An inspiring, timely read!

One Mind: How Our Individual Mind Is Part Of A Greater Consciousness And Why It Matters

by Larry Dossey, M.D.

One Mind by Larry Dossey, M.D. is a timely book that offers hope for humanity and illuminates a path for inspired living while attesting the gathering groundswell and paradigm shift toward the concept of a universal consciousness, or "One Mind" as Dossey phrases it.

Employing such controversial, and arguably fascinating, topics as Near-Death Experiences (NDEs), Extrasensory Perception (ESP), Reincarnation, Telepathy, Twin Connections, Remote Viewing and Clairvoyance (to note just a few) to explain that we are all part of a greater consciousness that connects us across time and space, Dossey provides anecdotal and scientific evidence to buttress his stunning claims.

Dossey bravely purports to be presenting his ideas to "general readers", whilst attempting, or so it would seem, to supply sufficient scientific evidence to lay a foundation of truth and proof for the scientific community and convince those with even minor doubts of the veracity of his work. Indeed, Dossey spends a relatively significant portion of the book in a defensive stance, battling against a critical onslaught it appears he expects to come from fellow physicians, scientists, skeptics and naysayers alike. Dossey's protective instinct may not be unwarranted considering that the main thread of the book tests the status quo of modern science, however this proactive shield is an unfortunate distraction that runs counter to the central theme of the book and somehow dilutes the very essence of Dossey's message.

This attempt to cover all bases is also reflected in Dossey's writing style, which is at times fantastically fluid making for an easy read, but at others somewhat dense to accommodate his theoretic and philosophical explorations, rendering it an uphill march, even for a readers well-versed in the subject. To be fair, however, Dossey does make a disclaimer in his introductory chapter, advising readers that some sections they encounter will be more complex than others. His prescribed remedy: "if some sections are not your cup of tea, skip them." You would be wise to heed the author's advice in this regard.

The above criticisms notwithstanding, I found One Mind to be a thoroughly engaging and inspiring read. I found myself moved to tears (of joy) by some of the personal stories that were shared, had several synchronous "aha!" moments and experienced numerous serendipitous events while reading the book (e.g. intentionally thinking of my Dad who lives on another continent, in another hemisphere, and having him call me at that exact moment, when we usually communicate by email rather than by telephone). Although the general concepts in the book were not new to me, I still turned to Google regularly and on one occasion to YouTube, to satisfy my curiosity, which Dossey never failed to raise. I also found myself wondering about whom I could gift the book to, who could benefit from the message it contains and how it might be great material for a Book Club as most of the chapters can be read as standalone vignettes and could be chatted about individually.

There is one thing about this book of which I am certain and that is that it will have a profound effect on you and arouse a response from you, one way or another. As to whether you will wholeheartedly concur with the concepts presented in it and delight in the opportunity to learn from them; find validation and solace in the idea that we are all connected and you are not alone in your weird and wonderful, happy and sad experiences (as well as everything in between); vehemently oppose, reject or refute Dossey's notions; or arrive at a point somewhere else entirely along this spectrum - well that remains entirely up to you!

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

Live every day, one moment at a time!

Welcome to my blog! 

My sincere wish is that you find whatever it is you are looking for here.  If you don't, then I hope that you at least leave here with an interesting tidbit or two, a new perspective or idea, or perhaps even just a little more excited and inspired about your life than when you arrived.

When I set out to create this blog, I intended it to be just for me.  A place where I could express myself, my thoughts, ideas, musings, inspirations and impressions of the world and my place in it.  But, as soon as I began to write this post, I knew I didn't really want to keep it all to myself.  I'd much rather share it...for things are much better when they are shared!

So, here I go...

For my first post, I would like to reflect on the end of the work week, known as the "weekend".  A lot of us tend to do our best to "survive" the first five days of the week, whilst living for the so-called weekend, instead of treating every day as the gift of life that it is and creating magic with every moment we have been given.  I know I for one have fallen into this cruise-control mode more often than I would like to have.

Why is that?  Well, I think it's because of conditioning. Or, more specifically, conditioned thinking.  If only we could carry around a reminder, something akin to a Post-It Note that reads "Live every day, one moment at a time", then we might remember to breathe deeply, live more consciously and make every single second of our lives count.  Don't you think?!

Ok, so not everyone wants to walk around with a life-affirming Post-It Note stuck to their person or a positive affirmation tattooed on their arm, but what about books? Hardcover, coffee table, pocket-sized, paperback, e-book and audio book to name just a few of the many types available to us. Technology has made the written word relatively weightless and utterly portable for those of us who previously complained that books were too cumbersome to carry around with us everywhere we go. And, for those of you who just aren't into books and much prefer the online experience, there are a multitude of e-magazines, blogs and more to choose from with utterly uplifting content.  So, why not feed our minds and boost our spirits during the daily commute or whilst out and about engaging in our daily activities? And, how about a little bedtime reading for a nightly pause and moment to reflect and free our minds before shifting gears into blissful slumber and sweet dreams?  

I know that for me, reading something, anything, even slightly positive, brightens my day, encourages me to lift my thinking out of the drama and daily minutiae and inspires me to visualize myself realizing my dreams. The difference I feel in my life between the periods of time when I consistently read for more than five minutes a day and those when I don't is positively enormous!

So, if you are up for a challenge, why not give it a first try or resume this daily ritual if it is something you have done in the past but which you haven't been doing recently.  Let's read a little of something that will contribute to our personal growth and well-being for the next 21 days that it will take to create a new habit and (re)establish a pattern of living and re-calibrated thinking that will positively impact our lives.

I am game! Are you?