Description
- ISBN: 978-0980885996
- Trade Paperback, 5 x 7, 200 pages
- Also available as an e-book
- Press Release
Excerpts:
“We have a natural tendency to assume that a remarkable chemistry between two souls is confirmation that they are meant to be together for life. In the heat of profound feelings, it seems counter-intuitive to imagine ourselves separate from a beloved. But chemistry and longevity are not necessarily bedfellows. Just because we feel earth-shatteringly alive with someone doesn’t mean they are supposed to be our life partner. They may have come for a very different reason—to awaken us, to expand us, to shatter us so wide open that we can never close again. Perhaps they were sent from afar to polish the rough diamond of your soul before vanishing into eternity. Perhaps they just came to give us new eyes. Better we surrender our expectations when the beloved comes. (S)he may just be dropping in for a visit. Is the kettle on?”
“Some people need to create a nightmare far worse than the one they came from before they will go back and heal their early wounds. We see this in trauma survivors all the time. They pile hell upon hell, until they have only two choices—die, or heal the wounds they are fleeing. I used to find this confusing, but I no longer do. Sometimes the first hell was so bloody bad that it takes a far worse hell to uncover it. Bows to those who choose to heal their hells, after so many years on the run. Bows to those courageous beings who give reality a try before they have any evidence that it will serve them. If this isn’t courage, I don’t know what is.”
“As I get older, I recognize just how important it is to be surrounded by people who deeply believe in our value and goodness even when we lose our footing. It took me years to rid myself of the lite-dimmers and it has been much clearer sailing since. Not that there isn’t value in having difficult people to overcome, but eventually it becomes essential to be surrounded by those who lift and wish us higher. If they don’t see you in your highest light, wish them well and cut the cord.”
“The path of the spiritual warrior is not soft and sweet. It is not artificially blissful and feigned forgiving. It is not fearful of divisiveness. It is not afraid of its own shadow. It is not afraid of losing popularity when it speaks its truth. It will not beat around the bush where directness is essential. It has no regard for vested interests that cause suffering. It is benevolent and it is fiery and it is cuttingly honest in its efforts to liberate itself and humanity from the egoic ties that bind. Shunning strong opinions in the name of spirituality is anti-spiritual. Spirituality that is only floaty-soft is a recipe for disaster, allowing all manner of manipulation to run amok. Real spirituality is a quest for truth, in all its forms. Sometimes we find the truth on the meditation cushion, and sometimes we find it in the heart of legitimate conflict. May all spiritual warriors rise into fullness. This planet is lost without them.”
“It’s not about someone stealing our heart. It’s about restoring its aliveness. It’s about softening its armor. It’s about filling it up with light. When real love enters, it doesn’t take anything from us. It gifts us with the everything.”
Endorsements:
“This book is a magnificent exhale for the soul. Many sincere seekers become bamboozled by spiritual teachers who suggest that we ignore our feelings, numb our bodies, and violate our intuition in the name of enlightenment. But Jeff Brown humbly offers an alternative, even rebellious, viewpoint. With exquisite sensitivity and compassion, he acknowledges that we can’t wake up without grounding our self-realization into our feeling, sensing human bodies. I am a voracious student of spiritual teaching, but Jeff Brown is a spiritual teacher I truly trust, marrying incisive, almost surgical truth with supreme kindness in a way that enlivens your spirit and makes you feel your heart. He is like a scalpel with a spoonful of sugar.”
–LISSA RANKIN, NY Times bestselling author of Mind Over Medicine.
“Jeff Brown’s words are the much needed love-splattered slap to our wearied New Age-filled heads. In Spiritual Graffiti we get a glimpse into the way that light and positivity alone will never reveal to us the mystery of both our humanity and our Godhood. Through his decades of deep personal inquiry, Jeff reveals his painful and potent intimacy with his own darkness as a pathway to revelation. Spiritual Graffiti is a deep-dive into the soul of one man, and yet a mirror for all who find themselves on the journey towards “enREALment.” I’m a forever fan.”
–KATIE SILCOX, spiritual teacher and NY Times bestselling author of Healthy, Happy, Sexy-Ayurveda Wisdom for Modern Women.
“Unabashedly written from his heart and guts, Jeff Brown’s Spiritual Graffiti is a brave, bold, and very real offering of what it means to be human. Filled with raw truth, inspiration and plenty of insights into the path of awakening, this book is sure to serve those well who read it.”
–CHRIS GROSSO, author of Indie Spiritualist and Everything Mind.
“Jeff Brown’s latest work is a testimonial to the soul. His writing is at the edge, breaking through the cosmic and cultural barriers to reveal things in an entirely new way. He understands the vital importance to converse about the soul in every aspect of life. This makes him a modern day Troubadour. A must read for Divine Lovers everywhere!”
–ANAIYA SOPHIA, Author of Sacred Sexual Union & co-author of Womb Wisdom
Author Biography:
A former criminal lawyer and psychotherapist, Jeff Brown is the author of Soulshaping: A Journey of Self-Creation and Ascending with Both Feet on the Ground. Endorsed by authors Elizabeth Lesser, Oriah Mountain Dreamer and Katherine Woodward Thomas, Ascending is a collection of Jeff’s most popular spiritual graffiti—quotes, soul-bytes and aphorisms frequently shared in social media. He is also the author of the viral blog Apologies to the Divine Feminine (from a warrior in transition) and the producer and key journeyer in the award winning spiritual documentary–Karmageddon–which also stars Ram Dass, Seane Corn, David Life, Deva Premal and Miten. A regular contributor to Elephant Journal and Vivid Life, he has also written a series of inspirations for ABC’s Good Morning America and appeared on over 200 radio shows. He is the owner of Enrealment Press and the creator of a new online school–Soulshaping Institute–which launched in September, 2014. The second in his series of quotes books–Love it Forward–came out on Valentine’s Day 2014. Spiritual Graffiti is the third collection in the series. In addition, his higher consciousness love story–the best-selling An Uncommon Bond– was published to great delight on May 1, 2015. You can connect with Jeff’s work at www.soulshaping.com.