The Promise

The Unmistakable Touch of Grace: How to Recognize and Respond to the Spiritual Signposts in Your Life
by Cheryl Richardson

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By embarking on this adventure you'll awaken to the presence of grace in your own life and sometimes, the lives of others. Whether you already feel a connection to a Higher Power or not, pretty soon you'll find that your anxiety, fear, or uncertainty about the future will gradually be replaced with the comfort and security of knowing:

• You are not alone. There is a powerful, supportive energy guiding your life and it always has your best interest at heart. When you call upon it for guidance and support, it will respond. Spiritual signposts will be put in your path to guide you to your highest good. Follow them!

• You have a higher purpose for your life. The more you surrender to Divine will and allow grace to lead, the more you'll find that the right doors open to support you in fulfilling your life's purpose. You'll learn to recognize and respond to them. Walk through those doors with courage and faith.

• You have what it takes to face any life challenge. As a human being you will experience loss, disappointment, failure, and fear. But you don't have to suffer. As a matter of fact, your most challenging life circumstance may turn out to be your greatest blessing. Your reliance on the power of grace will give you the faith and spiritual fortitude to face life's ups and downs with confidence and poise.

• You are a student in the school of life. As you view your life from a higher, more spiritual perspective, you'll begin to see that everything happens for a reason. Every event, experience, and person you encounter is intended to support your soul development. Take advantage of these opportunities.

• You have the peace and happiness you desire already within you. When you deepen your connection to the Divine by balancing activity with silence, you'll discover the true source of all joy and happiness. You'll experience a heightened sensitivity to beauty, deep inner peace, and a profound feeling of connectedness to all living things. Enjoy these gifts.

The journey you're about to take is exciting and full of promise. As you read through each chapter, allow yourself to drink in the inspiration of the stories first, without worrying about having to do anything. Stories themselves are a powerful source of grace. They give us insight and provide us with inspiration that shifts our thinking or way of being in the world.

Once you've finished reading a chapter, you'll be ready to conduct the experiment.

The Experiments

At the end of each chapter I've included an experiment designed to help you recognize and use the power of grace in your own life. Think of yourself as a spiritual scientist, ready to explore new territories that will alter your view of the world forever. You may also want to assemble your own team of scientists. Invite one or more people to work through this book with you. While you can conduct these experiments on your own, you'll dramatically increase your ability to see the influence of grace in your life by witnessing its effects on others. If you're unable to find someone, don't worry. We've made it easy for you to locate like-minded people in your community, by using our free global database of Life Makeover Groups on our website at www.cherylrichardson.com. There you'll find all the tools and resources you need to find or start a group in your hometown. As I write this book, more than four thousand groups are already in action around the world.

The Resource Sections

At the end of each experiment I've included a list of resources to help further your spiritual exploration. These books, websites, and other programs have been helpful during the various stages of my journey. They provide a variety of perspectives and teachings. And, while some may contain information or opinions that differ from your own, I encourage you to keep an open mind. The influence of grace is often found in unexpected places.

This book is filled with stories of how grace has touched my life and the lives of clients, friends, and members of our online community. While some stories may seem unbelievable, all of them are true (some names and details have been changed). It is my prayer that this book serve as inspiration and motivation to open you more fully to your own divinity and the sacred dimension of life. At a time when so many of us feel hopeless and powerless to change the troubled world in which we live, it's important to remember that there is a Divine power far greater than anything else that exists on the planet — a power that resides within each of us. When we learn to align our own Divine nature with the ultimate Creative Source, miracles happen. As Ramakrishna said, "The winds of grace are always blowing, but you have to raise the sail." This book is my gift to you in the hopes that it will help you to do just that.

Experiment: Finding Grace

The first experiment is designed to help you become more aware of the presence of grace. There are five parts to this experiment:

1. Start a grace journal. Find a journal or notebook that's easy to use for the experiments throughout this book.

2. On the first page of your journal, write the following:

   I am open and receptive to the power of grace in my life now. I ask to be shown clear examples of how this energy is operating in my life.

3. Now, declare out loud that you are open to the influence of grace. As silly as this may sound, it's important to get in the habit of consciously working with this energy. Try it right now. Repeat the following statement:

   I am open and receptive to the power of grace in my life now. I ask to be shown clear examples of how this energy is operating in my life.

   Develop a ritual of writing this statement in your journal every morning and night, and when you do, repeat it out loud. (If you really want to accelerate the process, repeat it at random times throughout the day).

4. Begin to focus on the concept of grace. Notice what shows up in your life and write about it in your journal. Does the word come up in conversations? Do you find it in a magazine article, or on bumper stickers? Start to keep track of the signs of grace that are already in your life.

5. Finally, sometimes we experience grace in how we relate to the stories of others. As you read through each chapter, pay close attention to the reactions you have to the stories you read. Does one push your buttons, move you to tears, make you angry, or cause you to daydream? Mark the stories and write about any insights, similarities, or reactions in your journal.

Copyright © 2005 by Cheryl Richardson

About the Author

Cheryl Richardson is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Take Time for Your Life, Life Makeovers, and Stand Up for Your Life. As a professional coach and speaker, her work has been covered widely in the media, including the Today show, Good Morning America, The New York Times, and O, The Oprah Magazine. Cheryl led the Lifestyle Makeover Series on The Oprah Winfrey Show and accompanied Ms. Winfrey on the "Live Your Best Life" nationwide tour. She lives in Massachusetts.