Wednesday, March 4, 2009

A Hidden Wholeness -- Parker Palmer

Read: February 09
Palmer discusses "The Journey Toward an Undivided Life." This is the subtitle. A journey toward health and wholeness. A journey, I personally think, is the one Jesus invites all to embrace. Human beings today all to often, and probably most of the time, live a sort of schizophrenic life. If we want to live into a life of greater wholeness, we must allow our soul (who we are, that life force in us that keeps us going each day) to show up and speak to us. Very clear and concise, deep and meaningful. Here is an excerpt: "The soul is generous: it takes in the needs of the world. The soul is wise: it suffers without shutting down. The soul is hopeful: it engages the world in ways that keep opening our hearts. The soul is creative: it finds its way between realities that might defeat us and fantasies that are mere escapes. All we need to do is to bring down the wall that separates us from our own souls and deprives the world of the soul's regenerative powers."

Let Your Life Speak -- Parker Palmer

Read: February 09
This was the first Parker Palmer book I read. Won't be the last. Well actually since then I ordered his other six. This is a very short, small, easy, and deep and meaningful read. Quite a good combination. Too often we let a myriad of voices tell us who we are and what we should be doing. Maybe it is time to ask our very life to give us answers to these questions. Our inner teacher wants to and will if we let it tell us who we are, leading us on a journey of greater self-discovery and ultimately toward great life purpose and meaning. This is what Palmer discusses in this book. Very clear and concise.