The contemporary spiritual document known as A Course in Miracles teaches an extraordinary kind of forgiveness that quite frankly renders ordinary notions of forgiveness quite feeble. Yet, it is nonetheless in ordinary life that we must put that extraordinary forgiveness into practice. And author Susan Dugan is someone who does just that. By recounting several years of relatable, real life experiences, Susan shares how she practices extraordinary forgiveness in her normal, everyday life. From the trials and tribulations of raising a daughter to the precarious health of both canines and humans, Susan shows how all such things afford opportunities to heal our minds of the seeming separation from our source. What I found particularly informative and enjoyable was the wonderful job Susan does at differentiating the two opposing voices in our minds: the ego and the Holy Spirit. In several places in the book, Susan recounts internal conversations with the ego, which serve as a great contrast with an eventual conversation she has with the Holy Spirit. It is something that will be of particular help to those often deceived by the ego in the guise of Spirit. Overall, Susan does a great job of taking the lofty principles of A Course in Miracles and intertwining them with the practical application of the Course. Let this superb window into the everyday life of an A Course in Miracles student (and teacher) help guide you on your own journey to awakening as you too put Extraordinary Ordinary Forgiveness to work in your life. ~ Alexander Marchand, Author of The Universe Is a Dream

For anyone looking for a book in which to identify with the struggles of practicing A Course in Miracles, Susan's book will not disappoint. I have studied A Course in Miracles for many years, reading and listening to the Ken Wapnick material almost exclusively. I took a chance with Susan's book and was pleasantly surprised to find her writing style, not only excellent, but her understanding of ACIM a refreshing find. Her blogs of her personal life situations, battling with the ego vs. the Holy Spirit, are uncompromising in their honesty, and beautifully interwoven with the Course material. I loved this book and look forward to reading all of Susan's blogs throughout my continuing journey with A Course in Miracles. ~ RH Phillips, Rochester, NY

Being a student of A Course in Miracles ACIM for over 20 years on and off and mostly on the past 10 years...I was pleasantly surprised at Susan's insights. Especially since at the time of writing the book she had only been studying ACIM for 5years or so. I'm not a great writer myself so won't be able to put together a clever review. I can say that Susan's insights bring clarity especially about the "forgiveness " process. ACIM uses an expanded form of forgiveness; an acceptance of what is that makes life easier and more pleasant. Susan explains it better and so well in her book. This book is very well written and I would read paragraphs over and over because of their great depth. If you are looking for an aid in understanding ACIM on a more practical level this book will not disappoint. Thank you Susan ~ Nabohdi, Blairstown, New Jersey

Being a student of A Course in Miracles ACIM for over 20 years on and off and mostly on the past 10 years...I was pleasantly surprised at Susan's insights. Especially since at the time of writing the book she had only been studying ACIM for 5years or so. I'm not a great writer myself so won't be able to put together a clever review. I can say that Susan's insights bring clarity especially about the "forgiveness " process. ACIM uses an expanded form of forgiveness; an acceptance of what is that makes life easier and more pleasant. Susan explains it better and so well in her book. This book is very well written and I would read paragraphs over and over because of their great depth. If you are looking for an aid in understanding ACIM on a more practical level this book will not disappoint. Thank you Susan ~ Nabohdi, Blairstown, New Jersey

Extraordinary Ordinary Forgiveness is a delightful, informative and heartwarming collection of short essays describing a dedicated student/teacher's adventurous travels on ACIM's forgiveness path. There is nothing ordinary about this practical every-day look at the special form of forgiveness that is the core teaching of the spiritual masterpiece called A Course in Miracles. The book is very well written, and highly accurate in describing the key teachings of the Course. It is obvious that Susan has studied and learned well under her mentor, Dr. Kenneth Wapnick. Susan allows us a peek into her inner struggles with her pesky and persistent frenemy, the ego. While her soft spoken guide, the Holy Spirit offers the Heavenly perspective. The dialogues often provoke great belly laughs as they are a reflection of our own private struggles. Susan's stories about her little doggie Kayleigh will warm your heart and give you a good laugh all at the same time. She wears her politics on her sleeve but even there, her humor manifests itself in hilarious ways. I am grateful to Susan for her thoughtful insights, clear and accurate teachings and her endearing humor. I highly recommend this book for ACIM students at all levels of Course understanding and practice. Bravo Susan! ~ James Hanley

After reading Author, Susan Dugan's extraordinary interviews with Kenneth Wapnick, Ph.D, and DISAPPEARANCE OF THE UNIVERSE Author, Gary Renard, I went to Amazon.com right away and purchased EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY FORGIVENESS. I shared Susan's interviews with friends who have, along with myself, seen Dr. Wapnick as our primary human mentor and friend for more than 20 grateful years. Her insights gained and superb writing of the interviews produced great expectations of her book, and they have been exceeded on every page! The reader will experience immediate and constant identification with this writer and her challenges; then cheer her on, and applaud her successes. Having first read Susan's interviews, I find her interviewing her ego (wrong mind) and Holy Spirit (Right Mind) both hilarious and a powerful learning/teaching method. I chose the title "Inner Views" for this review, not only because I may sometimes slur my words, but for more obvious reasons. Assuming everyone talks to her/himself, I am trying to be more mindful now of more productive purposes for these conversations than either self-blame or, occasionally, still-ego-based self-congratulations. For your encouragement in communicating with the true Self in this wonderful book, thank you Susan. John Beavin Author of 'The Parable Of The Stars' ~ John Beavin

I mean this as the highest of compliments: Susan Dugan's book, Extraordinary Ordinary Forgiveness, is my favorite book on living the teaching of A Course In Miracles, because the author demonstrates how any very normal person can embrace, struggle with, and apply what is being taught by that great and difficult seeming spiritual document. She clearly expresses in humorous, pognant and compelling style and content, what true "forgiveness," "miracles," "listening to the Holy Spirit," "following guidance" and "holy instants" really are. This is all in the context of everyday family living, work and teaching. No other book has so vividly shown me that the Course is not for the the spiritually advanced but for the spiritually challenged (this definitely applies to me), meaning those who struggle with themselves and plod along, oftentimes with lots of resistance and all too human frailties and self-doubting. Her book is an inspiration, letting us know that the Course is for everyone who feels called to its teaching and teacher. I love her inner "conversations" with the ego, as well as with Jesus. They sparkle with gentle, knowing smiles and even irony. I recommend this book to one and all who are working with the Course, or wish to understand what it is saying and integrate it into their practical lives. In summation, this is a superb, no nonsense book on really living A Course In Miracles. ~ Norman Babbott

If you're tired of being 'right' and just want to be happy, this is a great book for you.

Susan Dugan's book, "Extraordinary Ordinary Forgiveness" is a wonderful and insightful read for anyone interested in the path of non-duality/enlightenment. Susan invites us on her journey and captures our heart as she eloquently uncovers and displays the true meaning of forgiveness, A Course in Miracles style.

This book is full of adventure, love, laughter and learning as we follow Susan in her personal quest of uncovering and living the enlightening principles of A Course in Miracles. The core truth is sprinkled across every page, as Susan opens her heart and Soul and invites us to see, first hand, exactly how forgiveness can radically shift our perception of a seemingly unforgiving world.

If you are a Course student and would like to learn how to implement forgiveness into every aspect of your life, you will benefit greatly from this book. Susan Dugan explores and navigates her way through the messages of A Course in Miracles and courageously, through her own personal experience, reveals how forgiveness works in her life and how it can work in our life too. Susan offers real life examples of relief via forgiveness in business, at home, in education, on vacation, and even with pets! Did you ever hear of a maltipoo? Well, Kaleigh is sure to capture your heart too!

This book has so much to offer anyone interested in the path of non-duality/enlightenment. Even if you're not a Course student, you can still benefit greatly from Susan's honest, revealing and heart opening journey. "Extraordinary Ordinary Forgiveness" is truly a wonderful book!
Robyn Busfield - Author of Forgiveness is the Home of Miracles: A Personal Journey through the Workbook of "A Course in Miracles"

The contemporary spiritual document known as A Course in Miracles teaches an extraordinary kind of forgiveness that quite frankly renders ordinary notions of forgiveness quite feeble. Yet, it is nonetheless in ordinary life that we must put that extraordinary forgiveness into practice. And author Susan Dugan is someone who does just that. By recounting several years of relatable, real life experiences, Susan shares how she practices extraordinary forgiveness in her normal, everyday life. From the trials and tribulations of raising a daughter to the precarious health of both canines and humans, Susan shows how all such things afford opportunities to heal our minds of the seeming separation from our source.

What I found particularly informative and enjoyable was the wonderful job Susan does at differentiating the two opposing voices in our minds: the ego and the Holy Spirit. In several places in the book, Susan recounts internal conversations with the ego, which serve as a great contrast with an eventual conversation she has with the Holy Spirit. It is something that will be of particular help to those often deceived by the ego in the guise of Spirit.

Overall, Susan does a great job of taking the lofty principles of A Course in Miracles and intertwining them with the practical application of the Course. Let this superb window into the everyday life of an A Course in Miracles student (and teacher) help guide you on your own journey to awakening as you too put Extraordinary Ordinary Forgiveness to work in your life.

Alexander Marchand -- author and artist of The Universe Is a Dream

Copyright © 2001-2011 Pauline Edward. All rights reserved.

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Review: Ordinary Extraordinary Forgiveness by Susan Dugan

 

I must admit that, already familiar with the author’s blog, Forays in Forgiveness, right from the start, I knew I would enjoy this book. Like many spiritual seekers, when Susan Dugan first opened the big book with the blue cover and began to read its opening paragraphs, she felt her heart race with a surge of deep hope; like most people who have travelled this path, she soon found her mind glazing over while attempts to make sense of what it said failed. But like the few truly devoted seekers, she came back for another round, and faced its message head on. Thankfully for us, as she learned to apply its lessons of forgiveness and non-judgment in the hectic circumstances of her everyday life, complete with husband, teen-aged daughter and career, she recorded her experiences in the form of a series of essays that make up this wonderful book.

With the advent of computers and the Internet, many people are writing books. However, few are true writers. Susan’s experience as a novelist and journalist is evident in the strong and confident writing style. Those literary projects that have thus far eluded publication set the stage for the rich and colourful voice that infuses every sentence of Extraordinary Ordinary Forgiveness. The literary world's rejection is the spiritual reader’s gain. The writing is warm, personal and inviting, and all the more credit to her for writing with such flair, honesty and depth on a subject that is difficult at best, and definitely challenging for most of its students. I especially enjoyed the mild, and at times not so mild, self-deprecating edge of to her sense of humour. The reader will be delightfully captivated and entertained by the hilarious conversations she holds with the sassy ego and then in clever counterpart, with the ever-unruffled Holy Spirit.

The author cleverly describes the ebb and flow of the healing process, as she struggles to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of that everlasting sense of peace we all yearn for, the peace of God. The ego’s backlashes are portrayed with humour as in this example, which follows a particularly intense experience of oneness and grace:

“The next day I awoke with a pinched nerve in my neck, one hell of a craving for sugar, and the ego nestled on my shoulder batting its eyelids like the Anti-Jiminy Cricket. “We need to talk,” it said.”

With a clear understanding of the absurdity of a world created by a mind made mad by guilt, Susan remembers to laugh. It is very much because of her intimate familiarity with the teachings of the Course that, through her whimsical writing style, she is able to convey the essence of its message. Extraordinary Ordinary Forgiveness is chock full of clever metaphors, but it is also backed by the profound wisdom of one who has searched far and wide and finally found and experienced the truth.

One important lesson which is clearly expressed in Extraordinary Ordinary Forgiveness is that A Course in Miracles is for its student, and not for everyone else in the student’s life. She is able to apply its teachings very effectively, without adding additional conflict in her life by refraining from imposing her spiritual choice on her loved ones. In fact, in so doing, she has found that her relationships have improved.

I highly recommend this book to my clients who are themselves struggling with how to look at their life situations through the right-minded lens of the Holy Spirit. While entertaining, it also brings home the essential message of forgiveness that is at the core of the teachings of A Course in Miracles.

(This review appeared in July/August 2011 issue of Miracles Magazine) Pauline Edward, author of Leaving the Desert: Embracing the Simplicity of A Course in Miracles and Making Peace with God: The Journey of a Course in Miracles Student

As a relatively new Course student (4.5 years) I appreciate Susan's humorous, egalitarian, and CLEAR writing. I especially appreciate her reminding us over and over (as excellent teachers do) why it is that people don't behave the way we want them to. The exquisite essays are interwoven with solid hard core CLEAR Course principles.

When I first started the Course, I wanted to "master" it--like learning Italian or trigonometry. Instead--well--Susan's book captures the flavor of what slow, subtle,sometimes messy but transformative processes the Course entails.

Susan's deep love and enthusiasm for her chosen path are contagious. I'm grateful for the encouragement and her bravery in being so transparent.

Anne Clark, Denver, CO

Susan Dugan’s book, “Extraordinary Ordinary Forgiveness” is a wonderful and insightful read for anyone interested in the path of non-duality/enlightenment. Susan invites us on her journey and captures our heart as she eloquently uncovers and displays the true meaning of forgiveness, A Course in Miracles style.

This book is full of adventure, love, laughter and learning as we follow Susan in her personal quest of uncovering and living the enlightening principles of A Course in Miracles. The core truth is sprinkled across every page, as Susan opens her heart and Soul and invites us to see, first hand, exactly how forgiveness can radically shift our perception of a seemingly unforgiving world.

If you are a Course student and would like to learn how to implement forgiveness into every aspect of your life, you will benefit greatly from this book. Susan Dugan explores and navigates her way through the messages of A Course in Miracles and courageously, through her own personal experience, reveals how forgiveness works in her life and how it can work in our life too. Susan offers real life examples of relief via forgiveness in business, at home, in education, on vacation, and even with pets! Did you ever hear of a maltipoo? Well, Kaleigh is sure to capture your heart too!

This book has so much to offer anyone interested in the path of non-duality/enlightenment. Even if you’re not a Course student, you can still benefit greatly from Susan’s honest, revealing and heart opening journey. “Extraordinary Ordinary Forgiveness” is truly a wonderful book!

Extraordinary Ordinary Forgiveness was named a finalist in the spirituality category of the 2012 National Indie Excellence Awards. ~ 2012 Indie Excellence Awards

Susan found herself at the threshold of true spiritual transformation. The signs? A longing that nothing external, not romance, success, money, adventure, parenting, or creating, had ever fully satisfied. This book takes us through a remarkably powerful, helpful forgiveness process that will stir your desire to awaken to who you truly are. Her well documented life experiences demonstrate love in practice. If you want a real life account of how to undo the ‘one’ block to love, then this is your book.

...Susan Dugan gives us a superb explanation of forgiveness, what it is, and exactly how to do it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who's interested in the fastest way to peace and enlightenment.

This series of engaging and often humorous essays allows a peek into one woman's process as she practices true forgiveness throughout her overly scheduled days. Her inspired determination to keep peace of mind as her primary goal provides hope and motivation for the rest of us.