When I bought this book in 2001, I read the preface describing his “spiritual healing” during medical intervention, and I put the book down. Now, years later, I picked it up and persevered past language about “energy” that was not phrased as I would say it, to embrace the true universal meaning the author was trying to impart. Then I gobbled it up, licking my lips in all the yummy places. There is so much good here, I give this book five stars. I really enjoyed it.

Here are some favorite bits (Wayne Dyer in blue, his quotes of others in maroon, my comments in dark green.):

“Spirituality is from within, the result of recognition, realization, and reverence.”

“Carl Jung reminds us that, ‘The telling question of a person’s life is their relationship to the infinite.’”

“I send a message to my ego, which says, ‘I’m going to trust in the same power that moves galaxies and creates a baby rather than in my own self-indulgent assessments for how I would like things to be going right now.’”

“I try to remind myself in moments of despair of the beautiful affirmation from A Course in Miracles: ‘I can choose peace, rather than this.’”

“These are the seven ways I define spiritual: Surrender, Love, Infinite, Empty, Generous, Connectedness, Cheerful.” (my note: “empty” here implies no agenda, ego or mortal mind of your own.)

“The Koran puts it this way, ‘Whatever good you have is all from God, whatever evil, all is from yourself.’”

“You can see why it is so important to see any and all problems as things we create in our mind… Our conditioning is so strong that we often have far greater faith in our problems than we do in our ability to no longer have them.”

“You cannot send problems out of your life by attacking them or understanding them in more depth. Instead, you correct the error in your thinking that produces the problem in the first place.”

“Patanjali’s Five Yoga Aphorisms (which guide you to change the mind that made the problem):

1.  Avoid false identification.
“The “I” that is me – you cannot see
You see only the form that you think is me.
This form that you see, will not always be;
but the “I” that is me – lives eternally.”

2.  You cannot express God’s self in you when you are not at peace.

3.  You create obstacles, you do not sin.
“Say, ‘I still have obstacles that I have imposed which keep me from a spiritual solution.’”

4.  Be steadfast in abstaining from falsehood.
“Completely and wholly identifying oneself as a spiritual being, united with God at all times and never confusing oneself with the ego of the world’s possessions, achievements, and reputation.”

5.  Be steadfast in abstaining from harmful thought or acts.”

“Begin the process of filling your mind with love, gratitude, and forgiveness. Ernest Holmes wrote,‘What a load is dropped from the shoulders of personal responsibility, when we realize that the eternal mind holds naught against anybody.’”

“Einstein said, ‘The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking that created them.’”

“I received a letter from a woman who was diagnosed with cancer and given only a few months to live. She decided to keep this information from everyone she knew, including her husband and children. She rented a cabin in the northern Minnesota woods and spent each day silently yielding her mortal sense and opening herself to spiritual guidance. The days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, with everyday devoted to communing silently with God and releasing her attachment to her body and the cancer that had invaded it. She began to feel stronger as she no longer identified herself with her body. When she returned to her home she never again even visited a medical facility. Today she thrives, some nine years after her terminal illness diagnosis. The commitment to yield her mortal sense and allow the calm, peaceful, serene, loving presence of God to handle the cancer was what she intuitively felt was her pathway to healing.”

“Keep in mind the central principle that guides your lifetime in this material universe – as you think so shall you be – seven little words that form the basis for transforming your life.”

“My close friend Deepak Chopra, MD, always reminds me,‘Happy thoughts create happy molecules, and healthy thoughts create healthy molecules.’ The reverse is also true.”

“Improve negative environments. Consider this from Mother Teresa of Calcutta:

People are often unreasonable, irrational and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you;
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight;
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten;
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
— Mother Teresa

“You cannot have God and have fear too.”

“Mary Baker Eddy is responsible for these words to be printed on the wall of every Christian Science Church: ‘Divine love will meet every human need.’ How is it possible to believe this is true? … Divine love is what you radiate outward… You must let these blessings pour out from you rather than go to God for your blessings, because you are the instrument through which this grace flows. Divine love is something you must express and when you do, your problem or need will be met.” (It would have been nice if he got the quote right, but the perspective is interesting.)

“Would you rather be right or kind?” (my note: this is much more helpful than the usual version, ‘would you rather be right or happy,’ and is an idea I’ve already successfully applied with others for mutual blessing.)

The last half of the book explores the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi in detail…

– “stop making your peace dependent on outward circumstances.”
-“let us sow love” a theme of every religion.
– “I do think any method of conditioning people to accept beliefs about God creates doubt, because the beliefs do not come from any direct experience of God. To create a knowing that supplies you with faith, you must establish a direct experience of God for yourself.” (my note for Sunday School teachers and students: you don’t accept because of someone’s say so, you must experience it yourself!)
-“Begin to take delight in non-attachment.”
-“Practice reinforcing hope not despair.”
-“Practice the art of being an eternal optimist.”
-“Be persistent in acting as if it is impossible to fail.”
–Ralph Waldo Emerson: “There is no object so foul that intense light will not make it beautiful.”
-“Practice being an appreciator of beauty.”
-“Keep your thoughts centered on light and what you want, rather than on dark and what you don’t want.”
-“Practice purification in all areas of your life.”
-“Cultivate an attitude of joy.”
-”Find joy by giving it away.”
-“Remind yourself that joy is found in stillness.”
-“Feel supremely happy.”