Mary Morrissey

Mary Morrissey (born 1949) is an American New Thought writer and an activist for international peace. She is the writer of Building Your Field of Dreams, which tells of her life story. She is also the writer of No Less Than Greatness, a book about making peace. In 2002 she wrote the book New Thought: A Practical Spirituality. American writer Wayne Dyer called her "one of the most thoughtful teachers of our time."
Active from young age in international activism, Morrissey started the Association for Global New Thought in 1995 and was its first president. In 1997 she worked with Mahatma Gandhi's grandson, Arun Gandhi, in starting the international Season for Nonviolence organization. As of January 2019, Season for Nonviolence was celebrated around the world.
Early life
Mary Morrissey was born in Beaverton, Oregon in May, 1949. She was the vice president in her class when she was 16, but then she fell in love with a college student, got pregnant and was sent out of high school because teen pregnancy was not accepted. After having her baby, Morrissey got very sick with kidney disease and was told she only had six months to live. She believed it was because she had a baby at a young age.
Humanitarian work and activism
Morrissey became a teacher, and in 1975 became a pastor. She started speaking publicly in the fields of New Thought, spiritual growth, and peace. She became a leader for the New Thought group and helped in starting of spiritual centers across the USA. According to Wayne Dyer, it was her humanity that "touched" people.
A feminist in the American Second-wave feminism of the 1970s, Morrissey worked with Barbara Marx Hubbard and Jean Houston to start The Society for the Universal Human. She was later invited to become a member of the Leadership Council, started by Jack Canfield.
Morrissey worked with the Dalai Lama on issues relating the global peace group. She met Nelson Mandela in South Africa and later used his teachings of peace in her work.
As an activist for international peace, she and Arun Gandhi, started Season for Nonviolence. As part of her work at Season for Nonviolence, Morrissey was asked to give speeches for the United Nations, first on ending violence, and later about the need for an international peace agenda. Season for Nonviolence has grown to be taught globally. It was taught in schools and universities. As of January 2019, Season for Nonviolence was in education systems around the world
The Living Enrichment Center issues
Morrissey was the creator of the Living Enrichment Center in Oregon. In 2004 she and her ex-husband made it public that they were in debt. This made the news and Mary asked for forgiveness for leading her followers to take risks with their money. She agreed to pay the government over 10 million dollars to settle the debt issue. Morrissey later divorced her husband and, for the next 14 years, worked hard to pay her debt. She paid all of it in 2018.
Books
Building Your Field of Dreams (1996)
Building Your Field of Dreams tells of Morrissey's difficulties as a teenage mother. Publishers Weekly called the book "sincere"(kind) The book was accepted by the self-development community, with Wayne Dyer writing that the book "sparkles"(shines brightly) and author Gay Hendricks calling the book a "wellspring of spiritual wisdom."(a place to gain knowledge) The Peninsula Daily News magazine called the book "a metaphysical classic."(a wonderful book) In his book The Art of Being, writer Dennis Merritt Jones writes that Building Your Field of Dreams was among the recommended reading for readers interested in self-development. Writer Tess Keehn, in Alchemical Inheritance writes that Building Your Field of Dreams was important in helping her create "vision boards."(dreams) Writer Sage Bennet in Wisdom Walk wrote that Morrissey's book can help learn about New Thought. Its Spanish version is known in the field of spirituality.
No Less Than Greatness (2001)couple 👫
Relationships were important in Morrissey's teachings, speaking of male and female characters. Over the years Morrissey wrote articles for newspapers and magazines, writing on relationships. In her book, No Less Than Greatness: Finding Perfect Love in Imperfect Relationships, Morrissey wrote about "relationship-building."(making friends) The book was taught worldwide. Writer Gary Zukav called the book "practical and inspiring," and writer Marianne Williamson wrote that the book "should be every couple's" friend(a guide for couples). Robert LaCrosse wrote that No Less Than Greatness was a recommended resource in his book Learning From Divorce. Writer Dennis Jones recommended the book in his 2008 book The Art of Being.
New Thought: A Practical Spirituality (2002)
Morrissey used sentences from the Bible in her teaching, as well as the Talmud, the Tao Te Ching, Thoreau and others. Wishing to show the New Thought movement in a simple nature, Morrissey wrote the book New Thought: A Practical Spirituality. Published by Penguin in 2002, the book was made of short essays from 40 New Thought leaders. The book was used for academic work: in the book Alternative Psychotherapies Jean Mercer referred to it as a key book for understanding the "engagement with the spiritual world." In Jones & Bartlett's 2009 book, Spirituality, Health, and Healing, authors Young and Koopsen wrote that Morrissey's New Thought was important for understanding the difference between the New Thought movement and New Age, writing that "New Thought is not New Age". Many research books, including Oxford University Press' Gurus of Modern Yoga, write that Morrissey's New Thought book was an important book in helping to understand the New Thought group.
Other writings
Over the years Morrissey wrote articles for newspapers, magazines, and books. She wrote for Success Magazine. Sentences taken from her books were published in magazines internationally, as well as in books. Her writings are written in self-help books, Christian teachings books, books about rights, work, and happiness. Simon & Schuster's Chicken Soup for the Soul series sometimes open chapters with her sentences.
As a teacher she is respected for inspiring the writing of several books, including The Conscious Heart, The Art of Being, The Inspired Life, Small Pleasures, The Twelve Conditions of a Miracle, Healing From Depression, Positive Energy, Ninety Seconds to a Life You Love To Hell and Back, and others. Morrissey's ease of writing made her, according to Alan Cohen's book Handle With Prayer, "one of the most respected ministers in the New Thought movement." Her teachings appeared in books around the world. She is well-respected in Russia, as well as in the Far East, with her teachings taught in Indonesia and China.
Media appearances
In radio, Morrissey used broadcasting in order "to make a difference in the world." She recorded many audio programs, including The Eleven Forgotten Laws with Bob Proctor.
She appeared on a two-hour television PBS special: Building Dreams, which was based on her book Building Your Field of Dreams. Her programs were on many channels, including NBC television stations. In cinema, she was an early supporter of spiritual cinema, and appeared in documentaries. In 2005 she appeared in The Moses Code. in 2007 she appeared in Living Luminaries. The movie is listed among the finest spiritual documentaries produced. In 2009 she participated in the movie Beyond the Secret, alongside Les Brown. In 2010 she appeared in the movie Discover the Gift alongside The Dalai Lama. In the same year she also appeared in the movie The Inner Weigh. In 2014 she appeared in Sacred Journey of the Heart, which won the Best Film category in the 2014 International Film Festival for Environment, Health, and Culture.
Her 2016 TEDx talk, The Hidden Code For Transforming Dreams Into Reality, got over a million views on YouTube.
Criticism
In his book, Shadow Medicine: The Placebo in Conventional and Alternative Therapies, John S. Haller warns that other teachings in medicine, such as that of Mary Morrissey, should not be seen as a substitute to regular medicine.
Bibliography
Building Your Field of Dreams, Mary Morrissey, Random House, 1996. ISBN 978-0-553-10214-7
No Less Than Greatness, Mary Morrissey, Random House, 2001. ISBN 978-0-553-10653-4
New Thought: A Practical Spirituality, Mary Morrissey (editor), Penguin, 2002. ISBN 978-1-58542-142-8
Guidance from the Darkness, Mary Murray Shelton, Mary Morrissey (foreword), Putnam/Penguin, 2002. ISBN 978-1-58542-003-2
Discover the Gift, Shajen Joy Aziz, Mary Morrissey (contributor), Ebury Publishing, 2010. ISBN 978-1-4464-8936-9
Women of Spirit, Katherine Martin, Mary Morrissey (contributor), New World Library, 2010. ISBN 978-1-57731-823-1
Tapping into God, Debbie Belmessieri, Mary Morrissey (foreword) Hay House, 2011. ISBN 978-1-4525-3525-8
Chocolate for a Woman's Soul, Kay Allenbaugh, Mary Morrissey (contributor), Simon and Schuster, 2012. ISBN 978-1-4767-1452-3(also in Spanish)
Fearless Women: Visions of a New World, Mary Ann Halpin, Mary Morrissey (contributor), Greenleaf Book Group, 2012. ISBN 978-0-9851143-0-5.
In Her Power, Helene Lerner, Mary Morrissey (contributor) Simon and Schuster, 2012. ISBN 978-1-58270-270-4
You Were Born to Triumph, Evelyn Roberts Brooks, Mary Morrissey (foreword), Hay House, 2014. ISBN 9781452586656
Quantum Success, Christy Whitman, Mary Morrissey (contributor), Simon and Schuster, 2018 (pp. 17-23). ISBN 978-1-5011-7902-0.
Notes