Walking Through Illusions

Once in a while, a book falls into your lap that is almost heaven-sent. It arrives, and when you read it, you realize it is precisely what you needed!

Walking Through Illusion, by Betsy Otter Thompson, was such a book for me.

This work reminds me of so many others - Conversations with God, by Neale Donald Walsch, A Course in Miracles, and The Disappearance of the Universe, by Gary R. Renard, just to name a few. If those books spoke to you, this one will as well. So much of what I read, rang so true and deep for me.

The author, an intuitive, connects with the spirit of Jesus, and presents very powerful messages and insights in a very engaging dialog comprised of questions posed and answers given on a number of relevant topics and subjects that thoroughly examine our beliefs, and our notions of morality, truth and death. In all - twenty-three subjects are thoroughly explored.

The topics in question are examined through the lens of Jesus' relationship to some of the apostles and other figures in his life - some of them familiar to us - though others we have never heard of before - and as a former theologian, I can verify they are not documented in biblical or extra-biblical sources.

Walking Through Illusion, illustrates the many ways we feed illusion in our lives. But it also illustrates very concrete ways for us ways to dispel illusion, through wonderful and catchy maxims you might find yourself reciting like a mantra, through worksheets that are both practical and useful, and through reflection questions that are both engaging and cogent. This is not a book to be simply read, but to be lived - digested and re-visited over and over again!

Here are some of my favorite maxims or quotes from the book:

DISAPPOINTMENT COMES FROM THINKING
THAT LIFE SHOULD BE DIFFERENT.
ENJOYMENT COMES FROM THINKING
THAT LIFE IS WONDERFUL THE WAY IT IS.
(p.23)

(This one definitely struck a deep chord with me, and it arrived at a very opportune time!)

EVALUATE YOUR JOURNEY BY
BY HOW WELL YOU HAVE LOVED,
NOT BY HOW WELL OTHERS
HAVE LOVED YOU.
(p. 32)
Walking Through Illusion contains a section of the author's personal reflections at the end of every chapter, and these were among my favorite parts of the book, often providing an almost perfect reflection of my own experiences. For example, in the chapter on "Morality," Betsy Otter Thompson shares her own journey in forgiving herself, which she was able to do under the tutelage of Jesus:

"I went from resenting those who had wronged me, to loving the growth they offered; I went from wishing people were different to welcoming their uniqueness; I went from hating my lonely hours, to loving my independence...I went from fearing the unknown to embracing each new moment. Nothing changed overnight, but overnight I knew that change was possible..."

Walking Through Illusion, like the works of Byron Katie, and Eckhart Tolle, will help you separate the wheat of reality from the chaff of illusion. It will give you greater clarity in regards to many aspects of your life - the true nature of the ego - and how you can be the true architect of your successes. I know that I will be returning to it, and reviewing portions for a long time to come!

For more information, visit:

www.betsythompson.com


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