May Newsletter: The Calm Center + A Poem

Published: Sat, 05/23/15

Dear Friend,

I hope you are well. Over the past month here in the UK, it’s been fantastic to see spring truly blossoming all around us. It’s the most fantastic time of the year for our garden, filling with multi-coloured flowers and soft white blossom from our pear tree. (If you were there at my last ‘From The Calm Center’ google hangout, that was my garden behind me, slowing darkening as the sun went down…) It really does feel that the natural world has exploded back into life. I love natural world at all times of the year - autumn is especially lovely - but I especially enjoy the sense of rebirth at this time of year.

Two weeks ago we went to one of my favourite places, Anglesey in Wales, which is quite remote and unspoiled. I wrote a poem based on my sense of the power and beauty of nature there, which I’ll include at the end of this newsletter.

You’re probably aware that my book The Calm Center has just been published. The period around a book’s publication is quite a strange time. It’s a time of promotion - talks, interviews, on-line events, social media promotion and so forth. I don’t feel completely comfortable with it - I guess book promotion means self-promotion too - but I accept that it’s necessary, largely because publishers invest a lot of money and effort into books, and an author has a responsibility to give something back. It’s quite a precarious time for authors and publishers (book sales going down, publishers and magazines closing down) so there’s that to take into account too. I guess it’s mainly a question of raising awareness, making people aware that your book has been published. These days it’s largely a question of using social media, so apologies if you are one of Facebook friends or twitter followers, and there are a lot of posts relating to the book!

This time around, one of the best things about the book publication is all the help I’ve had from my son Hugh. He turned 12 last week, and is a technical wizard - way more adept at using computers and other forms of technology than me. My publisher New World Library asked me to record a couple of videos of myself reading poems from the book. Hugh made them for me, and did a wonderful professional job - probably as good as any professional video making company would have done. Take a look at this video of me reading ‘Become the Sky, for example:

He’s also helped by designing posters, taking photos and so forth. I think he’s future career is already mapped out - he’s joining the family business.He’s also helped by designing posters, taking photos and so forth. I think he’s future career is already mapped out - he’s joining the family business.

Fortnightly Poems (or Bi-weekly Poems)

This is a conversation I had with a friend a couple of weeks ago:

'Are you going to go back to writing your normal books now?' he asked.

'What do you mean?' I asked.

'Well you know, these poems or reflections that you've just published - they're lovely but they're not your proper spiritual psychology books are they?'

It reminded me of when my parents used to say to me 'Isn't it about time you got a proper job?' As it happens, I do want to write another 'proper' book as soon as I can, and I thought I would take a rest from writing poems or reflections. However, ideas for them seem to keep coming through, and I’ve written several more over the past few weeks. One thing I’ve thought of doing is to send out a ‘fortnightly’ reflection (I believe that in the US the word ‘fortnight’ isn’t used, so perhaps I should say bi-weekly.) Let me know at [email protected] if you think that’s a good idea - I don’t want to overburden your e-mail inbox with too many mails.

Book Activity

I’m holding a free on-line launch for The Calm Center on Sunday May 31st. I’ll be reading some pieces from the book, discussing them, and you’ll be able to ask me questions about the book. You can register for the book here: https://plus.google.com/events/cemcbkhrh7mhrd6vg2k47q83soo

I’ve chosen this date because it’s between the US and UK publications of the book. (It’s officially published in the UK near the beginning of June, although already available on kindle.)

And you’ll be able to take another look at my wonderful garden!

Also, on June 11th I’m holding an event to celebrate the UK publication, in my home city of Manchester. This is free (although I suggest a small donation, to cover rental of the venue.) You can sign up for it here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-calm-center-with-steve-taylor-tickets-16902742558

There’s also a London event, at Alternatives on July 6th. More info here: http://alternativesevents.org.uk/event/steve-taylor-the-calm-centre/

Amazon Reviews

One thing my publisher did talk about recently was the importance of Amazon reviews. They’ve made the call to authors to remind their readerships to write up their reactions to books on amazon, if they have enjoyed them. So if you have already read The Calm Center and enjoyed it, my publisher and I would be grateful if you were willing to post a review! This is amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/The-Calm-Center-Reflections-Meditations/dp/1608683303/

Many thanks in advance - and that’s all in relation to the book!

New Spiritual Poem/Reflection

You Will Be Amazed

If you could sense the spaciousness of the sky

and the dramatic beauty of shape-shifting clouds

if you could feel the dark magnificence of mountains

and the calm sentience of trees

If you could sense that the world isn't mechanical and inert

but gloriously alive with soul-force

and if you could feel this force inside you, as the essence of your being

and so sense that you’re not separate after all

but part of this magical communion

Then your restlessness and dissatisfaction would cease.

Your sense of frustration and emptiness

your craving for success and power

your hunger for love and affirmation

your need for diversion and excitement

your desire to own and conquer -

this crazy traits would simply fall away

like the pains of a wound which has healed.

One day you will be amazed

at how easy it is to be alive

and how right it feels to be in the world

All best wishes and blessings,

Steve