Elaine
St. James is known for her life-changing bestsellers, which evolved
from her methods of controlling the chaos of a busy schedule. She
compiled her practices and had them published in Simplify Your Life.
The book is still quite popular today. St. James has produced several
siblings to this work including the subject of this review titled Inner
Simplicity: 100 Ways to Regain Peace and Nourish Your Soul.Inner Simplicity
lets readers examine their inner selvessort of like spring cleaning for
the soul. The author says that the definition of inner simplicity will
be different for everyone. For her, it means "tuning in to what is the
best this world has to offer, such as the love of family and friends,
the wonders of nature and the serenity and clarity that come from
silence and quiet contemplation."The
100
exercises of this book are quite short. Naturally, everybody won''t
be able to perform every lesson. The key is for readers to find what
pertains to them and focus on those areas.St.
James appears to be a very spiritual woman. She''s into meditation and
the search for "cosmic consciousness." I, on the other hand, am not. I
opt to skip these portions of the book and focus on what interests me. I
mention this point because I want readers to understand that there''s
something for everybody in this work. There are exercises that explore
meditation and solitude. There are lessons that focus on feelings and
getting in tune with joy, fear, sadness, laughter and anger. Some of
the suggestions are offbeat (#85: Consult a Psychic), and some are damn
near impossible (#7: Have a Family Meal in Silence). Some are so simple
I wonder why I didn''t think of them. For
example, St. James advises we be selective of current events. I quit
watching the local television news thus "drastically cutting exposure
to the psychic and emotional drain of what passes for news." I feel
much better in the evening now. I should have done this a long time ago.Inner Simplicity
can be read two different ways and arguments can be made for either
choice. Reading the book a few pages at a time allows the reader to
ingest each lesson slowly and carefully. Charging through the book
cover to cover may give the reader a spiritual shot in the arm. Because
it takes time to maintain changed habits, it''s probably best if the
book is read at least two times for maximum effectiveness.My earlier criticism of St. James''s books don''t apply here. While reading Simplify Your Life and Simplify Your Work Life,
I got the sense that the author was a little out of touch with the
average citizen. Many of her suggestions just weren''t practical or
financially possible. Fortunately, Inner Simplicity is safely grounded with the lessons that are entirely achievable (except for that silent family dinner one).My recommendation is that your read Simplify Your Life
first. Clean up the mess that is your physical life. De-clutter and get
your finances in order. Drop the people and activities in your life
that suck you dry. Once you have a handle on everything, pick up a copy
of Inner Simplicity.
Spring cleaning your inner being will make life more enjoyable and
fulfilling. St. James presents many helpful, easy exercises to allow
you to expand your horizons and see all the beauty the world has to
offer. Enjoy this book and you''ll enjoy life.