There is a statement in the opening pages of the book that summarizes the context you should use in reading and using these ideas.
“It is important to note that this approach is neither original nor particularly innovative in its illumination of certain principles. It is based on general concepts that have been practiced in different forms, with different terminologies, and using different rituals throughout history, and is an approach that appears time and again in both ancient and contemporary literature. This approach forms the basis for many widespread movements in history, many of which have promoted positive personal growth.
This book is a modest version of principles that promote positive change. Included in the book are numerous unreferenced, italicized passages that have been passed along by individuals willing to share their wisdom, a wisdom they achieved through hard-fought experience. It also serves as a testament to the existence of a “life force” that reminds us all that insight into life’s lessons is abundantly available.”
The book was written as a practical guide of doable exercises that anyone can apply to their own lives. The terminology was specifically chosen to avoid conveying traditional self-help or religious language or to coin new phrases that portend a proprietary character to the approach.
These concepts are easy to understand, yet they are difficult to put into practice. Again, quoting from the introductory pages of the book:
“Resistance to change is self-evident. Preconceived notions, prejudices, biases, or beliefs are foundational to life itself; we defend these beliefs with fierce determination and this is reflected in our behavior, attitudes, and actions. The prospect of undertaking a process to reconstruct our life patterns and the way we experience life is, for the most part, considered heretical. It is so much easier to hold on to our taboos rather than to expend the emotional energy to question, let alone change, what is believed to be true.
The process acknowledges that personal change requires courage and commitment at a level a person has not likely experienced before. Remember that courage is not the absence of fear but rather the recognition that there is a purpose in one’s pursuit that has greater value than the fear being experienced. Engaging in any personal growth process requires true courage, and yet it is one of the most supreme experiences of humanity since the dawn of time.”