Book Review: Invisible Acts of Power

Read this book!

'There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as if everything is."  --Albert Einstein

So, I just finished reading a really awesome book and you might want to think about reading it.  Caroline Myss (medical intuitive, mystic and author of spiritual and psychological books on healing) has written an amazing book called Invisible Acts of Power.  Channeling Grace in Your Everyday Life.  (I bought it new for about $4 through Abebooks.com.  I can't promote this company enough!)

I have been "researching" grace for a few years now.  I start nearly everyday with a prayer and acknowledge that there is a portion of grace out there for me that is neverending.  I have come to acknowledge the presence of miracles in my life.  Big and small things jump out at me as having been a result of the grace allotted to me.  Not getting a ticket when driving a little too fast, hearing much needed words from a friend, receiving financial help to go on a trip, and books coming my way are all examples of grace in my life. 

In Invisible Acts of Grace, Myss correlates the power of God within us to the 7 Holy Chakras that every human has.  (Some of my conservative loved ones may be rolling their eyes at me but I encourage you to stick with me on this.)

The 7 Chakras are our energy receptors.  I first heard of them through my Yoga practice.  It is believed that every organ, gland and body system is connected to a Chakra.  According to mind-body-spirit  ways of thinking, disturbances in our energy field can cause physical and mental and spiritual blockages and imbalances.  I am still pretty new at all this.  I was raised in a Western Country and saw a Medical Doctor regularly for treatment of asthma.  All this "New Age Psycho-babble" was not a part of my family's way of thinking.  But you know what?  The older I get, the more I realize that everything is connected and learning new ideas can lead to wisdom and healing.  I'm all for that!

When Myss began this book, she asked, through her Web site, for readers to share stories about personal acts of service in their lives.  What had they done for others?  What had others done for them?  She was pleasantly surprised at the surplus of amazingly grace filled stories that came her way. 

"People need to feel good about other people again . . . Indeed, the need to be of service has evolved into spiritual necessity for many people . . . I rarely met people who want to retire from a meaningful life."

She tells of an old Hindu legend in which all humans were gods.  People lacked appreciation of their divine nature, however, so the gods decided to hide their divinity from them.  The gods thought of hiding the divine spark under the ocean or on the top of the highest mountain range.  Brahma, however, knew that humans would eventually explore all those places looking for their connection to Spirit.  Finally, he decides, "But if we hide their divinity within their own being, they will never look for it there."  Myss says, "We humans have been looking for our divinity ever since."  Amen, sister!

Now we've all heard (and perhaps told our children), "Treat others the way you want to be treated."  All religions have their version of this sage advice.  When we treat humanity with compassion and kindness, we let God shine through.  Opening the door for someone, helping someone out with money, a kind word, an impetuous phone call just to see how someone is doing, these are all acts of grace and divinity.

Many of us are afraid to give to others, fearing that our own lives will be depleted by the act or that our generosity to another will give them the "edge" to surpass us.  This book begs us to think otherwise.

"Each of us, as the hero of our own life, faces different earthly and spiritual challenges from which we learn lessons that allow us to evolve different, increasingly higher qualities of power.  All problems, all stresses present an opportunity for spiritual learning in which you can gain insight into the use, misuse, or misdirection of your personal power.  For instance, our first life lessons are about how to live within a family; how to accommodate each other and abide by our tribe's rules.  Eventually we undergo initiations into adulthood and learn how to strike out on our own and live within a larger community; we decide whether to rebel against our tribe or remain part of it; we take a partner; we develop skills, create a livelihood, or enter a profession; we become parents, mentors, masters in our vocations and avocations.  As we age, we are also meant to grow in responsibility, in compassion towards others, and in wisdom, understanding, and consciousness."

Myss correlates our Chakras, our power centers, with all these steps and briefly explains each Chakra and how any act of service we do or receive correlates to one of them.  Here is a brief overview:

Chakra One:  the root Chakra: Gifts of the Earth--Food and Shelter
Chakra Two:  the Energy of Self-Protection:  Gifts of Survival--Financial and Creative Support
Chakra Three:  Ego Energy:  Gifts of Self-Esteem--Unconditional Support, Friendship, and Personal     Dignity
Chakra Four:  the Heart Chakra:  Gifts of the Heart--Kindness, Love, Forgiveness, and Compassion
Chakra Five:  the Energy of Determination:  Gifts of Will--Courage and Guidance
Chakra Six:  the Energy of Rational Thought:  Gifts of the Mind--Wisdom and Optimism
Chakra Seven:  the Center of Higher Consciousness:  Gifts of the Spirit--Angels in Disguise and Good Samaritans

"A human being is part of a whole, called by us universe, a part limited in time and space.  He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest . . . a kind of optical illusion of his consciousness.  This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.  Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."          --Albert Einstein

I dog-ear the bottom of pages when I read a book and want to go back to re-read something.  This book had so many, if I wrote about them all, this blog would be way too long.  Suffice it to say, reaching out to others, following one's intuition and being kind without thought for what good it will do for you personally, can only make your life more enriched and blessed, not to mention what it will do for others.  I will end this ramble with a personal story.

A few days ago, my family and I were returning from a vacation.  We were hot and tired and a little cranky.  We stopped at a Dairy Queen in the middle of nowhere to get some gas and a snack.  While E pumped and waited outside, my son and I sat at a table waiting for our food.  The place was crowded and hot.  Babies were crying.  The floor was filthy.  I sat there, breathing deeply and not giving in to grumpiness or judgement calls.  Our number was finally called.  Jake went outside and I followed, stopping to hold the door open for three ladies who had their hands full of food bags.  They thanked me and walked past.  As the third lady was passing by our truck, she stooped and picked something up from underneath.  She asked me if this was my truck.  I told her that it was.  She handed me a folded ten-dollar bill that she had found lying on the ground.  She smiled and walked on.  All of this transpired in about 30 seconds.  As I climbed into the truck, with a smile on my face, I thought about finding her and giving the money to her.  It wasn't ours!  But within the same second, I felt that it was OK for me to keep the money.  Our snacks had come to just under $10!  Now, she might have gotten the money and handed it to me, even if I hadn't held the door for her.  Who knows.  But talk about instant turn-around!

Whether or not you are interested in Chakras or finding the divine inside yourself, this book is awesome.  It is full of stories that people shared about how their lives were changed by the kindnesses of others.  I smiled and wept often.  Check it out.