Bøger af James Patrick McDonald

A single thought haunts Nathan Vrite: I'm not good enough. That unconscious message drives him to dangerous extremes for years, jockeying for social acceptance one moment and sinking into a fog of alcohol and drugs the next. Now in his forties, Nathan has yet to uncover the joy and inner peace he glimpsed through a decade of increasing self-honesty that sobriety offers, and he unknowingly remains mired in the quiet desperation of a disingenuous life. When he unexpectedly falls in love, a momentary lapse of his coveted invulnerability leaves Nathan intrigued. The enormity of emotion that love's betrayal releases awakens the willingness Nathan needs to honor his emerging inner knowing. It leads him on a courageous quest for this most elusive peace that takes him across the country and into the darkest depths of his own soul. This empowering novel is "based on a true story of a little willingness," a portrait of an ordinary man on a life-changing journey of self-discovery.

In Illusive Secrets2: Embracing Your True Self, McDonald continues his candid demonstration of the capacity self-honesty has to change our lives. Through each self-deception McDonald shares, he empowers us to look at our own lives with transformative honesty and tempts us to find the small measure of willingness needed to meet our true self. If we want peace and happiness, this book is the perfect tool to help on our journey toward the uninterrupted experience of love. As with the first Illusive Secrets, this second book is effective as a stand-alone daily guide or in conjunction with the first book. In either application, both inspire us to look inward as the means of transcending our fear-based state of consciousness. We can read the entries in succession, savor one per day, or randomly open to the entry that is right for this moment. McDonald's examples demonstrate self-deceptions many of us experience, but few of us are willing to acknowledge in ourselves. In contemplating them, we are inspired to welcome the healing power of self-honesty into our own guarded lives. Once we begin, we quickly realize that the external factors we think are the cause of our less-than-peaceful feelings are not at all responsible for the fear, anger, worry, and stress we experience on a daily basis. We begin to understand that our thoughts, judgments, and unconscious sense of inadequacy relate directly to our experience of personal happiness and inner peace. Moreover, we begin to rediscover our true self, maybe for the first time. The Illusive Secrets books offer relief from our own self-deception and the unnecessary suffering it creates. While our initial glimpses of the lies and deceptions we tell ourselves may be frightening enough to evoke resistance and blinding denial, each awareness softens that resistance and intensifies our desire to continue. We grow with each step, coming ever closer to the happiness, joy, and peace we long to experience.

In Illusive Secrets: Discovering the Power of Self-Honesty, McDonald demonstrates the power self-honesty has to change our lives, and he asks with tender compassion if we have the willingness to meet our true selves. With each secret he discovers, McDonald inspires us to look inward as the means of transcending our fear-based state of consciousness. His candid demonstrations reveal thoughts and experiences we all have, but very few of us are willing, or able to explore. Each self-deception Jim uncovers empowers us to look at our own lives with transformative honesty. Uncovering our own illusive secrets gleaned from his examples leads us to the realization that we are responsible for our suffering, and it is never the external causes we are taught to blame. We begin to understand that our thoughts, judgments, and need to control, are directly related to our personal happiness and sense of inner peace. Illusive Secrets offers a doorway into our own self-deception. While our initial glimpses may be frightening enough to evoke steadfast resistance and blinding denial, each experience softens that resistance and intensifies our desire to continue. We grow in self-awareness with each step, coming ever closer to the happiness, joy, and freedom we long to experience. Illusive Secrets is a profoundly spiritual approach to a better way of life that facilitates our journey toward the expression of love on a daily basis. It teaches nothing directly. Instead, it offers examples that inspire those who are willing, to follow an honest path of self-awareness leading to one final destination: Our true self.