I simply can’t say enough about this book. As I listened on Audible, I realized early on just how significant this book was going to be in my life. Inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, Martha meets the reader where they are and masterfully shows the impact that living inauthentically can have on our lives.
You can say that when we’re being inauthentic that we’re lying to ourselves.
We are.
The topic of duplicity fascinates me, especially when we can finally detect it within ourselves. I’ve spoken of this before in the Beech Tree Chronicles. What happens to us when live as though we have a foot in two worlds? It’s like splitting ourselves down the middle for the mere sake of trying to fit in, living up to outside standards, and finding ways to feel safe.
What’s the cost?
The cost is that we live life as though we’re the ball in a pinball machine. The outer environment controls our actions. We feel shut down, locked up, lost, overwhelmed and without purpose. We live in reaction to the outer world rather than in creative response to our heart.
Why?
The job of our ego is to keep us safe. It picks up momentum when we let our mind talk to us from either the past or future/past.
A statement about the past could be, “I was hurt when ___ happened.”
We understand the present, but what’s the future/past?
The future/past develops a frightening outcome in the future based upon a stored memory of the past. “If I do this, ___ will happen and I’ll be hurt again.”
When the egoic mind believes it’s separate from the heart, mayhem occurs. It bobs and weaves, trying to adapt to and fit into every changing scene. You’re no longer part of the dance. Your mind has run amuck and hung your heart out to dry. And face it, if you’re not present in the present, you’re simply not even here.
Enter the heart and body. The heart speaks to us in a soft whisper. And the body never lies. It’s another voice for your heart. Connect with your heart and role playing takes a back seat to your amazing self. Standing strong in who you are becomes the only option.
I believe this is the best of any book Martha’s written so far and a gamechanger for anyone who reads it.
My recommendation? Read this book. And if you would like additional support along the way, I’m passionate about this journey and am here to help. Reach out for a consultation.
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