A respected friend (and endorser of my book The Twelve Commitments To Life) offered an idea the other day. “Why not change the title to “The Twelve Commitments To Self,” he suggested. I understood immediately where he was going. People buy and read millions of books about self-improvement. Perhaps a different title could attract that crowd of buyers.
My answer was decisive. Changing the title may help sales, but a change of title to include “self” would betray the theme of the book.
The Twelve Commitments To Life is not about building a better self. Yes, committing to Life will probably make you happier and more successful, but that isn’t the point to this book. The point is that without committing to Life, Life gets missed and finding the meaning of Life gets missed. And that often happens when people commit to a path of success in their field, their relationships, or their personal economy.
My lucid dream, as explained in the Forward, was a dialogue between me and Life. Not me and myself. Life said, “If you want to know the meaning of Life, you have to commit to it.” And when I asked for particulars, Life gave a description of Life at its basic level, not a description of myself at my basic level.
Life (and to some degree my experience of Life) at its basic level includes health of that particular being, an environment that is suitable for Life and awareness of Life. (I think all living beings on some level are self-aware; scientific studies have proven that even plants are self-aware.) As I explained in the book, basic Life also includes things like breath (exchange of energies), arousal through tactile senses, balance and more. These elements of Life aren’t just about me or my survival. It’s about the survival and thriving of the “big L,” Life.
My friend agreed that my book is a different approach from most other books on self-improvement. He specifically likes that it doesn’t talk about the Law of Attraction or success, or get snarled in God-talk.
I know this approach is unique. And it isn’t easy. It may not attract the seekers of success. But the reward, dear reader, is discovering the meaning of Life. That is no small achievement. And that is no small reward.
P.S. After concentrating on practicing the book’s material for over a year, I am working on a new book that takes this partnership with Life and its purposes to a new level. Using this paradigm, the experience of Life gets easier and more rewarding. I think you’re going to love it, understand more about Life and live in more gratitude as a result.
