Customer Reviews

Finding Your Way Home: A Soul Survival Kit

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've read many of Ms. Beattie's books before. Her candor is her greatest strength. In this book, she explores being human and believing in God. It is a very refreshing viewpoint. There is no psycho-babble. Some of it is a bit new-agey but overall, it is very practical. It touched on many issues I still deal with even though I've been out of a abusive & alcoholic family for 11 years. The work she recommends and the affirmations make me feel like I can take care of myself w/o therapy or self-help books. I realized I am not alone in my struggles. Ms. Beattie's forthrightness and conversational style lend to the intimacy of the book. When she shares her difficult moments and her associated comments, it is comforting to realize that our own experiences and related emotions are more normal that society would have have us believe. I especially enjoy her "walk with God" approach. It is that mindfulness that has inspired me the most.

This is one of those books that seems to have just came to me somehow. These are the books that I needed the most. I love this little book. I didn't really know I was lost until I read it. But after I started reading it, I started crying and all of these emotions were coming to the surface. Emotions that had been holding me back and weighing me down my whole life. It's touching, it's helpful, it's inspiring, and it's well-written and personal. I've read a lot of self-help books or books to help you find God, but this book was like none of the other books I've read. It is sweet, to the point, and it hits your emotional trigger points in a gentle manner, but effectively. This book is full of love! And once you read it, you will be thankful for the love that it awakens in your heart. The main things I gained from this book are the ability to forgive myself and the realization that I truly am NOT alone. I realized that I plow through life often scared, uncertain of who I am or what my purpose is, and too often unsure if God is really with me. After I read some of this book, my heart felt free from the heavy burdens that I had carried my whole life. This is a great book!

Melody suggests reading the book through and then going back and reading it again to complete the activities. Well, that's how I started, but I connected so much with her introductory descriptions of how people have a sense of not belonging that I knew this book was written for me, for this moment of my life. It took me three weeks to read the book the first time. I read "Finding the Right Path" five mornings in a row. NOW I'm ready to go through this book again. "Finding Your Way Home" is exactly what the cover promises: a soul survival kit - tools for discovering your emotional and spiritual power. Melody's words and activities have helped me find an awareness and excitement about staying in the present.

Finding Your Way Home is the first book I have read by Melody Beattie. Because of her simple writing style, I plan to read the others. I enjoyed the personal anecdotes and the activities to practice at the end of each chapter. Also, the meditations are easy to follow and practice. My favorite one that I now use every morning and evening is creating a healing vortex (p.176) to clear your energy field. It helps me balance and focus my energy for the day and release my daily baggage before I sleep. This book provides many ideas and activities to help you connect and remember your soul.

I first read this book about 8 years ago and reread it this year. I thought it was excellent as a first read, and even better the second time around. It has definitely changed my life in a very positive way once again. I am going to keep this one on my nightstand for times when I need simple reminders to guide me through difficult situations. Though they seem simplistic at first glance, her ideas and suggestions are extremely profound and wonderful for those of us searching for peace.

This is the second piece of work that I have read of Melody Beattie and have found it to be quite powerful. She conveys the deep soul work and analysis in a simplisitc manner. Although it is simply conveyed, the work behind the words is quite challenging to evolve through. Her heart is so powerful and eloquent that I just couldn't put the book down.

I have found so much help in this book, I was at a complacent level as events and situations were happening in my life. I fell back into fear,confusion, vuneralable place, and what I was doing at the time did not seem to make an effect or help me out of my stuff. I saw this book as I was going through Melody's list on Amazon.com and read the review and I instantly knew this was the book for me. At this same time one of my daughters was going through a tough time with relationship (husband) and alot of old stuff came back to me from past that had not been taken care of completely,I guess. She sent me a book by Angelyn Miller,The Enabler, and she helped me see where the many loose ends had not been dealt with, because she described much more clearly the antics of my enabling which I had not taken into consideration before. I have been in Alanon for 15yrs. and have worked through a great deal of my pain, fear, etc. I am still in Alanon (very small group) I have always needed more input besides Alanon literature for my growth. I love Finding Your Way Home, I have read the entire book and now going back to work the exercises as you suggested. I realize now I am working on a totally different level of my inner self, with much more understanding of myself and a much closer and meaningful relationship with my God. This is a great book for me, as many of your books have been, you have been there and done that, which allows me to relate to your words and works. Thank You Barbara Jansen

Another great book by Melody, even better than her last one since she shares her personal journey of her search for the tools of how one's soul can survive in today's world. Great meditations and short stories to share with your loved ones!

This book is for people who are not in touch with or rightly connected to their feelings. It is for those that have concentrated on trying to avoid feelings even within the context of therapy. I identify with her make-up as an ex-addict and laugh with her in the description of her awakening to emotions when she says "It was an awkward process, and I spent as much time reacting to the idea that I was having a feeling as I did actually feeling the energy of the feeling and letting it go". She also speaks to those who find they struggled up the mountain to find the guru and found the Wizard instead.

This is not a book to look for spiritual guidance, although she makes spiritual references. The problem is that it combines too many pieces of religions and new-age doctrines that she has picked up over the years to form her own trail of hodge-podge. Her mix of advice contradicts itself and hops among a confusing array of different therapies and beliefs. It is confusing at best, annoying at worse. The book IS about the soul: It is about Beattie finding her way home to herself and offers a wide range of suggestions on how to do it and what it looks like. I do recommend the book for those who are secure in their beliefs, but still find they are not entirely attuned to their feelings. I personally see how her faith in God has been the main support in her journey, although that does not come through clearly. However, she is able to give personal examples of what it looks like and feels like to discover this aspect of oneself, real feelings, and have the courage to face it honestly. I would buy it again.

This book is the most wonderful book to guide and direct you into spiritual growth. I have ordered it for friends and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to grow. Step by step the book leads you (I've read it twice)