Building Your Field of Dreams

Rating:
Summary: May point you in the direction of what you're looking for
Review: I find the overall message of BUILDING YOUR FIELD OF DREAMS inspiring. The message, of course, is that you can achieve your dreams. Who wouldn't like a message like that? However, I don't find the presentation or the message itself terribly original. I've heard it all before. Perhaps this is what comes from over a decade of dedicated self-help readership: I've come to notice that all self-help authors basically say the same thing. It's all about owning your power and remembering that what you think about yourself matters far more than what others think of you; so think positively! Experience has shown me that this advice works. But how many times can you hear the same message repeated over and over before it starts to sound redundant?

What makes up for the redundant nature of the self-help genre is that authors often weave this standard message of empowerment into the retelling of their own struggles. And, of course, if their struggles mirror yours then you feel you have found a sympathetic mind. "They've been here too, and they got out! Maybe I can too," you'll think. And herein lies the key to my relative indifference to BUILDING YOUR FIELD OF DREAMS. It's not so much that the message of empowerment is unoriginal, but that as a twentysomething male I simply cannot relate to the idea that an out-of-wedlock pregnancy is terribly controversial or could destroy a person's life, as Morrissey writes it did for her. Certainly this was taboo in the 1950s and 60s, but growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, I have trouble believing that unwed teenage pregnancy was ever an issue. It's almost the norm these days. I can't relate to Mary's experience. (That's not to say that Mary Manin Morrissey has not helped me. In fact, her work has helped me greatly in my life ... by pointing me in the direction of other spiritual paths and teachers. It was almost a decade ago that I was introduced to A COURSE IN MIRACLES and Arun Gandhi, the Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, at Mary Manin Morrissey's church called Living Enrichment Center, headquartered in Wilsonville, Oregon. Both the Course and Arun Gandhi have remained important in my life.)

So, perhaps it's a generational issue. The message of BUILDING YOUR FIELD OF DREAMS is universal, but the form - Mary Manin Morrissey's personal story - is not. If you are over 40 you may find Mary's story can relate to your experience. If you are under 40, you may need to look elsewhere. And, who knows, Mary Manin Morrissey's work may be able to point you in the direction of what you are looking for. That's what her work did for me.

Thanks Mary,

Andrew Parodi

Rating:
Summary: Better Than Prozac!
Review: I have read many books in the metaphysical and New Thought genres, but none of them ever stated things as simply as Mary does. Her words have cleared the confusion and fog from my mind, and I am finally able to understand my place in the universe! Her way of telling stories and parables, much like Jesus did, really helped to put things in perspective. I was able to relate to almost every character, and now I am working on matching their triumphs. I have had the pleasure of meeting Mary in person recently! She is truly a saint! I know my life will change for the better now that I have started to till the soil in my own "Field of Dreams". At the very least, the book has given me hope!

Rating:
Summary: A lot of hope lives within these pages.
Review: Mary Manin Morrissey is tremendously gifted, and this is evident from chapter one throughout the book. Somehow she reaches into the souls of those who have lost their way, had their faith shaken, or given up hope. I would recommend this book to any lonely or forlorn individuals looking for a light at the end of the tunnel. Mary Manin Morrissey can show you the way to that light, and she can also, with her magical words, help you through what may seem like an endless struggle to reach your own field of dreams.

Rating:
Summary: Mary shares her story and offers easy steps for one to take
Review: Mary Morrissey, head minister for Living Enrichment Center www.lecworld.org, speaks and writes about Truth. She walks her talk, which is refreshing. This book is well worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: Good as far as it goes, but ...
Review: Morrissey's personal story is inspiring, and many of her suggestions about how to make your dreams reality are excellent. But I found the book disappointing in one important respect: it assumes that you already have a firm grasp of what your dream is, and just need encouragement and guidance on how to make it come true. Some of us aren't clear WHAT our dream is, for reasons ranging from outright brainwashing by the parents and teachers we were trying to please ("you WANT to be a schoolteacher when you grow up, don't you?") to "never gave it much thought," and this book is no help whatseover if that's your predicament. I recommend instead Barbara Sher's "I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was," or Martha Beck's "Finding Your Own North Star," both of which will help you take that necessary first step towards identifying your dream.

Rating:
Summary: Inspiring...
Review: There are two books I turn to when I need a little pick-me-up. One is Marianne Williamson's "A Return to Love," and the other is Mary Manin Morissey's "Building Your Field Of Dreams". Both veer towards the New Agey and talk about Jesus in ways that may turn readers off. But, if you can get past that, I recommend them. I've read both several times, and each time I do I feel better about the world for a few days. Mary Morissey's story is personal and inspirational, and I find that it has helped my career in many ways. This book understands that an essential part of succeeding in life is not allowing yourself to settle for less than what you want. We all do this from time to time, but are compelled by a still voice inside us telling us we aren't happy. When we actively pursue that which we're passionate about, time disappears and we live in the moment.

I believe most people have a pursuit that makes them blissful, but making a living that way isn't always easy to conceptualize. It's easy to get mired down in a job that pays the bills, and that looks good on the resume. If you are in that place, this book may help you to move on. I turn to it when I am tempted to to settle, and I have found that its advice rings true. One step is titheing, which I never would have believed if I hadn't done it a few times. When you're down to your last money, give 10% to charity, Morissey advises, and you will attract money into your life. I've done this, and each time within three days money had appeared in my life from an unforseen source. I'm not sure why this works, but I have found that it does.

Much of this advice can be found elsewhere; it is a general "think positive" type of book. I like this one in particular, though, because Morrissey is a dynamic personality. She was a teenage bride and mother, and has built an impressive career based on the principles outlined. She writes in a simple, well organized way that is easy to digest.

Rating:
Summary: Inspiring...
Review: There are two books I turn to when I need a little pick-me-up. One is Marianne Williamson's "A Return to Love," and the other is Mary Manin Morissey's "Building Your Field Of Dreams". Both veer towards the New Agey and talk about Jesus in ways that may turn readers off. But, if you can get past that, I recommend them. I've read both several times, and each time I do I feel better about the world for a few days. Mary Morissey's story is personal and inspirational, and I find that it has helped my career in many ways. This book understands that an essential part of succeeding in life is not allowing yourself to settle for less than what you want. We all do this from time to time, but are compelled by a still voice inside us telling us we aren't happy. When we actively pursue that which we're passionate about, time disappears and we live in the moment.

I believe most people have a pursuit that makes them blissful, but making a living that way isn't always easy to conceptualize. It's easy to get mired down in a job that pays the bills, and that looks good on the resume. If you are in that place, this book may help you to move on. I turn to it when I am tempted to to settle, and I have found that its advice rings true. One step is titheing, which I never would have believed if I hadn't done it a few times. When you're down to your last money, give 10% to charity, Morissey advises, and you will attract money into your life. I've done this, and each time within three days money had appeared in my life from an unforseen source. I'm not sure why this works, but I have found that it does.

Much of this advice can be found elsewhere; it is a general "think positive" type of book. I like this one in particular, though, because Morrissey is a dynamic personality. She was a teenage bride and mother, and has built an impressive career based on the principles outlined. She writes in a simple, well organized way that is easy to digest.

Rating:
Summary: Spring Planting
Review: We are using this book as part of a class to learn about finding our hearts desires and making them coming true. This book speaks to this and uses the analogy of a garden to talk about what we reap and sow and plan as intentions.

Rating:
Summary: Spring Planting
Review: We are using this book as part of a class to learn about finding our hearts desires and making them coming true. This book speaks to this and uses the analogy of a garden to talk about what we reap and sow and plan as intentions.