Self Help Or Inspirational Book Review

One book that has often influenced my view of the world and certainly my coaching and that provides some great tools to boot is A Course In Miracles.

This book has three main sections, a students guide (text about the ideas of the Course), a set of 365 ‘lessons’ meant to be done one per day for a year and a teachers guide or FAQ section at the back. The material was ‘channeled’ through a medium called Helen Schucman who dreamt the material, apparently dictated to her by Jesus Christ. She was to write her dream each day and if she didn’t the same dream would repeat until she did.

There are many amazingly insightful lessons that I often find myself using as the basis of my next ‘what’ question for a client who has just described a human situation exactly like what is stated in the book. A few paraphrased examples

1. What if… what if every communication to you, and from you, in whatever form, could only be one of two things, a call for love or an extension/giving of love? No other options.

2. What if, I am responsible for what I see, choose the feelings that I experience, decide upon the goals I will achieve and everything that happens to me… I ask for, and receive exactly as I have asked?

3. An affirmation is at first but words not believed but often repeated to then become accepted as but partly true with many reservations, then to be considered seriously more and more and finally accepted as the truth.

4. I can be hurt by nothing but my thoughts.

I do not consider this a religious book, though it could be a Spiritual book. For sure, whatever category one decides it belongs in it is an amazingly insightful book. I ‘see’ humanness on every page and since we are in the business of helping humans to see themselves and celebrate what they see, well, what better resource than a book like A Course In Miracles. Be clear though it is neither a quick nor easy read. And if you decide to do the lessons, well that is at least a year by itself. There are also study groups all over the place with folks just trying to understand this material better. Enjoy.