The Art of Living out Loud

As the title might suggest, this is an energetic book about dealing with the pitfalls and patterns of everyday life. The author provides some signposts to help readers identify their own repetitive patterns, many of which are grounded in fear. As she says, 'learning to be unafraid frees us to experience our lives to our fullest potential.' The process begins with being honest to ourselves and choosing our responses to situations more consciously; a sense of humour can be indispensable. She provides helpful guidance on relationships, pointing out that their dynamics are a reflection of who we are inside so that each encounter can become a learning experience ('we give our experiences to ourselves'). We can also ask ourselves what we are seeking in others in relationships and try to dump what she calls our parent issues that can loom very large. There is a powerful message at the end when the author visited a sacred site with a group. The key is the feeling engendered by the place, but we actually create this feeling ourselves. Then the feeling ripples out into the field as an energy affecting the whole of life. This awareness can encourage us to take a more intentional approach to our lives.