MJ

This wonderful audio program (and the book of the same title that inspired it) should be called "Keys to the Kingdom", because that's really what it is. A profoundly moving and potentially life-changing spiritual teaching...how anyone can find it lacking in substance or get hung up on Caroline's passionate delivery is utterly beyond me. This is deep, challenging material, not the usual New Age fluff that has infected so much of our contemporary spiritual culture. Yes, Caroline's interpretation of St. Teresa's brilliant work is inclusive and not wedded to religious dogma, but that's a positive aspect of this program, not a negative one. The insights of the world's great mystics -- regardless of spiritual tradition -- belong to all of humanity, and Caroline has helped to share some of this holy wisdom with us in this amazing program.

Even though Anne Lamott is one of my favorite writers (and narrators), after reading some negative reviews, I was hesitant to give this book a listen. (Not being a parent myself, I was also concerned that I might not be able to relate to much of the book's subject matter.) As it turned out, I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. I think it's just as good as "Plan B" and "Grace (Eventually)", though a bit more narrowly focused. Lamott's signature off-beat observations and self-deprecating humor are both in top form, and there's an underlying warmth and poignancy that seems to be deepening with each book she writes. (Also, I really enjoyed the written/narrative contributions of Anne's son, Sam...he's articulate, funny, and has a "handsome" voice.) If you're sitting on the fence with this one, I say go for it...I'm so glad I did!

Caroline Myss and James Finley couldn't be more dissimilar in their delivery -- Myss is edgy and off-the-cuff, Finley is gentle and deliberate -- but these two teachers compliment each other brilliantly in this program. Myss is a wonderful "big picture" teacher, and here she presents a macro-level view of trauma, using her well-developed critique of contemporary spirituality to explain why healing from trauma is primarily a mystical experience, not a rational, linear process that one can engineer through superficial New Age means. She then wisely hands the reins over to James Finley who proceeds to present a highly detailed, multifaceted spiritual road map for how to approach healing trauma through contemplative practice. (Be prepared to review this portion of the program several times -- the information is extremely complex and cannot possibly be absorbed in a single listen.) The program wraps up with final thoughts on trauma, mysticism, and healing from Myss.

So many people trash Caroline Myss because of her strident tone, but people have got to take into account the junk-food spiritual culture of our times and the delusional mindset of the majority of her audience. The New Age has perpetuated so many psychological and spiritual falsehoods over the last several decades that the ground has to be cleared for any kind of meaningful teaching to get through, and Myss does a fantastic job of this.

I agree 100% with the other reviewer who advised Audible listeners to ignore the negative reviews of this fantastic audio program. "The Power to Create" is absolutely ESSENTIAL listening for anyone claiming to be on a spiritual path, because, as Myss herself states, in order to know what your power to create IS, you must first know what it is NOT. Thin-skinned fans of New Age junk lit like "The Secret" and other adherents of the spiritual entitlement culture who view God/Source/etc. as cosmic Santa Claus will no doubt dislike much of what Caroline has to say here, but then again, when have these people ever been comfortable with the truth? For all others interested in just how far our power to create really stretches (and where, god forbid, concepts like surrender and humility might fit into all this), please do yourself a favor and listen to this wonderful program.