Your Soul's Plan: Discovering the Real Meaning of the Life You Planned Before You Were Born Paperback – March 24, 2009

If I were to summarize this book in a very few words it would be “it’s all good”. If you agree with the author’s perspective on life (which includes more than just this physical life), then everything happens for a reason and for the ultimate good of all concerned.The premise of this work assumes that you accept that we are eternal souls and we live many lives in order to learn and grow. Apparently most of that learning is by experiencing the opposite. For example we come into this life and forget who we really are, and then we experience anger as both victim and perpetrator so we can forgive ourselves and the other person and move past it, discovering our own divinity in the process. Then when we cross over into the more sublime reality where there is no anger, we appreciate the love we express and receive all the more. Had we not experienced the illusion on earth of negativity, we would not value so highly the positivity of the heavenly worlds.I am a seeker of truth and I have searched both outside, through books mostly, and within via meditation for answers to the mysteries of life. As I have some past life recall, I am a ready audience for the premise of this work. I also have some revelation that some things are definitely planned. But I do not know if they are planned to extent as given here. Do we have full say on whether we reincarnate? And do we really decide all the major goals and factors that our life will entail, and then we make the necessary agreements with other souls? Schwartz claims that oftentimes very negative, even criminal behavior is not what it appears. A young man planted a bomb and grievously injured a young woman. But this was not the evil act it appeared to be… it was agreed upon prior to their birth. Thus the young man incurs no negative karma for this although he doesn’t recall the agreement and is ashamed of what he sees as a random act of evil. The victim learned to forgive the unknown man (in this life) and move a step further toward gratitude for his act because it impelled her to make great strides in the unfoldment her true nature.This kind of makes sense and I’m still working on the extent to which I believe this is true and how it fits my understanding and long held beliefs. Perhaps the biggest loose end in this book was its brief and casual mention of walk-ins. That’s the idea that a soul can depart from a serious accident or illness but the body survives because another soul has stepped into that vehicle. The new soul would inherit the memory and some personality traits of the previous soul, but would be a different being. I read about this many years ago in Ruth Montgomery’s book and I brushed it off at that time. While it seems to fit with the concept of the present work (that it’s permissible if the two souls have pre-agreed to this) it is creepy to ponder that another entity might be looking at us through our loved one’s eyes. Of course, we ourselves would have also pre-agreed to this in a state of being where we wouldn’t find such a thing so disturbing.Another thought-provoking point made by Schwartz is that when a person learns to love and forgive and becomes one with their true higher nature, they uplift all humanity. The pain and suffering overcome by the woman who was a victim of the explosion was transformative to the whole planet even if no one ever was told her story. That’s because her energy is felt by us all. This gave me a new take on the concept that Jesus died for our sins. In the context of Schwartz’s work, we could say that Jesus’s love and forgiveness despite his intense suffering, uplifted the whole world. This may be where that concept was derived from.I would have liked to have seen one more chapter, and that would be a story where some act of evil was not planned. Don’t some souls go off the reservation so to speak, and what happens then?This book may not be for everyone, but if you are an open-minded seeker of truth like me, then consider this a must-read.

Love this book. Gave me a new perspective on life.

This is an excellent book that introduces new thinking behind the things that happen in our lives. I had visions of a little girl that I would have someday every since high school. When I had cancer at 27 and was told that I would never be able to have children, I still had visions of this little girl. I kept getting the name Sara, as though that would be her name. However, the years passes and I had not found her. But when I turned 50 a felt an overwhelming need to go back to the place I was raised. I kept felling like there was someone very important I would miss if I didn't go back and I knew that it would be very bad for that person if I wasn't there. It was as if we had an appointment to meet. After I moved back home I started feeling the need to be a foster parent. I did relief care for a one year old. The minute I opened the door and saw her I knew that was her. She seemed to know me too. When my mother came over and saw her they immediately bonded too. My mother said, with a big smile on her face, why you got the child that I always thought I would have. Look at her she knows me. Both had big smiles on there faces. Due to neglect it that foster home she was placed with me at thirteen months old. At two and half she asked me why her name wasn't Sara. She said she thought her name was sunspot to be Sara. I now know God was telling me that he would send her to me but she would come in my old age like Sara in the Bible.Reading this book just confirmed things I has felt and suspected before and I am glad to know that I am not the only one who has had similar experiences. I believe that God can do many things through our dreams and our guides can help up end up where we are meant to be if we listen to our dreams, our feelings and our sixth sense. I pray and hope that he guides me to be the best parent I can be to her and that I set her on the right path to find her purpose in life.Although, I am not an avid reader, I did see that book on amazon and was intrigued. To add even more amazement to my story; I am a CPA and received an e-mail from someone who was moving to my area and was referred to me through a mutual friend. When his information was dropped off to me I sat dawn with the person who brought it to me and started asking questions about what he did and if he ever did regression hypnosis.The answer was yes and he has written several books about his research. They then showed me a picture of the cover of his book and I was amazed that I had read it, really enjoyed it and felt like it had confirmed things that had happened in my life.Just before I met the author I got DNA results back on my adopted daughter and found out she is a decedent of my great grand mother's uncle. What are the chances that a family four generations back that, lived in eastern Kentucky, would find their way to Ohio and settle within 10 miles of each other. Her mother was only 15 when she was born and just couldn't take care of her. We didn't know each other and yet her child was placed with me to adopt. What are the odds of the author of one of maybe 2 books I have read in the last year contacting me to do his work.I do believe that we do plan our lives and that things happen for a reason. Why did I have cancer and not be able to have children? Maybe because God wanted to be sure that I would go looking for the child he meant me to have when she came into the world. Had I had my own I wouldn't have been looking for her and If I hadn't gotten her I think her outcome would have been very different that what it is going to be now.

I found this book to be quite comforting in the information that it shared regarding us choosing our life circumstances and family/friends. It helps me to know that this life on earth is temporary and we are here to advance our souls, to grow, to master compassion and to give and receive love. I find comfort in knowing that at our essence all souls are pure love. I better understand how and why some people choose to be murderers or rapists. I do feel like a lot of it is simplified as it focuses on tame and plausible topics - like how someone may choose to be chronically ill or handicapped for example - or why they may choose to be the parent of a child that dies too young. It is also based on souls in the US only. I still do not understand, based on the extreme horrors and suffering that go on all over the world, especially with children and animals, how someone could or would need to choose such horrors. Nothing is ever explained about animal souls - dogs, cats for example - do they choose their lives too? I did appreciate the contacts to all of the mediums and psychics and subjects in the book and have begun researching and following a few. I did find the book to create many more questions for me however, and I do look forward to reading the authors other books.

I first read this book several years ago. I felt an understanding that I knew before, but had forgotten. I read your second book immediately after reading, Your Soul's Plan and I will read it again, also. I am looking forward to your new book. Thank you for expanding my mind and my soul.