Falling Upward : A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life -- A Companion Journal

**A valuable new companion journal for the best-selling __Falling Upward__**In __Falling Upward,__ Fr. Richard Rohr seeks to help readers understand the tasks of the two halves of life and to show them that those who have fallen, failed, or "gone down" are the only ones who understand "up." __The Companion Journal__ helps those who have (and those who have not) read Falling Upward to engage more deeply with the questions the book raises. Using a blend of quotes, questions for individual and group reflection, stories, and suggestions for spiritual practices, it provides a wise guide for deepening the spiritual journey. . . at any time of life. - Explains why the second half of life can and should be full of spiritual richness - Offers tools for spiritual growth and greater understanding of the ideas in __Falling Upward__ - Richard Rohr is a regular contributing writer for __Sojourners__ and __Tikkun__ magazines This important companion to __Falling Upward__ is an excellent tool for exploring the counterintuitive messages of how we grow spiritually.

PRAISE FOR FALLING UPWARD

"Understanding the spiritual aspects of aging is as important as appreciating the systems and biological processes that age us. Richard Rohr has given us a perfect guide to what he calls the 'further journey,' a voyage into the mystery and beauty of healthy spiritual maturity."
—Mehmet Oz, M.D., host of the "Dr. Oz Show"

"Falling Upward calls forth the promise within us and frees us to follow it into wider dimensions of our spiritual authenticity. This 'second half of life' need not wait till our middle years. It emerges whenever we are ready and able to expand beyond the structures and strictures of our chosen path. With Richard Rohr as a guide, this mystery can become as real and immediate as your hand on the doorknob."
—Joanna Macy, author of World as Lover, World as Self

"In Falling Upward, Richard offers a simple but deeply helpful framework for seeing the whole spiritual life—one that will help both beginners on the path as they look ahead and long-term pilgrims as they look back over their journey so far."
—Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christianity and Naked Spirituality brianmclaren.net

"The value of this book lies in the way Richard Rohr shares his own aging process with us in ways that help us be less afraid. We begin to see that, as we grow older, we are being awakened to deep, simple, and mysterious things we simply could not see when we were younger."
—Jim Finley, retreat leader, Merton scholar, and author of The Contemplative Heart

"This is Richard Rohr at his vintage best: prophetic, pastoral, practical. A book I will gratefully share with my children and grandchildren."
—Cynthia Bourgeault, Episcopal priest, retreat leader, and author of The Meaning of Mary Magdalene, Centering Prayer, Inner Awakening, and The Wisdom Way of Knowing

Dissolve the distractions of ego to find our authentic selves in God

In his bestselling book Falling Upward, Richard Rohr talked about ego (or the False Self) and how it gets in the way of spiritual maturity. But if there's a False Self, is there also a True Self? What is it? How is it found? Why does it matter? And what does it have to do with the spiritual journey? This book likens True Self to a diamond, buried deep within us, formed under the intense pressure of our lives, that must be searched for, uncovered, separated from all the debris of ego that surrounds it. In a sense True Self must, like Jesus, be resurrected, and that process is not resuscitation but transformation.

• Shows how to navigate spiritually difficult terrain with clear vision and tools to uncover our True Selves
• Written by Father Richard Rohr, the bestselling author of Falling Upward
• Examines the fundamental issues of who we are and helps us on our path of spiritual maturity

Immortal Diamond (whose title is taken from a line in a Gerard Manley Hopkins poem) explores the deepest questions of identity, spirituality, and meaning in Richard Rohr's inimitable style.

"A fresh way of thinking about spirituality that grows throughout life. In Falling Upward, Fr. Richard Rohr seeks to help readers understand the tasks of the two halves of life and to show them that those who have fallen, failed, or "gone down" are the only ones who understand "up." Most of us tend to think of the second half of life as largely about getting old, dealing with health issues, and letting go of life, but the whole thesis of this book is exactly the opposite.? What looks like falling down can largely be experienced as "falling upward."? In fact, it is not a loss but somehow actually a gain, as we have all seen with elders who?have come to their fullness.?? Explains why the second half of life can and should be full of spiritual richness Offers a new view of how spiritual growth happens loss is gain Richard Rohr is a regular contributing writer for Sojourners and Tikkun magazines This important book explores the counterintuitive message that we grow spiritually much more by doing wrong than by doing right."-- Provided by publisher A valuable new companion journal for the best-selling Falling Upward In Falling Upward, Fr. Richard Rohr seeks to help readers understand the tasks of the two halves of life and to show them that those who have fallen, failed, or "gone down" are the only ones who understand "up." The Companion Journal helps those who have (and those who have not) read Falling Upward to engage more deeply with the questions the book raises. Using a blend of quotes, questions for individual and group reflection, stories, and suggestions for spiritual practices, it provides a wise guide for deepening the spiritual journey. . . at any time of life. Explains why the second half of life can and should be full of spiritual richness Offers tools for spiritual growth and greater understanding of the ideas in Falling Upward Richard Rohr is a regular contributing writer for Sojourners and Tikkun magazines This important companion to Falling Upward is an excellent tool for exploring the counterintuitive messages of how we grow spiritually. A fresh way of thinking about spirituality that grows throughout life In Falling Upward, Fr. Richard Rohr seeks to help readers understand the tasks of the two halves of life and to show them that those who have fallen, failed, or'gone down'are the only ones who understand'up.'Most of us tend to think of the second half of life as largely about getting old, dealing with health issues, and letting go of life, but the whole thesis of this book is exactly the opposite. What looks like falling down can largely be experienced as'falling upward.'In fact, it is not a loss but somehow actually a gain, as we have all seen with elders who have come to their fullness. Explains why the second half of life can and should be full of spiritual richness Offers a new view of how spiritual growth happens?loss is gain Richard. Rohr is a regular contributing writer for Sojourners and Tikkun magazines This important book explores the counterintuitive message that we grow spiritually much more by doing wrong than by doing right. In Falling Upward , Fr. Richard Rohr seeks to help readers understand the tasks of the two halves of life and to show them that those who have fallen, failed, or "gone down" are the only ones who understand "up." Most of us tend to think of the second half of life as largely about getting old, dealing with health issues, and letting go of life, but the whole thesis of this book is exactly the opposite. What looks like falling down can largely be experienced as "falling upward." In fact, it is not a loss but somehow actually a gain, as we have all seen with elders who have come to their fullness. This important book explores the counterintuitive message that we grow spiritually much more by doing wrong than by doing right--a fresh way of thinking about spirituality that grows throughout life. In his bestselling book Falling Upward, Farther Richard Rohr offers a new paradigm for understanding one of the most profound of life's mysteries: how our failings can be the foundation for our ongoing spiritual growth. Throughout the book, he draws on the wisdom from time-honored myths, heroic poems, great thinkers, and sacred religious texts to demonstrate that we grow spiritually more by doing it wrong than by doing it right. This companion Journal helps those who have (and those who have not) reading Falling Upward to engage more deeply with the questions the book raises."--Page 4 of cover Machine generated contents note: Invitation. Introduction. 1 The Two Halves of Life. 2 The Hero and Heroine's Journey. 3 The First Half of Life. 4 The Tragic Sense of Life. 5 Stumbling over the Stumbling Stone. 6 Necessary Suffering. 7 Home and Homesickness. 8 Amnesia and the Big Picture. 9 A Second Simplicity. 10 A Bright Sadness. 11 The Shadowlands. 12 New Problems and New Directions. 13Falling Upward. Coda. Notes. Bibliography. The Author. Index. Dissolve the distractions of ego to find your authentic self in God. Your "true self" is like a diamond, buried deep within your, formed under the intense pressure of our lives, that must be searched for, uncovered, separated from all the debris of ego that surrounds it. Like Jesus, it be resurrected-- and that process is not resuscitation but transformation.