Hay House Publishers – Joanne Jamis Cain

May 1, 2014May 1, 2014

Hay House Book Review: Power Words!

We learn that words have an independent life of their own, grown out of echoes and connotations and associations. James J. Kilpatrick

POWER WORDS is by Sharon Anne Klingler, an inspiring international speaker and author. This is an interesting book, filled with meaningful ideas about words I have honestly never even considered.

Point in case, my absolute favorite chapter is entitled “Expletives Deleted- Moving from Swearing to Blessings.” Ms. Klingler states “For most people the act of swearing is a simple and innocuous opportunity to vent their anger and frustrations. But it may not be as harmless as they think. Every word that is voiced has power to it, and negative words can carry a negative force that may surprise you.”

She proposes taking a favorite strong swear word such as the four letter word beginning with f (now bear with me here!) and changing it to flip whenever you feel the urge to say it. Citing the story of a friend she worked with (who overused this very word) she details how the simple act of changing a constant negative word in our lives to a more positive one can change our whole outlook. She helped this friend go from a life of feeling constantly drained to a more positive energetic one, simply by changing her words.

Ms. Klingler suggests also to bless difficult times (I know, so hard!) Here she states “Wishing blessings upon those who may have judged you or hurt you can be as big a blessing to you as to them. It not only helps you to break your train of negative thought, but it also helps you invoke a higher experience of peace to all involved, giving you a new perspective and a greater ease in letting go.”

She states that some people use the word God during times of surprise: Good God or Good Lord (my favorite!). Some also say good gracious or my heavens. She feels those may be good choices at times because of their affirmation of goodness.

If you work or play in stressful situations, this book could be a life changer. By flipping our choice of words, Ms. Klingler suggests we can affect our whole life. Change the negative words to positive and change your life. I think she is right.

And of course, here is my disclosure per Hay House: I get to choose the book I wish to review, it is given to me free of charge, and I am not compensated for my endorsement of this book. This review is my personal opinion.

December 15, 2013March 12, 2014

Gifts in Strange Wrapping Paper

“From the clear center of my heart, there are no edges to my loving you. I’ve heard it said there’s a window that opens from one mind to another, but if there were no wall, what need of installing a window?” – Rumi

So begins Chapter 1 of The Heart of the Matter: A Simple Guide to Discovering Gifts in Strange Wrapping Paper by Dr. Darren R. Weissman and Cate Montana, M.A. , a beautiful book in theory but a challenge to work through none the less.

I found it interesting that the authors believe that most aches, pains, diseases and emotional suffering are gifts in strange wrapping paper. They are messages to discovering the truth of who we are. There are some stories and examples given that illustrate how early traumatic incidences can have deep emotional roots in our subconscious.

The theory is to learn that these symptoms are not personal in any way, but rather spiritual in every way; they are wake- up calls to alert us to evolve to our fullest potential.

Do I agree with this? Tentatively, yes. I have to say that I think many illnesses are stress related and triggered by old emotions we have no conscious awareness of.

The book identifies a way to work through uncomfortable problems and just about every situation. It’s the See Feel Hear Challenge. I’m not going to give it all away but basically the authors teach us how to slowly allow ourselves a way in which to face and work through anything that is causing us pain or discomfort. No crazy stuff, just good old fashioned introspection- and a whole lot of courage.

My favorite section is on setting an intention. This is something I am trying to do more of lately and the book describes the process in very good detail and easy to understand directions.

Other chapters are on responsibility and the freedom to choose, social conditioning, addiction and compulsions and some other challenging subjects. If you are looking for a book to guide yourself into the next spiritual plane, this one may be exactly what you are looking for.

And here is my disclosure per Hay House Publishers. I get to choose the book I wish to review, it is given to me free of charge, and I am not compensated for my endorsement of this book. This review is my personal opinion.

There are some other reviews of this book on Amazon.com.

September 18, 2013March 12, 2014

The Miracles of Archangel Gabriel

When my grandson Gavin was born, there was really no easy Greek translation of his name. So when he was christened, the baptismal name he was given was Gabriel.

Since then, it has been my wish that the Archangel Gabriel watch over and bless my grandson Gavin. And with that thought, I just couldn’t resist the latest book from Hay House Publishers “The Miracles of Archangel Gabriel.”

The author, Ms. Doreen Virtue, has also written a book on Archangel Michael. In her book on Gabriel, Ms. Virtue goes into a biblical history of the Archangel, beginning with the poetic first words he spoke to Mary, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy…..”

From there, the author takes us through chapters of how Gabriel has assisted women through conception and pregnancy, parenting and childhood, and interestingly enough, how the Archangel has affected writers and the way they communicate to others.

For those of us who love to write, Ms. Virtue urges us to press on. “I believe that the desire to write is a signal that it’s part of your life purpose. Those who continually think, I should write, are getting Divine guidance to express heavenly messages through a book, article, blog or other medium. In some cases, Gabriel will suggest journaling or keeping a diary as a way of opening the creative pipelines. Whatever form the writing takes, the process of putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard is soul- stirring.”

I loved that motivation! This book is encouraging and thoughtful, with beautiful pictures and inspirational stories. If you are looking to further your knowledge of Archangels, this is a great book to add to your collection.

And of course, here is my disclosure per Hay House. I get to choose the book I wish to review, it is given to me free of charge, and I am not compensated for my endorsement of this book. This review is my personal opinion.

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May 5, 2013March 12, 2014

Activate your Goodness

Hello Friends!

If you remember a while back, I signed up to be a blogger/book reviewer for Hay House Publishers. This is my second book review.

“Activate Your Goodness” by Shari Arison is a motivational, feel good book. On the front jacket is a quote by Bill Clinton I want to share with you. He says, “Shari, your work has impacted the world in a profoundly positive way, touching lives everywhere in your everlasting pursuit to make the world a better place.”

I expected to be razzle dazzled by this book, especially after reading all the endorsements. And in many ways, it is impressive. Ms. Arison survived a challenging childhood, three marriages and divorces and came out of it all, transformed and with a strong desire to do service for the greater good.

Her father was the founder of Carnival Cruise Lines and she makes it clear that he struggled financially for many years before he succeeded in business. Ms. Arison served on the Board of Directors for her father’s company and started The Arison Foundation. In 2007, she created “Good Deeds Day” in Israel and it has since gone worldwide.

I have to admit though that I was expecting something different from this book. Looking forward to some author introspection, I was surprised when Ms. Arison delivered only a small chapter on her childhood and nothing on her (three!) marriages or divorces. Her words at one point were this: “I felt that for years, in order for people to understand me, I had to bang my head against the wall. I managed to move a few walls and break a few glass ceilings, but I began to feel overwhelmed, tired, and sick. “ That’s about as deep as she goes with her own personal feelings.

The rest of the book tells us how to do good for ourselves, our family, our community and for humanity. The rewards of doing for others are endless and I agree with this. Ms. Arison has examples of powerful, motivating situations and chronicles them in a simple, friendly manner. If you belong to a group or organization looking for positive ways to integrate into a community in a more service oriented fashion, this book could be very helpful.

Though overall I was not impressed by her writing, I was impressed by what Ms. Arison has accomplished and what she continues to stand for in her life. Best wishes to her for continued success with “Good Deeds Day.”