Globusz^® Publishing 

To have picked up this book over others and made a conscious decision to read it (or just see what it’s about) you must consider yourself an amateur in the field of spirituality right? Well that’s okay; in fact it’s a good thing because that brings you into alignment with my way of thinking...

But before you start throwing “ego” labelled stones at me, allow me to admit that I consider myself an amateur as well, and that is why the title is amateur(’s) guide as opposed to just amateur, because it was written by an amateur for amateurs, making it a very fertile environment for spiritual growth.

Another reason I’ve called it An Amateur(’s) Guide to Spirituality is because I believe spirituality is about bringing attention within from the outside world and focusing it on the Self, the Being as opposed to just the body and personality. It is about Self-enlightenment, Self-development, Self-centeredness, true Self... everything to do with the Self, so automatically that signifies individuality to me.

And what makes spirituality different from religion in my eyes is that although it may be practiced religiously by some (including me); every person practices their own version which will differ from another’s. There are no set rules to follow, no one-way to go about it, and all routes ultimately lead to the same place.

For example, if you happen to catch a bunch of spiritually enlightened people together in a room somewhere, you will find that although they may have a common point of agreement, not everything they do, think, say or believe will be the same, or indeed done in the same way as each other, and they will all be aware of and perfectly happy in that knowledge.

Like I said it’s all about Self, and one person’s truth will not be another’s, the key is to respect their truth even if it differs from your own. However, if it somehow infringes on your personal space step away, but keep that respect because we all have the right to exist and believe whatever the hell or heaven we want to believe in. “Live and let live,” I say, and the beauty of free will prevails.

So in coming from that point of view (where everyone sees and interprets a different version of the ultimate truth), I believe that when you subscribe to someone else’s point of view you become an amateur to them, just the same way as if someone else subscribes to your point of view they become an amateur to you. You are both amateurs if you come together with a common point of view because you are looking to learn from each other. So welcome my amateur friends to my point of view!

Another thing that makes me an amateur in this room is the fact that I don’t have any academic achievements related to spirituality that at all qualify me to write this book. Yes, I am a writer with a gift of the gab (I talk even more than I write), and yes I have years of personal experience incorporating spiritual practice into my life that has served me so well, I am now sharing it with the world. But no, I don’t have any certificates hanging up on my wall to prove it, although I do have one qualifying me as an Integrated Energy Therapist; I’m proud of that.

I must also warn you that this book isn’t like the majority of books on the market (every writer says that), it has not been professionally perfected by a team of editors and trimmed to perfection, it is not politically correct (though I have tried not to swear) or straight to the point and proper (I tend to venture off into the woods when explaining a point). In fact, it has not even been proofread by a fresh pair of eyes (though a mate of mine has had a cursory glance), so if you come across any mistakes I obviously missed, do email (details at the back) and let me know.

I have done it this way because when I was starting out and read anything on spirituality that my intuition led me to, I never came across a book that detailed the writer’s experiences, what they felt, what they thought, and how they dealt with it. Not to say that there aren’t any books like this, I just never came across them.

This is fine of course. And believe me I am not criticising because I recognise and respect that people like to keep their personal lives and experiences private, and so they should. But I feel a certain release when I share my issues and challenges, a sense of liberation and growth when I finally come through a situation and then go on to help someone else do the same.

When I went through experiences that I considered traumatic I felt alone, like I couldn’t talk to anyone about what I was feeling, and that was painful. I had no role models to look up to and nobody I felt was talking, so I would like to bring it to the forefront and hopefully get to someone going through similar experiences so that they know it is possible to get through things with the ideas I share on how.

I am hoping that many more people will come forward in the future with their experiences and how they got through them, so that others will also have somewhere to look for and find assistance, because sharing facilitates growth!

A long time ago I realised that I am more receptive to following by example and learning by experience than just theory, so I am naturally drawn to leading/teaching by example and encouraging learning by experience; that is another reason why I have written the book this way.

Before we begin, let me cover myself:

Everything written in this book is from my point of view; what I do, what I don’t, what I think, what I don’t, what I like, what I don’t, what I agree with, what I don’t, what I believe in, what I don’t, how I see the world, how I interpret things, what I experience, and most of all what I say! [Breathe] You do not have to believe everything I have written, indeed you do not have to believe anything. If you take at least one thing away with you when you have finished (or decide you are bored) I hope it is an idea of how to start or continue your journey from here. Even if it just shows you that you don’t want to be spiritual, at least it will have uncovered a bit of your truth to you. This book is not researched, it was written from mind to computer via hands, and the only references I will point you to are things that have worked for and mean something to me. This is my version of spirituality from my point of view, and although everything I think, feel, do and say is right for me, it may not be right for you so accept that. I believe that there is no wrong or right in black or white terms, but relative to where you are coming from (which is why I use the phrase ’right for me’) but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things I seriously don’t agree with, that may be right for someone else. Any opinions I share or observations I state are once again what I think, so you do not have to believe or agree with them, just accept that they are mine and have the right to co-exist with yours. Remember that spirituality is about Self; what you think, what you feel, what you know, what you resonate with, who you are, so take nothing I say as gospel because it is not! It is simply a fraction (albeit important) of the ultimate truth, which is seen from my point of view based on where I am standing, and that may be far, far away from you. However, in the greater scheme of things we are all standing in exactly the right place for us, and have every right to change position if we feel the need to. The purpose of sharing my truth, is to hopefully inspire you to open up to your own, so go ahead and believe what you will and discard what you don’t, but allow it all to be. Know that everything you do is by choice and therefore all consequences are your responsibility (free will clause signed before incarnation). I hope you enjoy this book but remember that it is not intended to lead you by the hand and take you “there” (because that would be you walking my path and I really don’t want you on here), it is to show you what options you have available to assist you on your own personal journey.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s continue:

This is my guide to spirituality... which is really a fancy way of saying “I’ll tell you what I do to incorporate it into my life and you can take from it what you will, and leave the rest for someone else” - don’t worry there’s enough to go round.

Just to let you know that I have split the book into five sections (as opposed to chapters) called Personal Spirituality, Home Retreat, Holistic Relationships, Spirituality At Work, and A Spiritual Life; enticing isn’t it? But feel free to read it in any order you feel comfortable with (the predictable ones will run straight to relationships, tut, tut). I’ve done it this way because that is how I divide up my life in that order of importance.

Also, some of the suggestions I make may pop up in multiple sections, which sounds like I am repeating myself, but that is because spirituality is not containable and really shouldn’t be (I feel).

All right, let’s go!