I am often asked, “What is your book about?” My response varies, and does so depending on who is asking. My diverse replies are based mostly on the inquirer’s beliefs, level of comprehension and awareness regarding the content of the book. Some ask where I have travelled, if it’s self-help, or if it’s a full memoir. Through my recent experience of exhibiting in a trade show, bookstore signing’s and interacting with people, I’ve come to understand the differing ways people perceive the title. What is the Ultimate Journey? To answer, I will share with you the book’s introduction. Please share this blog post if you feel that someone you know may benefit. Please enjoy.
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Introduction
I had a dream one night. I woke at 3 am. My body was too tired to move. It didn’t matter. Something forced me out of bed and to my computer. The words I typed into the browser still elude me. The tale they led me to was a message I will never forget.
Once there was a poor man in India. One night he left his house to steal some fruit from the king’s garden to feed his family. He climbed the palace wall and then quickly scaled a fruit tree as he heard a guard fast approaching. There he stayed until morning. Early the next day the king was walking by with his advisor who was giving him spiritual advice. The man hiding in the tree couldn’t believe the lies the king was being told. “This is not right,” he thought. With no concern of getting caught, he climbed down the tree.
“Your majesty, I am very sorry to have trespassed on your land; please forgive me. I am poor and only wanted some fruit to give to my hungry family. Do to me as you wish, but I couldn’t keep hiding knowing your advisor was telling you lies.”
The king questioned his advisor, and banished him. In gratitude he made the poor man his primary confidante. His family was welcomed and granted a place of honour in his palace.
This story touched me deeply. I was hiding in fear, afraid to stand in my truth, anxious of being exposed and judged. I have tasted the forbidden fruit. I am no longer ashamed. This is my journey.
What is the Ultimate Journey? I believe it’s different for all of us. Each traveller has their own path and lessons to learn. The journey is not a destination, but a process of letting go of our false beliefs, limitations and unworthiness. Our mission is to release the baggage we have accumulated throughout our lives, unlearning the corrupted programming instilled by the ones before us, and before them. What if we have the ability to change it all—to write a new story, one that empowers us instead of keeping us trapped inside its mental prison?
It has taken all of my life to understand what to write in this book. In it I share with you what I’ve learned so far. This narrative is about my process, and in no way am I about telling you what to do. At times it will appear as such. However, my intent is to convey my theories with as little fluff as possible. Most times, the only way to fully grasp a lesson is by experience. Ultimately, it’s through compassion and by loving yourself. No matter how many books I’ve read, or heard from people that knew better, I never listened. It seemed I chose to learn my lessons the hard way. What did others know? This was my life. This book is my humble attempt to share what I’ve learned without preaching. It comes from my heart, and from my desire to connect with yours. You are my brothers and sisters, equals, nomads walking together on this journey.
This book is unique, as is the author, and is written as such. It starts with a brief account of my life, addressing only the major highlights. Eleven more chapters and possibly a sequel would be needed to cover it in more detail. In addition, the information I share had to be condensed, as a whole book could be written on each subject. My intent was to distil small fragments of my life and lace them with theory, to help you relate. I don’t know all the answers, and can only tell you what has worked for me. What I do know is I am no longer a victim needing sympathy and approval. Fear doesn’t control me. These words will one day be declared with absolute candour—for now they represent my best efforts.
This tale is not about me; it’s about us as a whole and the similarities of our struggle. When we share our experiences, we help each other. I know many of you have had a harder go than I have, and in no way is this account any attempt to trump yours. My design is transparency, authenticity, compassion and understanding. My desire with this book is that it resonates with you.
The next eleven chapters address the many facets of the human journey. They consist of the following:
The second chapter implies we are more than our body. It explains the process of how our early needs, if not met, can subsequently affect our lives. I shed light on how our true nature has been forgotten, how we no longer believe we are spirit having a human experience.
Chapter three explores the possibility that we may be under a mass hypnosis, for the purpose of keeping us distracted, conditioned and unknowingly trapped.
The fourth chapter takes a look at our darker aspects, and how they keep us bound by fear, fuelling our sense of separateness.
Chapter five reveals how we fall into patterns, habits and addictions. I write about the different ways we try to distract ourselves from facing painful memories.
Chapter six describes relationships and how they are essential in knowing who we are. I reflect on their meaning and purpose, both from past and future perspectives. We are evolving and so are relationships—our roles have changed and continue to do so.
Chapter seven explains the theory of energy and vibration, how it works, and how it affects us. I raise the possibility that we may be living in a holographic reality, and what we feel is real may not necessarily be. I speak about good and evil, religion and spirituality—again from different perspectives.
Life is a river; it’s about being in flow with it… or not. Chapter eight meanders through this concept, introducing the first of many meditations and exercises mentioned in this book.
Chapter nine explains why it’s hard to change our behaviour. You’ll read about focus and persistence. It introduces a fun and powerful technique to break out of limiting patterns.
Chapters nine to eleven reshape the paradigm into a how-to handbook. These chapters contain meditations, exercises, and ways of raising our vibration so we can ascend from our past conditioning.
Chapters ten and eleven present ways in which we can raise our energy and dissolve what has become dense. This stagnant energy is what keeps us stuck. These chapters are a mini-workbook, containing exercises that can change how we live, think and eat.
Chapter twelve invites the imagination to envision what it may be like to live in a new energy, embracing a journey of self-exploration.
I am extremely grateful for being given the opportunity to look back on my life through a different lens. Had I chosen to stay the victim, then writing this book would not have been possible. The expectation that life owed me something would have interfered with its process. Reading hundreds of books, attending countless workshops, and having a persistent thirst for knowledge has brought me here.
Being a hairstylist for thirty years has offered me great insight into the human condition. There is magic that happens when a client sits in my chair—it’s more than a haircut. Something happens when you touch a person, especially their hair. They open up to you, bare their soul and trust you. This is not always the case as some, when vulnerability draws close, shut off even more. There is a common narrative woven within the tapestry of the human experience, and it becomes evident when you are afforded over forty-five thousand interviews. It doesn’t matter what walk of life one is from, we all share similar feelings and emotions.
We all have a story—each unique, yet the same in many ways. Tears, laughter and the search for love permeate them all.
Every one of us holds a distinct and intimate account of our life’s journey that has shaped us into who we are today. This is my story, and I hope it resonates deep within you. May it rouse dormant aspects within, wanting to awaken and express themselves. I offer you my narrative… this is my write of passage.
Thank you
Frank Di Genova
