Product Description

Dear Friend,

Twenty years ago, I made a decision to wake up and alter the direction of my life. This set in motion a series of events that proved to me there are no coincidences. Every event we experience and every person we meet has been put in our path for a reason. When we awaken to this fundamental truth, we begin to understand that a benevolent force of energy is available to guide and direct our lives. I call this energy the unmistakable touch of grace.

This book tells the story of how grace has transformed my life as well as the lives of others. While some stories may seem unbelievable, all of them are true. As you follow the journey, you'll start to see the influence of grace in your life, too. And, once you've finished, the way you view your life (and the people in it) will be changed forever.

Many blessings,

Cheryl

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #328443 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-24
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Amazon.com Review
In The Unmistakable Touch of Grace, bestselling author Cheryl Richardson (Take Time for Your Life and Life Makeovers) moves away from advice about tangible topics, and shares with readers her twenty-year journey of discovery about how the benevolent energy of the Universe, which she calls "the unmistakable grace" works to shape our lives and guide us towards our ultimate spiritual destiny. According to Richardson, there is a Higher Power that has our best interest at heart and uses grace to guide us to better understand the Divine Plan. The goal of this book is to help readers become more aware of how grace touches their lives, and to teach them to be able to better recognize the touch of grace and to surrender to it so that "the right doors will open to support you in fulfilling tour life’s purpose."

There are no coincidences, Richardson writes. Everything and everyone we experience comes into our lives for a reason and are ‘blessings in disguise." Understanding those reasons and viewing life from a spiritual perspective is at the heart of her message. In addition to revealing personal examples from her own life, Richardson shares many other stories to reveal how grace can make dramatic, positive differences in our lives once it is perceived and surrendered to. To aid the reader in those steps, Richardson provides a wealth of exercises at the end of each chapter. She calls such exercises experiments, and encourages readers to perform them with others so that everyone involved can witness their dramatic effects on each other. She also provides additional resources that readers can use to further their self-discovery.

With The Unmistakable Touch of Grace, writing in a style that is both warm and informative, Richardson joins the ranks of other inspirational authors such as Wayne Dyer and Eckhart Tolle, with a work that is both provocative and empowering, and a very useful resource for anyone who desires to increase their awareness of the seeds of miracles contained in everyday experiences.

From the Author
Twenty years ago, I made a decision to wake up and alter the direction of my life. This set in motion a series of events that proved to me there are no coincidences. Every event we experience and every person we meet has been put in our path for a reason. When we awaken to this fundamental truth, we begin to understand that a benevolent force of energy is available to guide and direct our lives. I call this energy the unmistakable touch of grace.

This book tells the story of how grace has transformed my life as well as the lives of others. While some stories may seem unbelievable, all of them are true. As you follow the journey, you'll start to see the influence of grace in your life, too. And, once you've finished, the way you view your life (and the people in it) will be changed forever. Many blessings, Cheryl

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

One decision, made almost twenty years ago, altered the course of my life and brought us here together in this moment. Since then I've come to believe that my life is guided by a powerful Divine force, and when I choose to align myself with this energy, the best and most advantageous path unfolds before me.

I've also learned that there are no coincidences. Every event we experience and every person we meet has intentionally been put in our path to help raise our level of consciousness. When we awaken to this fundamental truth, life becomes a true adventure, a spiritual adventure. The person who smiles at you while you're walking down the street is no longer a stranger. The phone call from an old friend who crossed your mind the day before is no longer a surprise. And the failed relationship that left you broken-hearted is no longer a source of bitterness and pain. Instead it's seen as a blessing in disguise, a gift that makes you stronger, more conscious, and ultimately, more alive.

Over time, as you come to understand these events for what they really are, you recognize that a benevolent force of energy has been available to guide and direct your life all along. I call this energy "the unmistakable touch of grace."

Grace comes from the Latin word gratia, meaning favor, charm, or thanks. Spiritual traditions from around the world each share a similar understanding of this word. For example, in Sanskrit, grace is akin to the word grnati, which means He praises, and to call or invoke. In Christian terms, grace is defined as the infinite love, mercy, favor, and goodwill shown by God to humankind. In Judaism, the concept of grace is expressed by the Hebrew word hesed, meaning mercy, or loving-kindness. Grace is seen as a creative force -- an act of exceptional kindness and goodness. And my friend, Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within, and a leading Buddhist teacher, says, "Grace is the 'isness' of life. It's the recognition that everything is connected and sacred. The more in touch we are with this natural abundance of life, the less we need."

To me, grace is a kind of spiritual intelligence, a form of energy that comes from the Divine Source. This energy is available to each and every one of us at any moment. When we connect with and trust this Higher Power and follow its lead, we step into alignment with a larger vision for our lives. We wake up and suddenly become aware of signs, symbols, and messages that lead us to our highest good.

How do you arrive at a place where you view your life from this perspective? By opening your eyes and your heart to a new way of looking at yourself and the world. One decision is all it takes to get started. From there, your life can change in ways you never could have imagined.

Many people begin this journey when faced with a life crisis or challenge that inspires them to begin making different choices. I've seen it time and again in my career as a coach. "Life change" has been the focus of my work for the last eighteen years. I've taught self-management techniques, offered strategies to eliminate procrastination and energy drains, and preached the gospel of self-care from one end of the country to the other. Along the way I've helped people to see the meaning and purpose behind what appear to be random, everyday events that are, in fact, signposts directing them to a new and better life.

My first two books were primarily focused on helping readers to manage their external lives -- finances, relationships, or busy schedules. My most recent book, Stand Up for Your Life, shifted gears and challenged readers to turn inward to develop the qualities of character that would allow them to live a more soul-directed life. My writing and teaching have always been a direct result of my own experience. For example, I wrote my first book, Take Time for Your Life, because I didn't have one. And, as I became better able to honor my top priorities, I shared what I learned with others.

As I considered the topic for this book, I felt conflicted. My head told me to continue to write about tangible topics like overcoming procrastination or improving financial health -- topics that I knew were important to my readers' lives. Yet, as I began to develop these ideas on paper, I quickly discovered that my heart wasn't in it. I felt moved to write from a deeper, more personal place about my emergence from an unconscious life and my evolving spiritual journey. I wanted to share what I had learned about the myths of success and the reality of what I believe it takes to lead a meaningful life. I worked on outlines for two different books, and then, faced with a deadline, I did what I often do when I need clarity and inspiration -- I went to the beach.

I am blessed to have six miles of federally protected shoreline on an island near my home. The coastline stretches out farther than the eye can see, and I can get lost for hours in the beauty of the open ocean. Once there, I walked along the water's edge and began to pray out loud. "Dear God, I have to make a decision about my next book and I don't know what to do. I'm tired of struggling so I'm surrendering it all to you. Please allow me to be open to seeing the right choice." Then, I continued my walk.

Sometime later the phrase "the unmistakable touch of grace" popped into my head. "Hmm," I thought, "what a beautiful expression." As I slowly made my way down the beach I started to think about how grace has influenced my life.

Since my late twenties, I started noticing unusual occurrences, what some would call coincidences, that provided me with guidance and direction when I felt lost or unsure of myself. I remember one incident early in my career as a professional speaker, when I felt stuck and questioned whether I should continue. I had been looking for a speaker's bureau to represent me and was having trouble finding one. The pressure of trying to make it work was frustrating and one morning, as I was ready to throw in the towel, my phone rang. When I picked it up and said hello, I heard a woman's voice say, "Faith?" "Excuse me?" I replied. "Who are you looking for?" "Faith Richardson," she answered, and a few seconds later the phone went dead. I stood in my living room staring at the receiver in my hand. A smile slowly crossed my face as I realized I had my answer. I needed to trust myself and hang in there. I needed to have faith.

As I thought more about the unmistakable touch of grace during my walk, I could also see that writing about this topic would address the epidemic of fear, anxiety, and disconnectedness I've found in audiences while speaking throughout the country. As I talk to people about their lives, I often see a distant, almost vacant look in their eyes -- a look that says "I'm so busy trying to survive my life that I have no soul left to live it." The events of September 11, and the chaos in the Middle East, along with the overwhelming amount of information and stimuli that assault us on a daily basis, have caused our anxiety levels to soar. Living on the edge of uncertainty has made fight or flight our standard operating mode.

As technology continues to give people more ways to intrude on our time, we end up retreating from the world in an attempt to shelter ourselves from a busy, chaotic life. Clients often tell me that they spend so much time on the phone or computer communicating with people at work that they no longer have the energy or desire to talk with their friends or family when they get home. As a result, our most soul-nourishing relationships start to deteriorate and we end up feeling lonely and isolated. We can try to fill the hollowness inside with everything from the latest reality TV show, to overspending, or the restless pursuit of a purposeful career, only to be disappointed when the emptiness remains. It's no wonder most of us feel as though something essential is missing from our lives. There is. We are starved for a connection to the sacred dimension of life.

I understand the dilemma. I feel privileged to have experienced the kind of success that most people only dream of. I've written books that have made the New York Times bestseller list, built a large online community that brings together thousands of people from around the world, and had the amazing opportunity to lead a series on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." As my career took off and my schedule filled up, I got seduced by my own busy life and lost sight of my spiritual center. I became more focused on leaping the next highest bar. One bestseller wasn't enough. There had to be another. As soon as I accomplished an important goal, I automatically moved on to the next, never allowing myself an opportunity to enjoy the fruits of my hard work. Enough was never enough and even when I knew better, it still wasn't enough. These accomplishments (and the life lessons that ensued) gave me the rare opportunity to know for sure that no amount of money, popularity, or success can give us the happiness and peace we all long for. This comes from the daily rituals and practices that keep us connected to our spiritual core.

As someone who has dedicated her life to helping people honor their values and most treasured priorities, it's clear to me the answer to living a genuine, soul-directed life is not just about practicing time management techniques or self-care strategies. While these tools are important, as long as we look for solutions in the outer world to calm our fears and anxieties, or to alleviate our loneliness, we'll always be disappointed. Instead, we need to go deeper. We must embrace what great spiritual teachers have known all along -- freedom from suffering and true happiness are found in the connection we share with a power greater than us all.

I left the beach that day with a greater sense of clarity and feeling more excited about the direction I wanted this book to take. So I made a decision to sit with the phrase, "th...

Customer Reviews

Content never gets deeper than what's printed on the dust jacket.
The topic of divine grace has been written about for centuries--must it be merited? Can it be revoked? How do you know when you've got it?--and this book happily, carelessly, skips by all of them.

The point of the book is this: "Coincidences" aren't. You can learn from them, too!

There. I've just saved you from reading 256 pages of stories of "miraculous" coincidences. Now then: Where's my book deal?

There is a saying that goes, "Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous." I like that saying. This book almost says that but the author admits many times she is uncomfortable with the word "God" but totally cool with using "grace" in the theological, divine sense (and as covered more than cogently by Aquinas et. al.).

The author, Cheryl Richardson, declares herself a life coach. She is not the first to do so, but never clearly explains what this is and how it ties into grace (unless being a life coach means appearing on Oprah and writing New Age-lite books).

A Great Book to Get Started On Life Changes
Cheryl's book is an easy read. It's like your having a cup of coffee with her as you read the book. I followed her advice and journaled my feelings, thougths, and questions. Not only did this book help me move out of a deep depression, but it also showed me how to discoiver my passion for writing and the power behind the creative process. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for the first step to start them on their own journey of self - development. make sure you have a notebook and pen ready when you sit down to do the exercises. They are very simple, yet powerful.
Leigh Le Creux
Author The Secret Unraveled: Opening The Secret Once and For All!, Astro Socks

Cheryl Richardson
Cheryl's book "The Unmistakable Touch of Grace" was an excellent book. I think she has a lot to offer and I like her writing style. Excellent ideas to use to accomplish one's own "touch of grace". An excellent book.