The Not So Big Life: Making Room for What Really Matters

The Not So Big Life: Making Room for What Really Matters by Sarah Susanka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love Sarah Susanka's home design books, but I was a little surprised to learn she had also written a book that fell into the spiritual journey/self-help arena (or "conduct of life," as it's cataloged in my library). I was feeling the need for some inspiration, so I checked it out last fall when I was home sick for a while.

Susanka applies principles of great home design to create guidelines on how to live one's life, and what she has to say fits in well with other books like The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz and The Unmistakable Touch of Grace by Cheryl Richardson. I admit that I just read through the exercises in the book rather than trying them, although I did sometimes think about what my answers would be. They were good exercises, and eventually I will probably go back and try many of them. I'm sure they would benefit me greatly. I was simply too exhausted at the time to muster the mental energy necessary, and I let myself believe the excuse of needing to get through the book so I could return it to the library on time. (Obviously this was bogus, as I kept renewing it for months.)

Despite how long it took me to finish, I really enjoyed reading this book. Susanka gave me new perspectives, new ways to observe my life and change old, ineffective patterns. It's not a quick read, but it's a good one.

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The Unmistakable Touch of Grace

The Unmistakable Touch of Grace: How to Recognize and Respond to the Spiritual Signposts in Your Life by Cheryl Richardson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A friend recommended this book to me at a time this spring when I'd received some devastating news. Talk about an unmistakable touch of grace. :) She left me first a note with the title and author and then later a copy of the book on my desk so I could check it out, which I did. It took me a while to get through it--this is not a hard read, but it does require some thought, so it's not a quick read.

Richardson tells many stories throughout the book about her experiences and those of her clients and friends, and while a few felt a little too close to "magical thinking" for comfort, on the whole they really resonated with me and reminded me to slow down and let go of my illusion of control. The universe is unfolding as it should (and has better plans for me than I made for myself in many cases).

I also like that Richardson includes and honors many different spiritual and religious beliefs and practices. And each section has not only stories but also action steps (experiments) to do and resources for further reading and research.

The section on meditation and silence featured Bill Harris, founder of Centerpointe Research Institute, whose research on brain waves has led to the Holosync audio technology which aids people in assisting deeper states of meditation. My eyes popped open at that point because I have the first 2 levels of Holosync at home and have just fallen out of the habit of listening to the CDs. So I saw that as a divine sign I needed to recharge my iPod and get back to meditating on a more regular basis. :)

For readers' advisors: character doorway, I think. Good choice for readers of Louise Hay, Eckhart Tolle, and any other authors from Oprah's Live Your Best Life series.



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