Is pain an opportunity for learning, or something that destroys your happiness? Wise sees torment as an “impetus” for change, and in this uplifting book she guides readers toward acceptance and living in the present moment. The purpose of pain, she asserts, is actually to “reconnect us with our Divinity,” and to help us along on a path toward enlightenment. Even the most “horrendous of circumstances,” she asserts, can serve a purpose when viewed with the right perspective.
Pain can teach us; but in order to reap this benefit we mustn’t run away. Throughout the book, which is divided into three main parts covering mind, body, and spirit, Wise includes interesting anecdotes and useful tips, as well as poignant entries from her personal journal. In one, she describes a moment during a walk down a secluded path when she stumbled upon a glorious magnolia tree in bloom; this experience led her to the profound truth that the magnolia was revealing its beauty not for “praise or reward” but simply to express the fullness of its being.
Wise’s text is sprinkled with lovely images and inspiring stories, and as she guides the reader to view life with an open and accepting attitude she also opens her heart, sharing experiences from her own upbringing and the struggles she has faced in her personal life and in her career.
With gentle and compassionate guidance, PAIN, PASSION & PURPOSE helps readers learn to trust that pain has an important role to play on the path to bliss.
Reviewed by Kathryn Livingston for IndieReader.