Author: Brian Heaton-Ross

This compilation of words has had a long gestation, beginning with two major life transitions, which completely changed the direction of my life. The first was my decision to train and work as a counsellor and therapist; as a direct result of this decision I met Shiela, with whom I have shared the last four decades of my life. These two life events were the catalysts which prompted me to make a commitment to live my life more consciously. A consequence of this was that I embarked on a process which involved questioning and changing my habitual thoughts, and therefore the habitual words and feelings, which were creating the landscape of my life; until this time I had not even considered how my thoughts would be affecting my life experiences.

In a sense this book is a reflection of my own personal journey, starting with a spiritual crisis of identity, and my commitment over the last forty years to make my search for meaning central to my life. The main criteria I have used in my selection of quotations have been that they speak to me in such a way as to remind me, to challenge me, to soothe me, to wake me up, to delight me or to inspire me. All of the quotations have had an effect, some profound, on my consciousness.