New book by Don Davies

[KOadmin]

Book Review: “The Challenge of Change: Find Meaning and Purpose in Your Life” by Don Davies

Written by Ingrid Liepa

If you’ve ever even remotely entertained the idea that our personal health issues are really deep-seated wake-up calls around how we are living and engaging with the world, then Kimberley resident Don Davies’ latest book is an absolute must-read for his recent and remarkable personal journey through diagnosis and treatment of multiple myeloma, an incurable form of bone cancer. It’s a journey that offers enormous inspiration and food for thought about the impact attitude, approach and conscious awareness can have on healing and transformation.

Through his courage, some incredible strokes of fortune, and a rare brand of never-give-up optimism, we learn that Don is someone who will do what it takes to successfully move through adversity. The book itself is a product of a cycle of medication that kept him awake long into the nights. Instead of getting frustrated with not being able to sleep, Don chose instead to direct all this somewhat inconvenient nocturnal energy into writing about his experience.

There are many powerful moments and a-ha’s to be found in his story, which is written simply and compellingly. His experience offers a powerful reminder of the consequences of living too much on “auto-pilot” and failing to pay attention to subtle, and then not-so-subtle signals that something might be amiss.

One of the most poignant moments in the book comes when Don shares a heart-to-heart letter he wrote to his body in which he seeks forgiveness for the decades of benign neglect and the many years where he took his physical prowess, strength and health for granted. After all, he is someone who has always liked to challenge himself physically, and is known to many as an avid outdoorsman, traveler and adventurer.
Examining the demand for change and what he would now have to do differently to keep multiple myeloma at bay, his letter describes a new kind of relationship to be forged, one where he is attentive to and caring of his body’s needs, and they are working together as a real team. Not to leave anything to chance, his letter’s closing words get to the very heart of the matter: “Without you, I am nothing.”

Former students of Don’s will nod approvingly in reading about how he dusted off his “ACT NOW” curriculum to help guide his own healing process, recognizing the value of this simple goal-setting tool as a way to consciously keep growing, experiencing, learning and evolving throughout one’s life. He outlines each step of “ACT NOW” and shares how it helped him plan and execute a cross-continent cycling trip from Kimberley to New York.

One cannot help but feel gratitude to Don for choosing to share his story and the rich awakenings he has had from his diagnosis of cancer. There is some wisdom here for everyone, or at the very least a good reminder of how very precious every breath of life really is.

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The cost of the book is $15 with $5 from each book being donated to cancer research to support findiing a cure for Multiple Myeloma. Shipping costs are $14 for International destinations (OZ, England etc), $7 for the U.S. and $5 in Canada.

Email davies41@telus.net to order your copy or stop by Black Bear Books and Video in the Platzl. Purchases can be made via PayPal using the emal address above.