Books: September 2007 Archives

Since reviewing Secrets of the Monarch, the new book by Allison DuBois (the real Medium) we’ve had a slew of friends begging to borrow the Daily Mantra’s copy (it’s strictly first come first served -- Kim you’re first, Daina’s second, and Lynn’s third). Before we hand it over however, we’d like to explore one more idea from the book, in which Allison shares wisdom she’s learnt from souls both passed and present.

In a chapter entitled Relationships and Being Your Own Best Friend, Allison talks about taking responsibility for your own happiness, and not making it a burden for others. “We are not someone else’s project to fix,” she writes, clarifying that she means emotionally and not physically. “For those of you out there who are just in a bad place, remember that if you have a void in your life, fill it with something that lifts you to a higher level inside.”

Allison elaborates on the idea, using the loving relationship she has with her husband as an example. “I realize that he can’t read my mind and he’s only human,” says Allison. “I think most women like it when their partner knows what they’re thinking and what they need emotionally. Once I truly understood this I decided to court myself. I know that sounds odd, but follow me on this. I love to buy myself that special anything that makes me feel happy or treat myself to a manicure or pedicure and go to lunch with a friend. I’ve found the more I do this, the more fulfilled I become. The more fulfilled I am, the less pressure my family has...”

So whether you’re buying or borrowing this treasure of a book, before you open its covers, take a moment out of your day to buy a candle you like, or a bunch of your favorite flowers, or some chocolates, so you can treasure yourself as you read it.

“I’ve titled my book Secrets of the Monarch: What the Dead Can Teach Us About Living a Better Life having been inspired by monarch butterflies. I see a beauty in their families that also exists in ours,” says psychic and author Allison DuBois in the preface of her new book. “What I mean by this is that it takes Monarch butterflies several generations to complete migration to secure the survival of their future families.”

In her third book, published this week by Simon & Schuster, Allison, whose life was the inspiration for the TV show Medium, encourages us to lead the best life we can. She illustrates her words of advice with tales from her own life, and from the lives of those who have gone before her. “First of all, I learned that it’s key not to squander you life, because many who’ve lived feel they missed the point of living by assuming that they’d always have more time….So much can be learned from those who died before us, and I know I give great importance to the wisdom of living. I’ve learned to live in the moment, love with all you have, and don’t let others design who you are. You be the artist of you.”

Being in touch with the dead on a daily basis makes the psychic very aware of her own mortality. “I don’t fear it. I fight to know it and teach others to embrace the wisdom that lies in death,” says Allison. “What I mean is that if you know that your story will end, then you will make sure its content is a masterpiece. You’ll be certain not to squander your life and take the time to inspire others through your strength and affection.”

With the clock of time ticking so clearly in her ear, Allison tries to live as many lives as she can in the one she has, and encourages others to do the same. “There’s an art to cramming many lives into the one you have,” writes Allison. “Be what you feel drawn to, do the right thing, have what you feel would mean something to you and, most important, help others do the same. It’s our legacy, it’s why we are here and, much like the monarch butterfly, we will only make part of our migration in this life. But we pass the torch to those who come after us to continue to push forward, and we have in reality passed to them the fire that burned in our eyes and our hearts, it’s in fact our soul.”

“I had begun to feel that this gigantic “experiment” with the whole of Nature, which increasingly seemed to me to be at risk of testing everything to destruction while at the same time extracting a cumulatively unsustainable harvest by artificial and progressively more toxic means, was both dangerous and short-sighted. I felt in my bones that if you abuse Nature unnecessarily and fail to maintain a balance, then She will probably abuse you in return.” HRH The Prince Of Wales, The Elements Of Organic Gardening

A quarter of a century ago, when Prince Charles first spoke publicly about his belief in organic gardening and farming principles, he was dismissed as a tree-hugging eccentric that walked around talking to his plants. Twenty-five years on, he’s considered an ecological visionary. His personal life may be somewhat controversial, but the garden is one place he gets it right (if only he could relate to people as well as he relates to his plants). In The Elements of Organic Gardening, published in the U.S. today by Kales Press, The Prince of Wales shares the sustainable growing methods he’s used in his own gardens at Highgrove, Birkhall and Clarence House.