arts & entertainment Wide Awake Psychic medium Rebecca Rosen's new book guides readers to fulfill their life's purpose. Lynne Konstantin Contributing Writer S This book is based on these recurring messages I hear from the other side, spiri- tual guides who want to help us under- stand who we are and what our purpose is. We are all spiritual beings, and we all have the power to do what I do — I just have mastered it more than most people. I wrote this book, based on 10 steps, to help people find their own purpose. It's the book I wish I had had when I was trying to figure out who I was. People truly don't need me to tap into "Team Spirit" and feel a sense of connection and purpose. ince publishing its Ten Steps to Ignite Your Life career-launching IN: Explain the 10 steps. & Fulfill Your Divine Purpose article in 2001, RR: The 10 steps of the Detroit Jewish News has awakening are based on the watched as Rebecca Rosen ancient mystical wisdom of has risen from a 24-year- the Kabbalah that seeks to old psychic medium doing answer why we exist, why "readings" out of a coffee we're born, where we come shop in West Bloomfield from and where we're going to an internationally in our lives. Every day, acclaimed expert reaching we are provided with new thousands of people on the opportunities to reignite subject of connecting with our lives and move toward "the other side fulfilling our life's intended In 2010, Rosen published and divine purpose. Spirited, which became I know it can sound a national bestseller. Co-written with ridiculous to turn to the unseen world for Samantha Rose, Spirited shared Rosen's clarity and guidance in our earthly lives, own personal journey to explain her work but really, who better to shed light on our as a spiritual medium and how she came to lives than those who've already lived, and terms with — and mastered — her gift. who share a special bond with us based on She has reteamed with Rose, and last our similar life experiences? They want us month, her eagerly anticipated follow-up to wake up, literally. book, Awaken the Spirit Within: Ten Steps The book provides 10 direct steps to to Ignite Your Life 6 Fulfill Your Divine clear out spiritual road blocks and figure Purpose (Harmony Books; $25), hit book- out your purpose. There are 10 medita- stores. Here, she fills us in: tions, for five minutes each day, to tap into your truth. If you were to use the 10 steps, JN: What was your goal in writing and really do the work, you really can Awaken the Spirit Within? come into your purpose. RR: Awaken is spiritual self-help. We And that's where the void gets filled. are all so overwhelmed with life; we are The icky stuff lifts away, and the void is distracted, disconnected — it's like we are filled with what it's meant to be filled with sleepwalking through life. And we self- — which is God. Both the heavy burdens medicate with our drug of choice, whether and the small irritations will start to lift — it's caffeine, food or something else. We you may actually begin to feel lighter. fill the void with external things, but they People say, "I don't have time:' Everyone leave us feeling empty. has five minutes. The question is, how At the same time, people are craving badly do you want to feel good? Take a clarity. Many of us want to find our direc- break in between work and kids and mak- tion and figure out why we are here. In ing dinner, carve out five minutes to sit addition to consoling thousands of clients down and call on your guides and angels. who are grieving the loss of a cherished They will come to you. loved one, I've used my heightened sen- sitivity and intuitive and spiritual gifts to JN: Do you identify as Jewish? Who is help just as many people overcome every- God to you? day obstacles standing in their way, from RR: I do identify as a Jew, and it's financial to relationship struggles. important to me to pass on Judaism's cul- I am not a shrink, a hypnotherapist or a ture, morals and teachings to my children. life coach. But spiritual readings often turn But "God" is the word I use to identify into counseling sessions, and the dead something that others may have another come through with very down-to-earth perfectly good word for — Source, Higher advice for solving real-life problems. Power, Creator, Universe. BESTSELLING AUTI1011 OP SWAIM WITH SAMANTHA ROSE 50 September 19 • 2013 I am not trying to challenge anyone's belief system but to share messages and insights. The word God is not attached to a religion for me, meaning that all religions, all paths serve a similar purpose — to connect us to and bring us closer to God. God is love, God is energy. We are all walking, talking and breathing manifesta- tions of God. Our true purpose in life is to become a lighter, brighter, more kind and loving spirit — to express and extend our "God-spark:' JN: You write that we are all here to learn a lesson. What is your lesson? RR: Ultimately, courage and faith. I have to walk the walk to inspire others to do the same. I am not immune; I am human. When I was writing this book last summer, I was in the process of an awak- ening. I was self-medicating with sugar, and I thought, "I need to practice what I preach:' I started doing a lot of work, doing therapy, and all the things that weren't serving me fell away. JN: Like what? RR: My husband, Brian, and I are divorced. I realize that people who know my story will say, "What? But your dead grandma brought you together!" But I am a firm believer that we all have many soul mates, and we come into each other's lives to challenge and test one another. But we also have free will. Our paths diverged. It was dark and scary and painful, but I did earthly things, like "I have to walk the walk to inspire others to do - Rebecca Rosen the same." therapy, to make me accountable, and then my [late] dad came to me in a dream, and I knew it was the right thing. And I am seeing someone now, which is very significant — 48 hours after closing one door, I knew there was another door. I also am having a human experience. I'm not immune to the same relationship issues everyone else has. My lesson is that I need the courage to honor my truth and live my best life — and then I can help other people. And after going through this recent pro- cess, in the last few months, I have never been more connected. ❑ Rebecca Rosen will appear at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield at 7:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 23-24, to discuss her book, provide tools and techniques on how to live an awakened life, conduct a guided meditation and demonstrate her mediumship with readings of random audience members. Info and tickets: (248) 661-1900; theberman.org .