religious

How can anything new about love and relationship be written - hasn't it all been said? Mr. Ruiz manages to approach love and relationship with a perspective that is so fresh that it opened my eyes to new possibilities. The author reveals the differences between relationships based on love and those based on fear and gently guides the reader to recognize the symptoms when fear is shutting out the warmth and joy that is our birthright. Reading this book is invigorating - I came away excited to practice the author's principles - and I find myself less judgmental and more relaxed about my relationship with my husband. Buy this book - it is an insightful guide to a more satisfying relationships.

Another book that contains amazing insights into life is Working on Yourself Doesn't Work - by Ariel & Shya Kane. In this book, the Kanes describe three principles of transformation - they are simple but very potent and contain profound and original insights. Unconscious destructive behaviors and attitudes dissolve in an instant through awareness - a non-judgmental observing of what is. Reading this book resulted in some profound changes in my perceptions of who I was, and, as a result, my life circumstances began to shift - as if by magic. I don't know HOW it worked - only THAT it worked. I highly recommend this book.

This beautiful book is an honest and courageous exploration of what it takes
to experience being human in all its fullness. While "THE MASTERY OF LOVE"
deals very well with romantic relationships, it encourages the reader to
look at all of one's relationships, especially the one with yourself. Ruiz
describes the process of growing up in and absorbing the habits, thoughts,
and behaviors of one's culture. With great compassion, he points out that
it is quite normal to practice living one's life with a great deal of pain.
"All of our drama and suffering is by practice. We make an agreement with
ourselves, and we practice that agreement until it becomes a whole mastery.
The way we think, the way we feel, and the way we act become so routine that
we no longer need to put our attention on what we are doing. It is just by
action-reaction that we behave a certain way." So none of us is a failure -
we are masters of how we live.

This book provides an alternative to living in an endless loop of
self-diminishing behavior. I particularly liked Ruiz' discussion of how a
person in a couple looks to the other to provide happiness and how no matter
how much you love someone, you will never be what that person wants you to
be. With each page, Ruiz guides readers to loving themselves. When you
can truly love yourself, then you can love another and have a successful
relationship. How do you love yourself? Practice being yourself, Ruiz
tells us, without judging yourself. Soon it becomes easier to find your
voice and state your needs. Through practice comes mastery. I find that
this book rings true. It is not a quick fix, but rather an approach to a
way of life. If your heart is telling you to be gentle to yourself and to
practice just being, you'll find another treasure in "WORKING ON YOURSELF
DOESN'T WORK," by Ariel and Shya Kane. Their book is devoted to the practice
of living with excellence through awareness of one's moment-to-moment
experience. Living a life you love just takes practice, and good coaches
like these authors make a huge difference in how well you succeed.

Like his book The Four Agreements this gem The Mastery Of Love is compact and easy to read. But not fluffy by any stretch of the imagination.

Just over 200 pages it is set up in 12 Chapters that range from The Wounded Mind; The Loss Of Innocence; The Man Who Didn't Believe In Love; The Track of Love, The Track of Fear; The Perfect Relationship; The Magical Kitchen; The Dream Master; Sex:The Biggest Demon in Hell; The Divine Huntress; Seeing With Eyes of Love; Healing the Emotional Body; God Within You. Followed by a section on Prayers.

The chapter The Magical Kitchen isn't about cooking but more about choices and looking at the bigger picture. It is about not being hungry as well as being hungry and having someone offer you food if you will allow them to control your life and how if you aren't hungry you may say no because you aren't lacking. But that if hungry one may only focus on the momentary hunger and not look at the bigger picture and the long term consequences of allowing the moment to dictate the future and the pros and cons that this brings.

The chapter on The Man Who Didn't Believe in Love was really my favorite, simply because the man in the story and the woman he met were/are so much like my husband and I. Except our ending is happy.

The Perfect Relationship is a must read for anyone either looking for love in all the wrong places, or unable to sustain a loving and caring relationship.

The Dream Maker is excellent if for no other reason than the fact the author is blunt in reminding the reader that: "Every relationship in your life can be healed, every relationship can be wonderful, but it's always going to begin with you. You need to have the courage to use the truth, to talk to yourself with the truth, to be completely honest with yourself." Or "You are responsible for the consequences of whatever you do, think, say and feel. Perhaps it's hard for you to see what actions caused the consequences or enjoying the consequences."

He reminds us about the importance of walking our talk. That talk is [just talk], but actions are what make the difference. I also like the attitude that the best amongst us, march to a drummer that isn't faddish or in need of other peoples praise and approval. That when we are making the best and wisest choices that the results are what prove we have done good. And that the quiet inner approval we receive is far more valuable and lasting than the ego driven type, that popular society and culture seems to push.

And let me compliment the people who chose and designed the book cover of this, Michele Wetherbee and Nichloas Wilton and his earlier book. These are beautiful books to have on ones bookself, and the covers themselves are a mix of art and unspoken thought.