Elizabeth Lesser

I was hoping for something different from this book; the writer is the founder of the Omega Institute (with her now-ex-husband). While she does appear to be telling her own story honestly and bravely, I disagree with many of her conclusions and the points she's chosen to illustrate. Most damningly (for me as reader) I had read the same things in other places, said much better.
It was a little too new-age healy-feely for me, and didn't really address what happens when people actually do break: soul-shattering traumas, inexplicable destructions. Perhaps it should have been titled, "Self-concept Changing Moments, Open". Nah-- doesn't have a good ring to it.… (meer)

This book had me under its spell from the first page. The intersection of mythology, feminism and history is both powerful and infinitely unnerving.

Lesser writes with grace, humour and uncanny insight. She describes the lives of women—both internal and external—in such a compassionate and understanding way. Her storytelling skills are remarkable, as are her observations about the culture we live in.

It’s clear that a long history of misogyny impacts every aspect of our lives. Yet rather than simply pointing fingers, Lesser provides suggestions for creating a path forward—one that’s equitable and just, and considers both the male and female experiences as we move through the world.… (meer)

With a mix of personal experiences and stories witnessed Lesser traces the process of change and transition, or the Phoenix Process. I enjoyed the wide range of inspiration added through quotes from David Bowie to Pema Chodron. As I work on my own book about transitions I read slowly and compiled my own list of quotes from Lessing that may one day appear in my work.

"It may seem that living for rapture is a selfish act reserved for the elite, or that it’s a fancy phrase for hedonism. But it isn’t. Rapture is not a selfish emotion. It is pure gratitude, flowing freely through the body, heart, and soul. Gratitude for what? For breath, for colors, for music, for friendship, humor, weather, sleep, awareness. It is a willing engagement with the whole messy miracle of life. The world suffers more from unhappy stifled people trying to do good than it does from those who are simply content within themselves." p.50

"Although the fire burns hot, it seems more painful to me to remain frozen in an unexamined relationship (or a soul-killing job, or a difficult loss, or an impending change) than to go into the unknown, through the fire, into the ashes, and out again into new life." p 130


… (meer)