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Words touch different people in different ways. Somethings get imprinted in your mind (not heart) forever because you've heard them repeatedly but memorizing is different from feeling.It is like someone holding a flower in front of you and insisting upon your looking at it, it is like each time you turn your face away, they bring you back to the flower(over and over). David Whyte is excellent on all the above. But maybe it is when you are just passing by the flower and you intuitively/unknowingly turn around to look back and see the flower again because you wanted to because something touched you , is the moment that you are naturally receptive to the flower.Of course it matters how someone speaks, what words s/he uses.
David Whyte is the author and poet of the soul, of the deep searching place within and of the wondering being.He refers with such modesty to the incredible work of others, and for that you get to know of poets and poems that you weren't familiar with before or at least did not recognize them untill seeing them in light of what he refers to.Like a true teacher, he helps you to dare to do what you already had within you. All that said, this audiotape is very rich. If only he would give space to his listeners to absorb what he just read/said at their own pace. Like a genuine guide, he leads you to the realms you had unconsciously and conveniently forgotten or overlooked.David Whyte's writings are very deep and beautiful.
how their tone of voice is, how and when they emphasize on a word, how they flow as they speak and how sincere they are. It fills your backpack with amazement and inspiration on your personal journey through the Great Unknown. But,when he speaks his expressions, his words could be more touching if he did not repeat himself over and over. Yes, you'd remember the flower, its color, dimensions, fragrance and so on.
Thus I found it amazing the first time I listened and keep being blown away by finding it ever more powerful every time I listen. At the time I ended up deciding to buy this product I had greatly lamented Amazon not selling David Whyte's "poetry of self-compassion" as I had adored that tape. I wish the "midlife" reference were not in the title as it made me hesitate and delay trying this product for way too long. In addition to the content, the place David Whyte speaks from is itself profoundly impactful. Although I still regret not having yet been able to find it on CD as it is even more powerful yet, I am so glad that it ended up pushing me into giving this product a try as both are invaluable and well worth owning and repeatedly listening to over the years as special treats that get ever better over time. It is such an exquisite treat and so powerful in way more ways than I can convey through words. David Whyte's uniquely powerful delivery adds further punch to his great insights that reach ever deeper the more one listens.
Get it and you will learn what life is all about and how to live it. This CD is one that you will want to listen to over and over again, and with friends. It is not just for people in midlife, it is for anyone in life.
Anyway, David Whyte's talents are amazing, and this material is one that I'll listen to again and again. The duplication is a bit disconcerting, but has more to do with the publisher than the author. It's possible that it's just the same words and themes.I haven't done a side-by-side comparison.
This CD is profound and inspiring. He draws on not only poetry (his own and that of others), but on basic life observations and recollections. As awkward as it might be to consider oneself at mid-life, it is a genuine relief to have such a clear and open-hearted guide such as David Whyte help make sense of it all.
The only caution I'll give is that some material seems to be lifted directly from another of his CDs, entitled "Clear Mind: Wild Heart". Best wishes, I could listen to Mr.
Whyte's voice all day long.
He gives us his experiences with such clarity I can almost smell the Celtic grasses under his feet and feel the mists swirling around his vision, occasionally parting for a view of distant and promising lands. It is misleading labeling. I find myself rather numb from the depth and breadth of it all.
Long story short: this is actually CD 2 and 3 of CMWH. I will keep the five stars because it is an amazing foray into poetry and life in general but beware--if you're thinking you'll buy CMWH then go straight there. I think this is like taking all the odd chapters of a Tale of Two Cities, renaming it "Story of a Town (Unabridged)".
A friend told me he was going to listen to David Whyte and it intrigued me enough to look him up and download this CD for a long drive this weekend. David has obviously thought about such matters deeply and I can think of no higher tribute to a person than they made me think profoundly about profound matters.A NEW NOTE OF CAUTION: I purchased this as an introduction to David Whyte, thinking if I liked this "unabridged" version I'd buy his "Clear Mind, Wild Heart" (CMWH) audio. Fortunately the audio download server with a name almost identical to the publisher of this CD refunded my money so I could just buy the 6 CD set.
So very much to think about and what its implications are in my life that I'll be having to relisten many times I'm sure (I've already listened twice). This wrapped up in his and others poetry that he reads and his reflections about it has caused me to further explore new poets, to talk about them with my friends, and to ask what can we do with this.
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