Mary Anne Radmacher is among the most-quoted women writers of our day. Her wisdom is found on greeting cards, journals, calendars, Instagram and Pinterest. Quotes you may recognize “It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else”, “Courage doesn't always roar”, and “There is no small act of kindness”. A Mary Ann Radmacher quote found on a best-selling greeting card was inspired by this “Live with intention, walk to the edge, listen hard, practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.” Discover what is important to you. More than three decades ago, noted author, artist and teacher Mary Anne Radmacher, was beginning her chosen path─to live with purpose, to make a difference. She lost a dear friend and she wrote these words “live with intention”. In her book Live with Intention Radmacher shares the ten qualities she considers essential to intentional living and offers you exercises, inspirations, and promises to help you find what's important in your life. Live a glorious, richer life. Live with Intention explores with you what it means to live each day with Long after you've read this book cover-to-cover you'll be picking it up again and again. If you’ve enjoyed books such as Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer, Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer, or The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo; Mary Ann Radmacher’s Live with Intention should be your next must-read.
Mary Anne Radmacher is a writer and an artist. She conducts workshops on living a full, creative, balanced life, teaches Internet writing seminars, and works with individual clients. She has been writing since she was a child, and she uses her writing to explore symbols and find meaning. She is the author of Lean Forward into Your Life (Conari Press, 2007), and Live Boldly (Conari Press, 2008). She lives with her husband near Seattle, Washington. Visit her online at www.maryanneradmacher.com or www.maryanneradmacher.net. "
Don't get me wrong, Mary Radmacher's well known poem is amazing. "live with intention, walk to the edge, listen hard, practice wellness...etc.""
I bought this book because the poem was so inspiring and with the New Year I have been reflecting on my life and my aspirations and thought it would help guide me, but sadly i stopped reading it by the 3rd or so chapter because I found it a bit disappointing, wishy-washy, and repetitive. Her writing style is very metaphorical if you like that sort of thing, but it's not my cup of tea. You'll probably save yourself some time and get as much out of reading the poem and scanning the table of contents as you would from reading the actual book itself!
Another tough one to rate because I didn't actually finish it. I stalled out on the 2nd chapter and it sat on my bedside table for months. I had no interest in picking it up again. So I browsed through the rest just now and put it in the give away pile. Honestly, the author did a good job of organizing the book and including relevant quotes. Her artist flair is apparent in the design of the layout. I didn't really disagree with what she wrote. It's just too new age everything is going to turn out head in the clouds stuff for me. I'm not rating it low because it not my kind of writing, but rather because it was not able to hold my interest.
I read this book as a pre-cursor to an online retreat I took. I don't know that I would have ever crossed paths with it otherwise, but I am glad I did. The author wants us to "identify and remember what your core elements are." I have always wished for someone to tell me which direction to go, but Mary reminds us that by observing our own life and looking within us, the Spirit will help us remember where we should be because no one else will know. I came up with my list of ten "one things" to live intentional while reading through the book, and I'm pretty sure in five years I'll need to reread and readjust, for that is the way of life.