Life Coach & Mentor | Speaker | Magic & Miracle Maker | Animal Whisperer | Soul Reigniter | Unhackable Soul | Mindset Guru | Mental Resilience Expert | Sherpa and Sage |
Maureen Sharphouse
MAUREEN SHARPHOUSE wrote the international bestselling book Unhackable Soul: Rise Up, Feel Alive, and Live Well with Pain and Illness, and created her 30-Day online “Unhackable Soul” course, a 30-day elixir to reignite the light within you, after not having a pain-free day in 35 years.
A neurolinguistic programming expert, Sharphouse evolved a thriving coaching practice into a passionate mission to empower people living with pain and illness across the globe to not only be alive but feel alive. If you know someone facing chronic pain, connect them with free resources at her website where they can find a community that cares.
MaureenSharphouse.com
My 10 Best
(In no particular order)
The Velveteen Rabbit
When I was around 11, I spent a Saturday morning helping at a large local library on an information-gathering trip for a school project. There was a storytelling corner where several children were being read to by one of the librarians. A little girl who was only perhaps four or five years old was crying — and I was asked to sit with the little girl to comfort her. And that was when I first heard the story of “The Velveteen Rabbit”; I lost all track of time and was transfixed. It is the story of the life journey of a stuffed toy rabbit who feels inferior to the fancier, mechanical toys in the nursery. So he asks the skin horse — the oldest and wisest of the toys — what it means to be real. The skin horse tells him that being loved by another makes you real, and while it may take quite some time, and you may even have become quite old and shabby by then, when you do become real, there is no going back. It introduced me in such a simple and beautiful way to the concepts of “realness” and love — and highlighted for me that physical appearance or abilities are not most important in life; being loved and “real” is. It must have imprinted such an impression in my subconscious that I asked my husband to buy me a special edition copy with the most amazingly beautiful illustrations for my 60th birthday. I have re-read the book several times since then, and each time I read it, I see an under-the-surface depth of teaching and wisdom in the story I haven’t seen before. The Velveteen Rabbit is a story of a stuffed rabbit’s desire to become real through its owner’s love. It is a gentle, heartwarming, and touching story of love, attachment, relationships, realness, loss and rebirth.
Children of the Sun
I was given this book by one of my English teachers at high school, who told me she had a spare copy and suggested I may like to read it. I was amazed to find this week that I still have that very same copy on my bookcase after all these years. It is a non-fiction book — a factual and moving disclosure of the poverty and the appalling conditions of the homeless, loveless children from the back alleys of the streets of Naples (the “scugnizzo”) and the work of a priest, Father Borrelli, who goes to live undercover with them, eventually setting up the House of Urchins where they were free to come and go, sleep on a straw bed for the night, get a plate of hot food, and most importantly, feel cared for and loved. In truth, it shocked me to my core when I first read the book. I had no idea that such poverty existed and that children lived like this, on the streets, stealing and begging for food, pimping for brothels — living a loveless “survival mode” life in a cruel, dark world. While I had grown up in a home where we had no money for luxuries, I had never been exposed to REAL poverty. I had never been without someone to comfort me when I most needed it. Being aware of the life of the street urchins of Naples stirred a depth of emotions in me as a teenager that I had never experienced before. As I read the book, my tears flowed uncontrollably. Those tears birthed overwhelming compassion for others and a deeply rooted desire to “do good” with my life. Children of the Sun is a factual, sensitively written book about the nature and misuse of power. It is a moving account of the need for basic human rights, companionship, compassion, and love.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
I remember visiting a large bookstore and picking up the book Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach while I was at university in the 1970s. It felt like it had jumped off the shelf at me that day to get my attention. Somehow, I knew I needed to buy the book, although I had no idea why at the time and could not explain. Some 50 years later, I have that very same copy of Jonathan Livingston Seagull on my bookshelf in my office. The pages are quite dog-eared as I have re-read them many times. It is a simple story with a profound message: that we can all be so much more than we are given to believe or have come to believe ourselves. It reminds me that I am in control of my own life, and whether I choose to fit into others’ expectations of me, be influenced by self-limiting beliefs, or be a soul and spirit empowered ultimately comes down to me. Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a beautifully empowering story that ignites a spark of hope and desire within you to believe in your dreams, fly and soar higher, and be all you can be.
Fluke
My father, Bruce, gave me a copy of the book Fluke while I was in my twenties. Sadly, my father died in 1991 at the age of only 59, so I was thrilled as I browsed my bookcase this week to discover I still have the copy of Fluke my father had given me. Unfortunately, the pages are now turned yellow with age; however, my father’s love lives on in every one. The book is written from the perspective of a stray dog who soon realizes that he used to be a man in his previous life and is driven to find out how he died and to try to meet his wife and daughter again. Not only does the book introduce the concept of reincarnation — of being a soul that lives on when the physical body dies and can be reborn in another physical form — it springboards into an invitation to see the world from other perspectives, especially the relationship and interaction between humans and animals. I genuinely started looking at our family dog at that time in a different light — and have deeply and spiritually connected with every animal I have been blessed to share my life with since. There is something quite magical when souls “within different physical bodies” connect at an equal level beyond all logical understanding or words. Fluke is a story about life so captivatingly written that it has you hooked right from the start; you really believe a dog wrote it! It makes you look at the eternal world you inhabit through a fresh, renewed perspective.
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
I first read this self-help book around 15 years ago. It was on a recommended reading list for a life coaching certification program I was doing, and I ended up reading it in one sitting; I was so captivated by the story that I couldn’t put it down. The book tells the fictional story of a high-powered, successful lawyer, Julian Mantle, who, on the surface and worldly level, seemed to have it all; the big court cases, celebrity client lists, and lavish lifestyle complete with mansion, private jet, and Ferrari. He works hard and plays hard — and pushes himself so hard striving for “success” (and the materialistic rewards it brings) that he has a massive heart attack in the courtroom, which essentially acts as his wake-up call. So he leaves the profession and sells his lavish home, Ferrari, and all his possessions to travel to India to explore a different way of life in a quest to find what he realizes he is missing — happiness and contentment inside. On his journey, he sets off to find and live with the mystical band of Sages of Sirvana in the Himalayas, hoping they will share their timeless truths and wisdom with him. The sages agree to pass these truths on — but only if Julian promises to return to his homeland in the west and share this wisdom with all who need to hear it. And so that is what Julian does. He learns all he can from the sages and then journeys back to his homeland and spends an evening sharing the “seven timeless virtues of enlightened living” with a success-driven, hard-working young lawyer who reminds him so much of himself in his earlier days. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is an enlightening and capturing read that gives you the insights, guidance and tools to take you on an “external to internal” transformational journey.
Stillness Speaks
I am so grateful this book found me when it did; I was at the outset of my life coaching career and had inadvertently got myself stuck in the busyness of “foot on the gas making things happen” default mode of working, so much so that I had neglected the power and beauty of flow, allowing things to happen, and being fully present in what is here and what is now. Stillness Speaks granted me grace and space to access the safe, serene calm that grounded me in my bigger picture “why?” It was the catalyst for me, introducing into my day the non-negotiable nourishing practice of a minimum of 20 minutes of “Relax/Breathe/Be” quiet time before I switch on my office computer in the morning. The vibrantly alive peace and the clarity of thoughts that arise from these times of stillness is a gift. Not only have I found that stillness speaks; in the silence I have discovered I more acutely hear. Stillness Speaks is a collection of around 200 concise stand-alone works that open your awareness to a new understanding of relationships, nature, and acceptance as-is, free of judgment and bringing profound deep peace and wisdom within.
Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends on It
The fascinating story of the one of the world’s great strongmen. A client sent me this book several years ago with a handwritten note saying, “I spotted this book in a local bookstore, and it immediately made me think of you!” I love this book and all it stands for. It is short. It is simple. Its core message of loving yourself with the same intensity you would use to pull yourself up if you were hanging off a cliff, holding on with your fingers as if your life depended on it, really resonated with me when I first read it — for it was the same inner journey that I had courageously chosen to take after the painful and irretrievable break down of my first marriage. Learning to love myself free of judgment after my separation and divorce had been transformational, for as I began to love myself deeply, the more intensely love breathed life back into me. Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends on It is not a book about the love of the ego but about embracing the love and strength of your authentic truth and vulnerability. My biggest takeaway is regularly asking the empowering question, “If I loved myself truly and deeply, what would I do?”
Tears to Triumph
The title of this book leapt out at me, perhaps around five or six years ago, when I was browsing on Amazon one afternoon to find a present for my daughter. Tears to Triumph catapulted itself that day into my purchase basket. Although I have read the book several times since then, I sense I am only still skimming the surface of its true content. Tears to Triumph invites you to embark on a personal spiritual journey moving from a place of questioning “Why did this happen to me?” to ask instead “What learning or blessing can come from this?” It introduces you to the concept that our purpose on earth is to see every moment as an opportunity to forgive and to love — and to embrace relationships as spiritual assignments in which the Holy Spirit brings together those who have the maximal opportunity for soul growth. The biggest takeaway for me? Living a spiritual life means enjoying and embracing a deep inner peace no matter what suffering, challenges, difficulties, or pain you may experience, face, or encounter. Following the spiritual path is answering your soul’s calling and a homeward journey from head to heart.
Streams in the Desert
While my ongoing spiritual growth and ever-deepening relationship with God is not strictly tethered to Christianity, the daily devotional readings of “Streams in the Desert” have become a firmly rooted component of my non-negotiable nourishing morning practice. The insights these readings bring help to uplift, hold, and support me as I move into each new day with trust and faith that whatever the day unfolds for me is all part of the magic and mystery of life, part of a much bigger plan, and is ultimately to help serve my soul’s purpose for its highest good. There is magic surrounding its presence in my life: the book arrived in the post around four years ago, following my returning home after spending several weeks in the USA for specialist medical treatment, which had been unsuccessful at bringing significant improvement or remission of my illness. While no card or message was included, and I do not know who sent Streams in the Desert to me, it arrived accompanied by an overwhelming outpouring surge of compassion, support, and love. Streams in the Desert is a collection of 366 daily devotional readings which offer refreshing guidance, insight, and hope, especially during challenging times in your life.
Unhackable Soul
My book Unhackable Soul, was published in April this year. Incredibly, a few weeks after its launch, it hit the Amazon bestseller list at #1 in Personal Transformation & Spirituality, above the incredible Gabrielle Bernstein and Brené Brown. The same weekend, it also hit the bestseller list at #1 in Pain Management, #2 in Faith & Spirituality, # 2 in New Age Self-Help, and #3 in Family & Personal Growth. There is no doubt the writing process leading up to the publication of Unhackable Soul was one of the most impactful, transformative spiritual journeys I have been on to date — the final manuscript arose as the culmination of seven years of writing, stopping, writing, stopping — several changes over the years in “storytelling” direction — several times ripping up and starting all over. So many times along the way, I felt like giving up altogether, but a voice within kept whispering that I had a unique message to share and to trust the process. It was only when I gave up “thinking” about what I needed to write about, let go of my ego’s need for perfectionism and my fear of judgment of others, and allowed myself the freedom to simply put the words onto the page that seemed to want to be written at any point in time, that the writing of my book ceased to feel like hard work. Instead, with more ease and grace, the words began to flow… Unhackable Soul reveals how you can feel vibrantly alive despite chronic health challenges and pain. The 30 daily missions are the same steps I took to rise from the dark pit dug by pain and transform my quality of life. Today my life is rooted in — and my soul is nourished by — these fundamental principles.