The Power, the Miracle & the Dream: A Beginner's Guide to Lasting Happiness (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781463781965)

Don De Lene who lives in Melbourne, Australia, was born in 1943. Although seemingly successful in his long career as a businessman, Don had been heavily burdened by feelings of insecurity, self-doubts and "aloneness" since an early age. As he grew older, he managed, with some success, to cover up these problems with a false facade of confidence, know-it-all-ness and approval seeking to enable him to bluff his way through career issues and personal relationships. Often managing to fool others, Don never really fooled himself and so he relentlessly sought relief from his sense of self-loathing in the pursuit of passing pleasures and addictions. However, these didn't work; they only provided fleeting moments of satisfaction and transitory happiness and added to his stockpile of self-doubts. In his late forties, he fell into deep depression. Two years of therapy did little to dispel his sense of worthlessness, hopelessness and lack of purpose. As a result, in 1992 his marriage collapsed dramatically. A few weeks prior to his marriage break up, a book with a curious title, "A Course in Miracles" (ACIM), entered his life. Don attempted to read the text of this transformational book and found it incomprehensible. Despite this, out of desperation, he then commenced the book's Workbook Lessons, even though he didn't really understand them either. Perhaps this was the catalyst for a "God experience" on the night his marriage disintegrated because, at the zenith of his shock, rage and despair, he cried out, in his hoplessness, "God, help me!" And He did. Immediately his rage and despair evaporated and he was enveloped in an indescribable blinding light. Profound feelings of peace and joy permeated his being, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of forgiveness. His thoughts of hate, revenge and retribution vanished and, for the first time in his life he experienced an overwhelming sense of unconditional love towards everyone. Not a bad turnaround for a professed atheist! Be that as it may, his ego made sure that his next 20 years weren't going to be all plain sailing and it was very much a case of one step forward and two steps back as he worked on undoing his self-defeating attitude of the past, with ACIM as his guide. Don's life now has purpose and direction. He always wanted to write, but didn't think he had anything to say. He's just published his first Self-Help book at the age of 68, is currently working on his next book and has ideas about more to follow.