I have followed the spiritual teacher and author Dennis Merritt Jones for some time, having read his earlier books:
- The Art of Uncertainty
- The Art of Being
- Your (Re) Defining Moments
- How to Speak Science of Mind.
Dennis Merritt Jones wrote the foreword for my book, Awaken Your Authentic Self. Since that time, I have come to call him a dear friend and my mentor for a number of years.
His latest book: Encouraging Words: Articles & Essays that Prove Who You Are Matters is an exceptional collection of inspiring vignettes in the form as your personal guide. You cannot help but resonate with his words as they have a way of communicating to you in a peaceful undercurrent.
We often read a book and are lucky to gain significant lessons from the material, whether a business book or self-help book. Encouraging Words is a booked of many powerful messages and a personal wake-up call that speaks to the heart of your being.
I identified with numerous principles throughout the book and highlighted many passages, to ponder thoughtfully at a later time. The author draws on spiritual principles and teachings gained over the past thirty years of his career as a Doctor of Divinity. The most notable being from Ernest Holmes’ teachings in The Science of Mind.
There is a gentle and wise flow to Dennis’ writing that translates to the reader. You cannot help but be immersed in his words, bestowed to the reader in the form of wise counsel. This is skilfully woven with his storytelling to reinforce the messages throughout the book.
You get the sense you are sitting in his lounge room having a spiritual discourse with the author. He does not force the words onto you, even so they penetrate your psyche long after you have set the book down. I pondered several paragraphs days after finishing a chapter.
Like all good books, I was drawn to certain passages and took to my highlighter with enthusiasm. As Dennis Merritt Jones explains: “When you read (or hear) something that finds deep resonance with your soul it’s not because you are receiving anything new; you are remembering something that you already know at some level.” There are many little gems like this woven throughout the book that offer aha moments. It is though you experience an expansion of consciousness for that is what a good book should do; open you to a new awareness.
Encouraging Words: Articles & Essays that Prove Who You Are Matters contains 43 chapters in the form of articles and essays. A large portion of most books involve laying the groundwork for the coming principles that come in later chapters. The main bits are left to the end to entice you to read through to the finish. Not so with Dennis’ book. From the moment you turn the first pages, the book comes to life and continues until the final chapter.
To gain the most from the book, it is best to read it in small bursts instead of all at once. There is a lot to take in that if you rush, you risk walking away with spiritual amnesia. It is essential to reflect on the principles, for they are powerful and will leave an impact on you long after you finish reading.
The book is more than Encouraging Words of wisdom. It is a well written discourse of insights and knowledge to help the reader flourish in their spiritual practice. This is a must-have item on your bookshelf, for there is much to gain from reading the essays over again.
I have long been drawn to books on Buddhism and those of a spiritual nature because it feels like coming home to myself. They remind me of who I am — a spiritual being having a human experience, as the French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin once said. The wisdom throughout the book is simple, yet profound in its impact. Encouraging Words: Articles & Essays that Prove Who You Are Matters will help the reader connect with their greater self—the wisdom of all knowledge that lies deep within their being.
The book is available in paperback via Amazon.com.
Author Biography:
Dennis Merritt Jones has been involved in the human potential movement and the field of spirituality for the majority of his life as a teacher, author and keynote speaker. His most recent award winning book is “The Art of Uncertainty: How to Live in the Mystery of Life and Love It.” Jones is also the award winning author of “The Art of Being: 101 Ways to Practice Purpose in Your Life” and “How to Speak Science of Mind.” Dennis writes a free weekly Mindful Purpose E-Message available through his website, www.dennismerrittjones.com, and is a regular columnist for the Science of Mind magazine and the Huffington Post.
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