cover image Live Your Bliss: Practices That Produce Happiness and Prosperity

Live Your Bliss: Practices That Produce Happiness and Prosperity

Terry Cole-Whittaker, . . New World Library, $14.95 (223pp) ISBN 978-1-57731-685-5

Spiritual lecturer, writer, and self-described “pleasure seeker” Cole-Whittaker (What You Think of Me Is None of My Business ) draws on Eastern and Western religious traditions, as well as New Thought prosperity principles and Hermetic philosophy, to present a message of abundant happiness. All that’s needed is to realize that everything and everyone is already perfect. Easier said than done, perhaps? Cole-Whittaker’s concepts come to life with parables, contemplation exercises, empowering mantras, and simple yet insightful metaphors. Thoughts, deeds, and actions are often compared to seeds that offer better yield when tended in a positive way. Negativity is presented as bad computer programming worth removing. Since humans are inherently perfect, recognizing that perfect state requires letting go of such toxic emotions as greed or envy. Living your bliss has practical use in overcoming career, relationship, and health difficulties. Philosophically, there’s certainly room for debate (if everyone is perfect, why does crime exist?), and the author’s call to research the health benefits of colloidal silver are questionable. While many readers won’t accept all of Cole-Whittaker’s conclusions, the exuberance of her writing is contagious. (Jan.)