the Prince Siddharta and his enlightenment as the Buddha.

Dan Millman also tells a story of spiritual awakening in The Way of the Peaceful Warrior.

Paulo Coelho published The Alchemist in 1988 and its simplicity of prose and storyline is a classic fable for youth and adults.

Shakti Gawain, The Path of Transformation: How healing ourselves can change the world, and  Four Levels of Healing: A Guide to balancing the Spiritual, Mental, Emotional and Physical Aspects of Life.

James Redman‘s The Celestine Prophesy – an adventure story as a spiritual parable, is still picked up off my bookshelf by many clients who read it when it was published nearly 20 years ago, and who remember the profound effect it had on their outlook on life.

Claire Porima Coaching.