Can you imagine what it would feel like to be in a family that was dragged from home at gunpoint, and loaded onto a crowded railway carriage (meant for cattle) and sent to an unknown destination? Can you honestly comprehend what it would be like to be crammed into one of those filthy cattle cars for three weeks, with no heating, no food, and only a hole in the floor to use as a toilet? And what if when you arrived in Siberia, your grandfather chose not to eat, so that you would have more nourishment, and you watched him sacrifice his own life through starvation.
My immediate response would be of bitterness towards my oppressors, but Andrew Bienkowski found that this horrifying experience brought him many gifts... and one of those gifts was the grace of “radical gratitude”. As he states in this enlightening book, “Once we learn to actively seek reasons to be grateful, we suddenly find them everywhere. And when we learn to focus intention on our own gratitude, gratitude becomes a way of life and our efforts to help others become natural and spontaneous. Once you have learned to access the healing power of radical gratitude, you will find that the fullness of life greets you at every turn.”
This is an inspiring book on many levels, and its spiritual lessons are portrayed through unforgettable examples. As the title suggests though, the underlying theme of this book is gratitude. It reminds us that despite our circumstances, we have much in life to be grateful for. “Even a colourful butterfly flitting past, the discovery of a delicious mushroom, a handful of wild strawberries, or the beauty of a spider’s web covered with morning dew was a cause for gratitude in Siberia. It was a chance to celebrate the beauty of life, of nature, a reminder that there was still good in the world.”
My immediate response would be of bitterness towards my oppressors, but Andrew Bienkowski found that this horrifying experience brought him many gifts... and one of those gifts was the grace of “radical gratitude”. As he states in this enlightening book, “Once we learn to actively seek reasons to be grateful, we suddenly find them everywhere. And when we learn to focus intention on our own gratitude, gratitude becomes a way of life and our efforts to help others become natural and spontaneous. Once you have learned to access the healing power of radical gratitude, you will find that the fullness of life greets you at every turn.”
This is an inspiring book on many levels, and its spiritual lessons are portrayed through unforgettable examples. As the title suggests though, the underlying theme of this book is gratitude. It reminds us that despite our circumstances, we have much in life to be grateful for. “Even a colourful butterfly flitting past, the discovery of a delicious mushroom, a handful of wild strawberries, or the beauty of a spider’s web covered with morning dew was a cause for gratitude in Siberia. It was a chance to celebrate the beauty of life, of nature, a reminder that there was still good in the world.”
Elsewhere in the book we are told, “The gifts were small, but they were everywhere, as they are today. The key is to learn to look for them and to be open to them. Siberia is where I developed my intense love of and respect for nature, which has become a source of great happiness in my life.”
This book is really three books in one volume. It’s a story of how a family overcame extreme hardship and adversity that was inflicted upon their body, mind and spirit. It’s also a New Age book that focuses on spiritual values such as love, courage, kindness and compassion. And finally, this book is like “The Road Less Travelled”, because Andrew Bienkowski is a clinical psychotherapist, and he takes the reader through case histories that illustrate practical guidance for living a more peaceful life, with greater well-being. Oh, maybe there’s a fourth aspect of this book too... the author loves quotes... he seems to have been collecting inspirational quotes all his life, wondering when he’ll get the chance to use them, so he does that here... using them on almost every page!
The main reason why the author published his experiences of life in Siberia, was so that you “can become inoculated against the dissatisfaction, disassociation and despair of modern life. That you can trust yourself to help your friends and loved ones in ways that you felt were not possible before. That you will learn to feel and recognise your own healing powers and use them to make the world a little bit better, one person at a time.” If people take the time to truly listen to the messages in this story, there’s no doubt that the world will end up a better place, just as Bienkowski has intended.
Radical Gratitude is not a pagan book, yet it is, in so many ways. It shows the importance of recognising our connection to nature and all that is. It’s uplifting, thought provoking, and provides a spiritual treasure-trove of inspiration. I hope we hear more from him in years to come.
Published by: Allen & Unwin
Authors: Andrew Bienkowski and Mary Akers
ISBN: 9781741754223
RRP: AUD$22.95
This book is really three books in one volume. It’s a story of how a family overcame extreme hardship and adversity that was inflicted upon their body, mind and spirit. It’s also a New Age book that focuses on spiritual values such as love, courage, kindness and compassion. And finally, this book is like “The Road Less Travelled”, because Andrew Bienkowski is a clinical psychotherapist, and he takes the reader through case histories that illustrate practical guidance for living a more peaceful life, with greater well-being. Oh, maybe there’s a fourth aspect of this book too... the author loves quotes... he seems to have been collecting inspirational quotes all his life, wondering when he’ll get the chance to use them, so he does that here... using them on almost every page!
The main reason why the author published his experiences of life in Siberia, was so that you “can become inoculated against the dissatisfaction, disassociation and despair of modern life. That you can trust yourself to help your friends and loved ones in ways that you felt were not possible before. That you will learn to feel and recognise your own healing powers and use them to make the world a little bit better, one person at a time.” If people take the time to truly listen to the messages in this story, there’s no doubt that the world will end up a better place, just as Bienkowski has intended.
Radical Gratitude is not a pagan book, yet it is, in so many ways. It shows the importance of recognising our connection to nature and all that is. It’s uplifting, thought provoking, and provides a spiritual treasure-trove of inspiration. I hope we hear more from him in years to come.
Published by: Allen & Unwin
Authors: Andrew Bienkowski and Mary Akers
ISBN: 9781741754223
RRP: AUD$22.95
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