Now, in Soul Awakenings, discover the insights into female spirituality through the words, thoughts, and actions of one hundred everyday women. Their experiences and honest answers will recharge your faith as their words give you comfort and hope. Through their candid and heart-touching dialog you'll connect with all women on a spiritual basis and will find the strength you can only receive from other women. By following the journeys of these one hundred women, pondering the Questions for Meditation, and taking action on the Exercises for Self-Reflection, you'll embark on your own journey of spiritual discovery and will uncover the link to other female souls. Regardless of your spiritual upbringing or current circumstances, the women's words will awaken your soul to a new level of spiritual understanding.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Michelle Quigley received her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Governor's State University in University Park, Illinois and received her Master of Science degree in nursing administration from the University of Illinois in Chicago. After spending over thirty years in management, writing several articles, and conducting several presentations, she embarked on her own spiritual journey, which was the catalyst for this book.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter One - Our Spiritual Thread
A special thread binds all women together, and I call this our spiritual thread. We are not isolated from the whole of mankind, nor do we work in solitude. Instead, we experience the world in the female form and with a woman's spirit; therefore, we have a different perspective. Our souls reach out to like souls, other women in the universe, and we become a sisterhood of women that binds us together. We understand each other. We cry with each other. We support each other. We are not alone.
As a woman and professional nurse for over thirty years, I have had the opportunity to witness numerous situations in which women have demonstrated remarkable courage and strength. The more I interacted with women on a daily basis, the more I realized that when women were involved in situations such as birth, illness, trauma, and death, they drew from an inner strength and peace to sustain them through their challenge. Their actions made a distinct impression on me, because in the midst of the chaos and frenzy of the hospital, these women displayed a sense of calmness that stood out. Here they were, ordinary women in extraordinary circumstances, yet they triumphed over their situation in an almost stoical way and often acted as the comforter to their grieving family members. Their behavior intrigued me and prompted me to begin my quest into this topic of spirituality.
In this book you will find women who exemplify "every woman." Their insights will recharge your faith in mankind, because their words will give you both strength and comfort. They prove that there is a strength we can only receive from other women.
For a moment, reflect on the numerous conversations you have had with other women about the struggles they have experienced. Can you remember how often you have heard or made statements such as:
"How does she do it? You have to admire her. A single parent raising three young children on her own."
"She had a hectic work schedule all day. And did you see how loving she was with her elderly father later that evening?"
"She is a remarkable woman! She has never had it easy in her life. Yet, she never complains."
They all sound so familiar.
Women today live in complex, ever changing environments that place constant demands on our energies and souls. Between family, work, community, and self, we are pulled simultaneously in various directions. Therefore, we women often find ourselves wearing many different hats . . . mother, wife, sister, friend, and many more. Through all of this, we still strive to be loving, caring, and comforting to our children, families, friends, and co-workers.
How do we as women survive and maintain this balance? Where do we receive our strength to face the multi-dimensional arenas in our lives? How is it that so many women manage to wear these various hats in their lives and still smile and exude an inner strength and warmth throughout the day?
The answer for me and many women is the essence of this book. From the interviews, it is apparent to me that "our spiritual thread" is woven throughout our conversations and it is clearly our bedrock. We women pull from within and from our own inner spirituality every day.
But what is this "inner spirituality?" How does it relate to God? Can we describe it?
How did we learn about spirituality? Did a significant female person in our lives teach us? A mother? A grandmother? An aunt? A sister? A girlfriend? Was there a significant male person in our lives who taught us? A father? A grandfather? A husband? A brother? A friend? How do we express it? Does it make a difference in our lives? With relationships?
Would other women want to share their thoughts about their inner spirituality? About their relationship with God? What advice would they like to pass on to other women? To men? And what does all this mean to you, the reader?
The answers to all these questions and more are in the following pages. As you read the chapters, you will find numerous common spiritual threads that run through each of our lives. You will discover or rediscover what spirituality truly means to a woman.
A special thread binds all women together, and I call this our spiritual thread. We are not isolated from the whole of mankind, nor do we work in solitude. Instead, we experience the world in the female form and with a woman's spirit; therefore, we have a different perspective. Our souls reach out to like souls, other women in the universe, and we become a sisterhood of women that binds us together. We understand each other. We cry with each other. We support each other. We are not alone.
As a woman and professional nurse for over thirty years, I have had the opportunity to witness numerous situations in which women have demonstrated remarkable courage and strength. The more I interacted with women on a daily basis, the more I realized that when women were involved in situations such as birth, illness, trauma, and death, they drew from an inner strength and peace to sustain them through their challenge. Their actions made a distinct impression on me, because in the midst of the chaos and frenzy of the hospital, these women displayed a sense of calmness that stood out. Here they were, ordinary women in extraordinary circumstances, yet they triumphed over their situation in an almost stoical way and often acted as the comforter to their grieving family members. Their behavior intrigued me and prompted me to begin my quest into this topic of spirituality.
In this book you will find women who exemplify "every woman." Their insights will recharge your faith in mankind, because their words will give you both strength and comfort. They prove that there is a strength we can only receive from other women.
For a moment, reflect on the numerous conversations you have had with other women about the struggles they have experienced. Can you remember how often you have heard or made statements such as:
"How does she do it? You have to admire her. A single parent raising three young children on her own."
"She had a hectic work schedule all day. And did you see how loving she was with her elderly father later that evening?"
"She is a remarkable woman! She has never had it easy in her life. Yet, she never complains."
They all sound so familiar.
Women today live in complex, ever changing environments that place constant demands on our energies and souls. Between family, work, community, and self, we are pulled simultaneously in various directions. Therefore, we women often find ourselves wearing many different hats . . . mother, wife, sister, friend, and many more. Through all of this, we still strive to be loving, caring, and comforting to our children, families, friends, and co-workers.
How do we as women survive and maintain this balance? Where do we receive our strength to face the multi-dimensional arenas in our lives? How is it that so many women manage to wear these various hats in their lives and still smile and exude an inner strength and warmth throughout the day?
The answer for me and many women is the essence of this book. From the interviews, it is apparent to me that "our spiritual thread" is woven throughout our conversations and it is clearly our bedrock. We women pull from within and from our own inner spirituality every day.
But what is this "inner spirituality?" How does it relate to God? Can we describe it?
How did we learn about spirituality? Did a significant female person in our lives teach us? A mother? A grandmother? An aunt? A sister? A girlfriend? Was there a significant male person in our lives who taught us? A father? A grandfather? A husband? A brother? A friend? How do we express it? Does it make a difference in our lives? With relationships?
Would other women want to share their thoughts about their inner spirituality? About their relationship with God? What advice would they like to pass on to other women? To men? And what does all this mean to you, the reader?
The answers to all these questions and more are in the following pages. As you read the chapters, you will find numerous common spiritual threads that run through each of our lives. You will discover or rediscover what spirituality truly means to a woman.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very highly recommended,
By
This review is from: Soul Awakenings: Exploring The Spiritual Journeys of One Hundred Women (Paperback)
In a society that dictates that women put their families, jobs and other responsibilities ahead of themselves, few women seem to pay close attention to their spirituality. Yet it is our spirituality that gives us the strength to persevere and overcome life's challenges. Indeed, spirituality attracts people to our lives, bringing us peace, joy and happiness. Yet spirituality goes by the wayside quickly without a sense of community and connection to others. Hence the necessity for such inspirational books as SOUL AWAKENINGS that connect the reader with an extraordinary community of women with profound spiritual insight.In SOUL AWAKENINGS, author Michelle Quigley interviewed one hundred women from across the country regarding their spiritual journeys and how they balance their spirituality with their everyday lives. Quigley recognizes that each individual is a spiritual being and that it is our awareness of the Divine that carries us through adversity, inspires us in times of doubt, and gives us joy in times of celebration. Remarkably, Quigley balances her interviewees between those who come from traditional religious backgrounds with metaphysical and other paths. The result is well rounded view of spirituality seen through diverse eyes that will appeal to a wide audience. Quigley's insight into the spiritual thread that binds all women in a sisterhood proves to be incredibly uplifting for all seekers. Her words bring both strength and comfort, helping to alleviate the soul searing isolation that many seekers feel when they have difficulty discussing spirituality with others. As each of us works our spiritual paths, it is books like SOUL AWAKENINGS that reminds us that we are not alone in our spiritual journeys. For those who seek to reconnect, or those who wish to validate their own experience through the voices of others, SOUL AWAKENINGS is a powerful tool. Each chapter includes questions for reflection and meditation so the reader can trace their own spiritual awakenings and honor those who aided them on their journey. However readers might define their understanding of the Divine, SOUL AWAKENINGS has something for everyone. SOUL AWAKENINGS comes very highly recommended.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Inner Strength of Today's Women,
This review is from: Soul Awakenings: Exploring The Spiritual Journeys of One Hundred Women (Paperback)
"Spirituality is a total awareness of one's life and trying to act from the point of love." ~Nancy
Michelle A. Quigley has created a beautiful book about how ordinary women make their lives extraordinary. She interviewed one hundred women to discover the common threads in female spirituality. As you read the quotes from the participants, you start to identify with a variety of ideas. Defining the intangible qualities of spirituality can be challenging and after reading this book you may start to realize that the doorway to spirituality is often through the tangible. What helps you make it through the day? Do you look forward to giving something back to your community through volunteering? Do you feel closer to God while reading a healing book, exercising, creating art, giving emotional support to friends or while singing in church? Michelle A. Quigley interviewed Marketing Coordinators, Saleswomen, Psychologists, Nurses, Teachers, Executives, Waitresses, Secretaries, Mothers, Social Workers, Librarians and Designers for Computer Companies. Each chapter focuses on a specific subject discussed during the interviews. The author includes quotes, observations and notes about her own journey. Many of the women had unique ways of defining spirituality. I also enjoyed reading the section on Spiritual Expressions. Through reading this book you can discover when women feel the most spiritual, when spirituality is difficult at various times in life and how spirituality can make your life more beautiful. There is also a section on the barriers and how you can overcome problems in your life to achieve the euphoric feeling of being close to God. While this book will be interesting to women, there is also a section specifically for men. In this section women explain how they view men who are spiritual and discuss their understanding of male spirituality. The final chapter is filled with encouragement specifically for women. Soul Awakenings is a journey into everyday spirituality and Michelle A. Quigley makes spirituality accessible to all women, whether they believe in organized religion or they find God in nature. The quotes in this book may even encourage you to awaken in your own way and find your own unique spiritual expression. "Find ways to connect. Find ways to get a sense of peace." ~Karen ~The Rebecca Review
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
First Sentence:
Welcome to Soul Awakenings. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
investment wholesaler, spiritual thread, one hundred women, spiritual difficulty, spiritual woman, inner spirituality Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Self-Reflection Think, Soul Awakenings, Native American Indian, Mary Beth, Advice Keep, Catholic Church, Mother Teresa, Soul Azoakenings, World War New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Welcome to Soul Awakenings. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
investment wholesaler, spiritual thread, one hundred women, spiritual difficulty, spiritual woman, inner spirituality Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Self-Reflection Think, Soul Awakenings, Native American Indian, Mary Beth, Advice Keep, Catholic Church, Mother Teresa, Soul Azoakenings, World War New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
