Archive for December, 2010

An Old Self

Seeds XII, 53

Seed: An Old Self

I looked at the young actress standing in front of me. She was slumped into herself, wearing schlumpy clothes, and glasses. Her hair was unbrushed, and she was—there’s no other way to put it—whining. Let’s call her Sara.

Sara was putting every single obstacle that she could into her own path to being an actor. She had every reason in the book, and some not in the book, to explain why she wanted this and why she couldn’t have it.

I remained still, gazing at her, till she stopped talking.

“Sara,” I said, “you’re arguing for an old self.”

Sometimes all it takes is one sentence.

It’s a new year and a new decade. Time for a new self.

Be passion,

Susan Corso

Dr. Susan Corso

Seeds are remarkable gifts. Sown in consciousness, they bring you to the most important part of your being—your Divine Spark.

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A Course in Weight Loss by Marianne Williamson

Oh, it seems cruel to me to post this review right after the holidays, but I promised Hay House I would, and I like to keep my word. That said, as weight loss books go, this is a fascinating one.

I have to say upfront that when I heard that Marianne Williamson had written A Course in Weight Loss: 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever, I cringed. I’ve only ever seen slender Marianne at a size four at most. What the hell could she know? I asked myself. Well, dear one, she does know. Marianne had her own food crazies for ten years.

Truth to tell, this is so not a book about weight loss, and it is totally a book about weight loss at the same time. What it really is is a book about surrender. About surrendering control that we don’t really have, but kid ourselves that we do over things, behaviors and ideas that make us go unconscious.

All of Ms. Williamson’s work, no matter the issue she’s tackling, is about getting and staying conscious, and that makes this book worth its cost and more. As she writes, “The purpose of this course is to root out your fear, and to replace it with an inestimable love.” This is code, dear one. That “inestimable love” means God, and for Marianne, that God is a He, and it doesn’t bother her. It bothers me.

And, if it bothers you, change the language! The ideas in the book are invaluable, and if the software bugs you—translate. I do it all the time. I don’t need God to be She, but I need It to be, at the least, neutral. God/It, if you will.

Anyway, she had me from Lesson Two onward: Thin You meet Not-Thin-You. Each chapter is designed to create an encounter with your version of that fear she references in the introduction. And each chapter has an exercise designed to confront that fear lovingly, gracefully, and permanently. The tools Marianne offers are offered elsewhere, but not in quite this format. [Consider the stellar work of Geneen Roth, based more in Buddhism, than in the Christian metaphor of A Course in Miracles which Marianne uses.]

No matter, those of us who struggle with the bodies we inhabit and what we do or do not weigh will be benefited by this book. I’m grateful to Hay House for publishing it, and to Marianne Williamson for writing it.

Surrender to what is is always, always, always a good idea. Only when we surrender to what’s so right now can we make the changes we desire.

For spiritual nourishment, visit Dr. Susan Corso’s website and blog, Seeds for Sanctuary. Follow her on Twitter @PeaceCorso and Friend her on Facebook. And discover your own Inner Peace at, To Me Peace Is … What is Peace to You?

A Polar Bear Christmas

Santa Claus brought us a mama polar bear and her cub for Christmas. It sounds odd, I know, but just before the holidays began in earnest, I read about a website that hand-makes dolls for prayer. You send a photo of a person and they make a doll so you’ll pray for the person.

My sweetheart is a huge fan of polar bears. No idea why. But the prayer dollies gave me an idea. I went straight to the Amazonians and looked for a polar bear stuffed animal. Mama and Baby Polar Bear weren’t expensive so I clicked and they arrived at hom. I wrapped them and put them under the tree.

When my beloved opened them, she burst into tears. The end of animal species breaks her heart. Her tears kept flowing as I explained the gift.

We’re going to put our bears on the top of the back of a chair we see all the time in the living room, and pray for polar bears every night. They need it, and more importantly, we need it.

When clients come this year, I’ll be able to explain that we’re praying for all polar bears and ask them to join us. Just a two-person polar bear campaign for 2011. Won’t you join us?

We thank you, and so will the bears.

For spiritual nourishment, visit Dr. Susan Corso’s website and blog, Seeds for Sanctuary. Follow her on Twitter @PeaceCorso and Friend her on Facebook. And discover your own Inner Peace at, To Me Peace Is … What is Peace to You?