Author's take
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Living in the Light was first published in 1986. Since that time, it has sold over a million copies, and has been translated into many languages all over the world. Today, it continues to sell steadily and
I receive continuous feedback that it is touching people’s lives in a meaningful way.
Not long ago, I revised and updated my first book, Creative Visualization, and ever since that time, I’ve been feeling that I’d like to do the same for Living in the Light. The basic message of the book seems to be as timely and relevant as ever. Over the years since I wrote it, however, my understanding has developed and (hopefully) deepened through my own life experience and my work with others. I felt that there were many things I would say some-
what differently now, and that perhaps it would be valuable to my readers to hear more of my ongoing story as well as some of my “older and wiser” perspective.
Having updated these two books, I now realize that revising a classic book is a delicate and difficult art form quite different from writing one. The challenge is this: How do I bring it up to date and into alignment with my present understanding while respect- ing and honoring the integrity and power of the original work,
which in a sense is a living entity unto itself?
When I sat down to revise Living in the Light, I hadn’t read it for a number of years. As I went through it, I had two distinct reactions. One response was, “Wow! This is really good! I forgot that I was saying this stuff so clearly way back then.” The other response was an embarrassed wince when I felt I had said some- thing a little too simplistic or grandiose, or found something I no longer agreed with.
I have not made major changes to the book. I have extended and updated my story in the Introduction, and reorganized a little, adding a chapter and taking out two others that no longer fit well.
Otherwise, I have simply reworked it a bit — adding, subtracting, and editing to bring it more into alignment with my current views.
I have only modified it where I strongly felt it could be improved or made more accurate. At times, I had to fight the temptation to simply write a whole new book on the same subject! I comforted myself with the thought that readers interested in a more complete view of how my ideas have evolved can easily find it in one of my newer works, such as The Path of Transformation or Creating True Prosperity.
Those of you who have read Living in the Light in the original version may notice a slightly different tone to the revised edition. At the time I wrote the book, I was filled with youthful enthusiasm for the power I was finding in these ideas and practices. A dozen years later, I’m as enthusiastic and committed to these ideas as ever, but I now have a healthy respect for the ongoing challenge of inte-grating them into our daily lives. So you may notice a somewhat humbler approach, acknowledging and honoring the complexities of life and the human journey.
Probably the greatest difference for me between then and now is my understanding of the necessity and importance of acknowledging, working with, and embracing our disowned energies, our
“shadow side.” At this point, the phrase living in the light has a deeper and subtler meaning for me than before. It refers to the consciousness and balance that comes into our lives as we become aware of, accept, and express the many aspects of who we are, including the parts that we may have feared and rejected.
When I wrote this book, the millennium change was still years away. Now it is at hand, and the idea that we are creating a new world seems more relevant than ever. Whether you have read Living in the Light before and are curious to read the revised version, or are a first-time reader, welcome! I hope you enjoy the book and find inspiration on your journey of self-discovery.
link of the book-
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