The Power and the Process
(Adapted from Power to Be – Introduction – by Keith Giemre 2012)
When my first book was self-published, I felt elated. The time spent writing the book brought me great joy, and the sale of it was not my prime concern. I had left a legacy of my life and thoughts for my family and friends, and at the same time had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. So what I would say to self-publishers is this: accept that your initial financial investment is lost, then look for ways to minimize or recover your initial investment. I placed my book with Amazon, and found them very helpful. Growing up in South Africa and England I learned to respect etiquette. In other words, when writing to distributors and bookstores I expected the courtesy of a reply. How sad I was to find that many of my emails and letters were neither acknowledged nor responded to.
My first book was an autobiography, followed by an evaluation of life itself. Many people remarked that the book was very spiritual – but it is my view that the essence of our life is spiritual, so why should I try and deny this fact? Are we not a spirit experiencing a physical life?
So what could my follow-up book be about? I thought long and hard!
Then a title suddenly sprang to mind; why not write a book about a little bit of this and little bit of that? This provided me with a very broad spectrum of subjects to write about. The world was my oyster! Then I had second thoughts and considered what I was trying to achieve in my second book. The answer came back to me: to inspire and be inspired. So I decided to change the title to Managing Life. But yet again I had second thoughts about that. Then my wife, Sue, suggested a great title she had thought of for me – More of Me. She won the day, for a while at least, before I decided on a title that best suited by next book – Power to Be. So what exactly does this title imply? It means I can wake up each morning and accept the gift of life, and then share my inspirations with you as I further my quest for knowledge.
I have covered a diverse number of subjects in the book. It starts by looking at the possible definitions of time. We all have the same amount of this vital commodity each hour and day, and how well we use it determines our success in life. What distinguishes one person from another is how efficiently he or she utilizes this time. I believe that during the early schooling years, time should be spent explaining the importance of understanding time in relation to day-to-day living. I then move on to examine our building blocks, before turning to the topic of whether there is such a thing as an accident. This discussion flows into the scope of our free will, which brings me back to the question of unity and duality. There is then a bit of fun around word reviews, after which I look at the question of longevity and then eternity. I have also reproduced my mother’s psychic visions encountered during her lifetime, and added my own commentary to her visions. Chapter nineteen looks at the diagnosis of cancer, following my wife’s diagnosis of tonsil and mandible cancer in 2010. Chapter 20 looks at the question of awareness and that is followed by looking at the question: Who are we? I attempt to unpack our life purpose. I follow this by unpacking my life on earth to see if I can identify what my life goals may have been. Chapter 24 looks at the question of energy, and I conclude with a story about Jack and John in a woodcutting company.
At the time of writing I had been retired from work for close on five years, having worked in accountancy and the media, both in South Africa and England, for forty-six years. I had been married for forty-one years, and had three married daughters – Kate, Lucy and Tacita – and seven grandchildren. Two of our daughters lived in England with six of our grandchildren and the youngest one lived in South Africa, in the Cape, with our seventh. (That picture has changed somewhat! Now, in 2017, Tacita has three children with No 4 on the way!) Both sets of parents – my own and my wife’s – were deceased. My 3 sisters – Sylvia, Claire and Hazel – were living in Johannesburg where they still live to this day. Sue’s brother, Roderick, lived and still lives in Australia. So you could say that I have some experience of life’s numerous challenges and opportunities.
In total, by 2010 I had spent 49 years in South Africa and 21 years in England. My business travels, in addition to South Africa and England, had taken me to various African countries, the USA, Japan, Australia, Europe and the Middle East. It is said that travel broadens the mind. This has the effect of increasing one’s knowledge base and experiences through the people you interact with in each new country, and by becoming aware of their opportunities and problems.
I want my book(s) to be of help to people, in much the same way as I have been helped through numerous books I have read during my lifetime. I love reading, and have had this compulsion since my very early years. I made it a habit that whenever I travelled by plane, either overseas or locally, I would always buy a new book to read during the flight. I have never been disappointed. How often I have found that the book I am reading seems to follow on from the one I have just read, without any deliberate effort – I didn’t search for that book, it just appeared in front of me. I am sure many of you have had similar experiences.
Were these just coincidences, or is there a plan for our lives which is being orchestrated through our subconscious?
