In 2001 I had a surgeon stand by my bed and tell me, very seriously, “Beryl I can’t guarantee you’ll come off the operating table alive” because I was literally dying from a cancer blocking my bowel. His creative middle-of-the-night surgery saved me, and 9 years later I am so glad.

Two books came out of this. ‘Cancer – a Journey’ and ‘After Cancer – the Journey Continues’. Others tell me what an inspiration I am to them that I am still working beyond the storm this all brought. I now feel blessed for all the grave difficulties life has sent me, because without them, I’d have done none of the things that have now helped so many thousands of others.

Somewhere along the journey from cancer I started being told by many people about ‘The Secret’. That was another new start. Thank you. Now I’ve just finished ‘The Power’ which is a giant leap forward from ‘The Secret’, which I loved. First I want to thank you Rhonda. You are a great writer, your ability to explain what you mean will help millions. ‘The Power’ has given me new insights – again.

Personally, I’d been seeing how the world could be changed to a peaceful one if others could just understand that everything begins with them – the one person they are and how they treat others, for many years.

Having just put down your latest wonderful book I’d like to offer you a prose poem I wrote in 1999 and have been distributing free across the world ever since. The feedback I receive as a result tells me I was right to consider it a gift, not only to me. If you wish to copy/use it, please feel free.

Much love
Beryl

‘Think of a World at Peace’

Think of a world where love is given and received in equal measure
where every parent values the selfhood of their children
and demonstrates every day their love for that child
where no hand is ever raised against another in anger
but only in kindness and blessing and to share the good and necessary things of life

Think of a world where money is valued only for the good it can do
where physical strength is prized only for its ability to build a better world
and protect the weak
where each person’s physical body and emotional feelings are truly respected as their own
and never transgressed without that person’s conscious permission
where words are used to describe the thing they really belong to
rather than to threaten or pull someone else down

Think of a world where we smile at one another
where we can look each person straight in the eye without anyone flinching
a world where joy is given out
and received as a natural sweet thing

Think of a world where no one steals from the boss
and no one wants to
because each worker is valued for their intrinsic worth
and given work to do that they can do well

Think of a world where we give and receive happily, but mostly exchange in fair measure
where every person of wisdom who has skills to help smooth out problems between people
is given the means to spend their life doing just that
for we are often weak and don’t know how to smooth out our own

Think of a world where colour, size, shape, hairiness or lack of hair, big feet or small,
brown eyes or blue, just the look of a person, all these things
don’t matter at all
where only the smile on your lips and in your eyes, the kindness and love you express
matters to everyone else

Think of a world where we have learned a new
what it is to love one another
and ourselves
This will be a world at peace. © Beryl Shaw 25/12/1999