3 X 5's: Index Card Wisdom from Best of Books

REKINDLED LOVE Mary Balogh (2019). Someone to Remember . This is the 7th book in Balogh's Wescott series set in England that describes the relationship between Matilda Weestcott and Charles Sawyer (Viscount Dirkson)...they both fell in love in their early years, but Matilda's parents didn't approve and ended the relationship...30 years later their love is rekindled through a set of extraordinary circumstances. Some of my favorite quotes: Being a parent is a hard job...one so very much wants one's children to be happy. One wants to do all in one's power to prevent their being miserable. But where does wise guidance end and blind interference begin" (p.127).  A message for parents to consider...is our action guidance or interference? Love is not a finite thing to be equally apportioned among a limited number of people It is infinite and can be spread to encompass the whole world without losing one iota of its force (p. 154). Love as much as you can...it will not ...

PLACES THAT SCARE YOU Pema Chodron (2001). The Places that Scare You:                                               A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times. Chodron earned a BA in English Literature and a Master's in Elementary Education before becoming a Tibetan Buddhist nun and teacher of Buddhism--she has written many books. The book provides insight into everyday living through the practice of Tibetan Buddhism, translating traditional Tibetan Buddhist terms/practices into clear and useful practices in everyday language, often supported by personal stories. Practices: teaching begin with an aspiration to be open, curious, treating whatever is learned as an experiment in life, and ending with the intent to use the teachings for the benefit of others (not keeping them to ourselves). BE REAL acknowledge and accept the present moment as it is, wit...

TRUST Mary Balogh (2018). Someone to Trust. This is the 5th book in Balogh's Wescott series set in England describing the relationship between Elizabeth Overfield and Colin Handrich (Lord Hodges) which begins at a Christmas party and a jest about marrying each other (she is 10 years his senior) that over time turns into something more serious, culminating in a series of waltzs at a ball, but not without developing trust through a series of delightful incidents... eventually they marry. favorite quotes: ...one knows very little and must be ever open to learing and changing and adjusting (p. 46)... ...we all have the choice of whether to be defined by the negatives in our lives or to make of our present and future and our very selves what we want them to be (p. 112). practices: stay open to learning, regarding everyone as a teacher, and bravely embraces changes that make life more wonderful for everyone reframe the "negatives" in life as challenges to drill into like making...

DREAM MANDALA Patricia Garfield (1979). Pathway to Ecstasy:                                                    The Way of the Dream Mandala Garfield has a PhD in clinical psychology and is the author of one other book, Creative Dreaming . Almost the entire book is a series of personal subjective accounts of her dreams...most of the dreams are lucid (she is aware that she is dreaming within the dream state)...she interprets the dreams in relation to Tibetian dream mandalas which she uses as a template to create her own unique dream mandala using the symbols from her dreams.  There is a very brief description of how to create a personal dream mandala in an appendix, and a table of Tibetan dieties and their related symbolism, and a list of resources at the end for further exploration. insights: dreams help us process and consolidate...

INTUITION Mona Lisa Schulz (1998). Awakening Intuition:                                                       Using your Mind-Body Network                                                       for Insight and Healing Schulz has her M.D. and PhD in neuroscience and is a "medical intuitive"--with just a person's name and age, on the phone, she can provide specific, detailed, and accurate information about the person's state of health (physiologically, psychologically, and relationally) by "viewing" the person's entire body (inside and out). this book provides principles, research, and LOTS of personal case studies with individuals she has worked with--i was somewha...

SPIRITUAL CLASSICS Tom Butler-Bowdon (2005). 50 Spiritual Classics . Butler-Bowdon has a BA in Goverment and History, and Masters in International Political Economy. He has written a series of books called "50...", currating the best of a given topic area...this topic being spirituality.  Each short chapter of 4-6 pages includes author's background, name and summary of seminal book, related books, a nutshell of ideas, an explication of central themes in the book, and his own commentary. unfortunately, many of the books do not include explicit instructions for spiritual practices but focus more on spiritual ideas, ideals, values, perspectives, and beliefs. two examples of possible spiritual practices include: Heschel's sabbath...set aside time each week to honor G, creation, and simply BE. O'Donahue's anam cara...approaching life as spiritual friendship, especially with all of creation.     

ISLAND Aldous Huxley (1962). Island . Huxley has a degree in English literature from Oxford and turned to writing for the remainder of his life. This fictional novel is about a utopian society that developed on a remote Pacific island that is being threatened by modern industrialized society (the novel ends with a tragic military pary assacinating the leader of the island in a single night). Most of the story is about Will Farnaby's sailing accident that leaves him on the island of Pala where he learns about the innovations of utopian society. Some of the practices of the utopian society that one might consider incorporating into daily life include: pay attention to what's happening in the here and now use suggestions and imagery as hypnosis for healing from ages 16-24, engage in 1/2 time education and 1/2 time internships develop a group of 20 families that voluntarily commit to support and help each other through life, including the raising of children so much so that any chi...