Spiritual Warrior: The Art of Spiritual Living
By John-Roger

Book Review by Teri Wunderman, Ph.D.

At this time when there is such unrest across our planet and talk of war, and as one who is quite accomplished at being a worrier, I found the book, Spiritual Warrior, a superior book for helping me realign with my Spirit. Rather than worrying and living in fear about what's going on in the world, this book has helped me live my life more from a place of loving, inner strength, and acceptance, and in turn, find greater peace.

What is a Spiritual Warrior? According to John-Roger, "Spiritual Warriors are people - men and women - who confidently make choices about where to focus their internal attention, even when the external realities of their everyday lives are chaotic, troublesome, or just plain annoying."

Being a Spiritual Warrior has nothing to do with violence, nothing to do with war as we think of it. Being a Spiritual Warrior is about waking up inside ourselves to our "internal adversaries" which include addictions and fears, with control being the master addiction. "The fear of losing control is the strongest human motivator," he writes.

As Spiritual Warriors we realize that we cannot have control, that God is in control. In that knowing, we can experience freedom to make choices that bring more loving and compassion into our lives and the lives of those around us. How do we make wise choices and free ourselves from worrying? John-Roger gives three "ground rules" to follow:

Don't hurt yourself and don't hurt others. Take care of yourself so you can help take care of others. Use everything for your upliftment, learning and growth.

Sounds too simple? "Think how your life would change if you lived them, REALLY lived them!" John-Roger suggests.

I have found that applying these rules in my life, personally and professionally, have brought me an ever-increasing sense of ease and fulfillment in my life. When I don't know what to do in a situation or conflict, instead of getting into worrying, the best choice always involves the first guideline - "Don't hurt myself and don't hurt others." Often, remembering that guideline is all it takes for me to become aware of how to be more loving, caring and accepting, which leads to a greater sense of peace and harmony not only for me but for those around me.

One of the concepts I especially found helpful in this book is that of the "petty tyrant," people who push our buttons, make us feel uncomfortable, or hurt our feelings. They can be anyone in our lives - bosses, co-workers, the media, spouses, even our children. To John-Roger, petty tyrants challenge us to see adversity as a blessing, to help us take a look at our sense of self-importance and self-righteousness, our resentments and hatred, so we can be "ruthless" and "impeccable" with our loving, caring, and acceptance of others.

The thought that someone who bugs me is actually a blessing in my spiritual growth isn't a concept I accepted right away. Yet, when I put John-Roger's message into practice, when I let go of my doubts and looked at what I was learning from those experiences, I found myself more accepting, worrying less, and having a greater awareness of my spirit which leads to joy. I actually experience a sense of gratitude for having those button-pushers in my life!

John-Roger's book is filled with inspiring exercises and simple tools for helping us move out of our worrying and back into a place of alignment with our Spirit. He encourages us to explore these tools, find what works for us, and let go of what doesn't. "In fact, that principle, applied to your entire life, is the first step along the path of the Spiritual Warrior."

So take that first step to move away from being a Spiritual Worrier. Take a look at Spiritual Warrior: The Art of Spiritual Living. As John-Roger writes, "Those who do the practice of the art of the Spiritual Warrior will find that the rewards are tremendous."

Check out the Spiritual Warrior website at www.spiritualwarrior.org where you can download the 15-day journal and start getting acquainted with your Spiritual Warrior right now.

Related Links:
John-Roger
The Spiritual Warrior Book Information
Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA)
The Spiritual Warrior Website
Mandeville Press