One the way Home: Walking the Road to Personal Freedom by Robert Munster.
In the dedication, Munster states the purpose of the book. “This piece of work is dedicated to all those souls who are trying to find their way through the myriad complexities of this life and become free to choose their own lives’ paths.”
In the forward, he elaborates. “Many wise souls have taught us over the centuries that it is our personal responsibility to find our own way home… it is still up to each and every one of us to discover our own journey homeward.”
Munster worked for thirty-five years as an occupational therapist in medically related settings. In this book he shares some of what he has learned.
The chapters in the book include such topics as Ancestral Chains; Change, the Only Constant; Facing our Fears; Power and Control and The Dance of Relationships.
Each chapter begins with Munster’s ideas on a topic then he tells a story to illustrate his premise. He ends the chapters with a summary of the important points he made.
For example in the chapter Change, the Only Constant Munster says everything changes: the weather, the seasons, our bodies, feelings, friends, our attitudes, and beliefs. Munster poses a question. “How can we remain open to change, yet integrate the results into a life of peace, comfort, and joy?” Munster gives an example of a couple who raises their family and saves for their retirement but then one of them has a severe stroke and their savings is drained. The security they’d saved for is gone.
“So, what do we do? Live in fear of destruction or the possibility that something bad is going to happen or do we create the kind of life we really want to live.” p. 36
Munster suggests that when we seek out opportunities to change and grow life becomes exciting.
Munster also suggests journaling and goal setting to promote awareness and change. At the end of the day you can write down what happened during the day: what you did, felt, thought, learned and know and then set goals for the next day. This is to put you in touch with different aspects of yourself. You can also document your experiences of the past week, then decide what you want to change.
Change gradually becomes normal. Instead of saying “’Why is this happening TO me?’… What would happen if we changed this to ‘Why is this happening FOR me?’” or ‘What is this experience teaching me?’ or ‘Why do I need this experience?’” p. 50. This shifts the way we look at life’s events.
Munster concludes the chapter with these thoughts. “Once we begin to accept the responsibility for our own situations and do something about those things that inhibit our growth, real changes start to unfold. When an individual takes an active role in creating more of what he/she wants out of life, the magic begins.” P. 52.
Another interesting chapter is Facing Our Fears. In this chapter Munster states that everyone is afraid of something whether physical, emotional, or mental. “Fear prevents us from being free.” P. 53.
Munster says that many of us have fears that we don’t understand. He suggests that the fears often come from past lives. How we perished in another life may carry over like a fear of spiders or snakes or heights. Fears serve to protect us, but they can also hold us back. At some point “a door of opportunity opens for us. We can choose to walk through and challenge that fear.” As we grow we are able to handle more difficult situations.
Munster eventually realized he was Soul and nothing could kill him as a spiritual being. He also realized nothing can withstand the power of love. “When we do face and conquer, or live with, a fear, we gain another step on our way home. We become freer.” P. 65.
The book ends with “What is Next?” in our search for freedom and trust—we simply need to be ourselves. Gratitude and humility are essential traits as we continue on the path and doors will continue to open to more freedom.
If you are a seeker of truth and want a more meaningful life, you’ll enjoy this short, easy to read book packed with spiritual ideas.
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