The Art of Being: 101 Ways to Practice Purpose in Your Life
by Dennis Merritt Jones
Seldom have I been so excited about sharing a book with you. For so many reasons!
First, the subject matter totally enthralls me. I have been a Metaphysical ‘seeker’ for 25 years now, & I still get so jazzed when I read material that hits the mark and nails the message. This one does that for me.
Secondly, the 101 chapters are concise little vignettes or tomes of wisdom, each less than 2 pages long. (Think James Patterson here). Which, to today’s busy reader, means that you can grab a chapter at any convenient moment and meditate on that message throughout your day. That is exactly how I have enjoyed the book this week. Normally, I attempt to sit & complete a book for review in one fell swoop. However, reading Dr. Jones’ book was like having dessert at all hours of the day. So of course I wanted to stretch out that experience.
After each chapter is a section called ‘Mindfulness Practice’ which challenges you to put the lesson into everyday life practicum. And I found those gems to be the icing on the cake. Some were easier to do than others, but always they caused me to reflect and dig within just a little deeper.
Dr. Dennis Merritt Jones is the leader of a New Thought community called One Spirit, in Simi Valley, CA. He is a teacher, leader and facilitator of this growing community. More can be learned about him on his website www.dennismerrittjones.com
This book can be purchased for $17.95 by calling One Spirit at: 805-527-0870. Or through their website www.OneSpirit.org
You will be excited to know that soon ‘The Art of Being; More Ways to Practice Purpose in Your Life’ will be released.
I always share my favorite parts of a book with you, and more than a few of the 101 ‘ways’ jumped out at me. I particularly was impressed with Chapter 20; ‘Just Give It All Up’. The idea that surrendering ourselves to the Higher Power, is literally ‘giving it UP’. Letting go and letting God. How often we think of surrender as a sign of weakness, when it is the gift of self to Self. Releasing & letting go… sweet surrender.
Chapter 40 is ‘The Power of Gratitude’. This impacted me anew after watching the movie, ‘The Secret’ this month. ( I even started up a gratitude journal again).
Dr Jones expounds on the self-empowerment that gratitude brings about. I loved his quote, ‘In truth, there are actually two kinds of gratitude: the kind we feel for the good we receive and the more subtle kind we feel for the good we give.’
And as Melody Beattie said, ‘Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow’.
I know you’ll want to read this one for yourself, and for sharing with others.
Happy Reading!
Rev Dr Sandra Gaskin