Auspicious Thoughts, Propitious Mind

Intriguing down to earth practical philosophy that paints a perceptive view of what much of life is all about.

About The Book

'Auspicious Thoughts, Propitious Mind'

This is a book about out thoughts and how they can create a mindset that inspires us to confidence, contentment and peace of mind. It is a book for those young adults and the millennials, indeed for anyone wanting to get the best out of life by having an awareness of their feelings, with an understanding of their attitudes and motivations, and what makes others behave the way they do.

This is an insightful social commentary that looks at the 'human condition.' Here is an explanation of the purpose of life, why we are here. The author puts aspects of Christian teachings under the microscope and argues that whilst there may not be a God, there is God, a force for goodness that grants life and points us towards what is right and just, and love; and that force is there for anyone seeking it.

Richard Camden believes having values gives us contentment; they make our tough decisions easier, and help us to cope when our decisions don't work out. He looks at matters such as our moods, our desire for company, or not; at our being self-dependent, and how our vanity is the biggest crime against ourselves, affecting our relationships and how we bond with others, the chemistry that draws people together, if only later, the chemistry changes, as it does, not only between individuals, but between groups and between nations; all potentially leading to strife.

Beautifully presented, this book makes good bed-time reading, and at a chapter a night, it will take just over six weeks to read. It is a cheering, thought-provoking and intriguingly different book that due to its considerable useful content, begs to be re-read, studied and retained for reference, and for others in the family to read and think about the way we live, our relationships, hopes and fears, and making decisions work, as well as asking, 'How is it some just seem to sail through life?'
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Genre

The genre is social commentary; a philosophical commentary on life today and where it has come from, the essence of life; life with all its vagaries, challenges and mysteries, and our aspirations for achievement, contentment and understanding. The author argues the strengths and weaknesses of human relationships, our beliefs and our ethics, and rationalises Christian orthodoxies with questions about our existence, that which is suspected, but unknown, in a well-balanced way that is intriguing.
In navigational terms it is a pilot book, a book that can guide us to a safe haven.

About The Author

Richard’s perception was acquired at the School of Experience, and now at the age in his 80's ranks as a graduate of the University of Life. But in this fast-changing world, has any of that any value still? Only the reader can decide the answer to that.

In his book Richard offers to the reader a line of thinking that may be seen as akin to that ‘man-in-the-street,’ with opinions similar to and a kindred spirit with the notional 'Man on the Clapham Omnibus,' who is adopted by the courts as a legal-fiction to arrive at what is justly and reasonably expected of anyone how their dealings in life are usually conducted, being any fair-minded average person and of sound mind. That thinking is held out to be one of a common-sense, down-to-earth practicality and pragmatism; but there are times when Richard’s alter ego asks a question that neither he, nor life, as yet, have an answer.

Richard writes in a practical and thought-provoking way on a wide range of matters that will be important to many who wonder 'what life is all about.' His interest in the 'psychology of self,' and ‘what makes us tick,’ began in his 50s. He researched the subject further and began writing his book just prior to the new millennium. He is a Christian by faith but suspicious of religious practices.

With a degree of insight, Richard draws on his varied experiences of life working with people and with animals as a veterinary surgeon. Those experiences included real-life experiences whilst being an employer and founding partner in a professional partnership, that became an SME of up to fifty staff of young men and women, with all the tribulations employees bring with their worries, stresses, marriage and relationship breakdown, even, sadly life’s disasters of divorce, miscarriage, abortion and suicide; all that plus the worldly issues of employment law, and Health & Safety matters as they developed between the thirty years from 1970.

Read Auspicious Thoughts, Propitious Mind

Auspicious Thoughts, Propitious Mind is for those who worry or are just curious to understand life, others and themselves better, and for those whose role it is to help them achieve that.

This book can help satisfy a yearning and enquiring mind on many matters of importance in the reader’s life.

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Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a 'state of mind' that we are all capable of experiencing. The common states of mind usually seen are: - awake, asleep, half-awake or half-asleep or one of the other states of consciousness, e.g., high alertness or awareness. Mindfulness is a state of focused consciousness, that is moment-by-moment, aware, taking care, being mindful of or minding something or someone, and being alert, to beware a danger, but more importantly, being in touch with and alert to our 'creative-self' and our spirituality.

Mindfulness helps us resist those seven deadly sins. Gluttony is one, and is an obsession with obesity its outcome. Thinking in the 'now' finds us the will-power to control our calorie intake. It's at the very time, at the table, that tempting menu, that offered second helping; restaurants offering 'all you can eat for £x or $x' and self-service counters where luscious breakfasts aplenty tempt us to fill our plates in a way we never would do at home. The self-control to eat only what we need is hard.

We enjoy freedom of thought as a legally protected right. Some thoughts just occur: they come from our emotions, which come from our experiences, past and present, and our concerns about the future. Our emotions come from our self-concept, who we are, who we think we are, and who and what we'd like to be. Other thoughts are those that we choose to think about, and dwell upon, and chew-over or even to wallow in. When we get so we can choose those thoughts and what to think, that is in the art of mindfulness.

Only a very few special people in our life will ever be worthy of our trust. And when we have placed that trust, is all then well?

What is it, in essence, that separates us from the animals? It surely is, in all essence, ‘The gift of imagination and the means to communicate it.’

There’s a downside to just about every splendid invention, not intrinsic but extrinsic by the machinations and perversions of mankind.

We have two minds, each mostly doing their own job, but with overlap, and with an agreed position on which mind overrules the other, when ‘needs must’.

It’s best for us all if we say, ‘There is no such thing as fate, and no force for evil, and certainly no such thing as an honour killing!'

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Book data – ISBN – Copywrite – 40 chapters/preface/intro/epilogue – 500 pp. – 210,000 words - 20 years in writing