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The Invitation
Visionary author Oriah Mountain Dreamer brings to life the wisdom of her beloved invitation, which has touched hearts everywhere with its fresh and spirited call to live life more deeply, honestly, and well.
Like the inspirations for Robert Fulghum′s All I Really Need to Know I learned in Kindergarten, Cherie Carter-Scott′s If Life Is a Game, These are the Rules, and Margaret Fishback Power′s Footprints, the poem that sparked The Invitation has been embraced around the world, passed along by thousands who have discovered and treasured its message. In this lovely gift book the author speaks from the heart, reflecting on everything from desire to betrayal and offering practical - and often surprising - suggestions for how to live the ecstasy of everyday life, learn to recognise true beauty in ourselves and the world around us, and how to find the sustenance that our spirit longs for.
The poem Invitation has been recited and quoted at countless spiritual conferences, and on network radio by Robert Bly, Jack Kornfield, Angeles Arrien, and many other spiritual leaders.
From the Invitation:
ȴ doesn′t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart′s longing.
It doesn′t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive ...′
Like the inspirations for Robert Fulghum′s All I Really Need to Know I learned in Kindergarten, Cherie Carter-Scott′s If Life Is a Game, These are the Rules, and Margaret Fishback Power′s Footprints, the poem that sparked The Invitation has been embraced around the world, passed along by thousands who have discovered and treasured its message. In this lovely gift book the author speaks from the heart, reflecting on everything from desire to betrayal and offering practical - and often surprising - suggestions for how to live the ecstasy of everyday life, learn to recognise true beauty in ourselves and the world around us, and how to find the sustenance that our spirit longs for.
The poem Invitation has been recited and quoted at countless spiritual conferences, and on network radio by Robert Bly, Jack Kornfield, Angeles Arrien, and many other spiritual leaders.
From the Invitation:
ȴ doesn′t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart′s longing.
It doesn′t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive ...′
136 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 1999
458 people are currently reading
5485 people want to read
About the author
Oriah Mountain Dreamer
27 books463 followersOriah is first and foremost a story-teller, a lover of words and symbols and the stories that lift our spirits, open our hearts and offer us ways to see patterns and create meaning in our lives. The focus of her life and work has been an on-going inquiry into the Sacred Mystery. Her writing, teaching and personal journey all explore how we can each become the individual we are at the deepest level of being and how we can co-create meaning together in the world. Blending humor, insight and compassion for our human struggles Oriah encourages herself and others to be ruthlessly honest and infinitely kind toward our own strengths and our weaknesses.
Raised in a small community in Northern Ontario, Oriah’s family encouraged her to bring her questions and explorations to the Christian tradition they espoused. At home in the wilderness she was drawn to and at home in the ceremonies and earth-based teachings of the First People’s, eventually teaching and sharing what she learned. Her daily practice includes ceremonial prayer, yoga, meditation and writing. A graduate of Ryerson University’s social work program (Toronto) and a student of Philosophy at the University of Toronto she has facilitated groups, offered classes and counselled individuals for over thirty-five years. The mother of two grown sons, Oriah lives in Toronto, Canada.
Raised in a small community in Northern Ontario, Oriah’s family encouraged her to bring her questions and explorations to the Christian tradition they espoused. At home in the wilderness she was drawn to and at home in the ceremonies and earth-based teachings of the First People’s, eventually teaching and sharing what she learned. Her daily practice includes ceremonial prayer, yoga, meditation and writing. A graduate of Ryerson University’s social work program (Toronto) and a student of Philosophy at the University of Toronto she has facilitated groups, offered classes and counselled individuals for over thirty-five years. The mother of two grown sons, Oriah lives in Toronto, Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 283 reviews
May 8, 2012
This was a great book for me - I have read it countless times over the years and the wisdom in its pages speaks to my soul - a great read for getting yourself back to center and realizing what's important in life.
December 26, 2007
These little books are a nice invitation to ponder - not weighty, not earthshattering, just a gentle nudge to not be a wet blanket to life.
February 15, 2010
What I liked most about this book is that it talked about spiritual stuff, w/o being nihilistic and acknowledging that many theories within the spiritual/personal growth community were trash. I would call it honest, because although I did not agree with some of her ideas, I was able to respect her more because she didn't present this rosy-colored-over the top ideology that might neglect injustice.
I would highly recommend reading this book! You don't need to read it cover to cover, can just read select chapters if you so choose.
I would highly recommend reading this book! You don't need to read it cover to cover, can just read select chapters if you so choose.
January 19, 2013
Personally for me, I found this book boring and pretentious. Her constant repetition of the work "ache" made me want to scream. I stopped reading after 3 chapters.
May 25, 2010
The most poignant thing about this book is the poem, 'The Invitation' upon which it is based. Oriah does a good job of expanding on each stanza in the poem with personal stories of heartbreak, illness, and love. She appears to be a bit cynical as she relates her views to that of new age thought and optimism. The poem, 'The Invitation' was for me the draw as it forces you to examine relationships--all relationships--and challenges you to explore the depths of them and to allow others to explore your own depths.
January 8, 2025
Not every book is for every reader.
My pastor pressed this book into my hands, telling me how strongly it had influenced her and how she wanted to do a series of podcasts about it. Clearly, this book has an audience whom it inspires and nourishes.
I am not that audience.
The book begins with a poem entitled “The Invitation.” The author informs us that the poem has been shared around the world, and promises an explication of the poem in the pages to follow. I found the poem unreadable. Before I’d realized that the poem was going to provide the backbone of the book, I skipped it after the first couple of stanzas. Once I tripped to the structure of the volume before me, I went back and tried to read it with care. I couldn’t; my eyes glazed over. The poem read like the kind of thing some half-drunk hippie might say at one in the morning, when she was searching for, like, real connection, you know?
The book goes on to devote a chapter to each stanza, the author writing with the kind of unselfconscious self-importance you recall from the last time you were seated next to a bore in Comfort Plus. This person loves the sound of her own authorial voice, and she makes pronouncement after pronouncement about how to life The Good Life but offers no data beyond her own life experience to support her thesis. She writes like an authority, or perhaps a prophetess, without giving the reader any reason to take her seriously. What are her credentials? She certainly never bothers to tell us.
As for the author’s recipe for happiness, well, it veers from the courageous embrace of life in all of its messiness to the irresponsible pursuit of whatever impulses may be attempting to drive us in the moment. I buy the former, but reject the latter: it’s narcissism posing as actualization.
Oh, this was dire.
That said, the person who recommended it to me did so out of love, not spite. She’s a smart person who’s a force for good in the world, so I can assume only that the problem isn’t so much that the book is bad as that I am so outside the target audience that it was written in a language I can’t understand - kinda like how I can only look on, baffled and impatient, when someone coos over their housecat.
Still, I can comment only on my own experience as a reader. This book didn’t work for me as an exercise in nonfiction prose. It didn’t work for me as a step on the path toward wisdom. It was lent, not given; it didn’t even work for me as kindling. I will not be recommending “The Invitation.”
My pastor pressed this book into my hands, telling me how strongly it had influenced her and how she wanted to do a series of podcasts about it. Clearly, this book has an audience whom it inspires and nourishes.
I am not that audience.
The book begins with a poem entitled “The Invitation.” The author informs us that the poem has been shared around the world, and promises an explication of the poem in the pages to follow. I found the poem unreadable. Before I’d realized that the poem was going to provide the backbone of the book, I skipped it after the first couple of stanzas. Once I tripped to the structure of the volume before me, I went back and tried to read it with care. I couldn’t; my eyes glazed over. The poem read like the kind of thing some half-drunk hippie might say at one in the morning, when she was searching for, like, real connection, you know?
The book goes on to devote a chapter to each stanza, the author writing with the kind of unselfconscious self-importance you recall from the last time you were seated next to a bore in Comfort Plus. This person loves the sound of her own authorial voice, and she makes pronouncement after pronouncement about how to life The Good Life but offers no data beyond her own life experience to support her thesis. She writes like an authority, or perhaps a prophetess, without giving the reader any reason to take her seriously. What are her credentials? She certainly never bothers to tell us.
As for the author’s recipe for happiness, well, it veers from the courageous embrace of life in all of its messiness to the irresponsible pursuit of whatever impulses may be attempting to drive us in the moment. I buy the former, but reject the latter: it’s narcissism posing as actualization.
Oh, this was dire.
That said, the person who recommended it to me did so out of love, not spite. She’s a smart person who’s a force for good in the world, so I can assume only that the problem isn’t so much that the book is bad as that I am so outside the target audience that it was written in a language I can’t understand - kinda like how I can only look on, baffled and impatient, when someone coos over their housecat.
Still, I can comment only on my own experience as a reader. This book didn’t work for me as an exercise in nonfiction prose. It didn’t work for me as a step on the path toward wisdom. It was lent, not given; it didn’t even work for me as kindling. I will not be recommending “The Invitation.”
June 13, 2012
This book fills in some of the practical, daily living gaps that I sometimes think the Buddhist lit misses. It oscillates between making points that I really "get", things that I really needed to hear, and just generally annoying me. Maybe it's her writing style, maybe it's her "voice", that I can "hear" throughout as I'm reading. In some ways I really appreciate the voice of a woman on this whole matter of being present and living life. This, however, also made her stories difficult for me to relate to, as it seems she's just made lots of bad choices, that are unlike things I've done in my own life. I nearly quit reading it after the first chapter, then tried again, and almost immediately found a little nugget of useful info. So overall, there's useful points made about once a chapter, with lots of fluffy nonsense surrounding it.
November 16, 2010
The Invitation is in my mind one of the finest poems ever written, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this at a time that I am looking to make complete 100% changes in my life, and I had loads of time to think and really take in the ideas and concepts. Despite the authors name sounding overly 'woo-woo' (as many of my friends refer to a majority of my reading and interests), Oriah writes very honestly about living authentically in the real world where kids leave the bathroom floor wet, friends get sick, and lover's disappoint. I'm currently reading her next one - The Dance. HUGELY inspiring. In fact, if you only ever read the poem that inspired this book, that in itself will be a fine treat.
January 9, 2015
This is a wise and honest book that inspires the reader to experience and embrace life fully, not avoiding or squelching one's fears and insecurities, but sitting with and learning from them, and to seek out others who do the same. It's full of raw emotion, as the author unflinchingly shares her own struggles and heartbreaks, as well as her deep longing for human connection on the most profound levels. I found much to ponder and, as a result, I am more aware of my own baggage and shortcomings, not in a judgmental way toward myself but simply more mindful of where I am emotionally and spiritually and what I need to do to become more mindful and connected in all aspects of my life.
August 31, 2014
Not the type of book I would typically read but I am so glad that I did. The poem at the beginning of the book is incredibly beautiful, thought provoking and inspiring.
As I went on to explore the rest of the book I could feel myself opening up to questions we often ignore or avoid.
I am not religious so loved that the author spoke of things in a spiritual sense, acknowledging that faith and belief can take many forms.
A great read and one I believe I will get even more from each time I revisit it.
As I went on to explore the rest of the book I could feel myself opening up to questions we often ignore or avoid.
I am not religious so loved that the author spoke of things in a spiritual sense, acknowledging that faith and belief can take many forms.
A great read and one I believe I will get even more from each time I revisit it.
March 19, 2008
I had come across the poem "The Invitation" which is the basis for the book. I was so moved by the passion and rawness of Oriah's words. The book goes on to give her inspiration of the poem, an excellent easy read that I didn't want to put down! She also includes some meditation excercises that were helpful.
June 26, 2018
The original prose poem is a powerful stand-alone product, but this book that accompanies the original poem is not as compelling. There are nuggets of good moments, and the writing is done well, but some of the ideas are too "in the clouds" and needed some grounding in reality.
July 7, 2015
"It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare dream of meeting your heart's longing."
So begins the poem "The invitation, one of my all time favorites for many years. A call with a coaching client of mine prompted me to finally get around to reading the book by Oriah Mountain Dreamer that explains and elaborates on the meaning of the poem. A disciple of David Whyte, my favorite poet, Oriah manages to capture the essence of human existence in one poem. I now this sounds like a stretch, but go her her website and read the entire poem, and if you don't agree, then something is missing in your DNA, my friend.
She goes beyond the trite and hackneyed and is willing to expose her own deep vulnerabilities and doubts that afflict all of us in one way or another, whether we want to admit it or not. While she is a tad too spiritual in certain aspects for my taste, I couldn't help be blown away by the power of her writing when dealing with more secular matters. For those into meditation, she offers specific exercises geared towards dealing with specific issues involving joy, betrayal, fears, failures, longings, etc. Her chapter on Commitment was extremely insightful in dealing with a topic that gets less attention these days in our quest for personal freedom:
"It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children."
Very powerful stuff, especially for some of us who experienced this commitment growing up with a single parent with very little resources. Despite her unconventional nom de plume, Oriah Mountain Dreamer makes perfect sense in a world today starving for such realistic and and affirming insights and observations.
So begins the poem "The invitation, one of my all time favorites for many years. A call with a coaching client of mine prompted me to finally get around to reading the book by Oriah Mountain Dreamer that explains and elaborates on the meaning of the poem. A disciple of David Whyte, my favorite poet, Oriah manages to capture the essence of human existence in one poem. I now this sounds like a stretch, but go her her website and read the entire poem, and if you don't agree, then something is missing in your DNA, my friend.
She goes beyond the trite and hackneyed and is willing to expose her own deep vulnerabilities and doubts that afflict all of us in one way or another, whether we want to admit it or not. While she is a tad too spiritual in certain aspects for my taste, I couldn't help be blown away by the power of her writing when dealing with more secular matters. For those into meditation, she offers specific exercises geared towards dealing with specific issues involving joy, betrayal, fears, failures, longings, etc. Her chapter on Commitment was extremely insightful in dealing with a topic that gets less attention these days in our quest for personal freedom:
"It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children."
Very powerful stuff, especially for some of us who experienced this commitment growing up with a single parent with very little resources. Despite her unconventional nom de plume, Oriah Mountain Dreamer makes perfect sense in a world today starving for such realistic and and affirming insights and observations.
August 12, 2014
Oriah forces one to do some serious introspection, to question the status quo and to re-examine the way one lives.
The book is an extension of her acclaimed poem, "The Invitation". Each chapter is based on a stanza of the poem. The book is Oriah's honest account of how she took stock of her life.
The book was like an emotional onslaught. I had to stop a couple of times when reading each chapter to examine my psyche and to dig deep in my heart searching for answers to questions arising as I read. The last 3 chapters,, "The fire", "Deep sustenance" and "Finding our way home" resonated with me. In "Finding our way home" Oriah spoke about reconnecting with yourself". Before the baby, I used to don my gym gear and take a walk around our neighbourhood. This cleared my head and allowed me to put niggling issues in perspective.
I recommend it to anyone who is battling life's challenges and seeks clarity of mind.
The book is an extension of her acclaimed poem, "The Invitation". Each chapter is based on a stanza of the poem. The book is Oriah's honest account of how she took stock of her life.
The book was like an emotional onslaught. I had to stop a couple of times when reading each chapter to examine my psyche and to dig deep in my heart searching for answers to questions arising as I read. The last 3 chapters,, "The fire", "Deep sustenance" and "Finding our way home" resonated with me. In "Finding our way home" Oriah spoke about reconnecting with yourself". Before the baby, I used to don my gym gear and take a walk around our neighbourhood. This cleared my head and allowed me to put niggling issues in perspective.
I recommend it to anyone who is battling life's challenges and seeks clarity of mind.
July 20, 2011
Things are bad when you're writing and rewriting your scathing review as you read a book. I appreciate the gist of the book -- seize the day, conquer your fears, live life on your own terms, etc. It's difficult to describe why I so intensely disliked this book. Perhaps because it epitomized the self-centered approach to fixing your life.
In the end, I have to acknowledge that it's much harder to write about joyful, positive topics than melancholy ones. And I can see this book being meaningful to certain types of people at certain stages of life. Just not for me.
In the end, I have to acknowledge that it's much harder to write about joyful, positive topics than melancholy ones. And I can see this book being meaningful to certain types of people at certain stages of life. Just not for me.
November 27, 2018
I've slowly chipped away at this book for a few months, indulging in it as a bathroom reader. I appreciate Oriah's orientation about the world and find it very agreeable. She gets a lot of things correct—she just get's it!—and communicates "it" in a very digestible way.
I didn't meet any particularly new ideas or paradigm-shattering concepts; however, I am gladdened by her contribution and the impact her work has had on the lives of other people. The world could use more people like her.
I didn't meet any particularly new ideas or paradigm-shattering concepts; however, I am gladdened by her contribution and the impact her work has had on the lives of other people. The world could use more people like her.
February 26, 2008
Don't let the author's New Age name scare you off. The Invitation is a soulful poem about what should really matter between humans, not what Madison Avenue tries to condition people to. The book contains the poem, and a discussion of the poem.
December 14, 2015
Oriah offers an "invitation" to every single of us to "show up" in the universe. She reminds us we don't serve the universe by being small, rather we serve the universe by making the most out of our lives. Full of deep meaning, inspiration, and motivation.
January 1, 2008
this is one I pick up every so often and just read excerpts out of it. It is FABULOUS every single time!
February 24, 2008
I love love love this poem. It really hones in on what is important when meeting other people and not judging. I am not too much a fan of her personal anecdotes which follow every line of her poem.
November 2, 2017
The first time I ever read The Invitation (as in, the poem in this book’s introduction) was when Mr Ceruzzi handed it out in one of my 11th grade English electives. It was like someone had distilled all the hope for the future and faith in the inherent strength and kindness of people that I secretly held in the depths of my teenage heart, and then channeled it into words I could’ve written in my most introspective journal entries. For a while I tried to find its origin based on the author’s name (“Oriah Mountain Dreamer — Indian Elder”) but, as this was easier said than done in 2001, I ended up having to settle for transcribing it into the inside cover of my sketchbook for inspiration and tucking the (now tattered) photocopy of the poem away in my memory box.
I referred to it from time to time over the years, either when I sought it for inspiration or simply came across it by accident. And then, recently, I transcribed it as a gift for a friend who I thought would draw a similar level of comfort and inspiration from it during a hard time. In reading it again, I felt the magic spark of the person I used to be ignite and resolved that now, after so many years, it was finally time to find this book.
At its core, The Invitation (book) is beautifully written, concise advice on life and how to live (with yourself and others). Oriah takes you on a journey through the poem where each chapter corresponds to a stanza, can easily be read in 10-20 minutes, and is closed with a suggested meditation on the theme at hand. Though it occasionally leans a bit New-Age-y for my taste, the author clearly does no more or less than give you a part of who she is in the seeming hope that you will protect it and carry it forth to live and be better. I think anyone who is (or has ever felt) lost, who feels the pang that some part of them is missing that they long to either find or reunite with, or who simply needs to step back and do a mental reset, will get value out of this book.
I referred to it from time to time over the years, either when I sought it for inspiration or simply came across it by accident. And then, recently, I transcribed it as a gift for a friend who I thought would draw a similar level of comfort and inspiration from it during a hard time. In reading it again, I felt the magic spark of the person I used to be ignite and resolved that now, after so many years, it was finally time to find this book.
At its core, The Invitation (book) is beautifully written, concise advice on life and how to live (with yourself and others). Oriah takes you on a journey through the poem where each chapter corresponds to a stanza, can easily be read in 10-20 minutes, and is closed with a suggested meditation on the theme at hand. Though it occasionally leans a bit New-Age-y for my taste, the author clearly does no more or less than give you a part of who she is in the seeming hope that you will protect it and carry it forth to live and be better. I think anyone who is (or has ever felt) lost, who feels the pang that some part of them is missing that they long to either find or reunite with, or who simply needs to step back and do a mental reset, will get value out of this book.
April 16, 2019
Maybe it's her writing, or maybe it's the age/stage of my life, but this book really spoke to me. I loved the rawness of feeling and the eloquence and beauty of Oriah's writing. It was an easy, soulful read for me and I can't wait to read her other books.
February 23, 2025
Her words are nourishing, the poem “the invitation” is really beautiful and speaks to the deepest parts of us and I appreciated the brevity of the chapters with the ability to still explore the depths.
December 27, 2024
Pseudo profound new age word salad. This felt like reading the longest horoscope ever.
It is ironic, like others have pointed out, that in her attempt to appear saved? Enlightened? Wise? Unselfish? She comes across in her self-assured, pretentious and authoritarian writing style as the exact opposite.
The words are huge and vague, they have no concrete meaning and can thus mean whatever the reader feels like. It's called cold reading.
The message is deeply selfish and the appeal to stick with your own truth and go with your impulses and intuition just makes me cringe.
It's all anecdotal and I have no idea what her merits are.
The whole thing, the poem included, felt childish and self-righteous, like something a teenager who just discovered astrology and tarot cards and white people's buddhism would write.
A lot of research and some humility would suit this author.
It is ironic, like others have pointed out, that in her attempt to appear saved? Enlightened? Wise? Unselfish? She comes across in her self-assured, pretentious and authoritarian writing style as the exact opposite.
The words are huge and vague, they have no concrete meaning and can thus mean whatever the reader feels like. It's called cold reading.
The message is deeply selfish and the appeal to stick with your own truth and go with your impulses and intuition just makes me cringe.
It's all anecdotal and I have no idea what her merits are.
The whole thing, the poem included, felt childish and self-righteous, like something a teenager who just discovered astrology and tarot cards and white people's buddhism would write.
A lot of research and some humility would suit this author.
May 14, 2012
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living . I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing . It doesn't interest me how old you are . I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive..."The Invitation" was originally published in slightly different form, in "Dreams of Desire," a collection of poetry by Oriah Mountain Dreamer and actually the title, dreams of desire, is more relevant than the invitation. Simply because as a mortal, unless as an individual, we have dreams of desire therefore a cause, what is the point of existence?
To have an ultimate dream of desire, and to seek the journey to fulfill the dream, is the purpose of life! Have a personal dream, always treat people with love, but find a personal dream, whatever that might be, but find it! Gently communicate your wish to the universe, to the Creator, yet take steps to accomplish you wish! Then know, next it is the Creator's, Buddha, Mohammed, Christ, God, whatever your name is, turn to open doors which will allow you to accomplish what others will never dream. It's OK, it's 'your' dream, make it happen, live as if it has already happened... and it will happen!
Listen to Oriah Mountain Dreamer, accept the invitation, go where no one has ventured, and have fun!
To have an ultimate dream of desire, and to seek the journey to fulfill the dream, is the purpose of life! Have a personal dream, always treat people with love, but find a personal dream, whatever that might be, but find it! Gently communicate your wish to the universe, to the Creator, yet take steps to accomplish you wish! Then know, next it is the Creator's, Buddha, Mohammed, Christ, God, whatever your name is, turn to open doors which will allow you to accomplish what others will never dream. It's OK, it's 'your' dream, make it happen, live as if it has already happened... and it will happen!
Listen to Oriah Mountain Dreamer, accept the invitation, go where no one has ventured, and have fun!
September 21, 2025
The first time I read this book I thought it was pretty good. Ten years later, I think it's even more valuable. The author describes what she sees as the key facets of life: longing, betrayal, joy, sorrow, beauty, failure and how she's experienced these things and what's she's learned from them. She also provides meditations on fear, gratitude, belonging and other issues we're faced with as we walk the path of life. The Invitation itself is a bidding to live a life of openness, honesty, and willingness to do whatever is necessary to be true to yourself. Although it is written as a poem or a letter of sorts, from one to another, it could equally be seen as a letter from oneself to one's self. In my perfect world, I'd live like this, and others would live this way with me. But we don't live in my perfect world, unfortunately. So, here at the beginning of the 21st Century in this world we do inhabit, The Invitation still stands. Can we aspire to live a life of integrity, commitment and passion that the author maps out for us? I hope so.
August 1, 2015
There were some really interesting parts of it, but despite what it said, it did not change my life. Maybe I am *already there*. I doubt it though.
One of my major issues with this book was that it pretty much said "you have to reproduce in order to be of any value". Sure that was only a small portion of the book. I am highly unlikely to even be physically able to reproduce, and it actually *happening* seems even more unlikely. So that really *did* hit me very hard in a rather negative way.
Sadly, I cannot think of anything I *particularly* liked about it. As I recall, the writing was such that it was pretty easy to read, and understand.
One of my major issues with this book was that it pretty much said "you have to reproduce in order to be of any value". Sure that was only a small portion of the book. I am highly unlikely to even be physically able to reproduce, and it actually *happening* seems even more unlikely. So that really *did* hit me very hard in a rather negative way.
Sadly, I cannot think of anything I *particularly* liked about it. As I recall, the writing was such that it was pretty easy to read, and understand.
March 20, 2014
The Invitation offers honest reflections on life designed for sharing. The stumblings, especially in relations with men, bring about big growth for the author. Recommended to read with a highlighter pen in some places--as there were gems of wisdom here I want to reflect upon as a wife, a mother, a sister and daughter. Not that Oriah's message hasn't been said before but no matter how many times authors say it, I'm still in awe when an authentic voice, like Oriah's, can remind me that beauty is all around us and so close at hand when we gaze into our family members' eyes.
April 9, 2013
The poem, The Invitation, by Oriah Mountain Dreamer, is for those who’ve grown tired of the small talk and endless chatter at parties, and long for a conversation that is deeper, richer, and true. Like the poem The Art of Disappearing, by Naomi Shihab Nye, The Invitation is a clarion call to throw off appearance for authenticity and to dive fearlessly into life, relationships, and dialogue, not head first, but heart first, awake and aware with gratitude and exhaultation.
November 14, 2013
The poem itself is wonderful and inspiring.
The book was not what I expected. I was expecting some warmth and wisdom. Besides a couple of little gems of wisdom I found it self-indulgent. If you have experience of introspection and reflection in your life this book probably wont tell you anything you don't already know. No doubt it was cathartic for the author when writing it. Not for me, but doubtless would be inspiring for others.
The book was not what I expected. I was expecting some warmth and wisdom. Besides a couple of little gems of wisdom I found it self-indulgent. If you have experience of introspection and reflection in your life this book probably wont tell you anything you don't already know. No doubt it was cathartic for the author when writing it. Not for me, but doubtless would be inspiring for others.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 283 reviews