The Unmistakable Touch of Grace

 

Life Coach and best-selling Author
CHERYL RICHARDSON

 

I'd like to start our chat with a short prayer:

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I am open and receptive to the power of grace in my life now. I ask to be shown clear examples of how this energy is operating in my life.
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I used a version of that prayer two years ago while walking on a beach near my home, desperately trying to decide on the topic of my next book.

I was up against a deadline and feeling pressured to write another bestseller (not fun). My publishers were waiting for my next brilliant idea and I kept getting stuck each time I attempted to write a summary.

 So, I went to the beach and asked God to help me.

I was frustrated and scared; I felt tremendous pressure. My head told me to write about practical topics, and my heart said,  No, you need to write about your truth and what you've learned from having been blessed with so much success.

So after a prayer of desperation (which goes something like: Okay God, I give up, my attempts to control this situation ain t working, so take over. ; )

The phrase   the unmistakable touch of Grace  popped into my head (trust me, this never happens!) I started to think about how grace had influenced my life, and from my late twenties, I could see the hand of the Divine at work in my life.

I had experienced pivotal events, small signs, and blockbuster moments that seemed to direct me down the right path.

I define grace as a benevolent force of energy that comes from the Divine Source. It is an unmerited gift. You don't need to work hard to earn it. Surrender your needs to receive it. Or be good enough to deserve it.

Grace is available to each and every one of us at any moment in time. Isn't that great news?!

So, after my walk on the beach I conducted an experiment. I asked God to show me clear signs that I was meant to write about grace. The events that occurred after that request made it very clear that I was on the right track.

I tell the story of what happened in the introduction of the book... seeing the  grace happens  bumper stickers everywhere... getting a favorite magazine in the mail with a cover story called,  Living a Life of Grace ... getting an unexpected gift of flowers at the exact moment I remembered I had forgotten to get them... and more.

The signs of Grace made it crystal clear to me that I needed to follow my heart, thank God!

The experience of writing this book and speaking about it with others has been the most rewarding of all -- see what happens when you follow your heart? ; )

Okay, so - The book is about the spiritual journey we all take in one form or another when we make a decision to wake up and live conscious lives. I wrote the book in a kind of novel format (I love fiction), hoping to lead the reader from one chapter to another with the thought of  I wonder what happens next.

I felt strongly that this book was important for this time and I wanted to get the message
across that the evidence of grace exists in our lives, we only need to see through spiritual eyes. This requires us to be awake -- no sleepwalking through life :)

The journey starts with a knock -- some kind of classic wake-up call or a mundane moment when you simply decide you no longer want to live the way your living.

Then, the next stage is when we embark on a spiritual journey that often starts with our
psychological healing. We become voracious readers of self-help, we attend workshops and seminars, we ask important questions like: Who am I? Why am I here? What is the purpose of my life?

We search for answers in many places -- books, therapy, websites, other people, sometimes the religion of our youth, or new spiritual/religious practices. As we embark on this journey, we become aware of  coincidences  little signs, symbols, messages and events that seem to confirm our direction, support our healing and growth, or re-point us on the right path and most of all -- help us to stay awake.

In this stage I write about searching for evidence. Going back through our lives looking at our past through the lens of grace. When we do, we suddenly see that painful events, made us stronger, more awake and alive, or the people in our lives taught us important lessons.

I've written a chapter called  Who are your spiritual change agents?  and this fun chapter is about seeing the people in our lives for who they really are blessed souls who have agreed to help us raise our level of consciousness.

So, with that in mind, the ex who drove you crazy, may have taught you to stand up for yourself. Or, the boss who treated you poorly may have been the catalyst you needed to force you to leave your crummy job to find work that you love.

When we begin to see the influence of grace in our lives, we're then ready to dance with grace (another chapter), and work with this energy to help us lead soul-directed lives.

That's where  surrender  comes in, trusting in Divine timing, and taking full responsibility for this precious life you have. The book is filled with amazing stories of how grace has changed my life as well as the lives of others, and it can change your life too!

As we learn to see and work with the energy of grace, we are better able to become
what I call  spiritual pioneers  -- change agents for others -- a conduit of grace in the world.

 The Unmistakable Touch of Grace  is my most personal book yet. At times it was terrifying to write.  I know what happens when we put ourselves  out there,  and I knew the risk I was taking of telling my story.

But, here's the truth... my story is your story. The details may be different, but the journey is the same.

We all want to know that there is something much bigger than us guiding our lives. We all want the comfort of knowing that we are not alone. We strive to find our way in the world, our purpose, our reason for being. And in one-way or another, we all long deeply for connection to the sacred dimension of life.

That's what I hope the book gives people. And based on the amazing emails I've received so far, I'd say God did a great job!

 

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Cheryl Richardson will share more with us on this concept based on her newest book, 'The Unmistakable Touch of Grace.  Cheryl is also the author of  The New York Times  best-selling books  Take Time for Your Life,   Life Makeovers  and  Stand Up for Your Life.

Cheryl has lent her expertise as the team leader for the Lifestyle Makeover Series on the  Oprah Winfrey Show.  She has also served as the co-executive producer and host of 'The Life Makeover Project with Cheryl Richardson' on the Oxygen Network.

For more on Cheryl Richardson, visit her web site at: http://www.cherylrichardson.com