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Inside the Flame: the joy of treasuring what you already have
Inside the Flame invites readers to unplug their computers, cell phones, and televisions and plunge back into overlooked nooks and crannies of everyday experience. We've lost touch with the richness of the tangible and with it our reverence for the physical world. Our ability to focus on the here and now is in crisis. By illuminating ways to take a closer look at the world around, Inside the Flame will help readers heighten their surroundings, tune the volume more precisely, and live lives that are fuller, richer, more mindful, and more compassionately interwoven with others. Inside the Flame illustrates how attentive experience brings the world close, and how the world responds by infusing us with bold colors, memorable textures, and a more widely open heart.
- GenresSelf HelpNonfiction
344 pages, Paperback
Published November 20, 2016
1 person is currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
Christina Waters
4 books17 followersI live at the edge of the Pacific Ocean surrounded by redwood forests and golden meadows. I teach in the Arts at UCSC, and have a PhD in Philosophy from UC Davis.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 11, 2016
”Each of us can recall this need to bring home bits of the world and put them on our windowsills, our kitchen tables, or to give to our mothers or fathers. Special branches covered with moss and lichens, brilliant autumn leaves, bird skulls, rocks embedded with shimmering mica or pyrite, the odd stick, weed, or feather. All of these bits of childhood wanderings were brought home and formed those first collections that we loved and which have invariably, over the years, disappeared into the same mysterious somewhere as love letters and report cards from second grade.”
The California Beach Rock
I was out to see a friend of mine in California many, many years ago, just before he was about to have brain surgery to remove a tumor. I’d asked him if he preferred if I came to see him before surgery or after, and he had said he wanted me to see him one more time as who he really was, just in case the slice of a scalpel severed a connection that forever left part of who he was disconnected. We went fishing; everybody knows how I hate to fish, but I had a fantastic time learning to cast and, more importantly, spending the time with him. We came back into town and crashed a wedding at the local bar. We’d somehow missed the sign saying the bar was closed, probably because we were cracking each other up. Being around so many happy people was contagious, and we left grinning ear to ear, pleasantly buzzed with free beer. We ended the day walking along the Pacific Ocean. I found this rock. It wasn’t pretty or unusual, but when I picked it up, the shape of it fit my hand like it was meant to be there. I closed my fist around it, and my fingers formed a stone hand. I felt sheepishly, throwing it in my bag for the plane ride home, but I just couldn’t leave it.
It was a totem of my trip.
The pixels on our phones are cool. Joe will send us yet another picture of him with his tongue sticking out, or Sara will send us a picture of some great meal she is eating, or if you are really unlucky, maybe Anthony Weiner will send you a picture of his...well…. While all of these things are fun and disturbing, those pixels are also keeping us from seeing the world. The point of the book is for Christina Waters to convince you that your best memories are not on your phone or on your computer, but when you look at the world eyeball to eyeball. It is also about the people who are with you when you have one of those spectacular moments that will bring a smile to your face for the rest of your life.
I was relieved to discover that this is a memoir with a happiness agenda and not a self help book. I may have the longest streak by a reader of consuming roughly 3,000 books without ever reading a book labeled self help. Thank goodness, the streak can continue. I’ve recently struck up a friendship with Christina, and so imagine how thrilled I was to read up on her life through these vignettes of her most cherished experiences. Hopefully, she has not read very many of my reviews, where I have sprinkled bits and pieces of myself, so that I may keep a slight upper hand in this friendship.
The cover of the book is turquoise, which brought back memories of living in Flagstaff, Arizona, in an old apartment building on the hill overlooking town. I was there to save a bookstore from closing. I don’t remember much about the book store, except for one memorable encounter with Bruce Babbitt. I do think about what would have been the best souvenir of those days that I unfortunately left behind. There was this vintage refrigerator in my apartment with bright turquoise paint that I seriously contemplated absconding with when I left. I still remember how that splash of color added so much life to the kitchen. I must warn everyone that the way Christina tells these stories will have you swamped with memories of your own. You may even rediscover long lost memories triggered by some scene she shares that takes you back to another time, another place, another lover, another person you used to be.
Waters mentions a picture of her grandmother as a young woman that she keeps out among her mementos for her eyes to linger on from time to time. I had an opportunity at a family funeral, which is our version of family reunions on the Keeten side, to drag out a box of pictures that were my grandmother’s. I had my great aunts and uncles go through the pictures and identify people. I had one great uncle who didn’t remember any of the people, but he could tell me the names of the horses and the dogs in the picture. I kinda got the feeling he preferred their company more than people. In the box was a picture of my great grandfather, Roderick Stewart Chester, and my great grandmother, Myra Chester. It is their wedding picture. I find it to be a striking photo, and I placed it in an antique, silver frame and have it out on a shelf in my library. Roderick used to slip me Milky Way candy bars (I can’t ever eat one without thinking about him), with always a word of caution not to tell Myra. If you get a chance, go through some old family photographs. I bet you, too, will find some photos that will resonate with you.
Christina talks about making a hotel room or anyplace you stay as your space. When I travel, I always take at least three books with me. Books are a part of what makes a space feel like home for me. I scatter them around the room so that a book is always close to hand. I recently read a John Wayne biography and discovered that he always travelled with a certain vase from home. He would set it in his hotel room, and by doing so, he made that room an extension of his home.
She tells about the importance of enjoying color, sharing a moment of frustration with Monet, handwriting letters, giving Marilyn Monroe smiles, shark’s eggs, Bob Dylan’s music, liquid kisses, and a Year of Living Dangerously. Christina has somehow retained her childish sense of wonder. She sees things that too many of the rest of us don’t see or our eyes pass over them without really acknowledging what makes them wonderful. Unplug, read this book, and remember those experiences that are not just pictures on your phone, but pictures in your own natural repository of pictures...your mind. I was in Scotland recently and watched people snapping away at this or that and then moving quickly on. Did they really see it? Did they experience anything, or was it more important to have something to share on Facebook? I call them “I was there” pictures. Don’t get me wrong, pictures are wonderful, but take a moment to really look and add that brilliant sunset or that double rainbow or that white buffalo to your own memories before raising the camera to your face.
Hi Christina!
See what Christina has done to me? Memories just flooded out of me as I was reading this book. She reminded me to keep adding memories, to keep taking time for myself, to inhabit the world at all times, and never just pass through anywhere.
Check out her blog: http://christinawaters.com/
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
The California Beach Rock
I was out to see a friend of mine in California many, many years ago, just before he was about to have brain surgery to remove a tumor. I’d asked him if he preferred if I came to see him before surgery or after, and he had said he wanted me to see him one more time as who he really was, just in case the slice of a scalpel severed a connection that forever left part of who he was disconnected. We went fishing; everybody knows how I hate to fish, but I had a fantastic time learning to cast and, more importantly, spending the time with him. We came back into town and crashed a wedding at the local bar. We’d somehow missed the sign saying the bar was closed, probably because we were cracking each other up. Being around so many happy people was contagious, and we left grinning ear to ear, pleasantly buzzed with free beer. We ended the day walking along the Pacific Ocean. I found this rock. It wasn’t pretty or unusual, but when I picked it up, the shape of it fit my hand like it was meant to be there. I closed my fist around it, and my fingers formed a stone hand. I felt sheepishly, throwing it in my bag for the plane ride home, but I just couldn’t leave it.
It was a totem of my trip.
The pixels on our phones are cool. Joe will send us yet another picture of him with his tongue sticking out, or Sara will send us a picture of some great meal she is eating, or if you are really unlucky, maybe Anthony Weiner will send you a picture of his...well…. While all of these things are fun and disturbing, those pixels are also keeping us from seeing the world. The point of the book is for Christina Waters to convince you that your best memories are not on your phone or on your computer, but when you look at the world eyeball to eyeball. It is also about the people who are with you when you have one of those spectacular moments that will bring a smile to your face for the rest of your life.
I was relieved to discover that this is a memoir with a happiness agenda and not a self help book. I may have the longest streak by a reader of consuming roughly 3,000 books without ever reading a book labeled self help. Thank goodness, the streak can continue. I’ve recently struck up a friendship with Christina, and so imagine how thrilled I was to read up on her life through these vignettes of her most cherished experiences. Hopefully, she has not read very many of my reviews, where I have sprinkled bits and pieces of myself, so that I may keep a slight upper hand in this friendship.
The cover of the book is turquoise, which brought back memories of living in Flagstaff, Arizona, in an old apartment building on the hill overlooking town. I was there to save a bookstore from closing. I don’t remember much about the book store, except for one memorable encounter with Bruce Babbitt. I do think about what would have been the best souvenir of those days that I unfortunately left behind. There was this vintage refrigerator in my apartment with bright turquoise paint that I seriously contemplated absconding with when I left. I still remember how that splash of color added so much life to the kitchen. I must warn everyone that the way Christina tells these stories will have you swamped with memories of your own. You may even rediscover long lost memories triggered by some scene she shares that takes you back to another time, another place, another lover, another person you used to be.
Waters mentions a picture of her grandmother as a young woman that she keeps out among her mementos for her eyes to linger on from time to time. I had an opportunity at a family funeral, which is our version of family reunions on the Keeten side, to drag out a box of pictures that were my grandmother’s. I had my great aunts and uncles go through the pictures and identify people. I had one great uncle who didn’t remember any of the people, but he could tell me the names of the horses and the dogs in the picture. I kinda got the feeling he preferred their company more than people. In the box was a picture of my great grandfather, Roderick Stewart Chester, and my great grandmother, Myra Chester. It is their wedding picture. I find it to be a striking photo, and I placed it in an antique, silver frame and have it out on a shelf in my library. Roderick used to slip me Milky Way candy bars (I can’t ever eat one without thinking about him), with always a word of caution not to tell Myra. If you get a chance, go through some old family photographs. I bet you, too, will find some photos that will resonate with you.
Christina talks about making a hotel room or anyplace you stay as your space. When I travel, I always take at least three books with me. Books are a part of what makes a space feel like home for me. I scatter them around the room so that a book is always close to hand. I recently read a John Wayne biography and discovered that he always travelled with a certain vase from home. He would set it in his hotel room, and by doing so, he made that room an extension of his home.
She tells about the importance of enjoying color, sharing a moment of frustration with Monet, handwriting letters, giving Marilyn Monroe smiles, shark’s eggs, Bob Dylan’s music, liquid kisses, and a Year of Living Dangerously. Christina has somehow retained her childish sense of wonder. She sees things that too many of the rest of us don’t see or our eyes pass over them without really acknowledging what makes them wonderful. Unplug, read this book, and remember those experiences that are not just pictures on your phone, but pictures in your own natural repository of pictures...your mind. I was in Scotland recently and watched people snapping away at this or that and then moving quickly on. Did they really see it? Did they experience anything, or was it more important to have something to share on Facebook? I call them “I was there” pictures. Don’t get me wrong, pictures are wonderful, but take a moment to really look and add that brilliant sunset or that double rainbow or that white buffalo to your own memories before raising the camera to your face.
Hi Christina!
See what Christina has done to me? Memories just flooded out of me as I was reading this book. She reminded me to keep adding memories, to keep taking time for myself, to inhabit the world at all times, and never just pass through anywhere.
Check out her blog: http://christinawaters.com/
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
August 22, 2016
I thought this would be a straight-forward non-fiction, but it's really almost an memoir. Each chapter is a vignette about a time in Waters' life and what she learned from it. It has a very "Eat, Pray, Love" vibe to it, which I'm not a fan of. In fact, I hate "Eat, Pray, Love" with a passion. But Waters does walk that line between the first-world narcissism of "Eat, Pray, Love" and a down-to-earth tenderheartedness. The thing that makes this a three star book for me instead of a 2 star is that there's little exercises in between chapters. I think that's really neat. While some are kinda silly (but they do at least acknowledge their silliness, which is good), most or nice simple things that anyone can do to maybe get some insight into their own lives.
I find it hard to think of any group specifically to recommend this to, so I'll just say: If this seems interesting to you, get it. I don't think it will disappoint.
**I received this copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
I find it hard to think of any group specifically to recommend this to, so I'll just say: If this seems interesting to you, get it. I don't think it will disappoint.
**I received this copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
September 20, 2016
This was an unusual book. It falls under the category of self-help, but it feels more like a memoir with a distinct leaning toward being mindful about the everyday.
I enjoyed some of the description and can understand how the author wants to inspire others to look at the small details of their lives and appreciate them. That being said, I think for the book to be more useful to a broader audience, some actual outlined tips for being mindful or finding magic in the everyday would be good for people who aren't already familiar with mindfulness.
I enjoyed some of the description and can understand how the author wants to inspire others to look at the small details of their lives and appreciate them. That being said, I think for the book to be more useful to a broader audience, some actual outlined tips for being mindful or finding magic in the everyday would be good for people who aren't already familiar with mindfulness.
December 1, 2016
I requested this from the publisher in exchange for an independent honest review.
I was drawn to this book as I work in the health,wellbeing self help field.It is an intersting and well written book provoking the reader to take a step back and consider the simple, beautiful things in our lives and appreciate them more. I found this more if a memoir than a self help, development read, so for me. Didn't offer anything new. I would recommend it for readers new to this genre as an easy beginning to their development in leading a better life. I enjoyed this book, however in comparison to the plethera of work available in the wellbeing sector, I didn't love it or find enough from it
I was drawn to this book as I work in the health,wellbeing self help field.It is an intersting and well written book provoking the reader to take a step back and consider the simple, beautiful things in our lives and appreciate them more. I found this more if a memoir than a self help, development read, so for me. Didn't offer anything new. I would recommend it for readers new to this genre as an easy beginning to their development in leading a better life. I enjoyed this book, however in comparison to the plethera of work available in the wellbeing sector, I didn't love it or find enough from it
December 2, 2016
Entertaining read to help one be more mindful of their everyday lives. Love the short chapters!
March 10, 2017
I received this book for free through Goodreads! I loved that this book was a simple easy read with short chapters! It made be reassess a lot in my life! We take for granted the importance and beauty of nature! Made me really see things again! Happiness in what we have already! Making time with people we know and love! The abundance of joy that can be found all around us!
December 1, 2016
If you're looking for someone to give you tips on how to live life fully, Christina Waters is the mentor for you! Part memoir, part dispensation of accumulated tribal wisdom, this book is a collection of punchy, short pieces that exhort us to live now, in the present moment, in the real world — and offers suggestions on how to make our sensual, intellectual and emotional experiences of life even richer.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews