My Teachers

When I was about 13-years-old, my mother gave me a book by Richard Bach called Jonathan Livingston Seagull. At the time I was not a voracious reader, but I loved the short parable about the seagull who felt a little different from his flock--who had a dream to transcend the expected existence of flying in low circles and scavenging food. Jonathan felt a different calling--he wanted to fly faster and farther and experience the rush of Flow. Flow--that feeling of being in a place where you are working and creating, and the moment of Now only exists.

At 13, I understood that Jonathan was different. That he had dreams and his fellow gulls just didn't see the importance of perfecting flying patterns. They tried to convince Jonathan that his efforts were wasted and the he belonged with the flock. Years later--and many rereads of this book--I realized that Jonathan was not only a gull with strength of character, but he also was a symbol for Transcendence.

I also realized that this book was the beginning of my own quest to find that Flow. I had long felt a little different from those around me, though still strongly connected. And I had a curiosity about existence and souls and dreams that surpassed any other interest (except perhaps music, but I believe that the soul is inextricably linked to music).

And in the years since, there have been many books placed in my hands by friends, lovers, and my own stumblings around book stores and libraries that have brought me more answers, more insight, and more connections. And while the following books have taught me many things, the people who have come in and out of my life--and the lessons I've learned from my experiences with them--have been my greatest teachers, and I am grateful for them.

Book List:

Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach

Running From Safety, by Richard Bach

Illusions, by Richard Bach

Seat of the Soul, by Gary Zukav

Conscious Living, by Gay Hendricks

Conscious Loving, by Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks

Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, by Dr. Christiane Northrup

The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Luiz

The Law of Attraction, by Esther and Jerry Hicks

Ask and it is Given, by Esther and Jerry Hicks

The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne (also available in DVD)

The Higher Self, by Deepak Chopra (and many others!)

The Elegant Universe, by Brian Greene (also available in a PBS documentary series--highly recommended for those of us who are not trained scientists!)

And there are so many more... if you have suggestions for me and other readers here, or there are books you've found especially enlightening on your own quest for Self and Soul understanding please comment below. I'm always on the lookout for new and exciting books, movies, and information about this grand universe we are living in.