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Spiritual
messengers share the books that changed their lives
by Arielle Ford
Is there a book that influenced you so much you that you wouldn't be where you are
today without it?
That question has become the foundation for a new book club called the Transformational
Book Circle (TBC). Created by bestselling author and relationship expert Gay Hendricks,
Hendricks asked Neale Donald Walsch, Louise Hay, Jack Canfield, Barbara DeAngelis,
Kenny Loggins, Deepak Chopra, Debbie Ford, Bill Harris and many other transformational
and spiritual leaders this question: "Which book changed your life?" And
the answers surprised him.
"Every person I asked told me a remarkable story about how one or more books
had opened the gateway to a new dimension. And when they told me about those books,
their eyes sparkled with excitement as they relived the powerful transformation the
books had brought them. Nearly all of these books were virtually unheard of and many
were out-of-print," Hendricks said.
What began as a curious conversation evolved into the Transformational Book Circle.
Designed to be the world's first transformational reading community, Hendricks believes
we can use these books to create powerful changes in our own lives, and at the same
time make a genuine contribution to a more harmonious world.
"We have tracked down these little-known books and reprinted them. Each month
we will be sending one out to our members along with a CD that features an interview
with the 'recommender' and exercises," Hendricks said.
Additionally, each month members have access to a web seminar with the transformational
luminaries, learning from them how their lives were changed and improved by the book
they recommended. Members have the opportunity to follow in their footsteps as they
learn new experiential techniques for personal and professional transformation.
For those that are too busy to read the book, listening to the CD or tuning into
the web seminar for 20 or 30 minutes provides the essence and benefits of the book
that changed the life of one of today's transformational masters.
We sat down with TBC founder Gay Hendricks for a few questions of our own.
Could you share with us a book that changed your life?
Gay Hendricks: Sure. Thirty years ago, working on my Ph.D. at Stanford, I read
a remarkable article about a pilot shot down and imprisoned in Vietnam. He kept himself
sane and even happy during years in a cell by recalling passages of a little book
by Epictetus that he had memorized earlier in his life. It was called The Enchiridion,
which means "Handbook" in Greek. When I read it, I was absolutely enthralled
by the principles and concepts it contained, especially in light of the fact that
it had been written 2,000 years ago. As a clinical psychologist, I found the principles
to be essential to helping people change their lives. Even if people only read the
first page and understand what it says, they will have a skill for creating harmony
and wellbeing in their lives that is more powerful than anything I've ever seen.
The problem was that the book was written in old-fashioned language, making it hard
for people to make their way through it. Over many years a colleague and I have re-written
it in modern language, creating the special version that's now available only through
the Transformational Book Circle. It's called The Book of Life, and it will be the
first selection released by the TBC this year.
What books are you reading now?
Hendricks: I read a lot of novels, in addition to non-fiction. I just finished
a beautiful book called Crescent, a love story about a middle-eastern woman in Los
Angeles. My wife, Kathlyn, and I often read a book together so we can talk about
it with each other as we go along. We got this idea from John Cleese and his wife,
Alice, who's a psychiatrist.
What kind of books do you consider a "guilty pleasure?"
Hendricks: I love mysteries. I almost always have one by my bedside for late-night
reading. The best mystery writers I've discovered recently are Michael Connelly,
T. Jefferson Parker and Robert Ferrigno.
Membership in the Transformational Book Circle is very reasonably priced ($19
month plus shipping & handling) and you can cancel at any time. The Transformational
Book Circle is a subsidiary of Cinema Circle, Inc., the parent company of The Spiritual
Cinema Circle, a DVD club dedicated to inspiring and uplifting films. For more on
the Transformational Book Circle, visit www.transformationalbookcircle.com
Arielle Ford is the author of seven books, including the "Hot Chocolate for
the Mystical Soul" series, and she has just released Everything You Should Know
About Publishing, Publicity, Promotion & Building a Platform: A Step-by-Step
Guide for Authors (www.EverythingYouShouldKnow.com), the complete guide to becoming
a successful author.
Copyright © 2005 Arielle Ford. All rights reserved. |
| May 2005 |
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