I was recently sent a copy of Hidden Treasure: How to Break Free of Five Patterns That Hide Your True Self, in exchange for telling my readers about it. While this isn’t the sort of book I normally read, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t the sort of book you could very well enjoy. That’s the amazing thing about books, one person can read the intro of a book, toss it aside and never think twice about it while another person can devour the same book in one sitting and wonder how they ever lived without it!
That’s pretty much why I’ve gone ahead and written about books before that didn’t float my boat… because I know that my boat isn’t your boat.
Hidden Treasure: How to Break Free of Five Patterns that Hide Your True Self is written by Alice McDowell, PhD, a counselor in private practice, retreat guide, and co-founder of Light on the Hill Retreat Center, as well as the founder of the Hidden Treasure Program (a 3-year training in personal and spiritual growth). A professor of religious studies at Ithaca College for eighteen years, she now facilitates groups devoted to inner work.
Book Description: Do you long to live a more authentic life but feel you might be getting in your own way? In Hidden Treasure, author Alice McDowell reveals five personality patterns that cause unnecessary suffering and block individuals from living a full and radiant life. These patterns can be so ingrained that they influence body shape and even who a person thinks they are. Through a series of exercises, compelling true stories, fun cartoons, and spiritual insights, McDowell offers individuals and groups an opportunity to learn about―and break free of―these patterns. She provides guidelines for readers to join or create a Hidden Treasure group for ongoing exploration. No matter a person’s age or background, Hidden Treasure can light the way to soften and heal these patterns―and restore your true self and spiritual identity in the process.
Hidden Treasure examines five personality patterns (“character structures”) – and teaches you how to break free of these patterns through effective exercises, compelling true stories, fun cartoons (I got a kick out of these), and insights to help you carve out a free, more radiant life.
This book is a complete study in the Psychology of Self-Awareness. I read a great deal of Spiritual and Christian books (a favorite genre) and honestly feel that trying to fit this book into those categories would be like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. While the description and author’s bio mention “religious studies” and “spiritual insights,” do not expect this book to be a Spiritual book or guide. As I said, it’s more about psychology, self-discovery, and self-awareness.
You can read more about the author at AliceMcDowellAuthor.com.
You can find Hidden Treasure on Amazon.