Amazon Category:  Self-Help Publisher: iUniverse ISBN-10:  059518023x Type: Non-Fiction Pages: 106 Copyright: Jul 1 2001 This book belongs in every seeker's home. It answers many questions about what it means to live a spiritual life. The author presents this material with refreshing humor yet great respect. Her examples of personal issues solved in spiritual ways make this work down to Earth and real. And for seekers who do best with step by step guidance, there's an easy to follow workbook. Wherever your spiritual search leads you, this book will shine a bright light on the path ahead. Introduction: In the Beginning... ...there I was, working as a therapist for many years, when I realized that most people do not need therapy! Now clearly, this is not what you want to hear if you have just been through ten years of therapy. What I did find is that in order for people to create successful lives, which I believe is why most people go into therapy in the first place, they simply need an understanding of how they relate to the universe which, by the way, is what you will receive by reading this book. So all is not lost. But what do I mean when I say that people just want to understand how they relate to the universe? In the back of our minds, most of us have questions such as: Who am I? Why am I here? How do I relate to others? How do I create a successful life? Or, actually, how do I create any life for myself! These might seem like rather odd questions to ask, but these are the secrets that most of us have been missing. You might be thinking, "Oh, come on, Barbra, How do I, little old me, create my life!" And I'll admit, the chances are pretty good that this was not a topic discussed at your dinner table when you were growing up. Which may help explain why the world is in such a mess. Well thank God that life is different now! My greatest prayer is that these questions will now be the kinds of questions asked at dinner tables all over the world. Before we get there, we need to start at the beginning, which of course, is why I'm writing and you are reading this book. While on this adventure I noticed that in all people there is a series of programs (information) based on our original understandings of life, as learned when we were children. This information is, by the way, mostly false, and herein lies the problem: it all needs to be worked on. When we start to work on these programs by changing, deleting, editing, etcetera, we end up with new programs, and these new programs are what start to create a new level of success in our lives. How do we do that? That is what this book is about! When I use the word metaphysics in these pages, please don't be intimidated. I teach children and adults the same way. I believe in being simple, the way life really is, the way my brain works, without the very human impulse to complicate things. My goal in this book is to help you change your life, if that is what you desire. I’m giving you the simplest version of an incredibly complex field of information. I've added a good serving of fun to the mix. I've discovered in my workshops that this material really can be fun and this playful spirit opens us all up so that we can more easily take in this information. I have been to many seminars and read many books. As I am taking in all the information and my brain is frying, I begin to realize that everything presented could have been said in one﷓quarter of the time! Of course, that's me: I like to learn in a way that is as quick and simple as possible. There are many people, I know, who don't feel they're getting their money's worth unless they chew endlessly on the issues. And, of course, some people just like to cram their heads with lots of information. Whichever of these categories you fit into, I do pray that this book will help you. Don't worry, your brain will still fry from all the information! So have no fear, you can always go out and get a book on quantum physics after you understand! Are you ready? Excerpt "Finally a book that answers all of life’s secrets! Simple enough for a child, humorous enough for my husband!" Jessica Saunders In the book, The Unofficial Guide to Living Successfully on Planet Earth, the delightful, effervescent personality of Barbra Gilman comes through in a charming, conversational style as she takes the great metaphysical truths of life, instilling them with new insights, and making them come alive for you personally. Her text is combined with unique and experiential exercises for the heart and mind to create a "down to earth" practical guide for changing your life. Rev. Dorothy Ann Jackson Co-Minister, Unity of Sarasota, Florida - "So many of us feel the spiritual tug of our inner lives. But what does it mean to follow it? By accepting Barbra's guidance, we find the path, and it is like coming home." Hal Zina Bennett, author of Write From the Heart - “I felt my soul "lighten up" just reading the pages of the book. The exercises are powerful yet simple tools to guide me along my spiritual path. A delightful, must read book.” Kathryn Kvols, author of Redirecting Children's Behavior President of the International Network for Children and Families _ Barbra is brilliant! After years of therapy, I discovered that rambling on about my past was not the solution for me. What I needed was results that would work immediately. Barbra’s book was able to target those areas. For years I was guarded and defensive but with her humor and love that poured out of the pages I knew that if I applied her teachings, and completed the workbook I would get the results that I wanted. And I did! It is great to be alive and thanks to Barbra I have a much richer and fulfilled life. Sylvia Lipschitz __ Finally a book by Barbra that captures her knowledge, wisdom, experience and dedication to helping people reach their highest potential through spiritual growth. The book is a "MUST HAVE" for anyone embarking on a spiritual journey. Pat Brancale _ Start living your life consciously -- just do the work! Barbra gives you the tools to get all the answers you need to have a life filled with joy and fulfillment! Pamela Rylott _ When you are ready to change your life -- be prepared. It is not possible to learn what Barbra teaches and not succeed! Doreen De Costa

Opening to Spiritual Truths of Our Lives
I first saw this book about two years before its publication and was impressed by the simple, straightforward and even humorous style the author had for introducing complex spiritual and metaphysical concepts. There are a few authors around who are able to do this. Gilman takes on a lot. She explains what we can be responsible for in our lives, and what we can't; what it means to raise the level of our own consciousness in order to manifest a more satisfying life; and even gives a model for considering life after life. There's more in this little book, too. And being able to have key metaphysical issues available in such a compact presentation is a real gift. Serious students of these issues, or people who might want to pursue these subjects further, can move on after reading this book, to seek more expansive explorations. But I, for one, am grateful that someone could put so much together in one place, giving a launching point, and reference point that inspires, instructs and even entertains. Hal Zina Bennett, author of Write From the Heart