Blurb:
“During Jed Matthew’s final year of university he was diagnosed with a
rare skin disorder that the doctors told him was incurable. Rather than
face up to the disorder, Jed tried to
ignore it, hoping that it would go away by itself, but it didn’t, it only got
worse.
After graduating from university Jed packed a bag and set off on a gap
year trip, not realising that he had just begun a journey that would completely
change his life. Jed’s gap year opened his eyes to the world of adventure. A
25’000 kilometre bicycle trip around the world and a 1’300 kilometre solo trip
by foot through the south of India, were among the adventures he would go on.
Yet, no matter where Jed went or how much of the world he saw, the anxiety and
fear that he felt over his skin condition shadowed him wherever he went.
Eventually, after years of travelling, Jed happened to come in contact with a
spiritual teacher in India who would forever change the direction of his life.
This teacher would help Jed to realise that real peace and happiness come from
within, and that he would only be able to find true freedom in his life once he
had faced his problems head-on. This was the start of Jed’s inner journey.
Breaking Free is the inspiring true story of one man’s desire to
transform his life, and to search for what it means to be truly happy and
free.”
I cannot commend this book enough!
Breaking Free came into my life exactly when I needed it to
- I like to believe that it ‘found’ me.
I was in the yoga studio in the building I work in when I was handed this book
by one of the yogi instructors. At first I was mainly drawn to it for the
title, ‘Breaking Free,’ because for those of you who I know follow my posts
fairly often, you’ll know I’m always on the hunt for new travels and adventures
in life.
The second thing that drew me to the book was the yellow italic writing under
the title reading, ‘A Journey of Self Discovery.’ Self-discovery is a big part
of my life and it always will be. I will never stop growing and finding out new
and exciting things out about myself that make me who I am.
Thirdly, the photograph on the cover is of a man with a rucksack slung across
his shoulders and he is walking away from the camera, down a path into the
unknown.
I know they say you should never judge a book by its cover but I was already
sold.
If I wasn’t sold enough by the front cover - when I flipped the book over the
read through the little blurb on the back (found above) I was hooked!
The book is by far THE best, most enlightening book that I
have ever had the privilege to read. The writing itself isn’t exactly AMAZING.
It’s as though the author is having a conversation with you, yet to me that
really only adds to the beauty of it.
Regardless of whether the writing is fantastic or not, it is the messages
within the pages and between the words, nestled in each chapter that make this
incredible true story what it really is – and what it really is, is an absolute
masterpiece.
I found that I had to put the book down fairly often because
I was getting so many messages and lessons from the author’s words that I
completely overwhelmed with the growth within myself as I read it. I had to
take the time to just sit there and take the words in, go for a walk and
breathe in the new awakening each and every time it happened.
The eerie thing about it is that I related to it almost too
much – to the extent that I started to believe, in a really strange way, that
this book was actually written for me! Some people say that about certain movies
that the main character is going through exactly what they are in their life
and they feel the movie is based on their life. I always thought it was just a
silly comment people made the second they could relate to something – that was
until I read this book and entirely understood where these people had been
coming from.
In the book, Jed Matthews (the main character / author) suffers from panic
attacks – which I do as well. It was amazing to have it described and explained
in such a way that I totally related to that I literally got tears in my eyes
and a little bit shaky.
He also has certain issues about himself that he was finding hard to deal with,
as am I. He was diagnosed with a skin-disorder that the doctors’ told him was
incurable and I also have one or two things that plague and bother me about
myself. It’s not incurable skin-conditions but they are things that for years
made me miserable and self-conscious about myself. I guess everyone has them
right?
He goes on a spiritual journey for years, which I have been doing myself as
much as I can. I’ve explored and learnt in the temples in Thailand and
hopefully next year at some stage I’ll be going to China where a few of my
friends are already meditating down the road from their apartment in a temple.
His travels and spiritual journey inspired me beyond belief but throughout the
entire book, there was one paragraph in one specific chapter that took my
breath away and changed my life. That might sound dramatic… but it’s meant to.
Chapter fifteen, page 106, the first paragraph… in just over 100 words the
author summed up absolutely everything that I have been feeling for so long.
He writes about how to transform into who you can and want to be and to have
true inner awakening, you need to be away from all of those people that know
you the best. This is because when you are around the people who know you so
well you automatically act a certain way around them. You develop masks that
you wear around certain people and for inner awakening and to blossom into what
your body and soul wants to become you need to break free from all attachments
and familiarities.
Anyway… I am not going to repeat him – his words are perfect
and you just need to get your hands on a copy of it!
I have a friend in Canada called Adrian and I told him about
the book as soon as I got it and he downloaded it and is starting to read it
this weekend.
The reason I say this book came into my life right when I
needed it to is because although having read the blurb on the back, I had no
idea what sort of things Jed would do with his life while traveling. Just
before finding this book I met someone and we gelled straight away. He told me
about this TEFL online course you can take and go overseas to teach children
English and he went on to say that the places he is interested in going to is
China, Vietnam, Beijing, India, South America, Bali… all in the rural areas to
get a real slice of what the real country is like – away from all of the
touristy attraction places.
Within moments I knew this was my calling and exactly what I was supposed to do
– so when I started reading this amazing book my dreams to travel and teach
English overseas was only fueled by the author’s words as it turned out he was
teaching English to children in Korea!
That being said, you may have seen my first ever ‘Vlog’ I
posted up just the other day… if not, here’s the link to it… try not to laugh –
blush:
http://bohemianmuses.blogspot.com/2013/11/my-first-vlog-sideways-movie.html
I mentioned there that now I would love
to work on the ski slopes. At first I thought Austria or Switzerland would be
amazing but seeing as I’ve been to both of those places already, my hearts
fairly set on Canada now. As I have a few friends in Canada that would be
pretty perfect too!
I’m getting off-track now so it’s time to wrap this post up
with one more quick thing…
One of the nice things about Breaking Free (from a woman’s
perspective) is that it goes in depth into the male psyche. I’d often wondered
where the line is drawn between how females think VS males and in this book it
definitely clarified that men’s minds are a lot more sexually driven. I’m not
saying that woman’s minds don’t think about sex on a regular basis, we do.. we
are sexual beings by nature! But men could look at a woman walking down the
street and get a mindful of sexual fantasies about how his evening’s sexual endeavours
would play out with this random woman that crossed his path. Whereas, in my
mind, I see a good looking man and think, ‘Hmm, wow.. he’s gorgeous!’ and then I
get on with the day or maybe have a sneaky little fantasy about nothing more
than getting to know him… the male would go a step further in a fantasy…therefore
crossing the line on which males and females thinking-trains function.
Please get your hands on a copy of this book guys.
It awakened me.
Inspired me.
Taught me.
Gave me growth.
Showered me with understanding and peace.
Enjoy it – it’s a one in a million.
