I agreed to be part of the SheSpeaks program for the soon-to-be released book and movie “The Power of the Heart." Eighteen spiritual leaders (such as Isabel Allende, Paolo Coehlo and Eckhart Tolle) join the author in teaching us about finding our own life’s path through gratitude, forgiveness, courage and love.
I shared my extra copy with someone who’s been a big part of my life for (gulp) 45 years. Although we live far from each other we had our own private Book Club, discussing one chapter we particularly enjoyed through a series of emails.
Hi Deb~
I'm happy we’re reading "The Power of the Heart" together!
Do you realize we've been friends since grade school, and that despite the twists and turns in our lives we’ve always come out on top because we had each other to lean on?
Unconditional love.
It makes total sense that we chose Chapter 6, "The Power of Gratitude" to discuss. Because as Neale Donald Walsch explains:
"When you are grateful for everything you have, your heart is open. You appreciate the people in your life and they reciprocate. And gratitude creates more abundance."
When I count my blessings I count our friendship as one. And after reading this chapter I've learned that gratitude is the ultimate way to connect with the heart.
With love~
Cath
Dear Cath,
I love reading "The Power of the Heart" with you and sharing our thoughts and feelings. It brings me closer to you and I feel your love across the miles! When you mentioned grade school, I remember meeting you for the first time and how terribly shy I felt on my first day of class in a new school, living in a new state. Seeing your warm, open, friendly face beaming at me from the desk next to me immediately put me at ease and I knew I had a friend for life! So that certainly brings gratitude into my heart for your friendship, support and love over the years. The author of “The Power of the Heart”, Baptist De Pape, wrote:
"You release love within yourself by appreciating life and the people around you."
I appreciate you being in my life Cathy and am so very grateful for our friendship!
In gratitude,
Deb
Deb,
Wow. You really touched my heart…
It’s funny that you used the same word "appreciate" that the author, Baptist DePape, did. He and the 18 spiritual leaders in the book, teach us that to have gratitude in our heart also means to be able to appreciate all that we have, even after great loss.
Everyone suffers some kind of loss as we age. It's a natural occurrence, a part of life. By feeling grateful and appreciating what we do have – right now - will help us, as the author explains, "shift into a larger, more positive dimension."
We and (your twin sister) Dawn have always appreciated the goodness in life. The three of us are spiritual in nature, and it's what's grounded us to be able to live happier and loving lives.
I love this discussion!
Cath
Cathy,
I agree, loss and times of challenge are a natural part of life, which makes living in appreciation and gratitude that much more meaningful. During those more difficult times, the key for me is awareness of seeking out and seeing the positive.
I love this insight from Howard Martin:
"To find something in those times when life is tough, to appreciate something about them or appreciate something about something else, it begins to shift the energies very, very quickly so that you come into another level of buoyancy that rises above the problem. And in doing so, you can then see into it. You can then find ways to deal with it."
He explains that it requires "opening to the intelligence of the heart" during difficult times. How true this is. For me, it takes sitting quietly with myself and tuning in to what my heart says. When I listen carefully, my heart has the answers.
Wishing you a heart-FULL day...
Deb
Deb,
As we age we’ll be finding about how important it is to keep gratitude in our hearts for everything.
Growing up we found comfort and a sense of awe in nature. Today we continue with it, and are both blessed to live nearby and take advantage of the beauty of the ocean. Walking along a beach, listening to the sound of the waves, those are simple blessings.
I am grateful for those blessings. They may sound small to some, but to me nature is what keeps my heart open. As Ruediger Schache says:
“If you express yourself in appreciation or in gratitude, it’s like sending love to G-d, sending love out in the universe. Gratitude is opening the heart.”
I’m so grateful~
Cath
Cheers to a long life as friends, Cath. I'm excited to read further in the book on The Power of Intention and Intuition, Creating Authentic Power, Synchronicity and more! This Book Club from afar isn't a bad idea to continue:)
Love and peace,
Deb
Deb~
I love this Book Club of ours, too!
The book says it’s important to count ALL of the blessings in our lives. Here are 3 that happened to me over the last few days:
I'm sad we’ve finished sharing this chapter, but thankful we got to read it together.
Love~
Cathy
Cath,
Yes, lets continue sharing more insights as we read on! Here are three blessings that took place for me this past week:
Deb and her two partners are co-creators of Joy Kids Universe, a company whose vision is to provide a positive foundation that inspires young children to learn to LOVE without judgment, to CREATE without limits, and to LEARN freely and joyfully each day. Check it out!
NOTE: This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/The Power of The Heart and I received two free copies of the book. All expressed opinions are solely my own.
The Book and movie will both be available on October 7. For more information, or to see a clip of the spiritual teachers in the book and movie, please visit ThePoweroftheHeart.com.
I'm glad that you and your friend enjoyed your virtual book club. Thanks for the recommendation.
I love the way you and Deb are keeping your friendship alive despite the miles between you. And now I'm silently giving thanks for my own blessings -- of which you are one!
Exquisite. I love how creative and heartfelt this blog is, Cathy. I have read a special book or two before with a girlfriend and we too shared our insights and growth. It was wonderful to do this with a close friend.
A super technique for sharing this fabulous sounding book, Cathy. The back and forth felt like a genuine conversation. Thank you for allowing me to eavesdrop. 😀
What a lovely relationship you all have and how lovely to do these exercises together.
Making gratitude a part of your life is huge. It isn't hard, but it's something that's easy to put aside.
I'll have to check the book and movie out!
Hi Cathy AND Deb! What a fun way to read a book together. Have a life-long friend who shares the same background and thoughts is so very, very wonderful. I loved the way you do the back and forth notes to each other and share what you are thinking about --it makes it fun to read and experience along with you. And the book sounds great. Definitely something I will need to pick up somewhere along the way. ~Kathy
How fun for all of us. It's clear you have a beautiful, lasting friendship Cathy!
What a wonderful way to share an experience together! Love this private book club idea!
What a great way to share a book and what a lovely friendship you two share. (Tweeted).
Love this post. I'm a huge fan of saying thank you and the big impact keeping a gratitude journal can have on your outlook. After two weeks of writing five things a day that I was thankful for, I started to see the difference in how I handled situations and treated people. I'm glad you enjoyed this book with your friend.
What a wonderful way to share ! I absolutely love this idea and the book and movie look amazing. Thank you for sharing with us here!
What a meaningful way to read a special book! There's nothing like sharing with a friend - that is definitely something to be grateful for. I practice gratitude every day, and your friendship is one of the many things I'm so thankful for. xo
Thanks for letting me know about book and movie. Putting on my reading and viewing list. My BFF and I love books. Going to share this practice with her.
An interesting-sounding book and one that I have added to my list. Thanks!
Such beautiful emails. And now you've warmed my heart. I love the quote about your heart opening when you are grateful for what you have. This is so very true.