AUDIO BOOK REVIEW: The Enchanted Life by Sharon Blake

Release Date: December 20, 2018
Publisher: Anansi Audio
Format: Audio
Length: 11 hours 13 minutes
Narrator: Fiona Reid
Genre: Religion/Sprituality, Animism
Buy: Audible | Kindle

Synopsis: 

Enchantment. By Dr. Sharon Blackie’s definition, a vivid sense of belongingness to a rich and many-layered world, a profound and whole-hearted participation in the adventure of life. Enchantment is a natural, spontaneous human tendency - one we possess as children, but lose, through social and cultural pressures, as we grow older. It is an attitude of mind which can be cultivated: the enchanted life is possible for anyone. It is intuitive, embraces wonder, and fully engages the mythic imagination - but it is also deeply embodied in ecology, grounded in place and community.

Taking as her starting point the inspiration and wisdom that can be derived from myth, fairytales, and folk culture, Dr. Sharon Blackie offers a set of practical and grounded tools for enchanting our lives and the places we live, so leading to a greater sense of meaning and of belonging to the world. To live this way is to be challenged, to be awakened, to be gripped and shaken to the core by the extraordinary which lies at the heart of the ordinary.

Review:

Finding your place in what is around you, embracing the wonder of the mundane and remembering to have fun, play, and use your imagination are key components to Sharon Blackies Enchanted Life.  When we stop moving and pay attention to what is right in front of us we can find connection and contentment with life.  Its not about more things, or a different place, or more action its about looking around and finding the beauty all around you, opening up to out of the box ideas, and using our imagination.

One of the saddest things I read in this book was how children today are losing their imagination, due to electronics, lack of unstructured playtime and spending time outside.  What happens when the youngest among us can't use their imagination? What happens to art, to music, to creativity? Or even to corporations, without an imagination many of them wouldn't have gotten started, it was someone with a vision who started that organization and it is people with innovative ideas that will keep it moving.

During this time of quarantine this is the best book to reimagine what life could look like, what will happen once the bans are lifted, will you go back to the life you had; focused on work or will you make changes, will you embrace creativity, play, time with family, nature, walks moving slower? It seems to me Mother Nature is telling us we need to slow down, remember what is important and it isn't work work work.







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