Customer Reviews

If You Hear the Message Three Times, Listen

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If You Hear the Message is a highly readable and inspiring account of Patricia Heller's transformation from living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) to becoming a spiritual and self aware healer. She takes us on her journey from curing her `incurable' illness to investigating healing hands, past life regression, shamanism, manifesting greatness, automatic writing, heart centred transformation, her inner gypsy woman and many more. The book is actually an excellent survey of the healing modalities in America over the past fifteen years.

The title refers to what she calls "listening to the universe". When you hear the same message three times, it is time to pay attention. She gives several examples of when she heard messages three times before she got it. In a heart centred transformation centre in the Arizona desert she heard the teacher tell someone to move her energy to her heart and `let it go'. This didn't make any sense to her at all. The second time she was in awe standing over the Grand Canyon. She turned to her teacher and told her how it was so beautiful it hurt her heart. She was told to `let it go.' She looked at him as if he was an alien. Let go of what, she thought? During a full blown attack of CFS at the centre she was again told to `let it go' when the penny finally dropped. She realized that holding onto her anger was making her physically sick. She had to hear it three times before she was able to really hear it and `get it'. That was her last attack of CFS.

In case you are thinking there isn't a modality Patricia doesn't like, rest assured that she approaches them intelligently and with a healthy scepticism that is often absent in books of this type. The road she is on is long and winding, full of insights, pot holes, blind alleys and magnificent vistas. Patricia takes us on the tour with excitement, passion and humility, without trying to make us into converts or convince us that she has found `the path' to enlightenment. In a graceful and humble way, she describes what she found on her own quest for enlightenment and if there is a piece you can take away from it then she has done her job.

Readers are rewarded by Patricia's insights and warmth; she does an excellent job of writing clearly and extracting the meaning out her experiences. I marveled at her curiosity and capacity to absorb and integrate so many different teachings and to draw important lessons from them that have relevance for a general audience. This book is especially exciting for those who are or who are thinking of going on a similar journey of self discovery.

As a coach I am constantly reminded that it is not the events that shape our lives so much as how we respond to them that is what makes us who we are. This book demonstrates how a woman with spunk, determination, courage, curiosity, a great sense of humour overcame a seemingly hopeless situation and the death of her husband to arrive in a place of wisdom, compassion and happiness. You owe it to yourself to read this book!

It was a moving book and it really helped me to read something written by a person who started out a "non-believer", someone who wasn't spiritual at all. Step by step she discovered how to heart-center, how to meditate, how to heal with her hands... It made me feel hopeful that although I still feel like an utter beginner, that I too can become more psychic and centered, and connected to Source.

I bought the book at a store and it had a "Signed Copy" sticker on it. I thought nothing of it, until I began reading. I now feel so blessed to have a copy signed by the person who shared such an intimate part of her life with the world. Thank you, Patricia.

I bought this book when I was having a really bad week with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I have been exploring different modes of spirituality for 40 years, and I'm hardly a complete curmudgeon on the subject of mind-body connections. I did, after all, buy the book expecting a spiritual approach. But after trudging through the first two-thirds of it, I quickly skimmed the rest, and threw the book down in disgust.

Ms. Heller's idea of a cure seems to be attending several luxury spa spiritual healing conventions a year, and supplementing this with readings from a variety of spiritualists. If you want to know how to buy spiritual healing, this is the book for you. You may also pick up a few tips on what to wear while living the spiritual life - Heller's designer-nametag-dropping is incredibly irritating. To quote just one: "I wandered around my eight acres in my nightgown, coat, and beloved 'Ugg' boots..."

On a more serious note, Heller does not acknowledge any physical causes for CFS. (For comparision, my own opinion is that CFS probably has some physical causes, but it is definitely aggravated by stress and pent-up negative emotions.) Heller's belief is that we attract negativity to us because of the negativity inside us. (Either that, or our guides and guardian angels are trying to teach us a lesson.)

Obviously, emotions like hate and anxiety do make people sick all the time, but I would warn potential readers that in this book, that's the only explanation you're going to get. You will get Tarot, auras, automatic writing and finding your animal totem. You will NOT get stretching, diet, environmental stresses, etc. (At least, I don't think you will. As I said, I skimmed the last third of the book, and there is no index or bibliography...)

I gave this book two stars only because many of Heller's stories about getting past her emotional "stuck spots" are interesting and helped me to some insights about my own emotional blind spots. Bottom line, this may be an interesting book on one woman's spiritual journey, but it's of very little use to most CFS sufferers.

Patricia Heller shares her spiritual journey with wisecracking humor that teaches us as we laugh with her. I have read a lot of spiritual journey books, and this is one of the best I have ever read in terms of both readability and meaty content that gives you help in your llife.

This book spoke directly to me. The title had caught my attention because I have found it to be true in my life. I could not put the book down, except to take time to absorb some of the messages more fully. Having been diagnosed with cancer a year ago, I had started down a similar path of discovery. I have learned that illness can be the result of emotional and spiritual discord, and that having a life-threatening illness can provide the impetus to make some radical life changes, including being open to radical new ideas. Having been blessed with some amazing mentors during my journey, I had to marvel at the author's resilience in discovering her own paths to insight, including those that seemed helpful only in their lack of helpfullness. Some of the messages were so subtle as to be easily missed. I did not want the book to end, but now that I've finished it, I will proceed with my journey open to what the universe intends for me.

I give this book 4 stars instead of 5 only because it has a very specific target audience ... those who are truly open to hearing what their heart and the universe are trying to tell them.

This is a story of one woman's challenges in life, specifically her illness, and how she overcame it. Patricia shares not only her story, but also more importantly her learning's, her discoveries. She discusses real life examples that she faced and the steps she took to overcome them from health issues to marital issues to grief.

Throughout her story, Patricia shares with the reader the tools and insights on how she "listened" to the messages in her life. Some of her methods may be new to you. Some people will have to have an open mind as they read her suggestions and techniques. To quote Patricia, "Letting go of old beliefs is hard."

As I read the book, I was impressed with Patricia's determination to overcome the issues facing her. Many people would have given up, but Patricia was willing to try almost anything to live a life of intention. At times, she faced criticism, failure, and heartache. But, she persevered by learning, listening, and taking action.

Quotes from the book:

"It was the beginning of my realization that it's how you view things, not how they turn out that shapes your life."

"...nothing happens at random in our lives, and we draw to us what we need to learn and grow."

"Whenever I feel myself anticipating what I expect to happen, I let it go."

"While spending a lifetime finding the answer, along the way I discovered humor makes the journey a lot more enjoyable."

"You get what you give."

"The essence of feeling safe and secure comes not from connecting with another person, but from connecting to our own higher self. Security only comes from within."

"With more information comes more awareness; with more awareness comes more choice on how to live our lies - honestly, as our true authentic selves."

"Knowing what you want is powerful."

Patricia has written about her journey in a manner that is entertaining but also sharing her knowledge. As you read the book, you will feel Patricia's passion for life. It is a book that may challenge your thinking, but may help you in your own healing process, and could also help you in living a life of intention.

I truly enjoy the honest, down-to-earth quality of Patricia Heller's account of her spiritual journey. From fighting with lawyers to sleeping with (in!) the Sphinx in Egypt, her book relates the mundane along with the amazing, the hilarious and the sad, and manages through it all to maintain the quest for Spirit front and center. A great read!

Highly recommend this book to anyone who has been on the new age merry go round and want to get off. You will certainly bond with Patricia and enjoy reading about her journey to self awareness. We are all one, and it is delightfull to read about another aspect of myself and their sharing of this life.

I loved this book! Patricia Heller takes you along on her spiritual journey, and it's an amazing trip indeed!

Heller's book is a marvel of honesty and enlightenment from a thorough mind. She writes in a way that completely engrossed me. I'm already looking forward to her next book.