Book Review: A Return to Love (Marianne Williamson) freedomiseverything.com /2016/06/04/book-review-a-return-to-love-marianne-williamson/
My Review of A Return to Love I recently re-read A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson, having skimmed it somewhat the first time around. After reading the book for a second time, I also listened to the audiobook to cement what I’d read in my mind. I read a lot (usually 2 or 3 books per week) and I am also an audio-book junkie (there are lots of us around now!). I believe that if I pick up one good idea or one piece of useful knowledge then the book was a worthwhile read. I decided to review A Return to Love because it had quite a profound effect on my thinking. Writing about it helps me to make sense of what I read.
What is A Return to Love About? A Return to Love (ARTL) is Marianne Williamson’s reflections on the principles set fourth in the book A Course in Miracles, written between 1965 and 1972 by Helen Schucman. Essentially, the book is about love and forgiveness. The premise is that only love is real, because love is God. Everything else is merely an illusion. Williamson says that we have become separated from God and from love and forgiveness, and instead lead lives of fear and despair. She says that many of our relationships – to others, work, money, sex etc – have become characterised by fear, due to a small separate ‘ego’ mind which prevents us from overcoming our self-enforced limitations. The book is beautifully written and benefits from Marianne’s brutal honestly about her own personal experiences and struggles.
Is it a religious book? Having now read the book twice and listened to the audio book 3 times, I still find it difficult to call ARTL a religious book. Whenever God is mentioned I tend to switch off, having been completely atheist since the age of 10. However, ARTL speaks of God and of Love in a way which is non-religious, and this piqued my interest. The book is more spiritual than religious, and the messages contained within actually resonated with me. The basic message is that we should lead with love in every aspect of our lives and it is very hard to argue with this viewpoint. In some ways it doesn’t matter whether you view the book as religious or not, you can still apply the lessons of love and forgiveness in your own life.
What was my experience? The truth is, despite my staunchly practical and non-religious beliefs, I loved this book.
1/4
The benefit of reading many books is that I can now easily measure the value of a book (I mean the value to me personally) by the impact that it has on my life and thinking. ARTL for instance completely changed some of my attitudes immediately. I didn’t have to pray or meditate or invite God into my life in order to make some immediate changes, or experiment with the ideas. It is true that when we approach every single situation from the standpoint of only trying to give as much love as possible, we tend to have very good day. We see the point of view of others, we serve others better and we bring a good attitude to relationships and work. The challenge, of course, is maintaining this perspective continuously and when the ‘going gets tough’. One of the messages I found interesting and distressing at the same time, was the principle of just relaxing and allowing God (or love) to take over and direct your life and actions. To me, this goes against almost all of the personal development material I have read, watched, listened to and studied in recent years. Of course people like Jim Rohn, Anthony Robbins and others tell us to set goals, create plans to achieve them, design our life and so forth. In A Return to Love, the message was that goals can prevent us from living in the moment, from expressing love fully, and that we may miss something better through mental attachment to the goal. There was also the idea that goals (particularly material ones) can be fear-based, because they suggest that something is currently lacking in our lives. This is against the idea of love, because love’s opposite is fear.
A paradigm shift? Yes and no. I found the underlying principles of ARTL to be both workable and sound. Marianne Williamson is also a very practical woman and I think that is why the book works so well. It is not airy-fairy, loopy or ‘out-there’ I like the idea of approaching every situation from the perspective of seeking only to give and receive love. I also rather like the idea of relaxing, living in the present, and letting a higher power (God, the Universe or whatever) determine the direction of my life. I have difficulty letting go of the need to set goals, design the future, decide what I want etc. That said, it resonates with me that sometimes goals can get in the way of enjoying what we have right now. However it is a big step to simply sit back and trust that my path to happiness and success will be shown to me. Regarding money and work, one principle that I really agreed with was the movement from a money and sales mentality, to a service mentality. The principle of course being that if you serve the needs of enough people, then you will receive ample compensation.
Who is A Return to Love for? I believe that ARTL can be for anyone. Some will certainly be put off by the principles and ideas, some will be put off by references to God and the Universe. Others will feel that the content does not honour their religious beliefs. Others will just find the book downright wacky and the polar opposite of what they believe. Surely though, everybody can benefit from the message to live a more loving, more forgiving life. You do not have to be religious, spiritual, or believe in a deity to live a more loving life. And as Marianne says in the book, if more people are living lives filled with Love and Forgiveness, will the World not be a better place?
Recommendation 2/4
I would recommend A return to Love heartily to anyone who enjoys reading with an open mind. Just because you read and appreciate a book doesn’t mean that you have to agree with it’s message or it’s content. I’ve noticed that people seem to like to take sides with this kind of spiritual book – they either love it or hate it. Reading other reviews and comments, the haters seem to be quite vicious in their hatred at times. Some people take things very personally, it seems. It is possible to read a book like this, not take sides, and just take it in. Consider the material and apply it if it resonates. If it does not speak to you, maybe it will at another time and if not, don’t worry about it. Overall, a thoroughly good read, an important message, and applicable principles. Please leave me a comment with your thoughts and opinions. Andy
3/4
4/4