Book Review: The Way to Stillness

The Way to Stillness
by Anne Alexander Vincent
& Gayle Alexander
Nashville, TN: Cottage in the Woods, 2010

"The Way to Stillness: Powerful Tools for Those in Helping Professions" is one of those beautiful little books with the capacity to make a big impact. Gayle Alexander and her daughter Anne Alexander Vincent have worked as counselors for many years. This book is geared for those who meet with others in a therapeutic relationship, but it has much to offer anyone interested in having more love-filled relationships. The core of the Alexanders' thought is the idea of "The Love Motif." "The Love Motif is offering not only our best and healthiest self to another, but also allowing them the freedom to be who they are without limit or condition. The power of the Love Motif will unlock the human mind and spirit and enable people to transcend their circumstances."

Throughout this book, there is an emphasis on centering oneself so that one can be fully present to those we are in relationship with. There is also a discussion of the different types of love, with a main emphasis on the difference between "gift love" and "need love." "Gift love," in which one can "be fully present to another with the totality of [one's] life. It's about what we can give, regardless of what may or may not be received." Such love can only be achieved by alignment with divine will.

"The Way to Stillness" features beautiful black and white photographs to complement the text. It is a good book to just pick a page and reflect on what is written there. There is much food for thought in its pages.