Army Wives and TBI, Plus “Crisis to Creation” (July 2010) In 1997, Jim Macartney suffered a major seizure that resulted in heart and brain damage. He was later deemed incapable of working again—“…ironically, as a vocational rehabilitation specialist,” he writes. Yet today he is indeed back to work, despite two open-heart surgeries, a near-death experience, and temporal lobe epilepsy. He has achieved “a level of functioning not remotely anticipated when doctors told me my condition would not change…even when many of the problems that swamped my life back in 1997 remain unvanquished.”
Even before the seizure, he had been curious about how some people faced with a severe crisis not only survive but thrive. The result of this curiosity was his book, Crisis to Creation: Our Power of Choice.
Macartney interviewed more than sixty people who had endured a severe crisis (including paralysis, terminal illness, and brain injury) yet who made “a fundamental change in how they approached the obstacles in their lives and the choices they made.” They chose to use the power of their crisis as a transformative agent and found a path to what is called “post-traumatic growth.”
It’s true that not everyone has this kind of resilience, yet “resilience muscles” often can be strengthened. As Macartney writes, “every day presents an opportunity to choose to be constrained by my limitations or actively step into new possibilities.”
I highly recommend this book.
“This is a transformative work. The book is important for the medical profession, caregivers, and anyone wishing to support others.”
— John Caskey, MD, Santa Fe, New Mexico“I think it’s the best book I ever read. It does a superb job of weaving together things which had heretofore been seen as disparate … I want to see this out there as soon as possible. I think it’s that important.”
— Bonnie Long, cancer survivor and near-death experiencer, Seattle, Washington“It is stunning! Engaged me from start to finish! There was not a single chapter that I did not relish … I particularly admired your ability to write about complex and fundamental truths with such engaging simplicity. I loved the personal stories … it was like reading a novel and looking forward to what would happen to the characters.”
— Gordon Allan, founder, The Aletheia Group, Toronto, Canada“Great book! Catch this easy read about healing, transformation, creation, death, and beyond death. Jim Macartney tells of his and numerous others’ experiences to evidence his case.”
— Leo Kim, PhD, author of Healing the Rift: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Spirituality“I am in awe of your writing style! It is precise yet eloquent. There is a spell-binding story and an authentic message.”
— Reverend Uki MacIsaac, San Diego, California“Crisis to Creation provides dramatic evidence of the power of choice to heal the soul, transform tragedy into blessings, and take people from crisis into creation. One sees just how miraculously “can” triumphs over “can’t.” Whether you have suffered tragedy or not, this book will transform you.”
— Yolaine M. Stout, president, American Center for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences, San Diego, California“I got it! I just got it! I read your book the second time and I got it. I’m moving out of crisis mode into the creation mode. It’s huge!”
— Donna Karm, dance movement therapist with multiple sclerosis, Chicago, Illinois“In this well-written book regarding post-traumatic growth, James Macartney synthesizes both science and spirituality to explore how we as individuals can emerge from the depths of crisis and chaos in order to reach an even more meaningful level of existence and a higher understanding of the human condition.”
— Belle Harrell, PhD, teacher, Columbus, Georgia“Jim Macartney’s personal story of extreme challenge and his courageous response is truly remarkable. His message of hope and his process of recovery for himself and for others is inspiring and effective in the face of such enormous health crises.”
— Joyce Whiteley Hawkes, PhD, author of Cell-Level Healing: The Bridge from Soul to Cell
