The author, a self-described psychic and healer from Montreal Quebec, compiles New Age philosophies inspired by her “guides” Lao Tzu, Buddha, and Yahweh. The preface notes: “I have reached spiritual self-realization and enlightenment and self-understanding” and encourages readers to “celebrate life and engage in life.”
Each page highlights a different concept, such as “Reflecting,” “Ecstasy,” “Completion,” and “Privilege,” in addition to several pages devoted to questions and answers. Essential ideas repeated throughout—subjects commonly addressed in books on spirituality—include: following your own path, never fearing life, and believing in yourself.
One “Questions and Answers” page asks: “How does one become enlightened?” The author answers: “Enlightenment is about following your path as it is so recognizable that your path is always unique and just for you. The path to enlightenment is that there is nothing more important than looking for a place in your life to be yourself. Enlightenment means that you are without fear.”
The passage above illustrates one of the main flaws with Where a Beautiful Journey Begins: The book presents many theoretical one-sentence platitudes with no logical development of ideas or practical applications for following a path to enlightenment. One directive leads to the next, often without continuity or explanation of how these goals can be achieved. For instance: “Commitment is a tone that you set for your life. It means that you are through all your unfinished business. The unfinished business is like a rag that says that I still need to clean up my act to get there. Life us [sic] about opportunity; and that is all it is about.”
Imprecise language often obscures meaning. Sentences including “Clarity means you are harnessing your life with an exact equation,” “Don’t disqualify your time,” and “With patient effort and optimism we meet our lives succinctly” negatively affect fluency, comprehension, and enjoyment, ultimately resulting in an unfulfilled reading experience.
Also available as an e-book.
