MINING FOR DIAMONDS
 by Patricia Fero, Healing Dynamics, 2005, 96 pages, $10.95

Have you ever witnessed a forest fire? Perhaps a “controlled burn” set by stewards of the land or a natural occurrence of fire such as lightening? In time, new growth; beautiful flowers and healthier plants emerge from the scorched land.

I often use this analogy when describing my life, especially my dysfunctional and at times abusive childhood. For me, it’s pretty basic: bad stuff happens, we survive. Especially if we have the courage to take the time to go within ourselves and look carefully, because then we see what has survived those fires and thrived. We are strong, despite the difficulty.

Author Patricia Fero asserts that we are strong because of those difficulties. In this important book, Fero, an Ann Arbor psychotherapist, condenses and shares 20 years of research, clinical experience and interviews with people she calls Miners – highly resilient people who have experienced significant adversity in childhood and are now leading extraordinary lives.

Mining for Diamonds is a metaphor for turning within and exploring your inner world to discover the riches within. The original wisdom has generously been shared by the “Miners” but is transferable and appropriate to anyone who has had challenges in life.

The book is made up of concise, clear examples of the 18 common resources the Miners used to create resiliency, spirituality, mistakes, luck, independence, crisis, creativity, work, support systems, role models, humor, relationships, resolve, insight, intelligence, morality, initiative, will, determination, persistence and risk taking. These seemingly simple assets are presented in matter of fact ways with inspiring examples and lovely quotes from the Miners. She describes how these resources have been and could be used to aid us in becoming more strong and powerful.

Fero has crafted a book that encourages people to go within themselves and discover their strengths and hopes. A clear, simple handbook for identifying, uncovering and increasing one’s own internal resources. It’s a quick read that can be initially finished in just a few hours, although you’ll want to keep it nearby as reference for both inspiration and validation.

Reviewed by Charmie Gholson

HOW TO BE A HAPPIER PERSON – NOW
by Dr. Bob Bedard, Robert T. Bedard, 2006, 348 pages. $16.95

Be happier! This book is chock full of techniques and exercises to add to your spiritual practice. “Happiness is a process – indeed an ‘art form’ – and one at which you can be very successful,” says Dr. Bob Bedard, who has been teaching happiness techniques for more than 25 years.

Bedard focuses on eight major axioms – commitment, love and interaction, positive communication, mental relaxation, awareness, self concept, goal striving and universal power – to convey his method of achieving happiness. There is plenty of inspiration to encourage students to use in their daily practice.

“Every day we are given a fresh 1440 minutes in which to practice bringing out our true soul quality of joyfulness. The minutes are therefore more important than the years, months, weeks or even the days because all of those are made of the individuals minutes… If you concentrate on winning the minutes within each day you being to create your future – the happy life that you want and deserve to have.”
Would you rather be happy or unhappy?

Would you rather be with people who are happy or unhappy?

Do you treat people better when you are happy or unhappy?

If you answered "happy" to these questions, this book is definitely for you!

Available at www.ihthappiness.com

Reviewed by Sally Kimbel