This poetic and evocative book, drawing on the personal experiences of Good Buffalo Eagle, presents the meditations of an ancient Native American tribesman who rejects his family and community and walks off into the desert. During his journey, he discovers the seven paths of the Anasazi way, each path teaching a lesson symbolized by an element of the natural world: light, wind, water, stone, plants, animals, and finally the unity of all beings with the Creator, the path of We. By walking these paths, he discovers the roots of his conflict and the way toward reconciliation.
For years, this book has been privately distributed by ANASAZI Foundation, an award-winning nonprofit organization whose work with troubled youth in a wilderness setting has been extraordinarily effective. But there is benefit here for all. The Seven Paths gives access to a source of wisdom and renewal familiar to native people but lost to the rest of us. As Good Buffalo Eagle writes in the foreword, this book “presents what might be described as a course in healing—seven elements among nature that combine to heal human hearts.”
People have moved away from Mother Earth, bringing heartache, pain, and other maladies of the modern age. The “self-help” movement claims to offer peace and fulfillment to individuals, but this solitary approach takes us only so far. Ultimately, it is in communion with our fellow beings and the natural world that we are made whole. We need to leave the path of Me and follow the path of We.
The Seven Paths reveals a source of wisdom, restoration, and renewal familiar to native people but lost to the rest of us, seven elements among nature that combine to mend human hearts.
Founded in 1988 by renowned wilderness pioneers Larry D. Olsen and Ezekiel C. Sanchez (Good Buffalo Eagle), ANASAZI Foundation gives young people an opportunity for growth through a primitive living experience and a philosophy that invites healing at the hands of nature.
ANASAZI’s family-focused intervention programs inspired the international bestseller The Anatomy of Peace and were the subject of an episode of the Emmy-award-winning MTV series True Life. It is estimated that more than 40,000 people have participated in programs designed by Olsen and Sanchez.
You may download a sample to read here.
“In The Seven Paths, ANASAZI Foundation offers a collection of profound and deep advice and wisdom reminiscent of The Prophet and The Alchemist. The wisdom of connecting to Mother Earth with others under the eyes of the Creator is the greatest wisdom of all.”
Les Stroud, creator of Discovery Channel’s Survivorman and Beyond Survival and bestselling author of Survive! and Will to Live
“Inspiring! The Seven Paths is filled with wisdom and truth—it is the perfect prescription for healing a broken heart.” Wynonna Judd
“The Seven Paths captures with clarity the simple and profound truths too often lost in life’s complexities.”
Richard Paul Evans, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty-five books
“There is much to learn from any person who has lived his life trying to heed the wisdom he has gathered from the lingering voices of his ancestors—especially in an age, like our own, when those voices have been spurned. Ezekiel Sanchez (Good Buffalo Eagle), cofounder of ANASAZI Foundation, is such a person. He has used the ancient, tested wisdom of his people to touch the souls of thousands of once-troubled young people and their families and show them the way to reunion and peace. Such a person also is his literary collaborator, Jim Ferrell. In The Seven Paths, they have distilled their unique and luminous insight. Reading this book receptively, you will likely catch yourself already forward walking in your heart and awakening to the light.”
C. Terry Warner, founder, The Arbinger Institute
“This book is profound! The principle of ‘We’ is the secret to every success on and off the field.”
Steve Young, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback and ESPN commentator
“Through the story of the Seven Paths, my daughter realized how she, too, had walked backward, away from her family. This profound discovery saved my daughter’s life, which in turn saved our entire family. It gave her a solid foundation to navigate through her very difficult teenage years…it gave our lost child new feet to find her way—her path to becoming a loving, successful young adult with truly a heart at peace.”
Elaine Taylor, President, The Taylor Family Foundation
“Speaking with the wisdom of ancient ones, this guide to life’s challenging journey is brilliantly accessible and spiritually transforming.”
Richard Ferre, MD, adolescent and adult psychiatrist
“The Seven Paths lays the groundwork for personal growth, insights, and strength required in long-term recovery.”
Jon Memmott, retired judge
“Every page is filled with insight and wisdom. You will want to read it, share it, and read it again.”
Dale Tingey, PhD, founder and Executive Director, American Indian Services
“The Seven Paths epitomizes the strength of one of my favorite words: TEAM—Together Everyone Achieves More.”
Bart Starr, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback
“In the universal moments of feeling stuck or lost, the Seven Paths are simple and profound truths that provide not only solace but genuine ways to change your heart.”
Courtney Merrill, marriage and family therapist and educational consultant
“ANASAZI Foundation’s The Seven Paths illustrates an oft-forgotten truth that it is not our experiences that determine the quality of our lives but who we are morally when we pass through those experiences. To walk in the light instead of in darkness means we see our experiences truthfully and learn and grow. When we betray the light within us, we walk in darkness and we find our experiences burdensome. This book is an invitation to all to live truthfully and distinguish toxic from nourishing ways of being in the world.”
Terrance D. Olson, PhD, Ernest Osborne award winner in Family Life Education
“The Seven Paths is truly a blessing. I recommend it to anyone in need of healing, wisdom, power, and goodness.”
Stan Block, MD, author and founder, Mind-Body Bridging
“A little book with a big message! The Seven Paths reminds us of who we are, our relationship to our Creator, and how happiness with our families is within our grasp.”
Danny Ainge, former professional basketball and baseball player and President of Basketball Operations, Boston Celtics
“It is a privilege to recommend The Seven Paths. ANASAZI is one of the best programs for helping young people and adults make major changes in their lives, and I am thrilled this book will make the philosophy and wisdom their program is based on accessible to a larger audience.”
Ralph H. Earle, MDiv, PhD, founder and President, Psychological Counseling Services, Ltd.
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