In his literary debut founder of The Daily Love Mastin Kipp takes the genre of self-help spirituality to a whole new level, by introducing an element that’s been undervalued in modern spiritual wisdom: taking action. Armed with his own personal experiences, and nuggets of spiritual wisdom from spiritual teachers such as Joseph Campbell, Tony Robbins, and Carolyn Myss, Mastin takes us through a journey that redefines the meaning of living a spiritual life.

Busting the Stereotypes

Fear is the opposite of Love.

This is belief that’s preached by both ancient texts and modern teachers, yet according to Mastin, “When we believe that Love is the opposite of fear, we tend to make ourselves wrong for being afraid. But the only way for us to truly be happy is to give and grow. And if we are going to grow, we will always be facing uncertainty – which is, by its very nature, scary.”

Although it logically makes sense that the emotions of fear and love oppose each other, Mastin’s perspective elucidates how the literal interpretation of this belief can distort the true meaning of Love. In fact, this misleading interpretation of Love is potently evident in modern spirituality under what Mastin calls ‘spiritual entertainment’: the addiction to the momentary highs of spiritual enlightenment that one gets from spiritual tools, concepts and modalities, without taking the necessary action to solidify them with tangible action steps.

In other words, how many times have you caught yourself procrastinating from following your dreams with fearful thoughts like, “I will start writing my book when I improve my vocabulary,” or “I will take action after I attend that workshop?” According to Mastin, these innocent-sounding excuses are rooted in the belief that fear is the opposite of love; hence, it must be avoided. As he goes on to explain, in fearing fear we inevitably experience the pain of staying asleep, which Mastin defines as a “path of choosing short-term pleasure that creates long-term pain.” Conversely, when we are courageous enough to see the fear of taking action for what it truly is – a compass showing us where to go – we experience the pain of waking up, which “requires us to embrace short-term pain to create long-term joy.”

A Spiritual Kick in the Butt

What I loved most about Growing into Grace is the delicate way in which Mastin combines inspiration and motivation to create spiritual transformation. I believe that what’s missing from the modern spiritual forefront are teachers like Mastin Kipp who are able to turn spiritual truths (inspiration) into practical advice (motivation) that helps us develop our own personal connection to Grace, so that we can take guided action towards our Life Purpose (spiritual transformation).

In simple words, Growing into Grace is the kick in the butt every single spiritual person needs, to stop meditating and start taking action. This is a book that will wake you up from the woo-woo trance that you are in, push you out of your comfort zone into uncertainty, and encourage you to turn that uncertainty into tenacious action towards your Life Purpose.