The Best Book For Understanding Yourself and Finding Your Way

Let me start by saying that I don't think this review will do this book justice; it's that good.

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Singer is a number 1 New York Times bestseller, selling over a million copies.

Here is The Author, Michael Singer's Credentials:

"Michael Alan "Mickey" Singer (or Michael A. Singer; born 6 May 1947) is an American author, journalist, motivational speaker, and former software developer.Singer is best known for his writings on spitituality, meditation, and New Age philosophy, and two of his books on the subject, The Untethered Soul (2007) and The Surrender Experiment (2015), were New York Times bestsellers. Singer established the Temple of the Universe, a yoga and meditation center in Alachua, Florida, in 1975." - SOURCE WIKIPEDIA-Directly Quoted.

When you read this book, you'll understand why people from many walks of life are talking about how it provided the insight and tools they needed to expand their self-knowledge.

When I first read the book about eight years ago, I couldn't believe how much more about the human condition I could grasp ... and I thought I was already pretty enlightened! Was I wrong!

How I Accidentally Found This Book in My Hour of Need

When my dad passed in 2013, I was beyond consolable. Of course, most people would never know how much I was struggling ... but I was.

Around that same time, while visiting mom, I decided to head to a bookstore to look for spiritual answers to loss. I had read, listened to, and watched numerous works on the topic, but after dad's passing, I needed all the answers to everything <---- lol, yah, I know, that bar was set a tad high.

While at the store, I asked my dad to "please direct me to the answers I need to understand that you're ok." 

It was a small bookstore, and I was checking book after book, then out of the blue, I found two books (the only two copies in the store) ... one was "Journey of Souls, by Michael Newton" and the other was "The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer." I won't talk about Journey of Souls in this article, but wowza, if you're open to life-between-lives, you'll find that book engrossing!

Of the two books, I read The Untethered Soul first.

I Was So Moved by the Book I Bought it as Gift For Many People

One person close to me, who struggles with mental health issues, said that this book helped them the most. In fact, they've re-read it many times.

I was confident they would get a lot from the book, but I never anticipated they'd place the book at the top with their other treatments. Of course, that was their personal experience; I'm not implying that would happen to others. 

You Can Watch and Follow the Author on His Podcasts on YouTube

Recently I've watched at least five of Michael Singer's videos on YouTube. 

Mr. Singer communicates and connects in a personal way through his books. Via video, his messages are profound, and his personality is light and comforting. However, to get the whole experience, you need to read the book.

He's in high demand to be interviewed, and I happened to trip on Danica Patrick's (yes, that Danika Patrick - the former race car driver) podcast, where she also interviewed Mr. Singer. I found it so interesting. Ms. Patrick is not just a race car driver, that's for sure! She's a deeply reflective thinker.

What I Remember Most From Michael Singer's Book

What helps me most - I'm paraphrasing in my own words:

"We are not our body, we are not our mind; we are a consciousness/soul, our own unique conciouness. When times get hard, and bad things come our way, we can learn to master the technique of becoming the observer of the body and the mind. Our wondering mind, and negative self talk and reactions to problem situations are formed from years of habit. Through practice and awareness we can learn to step back to observe our mind and allow pain and discomfort to come through us, feel it, acknowledge it, so we can set it free, and let it go." 

If you're in the mood for enlightenment, don't hesitate to read this life-changing book.

The book is spiritually neutral; it doesn't tout any particular religion; it's merely about a peaceful soul for believers and non-believers from every walk of life.

It's available on Amazon here.

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3 Inspirational Songs to Sing When Your Spirit Needs A Boost

Today's review is about finding peace in a busy and often chaotic world.

When my soul needs a boost, I sing. At night, I'll play various lyric videos and blast out every word as loud as I choose.

I've long since stopped being self-conscious about it. My boys hear me singing all the time. I actually love that they hear their mother singing; I like to think I'm teaching them to be brave. It's also a way for them to see me making time to feed the soul.

For two years now, I've actively taken steps to balance in my mind, body, and spirit. 

For the body, I've lost over 60 pounds on Keto. 

For the mind, I've written nine books in a year, and for my spirit, I sing and listen to this spiritual channel on YouTube. 

No, I'm not superwoman. I turned 60 in 2020 and made a decision that, before that monumental milestone birthday, I was going to tick off some boxes on my 'get-er-done beyatch' list. 

So I stopped the talk, and walked the walk.

Today I'd like to pass along some of my personal choice lyric videos. Sing along, or just enjoy the words and message.

1. Don't Give Up on Me by Andy Grammer

This is a bounce-in-your-chair song. There's a section of lyric I use as inspiration to continue writing my riddle books. At 60, I'm just getting started, so yah, don't give on me. If you're viewing via mobile, the lyric video is here.

"Cause I'm not givin' up,

I'm not givin' up, givin up, no, not yet,

Even when I'm down to my last breath

Even when they say there's nothing' left,

So don't give up on me"

 

2. You Say by Lauren Daigle

This is one of the most famous Christian songs to reach number one on the Hot Christian Songs chart. It stayed there for 113 weeks, and that alone was a record. It also charted on the Billboard Top 100, Contemporary Chart, and the Mainstream and Adult Top 40 charts.

This song is my anthem for handing over my issues to a higher power. It reminds me what's possible when I let go and simply believe in a greater purpose. Mostly, it humbles me. I'm sure you've heard it. If not, be sure to listen; it's a gorgeous song. If you're reading this via mobile, the video is here.

"You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing,

you say I am strong when I think I am weak,

And you say I am held, when I am falling short,

and when I don't belong, oh you say I am Yours,

And I believe, oh I believe

What you say to me, oh I believe,

Taking all I have and now I'm laying it at your feet,

you have every failure God, You have every victory" 

3. The Most Beautiful Things, by Tenille Townes

When you need a song that reminds you of how small yet significant we all are, this is the go-to spiritual fix. This song is my universal remote for traveling away from earthly problems. If you're reading this via mobile, the video is here.

" So why do we close our eyes,

when we pray, cry, kiss, dream,

Maybe the most beautiful things in this life

are felt, and never seen"

Spiritual Medicine

We're all struggling in one way or another. I fight darkness with light. 

In 2013, the year my father died, I decided to find my way through darkness, fear, and especially over-thinking by learning more about what lives on when we physically don't. As mentioned above, it's this YouTube channel that guided me out, and I believe, through.

One particular video struck me with how dark energy (whatever you want to call it) tries to feed on us around the clock. We need tools in our toolbox to fight back. Repeating Psalm23 was one suggestion. You can select anything spiritual to repeat.

As soon as my thoughts tailspin into a whirlpool of 'what-ifs", I repeat Psalm23 in my mind. In fact, I've written it on a card and placed it near my computer. When darkness creeps in, I read the card. Sometimes I'll simply repeat the first few lines over and over until the dark path my thoughts were heading to disappears.

There's a saying that "95% of what we worry about never happens". With that in mind, I work to turn that 95% into positive thought.

Here's a video written and created by me in January 2020 to celebrate light and love. If you're viewing via mobile, here's the video link.

Blessings to you and your family for this coming Easter weekend.

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Life's Changing Perspectives - A Twenty Year Review Through Poems

How have you changed in twenty years?

I've declared 2020 the year of Body, Mind, and Spirit, with the main focus on feeding my spirit to balance all aspects of my life.

Remember Who I Am - Life Reflections Then and Now

Nearly twenty years ago, I wrote a poem called "Remember Who I Am." The poem isn't about begging to be remembered but rather about acknowledging the mistakes I made in life and how, ultimately, I learned from those mistakes.

Looking back to twenty years ago, when the video poem featured below was written, I can see my personal growth.

I'm a different person at 59 years old than I was in my 30s. I suspect that's quite normal. God willing, if I get to 80, I imagine my outlook will change further.

The most significant change inside me is a grander understanding of inner peace and what inner peace truly is.

There's so much I want to type about inner peace right now, but honestly, I don't think I can explain it? Let me say it this way with these powerful words:

 "In the end, everything WILL be O.K."  - I get this now.

We're still dealing with some of the same life struggles we faced when I was in my thirties. Even though those struggles are still quite significant, I now see how mundane they are and rarely pray about them. In the grand scheme of life, they don't rate.

When I was in church last week, I started thinking about my prayers from those times and how I've grown to understand that the secret to solutions is within us - and that prayers for souls, the human condition, our community, those we love, and visualizing the good, is where ultimate peace rests.

I feel I'm awake now. 

As though I'd been handed a book with some of life's secrets in it. If I'm so blessed, I'm looking forward to the next book in twenty more years.

I've mastered forgiveness.

I can unequivocally state that I've got this one down without giving away anything overtly personal. What I understand most about forgiveness is that it's not up to me to 'forgive' others. It's lessons learned from all sides.

I approach the mistakes others make that hurt me, family, friends, or strangers as people who are either lost, dark, or learning at their own pace. Life is school; some of us are in pre-school while others have PhDs. No judging. Letting go.

Also, I disagree with the saying, "I forgive, but I'll never forget."  If I have to hold any grudge, including 'never forgetting,' it's not forgiveness. You can read more about this in an article I wrote many years ago called "The Secret to Life."

Despite life's changes over the past twenty years, the words to this poem I wrote so long ago still stand.

Angels on Duty - Starting Our Day with a Helping Hand

Again, I wrote this one about twenty years ago. Of all the poems I've written over the past fifty years, this is one of my favorites.

The poem was written to visualize how Angels begin their daily work, helping us as soon as we wake up.

It's about waking up in the morning, swinging your legs over the edge of the bed, bending over with your hands over your face as you pause, thinking about the challenges you face today, and wondering if you have the strength to do it. Without knowing, there's an Angel present, whispering affirmations and confirmations that 'everything will be okay' and that you're not alone, and yes, you can do it.

Towards the end of last year, I achieved a bucket list item: I published a book featuring 50 years of my poems. Change, perspective, growth - it's all good. #bethechange #spreadthewordofgood

We Will Have Morning Smiles by Barbara Tremblay Cipak

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Mary's Message To The World Reviewed

Spiritual Messages For All

Mother Mary image courtesy of Pixabay.com

I'll be reviewing an older book today, Mary's Message To The World. Originally published in 1991 the content isn't as outdated as one might think. This book and the messages within will not appeal to everyone, I'll just say that right up front. I know in my heart that some will read it and scoff just as I am sure they have since it was first published. Still, others who will read it for the first time will be moved and I believe will grow spiritually. Read it with an open mind and open heart, is all I'm asking.

One might assume that since this book is about the Mother Mary that it was written for the Catholic faith due to the strong devotion to her. That is not the case, Mary chose Annie Kirkwood (of no particular denomination) to visit and urge to spread her message to the world. In the beginning of the book, it tells of Annie's struggle with the visits from Mary. She kept telling the Holy Mother that she was not a Catholic and that Mary should visit her friend who was of that faith. At one point, she reiterates that she is not a Catholic and Mary says, "I'm not, either." Needless to say, Mary did not give up on Annie and visited her many times from 1987 to 1988 and in later years, too.

Mary's Message To The World

I'm not one who caters to the idea of coincidences in our lives. Since a very young age, I have believed that all things happen for a reason. We may not understand them for a while but eventually the lesson we were to learn is revealed. We might see them as blessings, some will see them as a punishment of some sort and even more will ignore the lesson or message altogether. It is human nature.

I bring up the idea of a coincidence because of the way that this book literally fell into my hands. My husband was helping a lady that we know sort through her household belongings for a long distance move that she was about to make. She had several books that she no longer wanted and told him that if he saw any that interested him; he could take them. He saw this book and knew that I have a special connection to the Holy Mother and brought it home to me. Coincidence? My heart says, "No." My soul tells me that I was supposed to read this book and reconnect with the Mother Mary.

Reconnect?  You are probably wondering why I would say that. At the age of 12, I was visited by the Mother Mary. I did not understand at the time who she was. I was a young Protestant girl who knew that Mary was the mother of Jesus but we didn't have statues of her in our church so her image was not familiar to me. I somehow knew that she was a holy woman and that this visit was a special one but received no guidance from the adults around me. In fact, they called me a liar and ordered me to stop talking about it. My imagination was a little out of line, I was told often. I can't help but believe that the adults knew exactly who I was describing and closed their minds to the possibility of her coming to me, a child of 12 and a Protestant to boot. About 30 years later, I would see her again in a Catholic church holding her arms out to me with that loving look of peace on her face. She looked the same as she did 30 years before and my life was forever changed.

I bring this up because it helps me explain that I do believe that Mary came to Annie Kirkwood and gave her the messages in this book. The Mother Mary has come to many people for hundreds of years. Some of her apparitions have been confirmed by the church while many others have been dismissed. Mary tells Annie that the men of the church often times dismissed her visits and messages because they didn't want the people to hear what she had said, warned of, or predicted. They had their own agenda and her visits didn't fit. This is one of the reasons that Mary chose Annie, she was not a Catholic; not affiliated with any particular denomination. She had a faithful heart and a good prayer life. She might be able to reach people of all cultures, all races, and all religions.

In the book, Mary makes predictions and warns of changes in the earth. She tells of the increase in earthquakes, volcanoes and hurricanes. She warns of the climate changes with droughts and floods. Weather that is unusual and unpredictable. She describes much of what we have and are witnessing right now and in the recent past.

Now, I should explain that in the book that was published in 1991 the predictions were all to come to pass by the end of that century. This is where people will begin to scoff; but hold on! Not so fast! Mary also explains that the "end" can be postponed if people heed her warnings and begin to prepare. Mary explains that we all need to connect with God, we need to pray, communicate and love ourselves and the rest of the world. It is a simple message but not one many people will pay attention to.

Mary has told Annie since the first publication of the book that the "end" has been postponed due to the prayers and connection of so many people. When I use the term "end"; I'm not saying that the earth will end. No, it will change dramatically, though. Life as we know it will change drastically but that is actually a good thing. This goes along with the predictions of the Native Americans who have been saying for a few decades now that we will be entering into the next world soon. It also goes along with the Book of Revelations in the Bible. Mary even mentions John's writing to Annie.

As I said in the beginning of this review, the book will not appeal to everyone. However, if you are open to spiritual growth and want to grow in your faith; I recommend that you read this book. I believe it will touch your heart, sooth your fears, and help you become the person that you were meant to be.

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Reviewing The 13 Original Clan Mothers

The Feminine Legacy From Ancient Teachings

As the Folklore contributor, I have chosen to review The 13 Original Clan Mothers , a book that literally changed my life when I discovered it several years ago. It is a book that I refer to often throughout the year, one that was written with teachings from our ancestors for the Sisterhood of humankind.

The Thirteen Original Clan Mothers

The lessons of these Spirit teachers might have been lost forever if not for the courage of families who refused to give up their traditional ways and left their homelands. These men and women rejected the notion that they should be enrolled and moved to the reservations being set up by the U.S. government and instead moved to Mexico where they could continue to live their lives as they had been taught to by their ancestors. Fortunately, two Kiowa Grandmothers lived long enough to teach Jamie Sams the lessons of women's medicine in the early 1970's. Jamie wrote this book to pass on to the Sisters of our time, teaching us to embrace our legacy of feminine wisdom with lessons to live by.

Women Do Not Have To Follow The Warrior Way 

One of the messages in this book that resonated with me almost immediately was that women have a different spiritual legacy from men. We are the nurturers, the healers, and the teachers for the generations that come after us. We, as women, do not need to be hostile or angry; we just need to embrace our feminine energy and be good role models for both male and female children. The Spirit Teachers known as the Original Clan Mothers are aspects of Mother Earth and Grandmother Moon because all things are born of the female. 

Each Clan Mother represents the moons of the year. As I write this post, we are in the 6th moon of the year (June). Storyteller is the grandmother spirit to learn from during June. She teaches us that we should tell the truth to all around us but not in a hurtful or prideful way. We can often times teach the lessons of life through stories from the past. Pointing out the proper way to solve a problem in the form of a story allows teaching without scolding or pointing fingers. The students, whether young or old, don't feel put on the defensive but can learn from the story what someone else did in the same circumstance. In a fun and sometimes humorous way, we can teach through the stories of the past in a loving and gentle way. She is only one of the 13 Ancient Mothers to learn from in the book.

How Did This Book Change My Life?

Growing up in the generation whose anthem became "I Am Woman" (hear me roar), I was torn as to how to be a proponent of women's rights and not give up my femininity. Yes, I believe we are equal to men, yes I believe women can do anything they set their minds to do and yes we have been discriminated against. What I struggled with for a long time was that I didn't feel comfortable being a "warrior" of the cause because that is just not in my soul to be that way. I am not a man, I am a woman and I needed desperately a form of women's medicine. That is what this book gave me! A way to grow spiritually by embracing my feminine soul and to progress through life in a way that was not foreign to me or confusing. After reading and studying the teachings of The 13 Original Clan Mothers, I suddenly felt more liberated than I ever had. I could see that my role as a woman did not have to give up on the principles of equality but could be obtained by embracing the teachings of the ancient ones in a way that I felt comfortable with. I could walk my walk, talk my talk and still honor my beliefs not pretending to be a warrior but living as the teacher, nurturer and lover of all mankind that I am. Living this way does not make me less than a man, it helps me to be his equal with the talents and wisdom of my womanhood. 

I recommend this book for all women to read. It really does not matter what ethnicity you come from or your spiritual beliefs, I think it will speak to you. The teachings come from Native American traditions but the messages resonate for all women of the world.  

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Sometimes it is really hard to find the right Gift!

Picture by Earthfeeler 

I'm sure we have all been in that position, where someone we care for and we've known for a long time, has a birthday or special occasion and we are looking for that perfect gift!

No, I'm not talking about a gift that is going to put you in the poor house, or something extravagant that shows everyone how magnanimous you are,  I'm talking about that gift that both the giver and the receiver are going to look at each other, and without words, say, "This is the most perfect gift, ever!"

I have one of these gifts in my possession.  Every time I get down or the whimsy fairy comes out, when the melancholy and uncertainy seems to take over my life, I will gather my arms around my middle, find my "safe" spot and after some time in thought, will pull out the words that will undoubtedly bring me back out of my "funk" and set me on the road to right, again.

What makes this book so special?

I first came across this book when I was a teenager, full of angst and not really sure of my place in the world.  I can remember feeling like the world was a quagmire and I was sinking..........One of my teachers understood where I was and rescued me with the help of some of the most profound words ever spoken or written.  It has become my lifeline!  Especially when things are in control and sometimes when they are out of control, I know I can find the words to help me through.  One thing is certain, the words contained in this book will help many people, through many periods of their lives, just having the words available there and opened, to read,  in a moment of uncertainty.

That is what I call a gift!  It will last for a long, long time without gathering too much dust.  It will never be too big or too small, it won't wear out and it will be meaningful all through life.  It is one of my favorite gifts to give, especially when I love the person who is the receiver.  It will not only give when given, but will come back to give again and again.

Please let me introduce you to The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran



This copy of my book, is the one that I like to give as a gift.  It is a beautiful book and the pages feel wonderful under your fingers.  The ecru paper is thick and can stand being handled.  I love the fact that when I am done pondering the words,  the book slips into it's cover and is safe again, until I need it's words to soothe my troubled spirit.  

picture: www.hdwallpaper.co.uk

The other gift that goes hand in hand with this one is the Desiderata !

I love this beautifully done written in calligraphy poster.  Framed it will become a lovely gift that makes everyone who reads it feel special.   If this one doesn't fit your style, there are many others available.  The words are the same and will resonate with the reader regardless of the style of poster.
For anyone who is needing a little reaffirmation, these two choices for gifts, will  give more than anyone ever expected.  And hopefully, these will be the gifts that becomes a favorite with that person for a long, long time, delivering a smile over and over again through life.



You are a child of the Universe, pass it on to someone you love too!

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