It has been immensely gratifying and humbling over the past year to read the letters, emails and reviews on Chapters and Amazon about my book A Journey of Days: Relearning Life’s Lessons on the Camino de Santiago. I wrote it mostly to tell people about my experiences on the Camino and to talk about the things that I thought about while I was there. As you know, it started as a set of daily emails that I sent home to my wife Carroll about what I was experiencing. Evidently I have been able to touch something in many people that makes them think about what is important in their life. When, after I came home, I wrote the “Life’s Lessons Relearned” section near the end of the book, I was careful not to tell others what they “should” do, but only what I learned of value to myself. It was not and is not my intent to preach to others.

A review which captures this idea well is one at Amazon.com from Mary Gauer, a dear friend from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She wrote in part:

“… What’s amazing is while Guy didn’t set out with the intention of having any major life epiphanies, his book allows us to have our own. Setting a goal, making a commitment, planning, implementing, overcoming obstacles with warmth and humor, letting go of ideas and plans that don’t work and finally achieving success – it’s what we forget we’re all capable of doing. To be reminded that generosity of spirit is as important as other forms of giving, gives a reader pause during these difficult times ….”

I do point out in the book that if you have a dream, don’t wait too long to make it a reality. Many people tell me that they have been inspired to act on their dream. Some are walking the Camino, others are making their unique dream come true. Every time someone tells me that they have been motivated to act because of what I have written, I am very happy and also very humble because I am starting to understand the power of the written word.

And I do reiterate that now, this moment, is the only time there is, so I don’t want to waste it pining for or feeling guilty about the past, or dreaming about something in the future. For me, it’s not that either of these views, backwards or forwards, is inherently bad, it’s just that they can paralyze me into inaction in the present.

So, what’s my point? I am thanking each of you who has written to me about the book for your inspiration to me. I am lifted a little by every review, every communication about what I have written. As I say in A Journey of Days, there is no such thing as too much reassurance. Thank you.