Rickie Byars Beckwith is the Music and Arts Director of the Agape International Spiritual Center. As one of Los Angeles’ most revered contemporary singer-songwriters, Rickie plans to expand the impact of music and arts as a catalyst for transforming lives through her latest project: Rhythm and Joy Festival.
A Thousand Names for Joy by Byron Katie
Byron Katie is an incredible teacher who always dives into the heart of the matter. I know sometimes people can go around the block on an issue and never really address the matter at hand. With Byron Katie’s work, she examines a person’s reactivity by exploring the different approaches to a single perspective to see how much of it is a matter of perspective. Katie understands that this is some of the most powerful medicine in the world: understanding the nature of the power of our thoughts, how they run us if we let them, and how we can choose to view situations. I also love the way Katie and her husband (writer and translator) Stephen Mitchell work together. When I read A Thousand Names for Joy, I just lit up.
The Slight Edge: Secret to a $uccessful Life by Jeff Olson
The Slight Edge examines what is necessary to succeed in any project. For example, I have not yet produced an event quite as large as RAJ; Jeff says that instead of feeling overwhelmed by the whole thing, take a step toward your goal every day. In merely a week, you will make tremendous progress. But if you feel overwhelmed, you can become lost in the thought of failure. You have to breathe it in—like yoga— and be in the posture and allow the true nature of it to emerge and evolve. The same principles apply to health, yoga, spiritual practice, and loving the people around you.
Grown-Up Children Who Won’t Grow Up by Dr. Larry Stockman and Cynthia Graves
I fussed over my children too much as they grew up. I found myself too available to help because I did not have that help as a child. My mistake was wanting my children to not have to work as hard as I did. You have to work hard to make your own way. When I picked up this book, I thought it was about my children, but then I realized it was really about me and how I could hold them accountable. Accountability makes them strong; it’s an empowering relationship. I wanted to move away from doing the things that take away their chance from being powerful in their own being. I was not trusting that God had their back and was supporting them. This book taught me how to place them in God’s hands.
Rickie and husband, Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith, form a powerful partnership that has produced a dynamic catalog of original songs focused on evoking transformational healing through music. They have has sold over 100,000 records worldwide. Rickie’s latest book/CD, Let My Soul Surrender: Grace Notes of a Journey, provides an intimate look at how the Spirit works through the artist. The Beckwiths will be at the Rhythm and Joy Festival in Simi Valley at the Hummingbird Nest Ranch, October 4-6: Rajfestival.com
