Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

Journey, maturity, forgiveness

Richard Rohr has a message of forgiveness and love for all people. A call to a journey into the second half of life.

When I selected this book, I had the impression from the summary that this is a new age spiritual book like those of Wayne Dyer or Eckhart Tolle. However, upon listening to it, I realised my mistake as references to God and quotations from the bible become more and more prevalent. The author then reveals that he was/is a catholic clergy and monk.
As I am not a Christian, I would not have selected this book if I known the leanings of the writer. Clever marketing at play I think. That said, I rather enjoyed this book and listened to the whole book in one sitting without once feeling overwhelm by it religious overtones.I like the open mindedness of the writer and his lack of arrogance.
If you are like me, not religious but open to other people's religion, I highly recommend the book 'Have a little faith' by Mitch Albon. It moved me to tears.

I sense it is an inspired writing about how to live out the second half of our life with an open heart and mind; to live with joy, gratitude and graciousness. In the book, Rohr confronted some of my first half of life thinking and gave me an explanation about what I am experiencing today. It has made me even more grateful for my life and where I am today in this aging process. I recommend it for anyone over 40 (I wish I would have read it then). I do not recommend it for those who are still entrenched in their first half of life thinking where there is an absence of curiosity and the presence of absolute certainty....about anything.

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It may take a second "reading" before Rohr's teachings can be full absorbed and appreciated.

Am already recommending this book to several friends. It puts things in perspective for all of us as we are met with difficulties, disappointments and griefs.

It provokes thought, offers healthy perspectives and helps one make important decisions about how to accept and grow from life's unexpected twists and turns.

This is my first introduction to Richard Rohr. He recently spoke in my city and over 1,200 people attended his lecture. His reading is conversational and pleasant.

Next to the Bible, which the author references frequently, this book provides great understanding and perspective for living completely into our second

95% for performance; 100%, or top of the list, for content.

I loved that the author was reading his own work. Hard to say what the most memorable moments were.

I am not sure Rohr could have done better, as his way of reading seemed ingrained. He often hesitated in places where a sentence should have flowed smoothly, and this interfered, in a mild way, with what he was trying to say, though only for a moment. However, his pauses made me think, and thinking is not necessarily a bad thing! In addition, Rohr's hesitations added a kind of charm. I loved that he read his own work and figured his hesitations were due to a slight discomfort with reading aloud, or perhaps due to a slight dyslexia.

If this were a story with a plot, I could answer this, but Rohr's book is not a story. The entire book moved me deeply and has had a very positive effect on my life.

Rohr's voice is restful and lends itself to contemplation and calm. I often listen to audio books when I can't sleep, and if a reader is too "wired" or intense, or if he or she speaks too fast, I don't listen. So I thank Mr. Rohr for both his amazing ideas and for his delivery, including his hesitations while reading.

I would advise anyone over the age of 50 to read this book. It brought together many of the threads of my life and helped me clarify and answer questions regarding my self, emotional healing, self-forgiveness, spirituality, etc. I definitely want to listen to it again. The first half of the book, although very pertinent, was often repetitious. I also wish that the author had elaborated more on our dark side during the second half. But, it was still very worth reading and I have recommended it to others.

In the genre of spirituality this book ranks only behind Thomas Merton. Rohr clearly has found guidance and deep inspiration from Merton. If you've read Merton, you know this is a very good thing indeed. The key to our happiness is contemplation and finding our true selves. This book will reveal that in an easy to follow manner. This book made me want to work harder toward a mindset of contemplation. I found myself rewinding and bookmarking more than any other audio book I have purchased. Once I stopped listening for the day, I wanted to sit and write my own thoughts and ideas about how I could apply these principles in my life. I do recommend that you don't try to "finish" this one quickly. Take your time and listen in 30-60 minute sections. Allowing yourself the time to contemplate and soak in the message.

One word of caution, you have to be open minded and ready to hear this message. If you can allow yourself to begin this process it will change everything. However, in our world today we are so "tribal" that we are not used to thinking this way. We identify so strongly by political party, religious denomination, and class - that seeing the world as all of God's creation isn't nearly as easy as we think. At least it wasn't for me (once I really analyzed myself) and I consider myself open minded. Once you "get it" the concept seems simple and essential to happiness. But everything around us tells us to think differently. A major concept of the book is to change our "either/or" view of the world to a "both/and" mentality. This is true wisdom. The older we get (I am 42) the more we realize there are no simple answers to our problems.

But don't think that Rohr bashes our youthful certainty and fervor. He does no such thing. He calls on the importance of parents to instill impulse control, rules, and structure for their children. He calls this early way of thinking: "building our container". So that once we reach maturity we can properly hold and understand what is really inside. Far too often we worship the containers in life: religious practice, strict adherence to rules, and high expectations. This book will teach you how to respect the containers while fundamentally changing how you view what is inside - your soul.

a critical compliment.

affirming my feeling of "necessary suffering"

His graceful, beautiful voice makes it almost no work to ingest.

The Mature Smile

Yes. For Spiritual lift and incite.

Richard Rohr is a great listen. But don't buy his book if narrated by another.

No. I find myself pulling over to the side of the road often, to take notes. It's so packed with valuable stuff, it's hard just to listen and drive.

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I recommend anything by Richard Rohr. I do find it easier to read, though