It took a long time for me to admit that perhaps I’d remarried too quickly; it took even longer for me to take action. But recently I divorced Husband Number Two. I expect he’ll also be showing up for parties and holiday dinners, as he is yet another thread of the tapestry that is my family.
After our divorce became final, I took a vacation by myself, wanting to reflect on where I was in my life and where I wanted to go. Travel, especially traveling alone, has always helped me clarify who I am—separate from my everyday life and the things that define me at home.
I was sipping wine by a quiet fountain under an acacia tree when the SMS came through. It was from Roma. I find it comforting that Mark married someone who, besides being a mother herself, has embraced our sons as well. Along with the message, Roma sent a picture of James, now 18, and Cameron, now 15, riding on camels. They were in Morocco. Thirteen years after we’d gone there and moved into a palace, the boys were back in Marrakesh; this time, Mark and Roma were there co-producing a ten-part documentary about the Bible for the History Channel.
Looking at the photos that she sent of the boys atop camels, it struck me that, in some way, life had gone full circle; it felt like a cycle had completed, and a new one was starting. And that night, when I walked into the warren of cobblestone streets in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, where palm trees were stretching up from the cathedral courtyard, street lights hung down like big glass eggs, and the full moon was glowing orange in the sky, I felt like I was finally back on my own road.
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
—Confucius
On top of Mount Kilimanjaro, I felt like I was close to heaven.
AFTERWORD
It takes a substantial amount of courage to reveal the innermost workings of one’s heart and unraveling of the ego in a public forum such as a book. Many years ago a wise editor told me, “Don’t put anything in writing that you don’t want to see on the front page of the L.A. Times, because once in print there’s no taking it back.” When it comes to being a public figure or celebrity, the risk of being vulnerable is greatly increased, whether it’s in print or forms of social media.
Obviously, the motive for writing a memoir varies among authors. Dianne Burnett’s motivation was made clear to me by her willingness to not censor what I have included in this afterword about her ongoing healing journey. There is no “end-chapter” to our inner evolutionary progress when we make it a priority in our lives, as has Dianne on her transformative path to forgiveness, compassion, and unconditional love.
Together with her former husband, Mark Burnett, through Mark Burnett Productions, Dianne and Mark gave birth to what has become a phenomenon in our culture: Reality TV, Survivor being the parent to many offspring which today occupy prime time on many television channels. But the reality within reality programs is seldom seen by viewers—specifically that which takes place behind the scenes within the mind and heart of each participant. Dianne rawly describes the fears, frustrations, confrontations, withholdings, sacrifices, competitiveness, physical injuries, power struggles—all the “causes” we blame outside of ourselves for our reactions to what we create in our life’s circumstances.
Every word on every page of The Road to Reality points to the truism that taming our inner egoic tigers of “me, myself and I” is a far more challenging and victorious accomplishment than outwardly subduing a wild animal, scaling the highest Himalayan peak, or outwitting a competitor and winning the coveted prize. Both the heartbreaks and victories of the experiences Dianne shares indicate that more healing awaits her, and that more inner work remains to be done. Through her journey into the healing energies of forgiveness, Dianne reveals the heart’s natural inclination to forgive. Our resistance to forgiving is a reflection of the ego’s need to be right. The power of forgiveness is liberating because it removes obstructions to the flow of good into our life. Keeping our hearts and minds free of the toxins of resentment and animosity is vital to our spiritual awakening and overall well-being. Forgiveness is one of the most potent contributors to the transformation of our own life, as well as that of others. A competition worth entering is the race to see how quickly we can forgive ourselves and others.
The book you hold in your hands is one of the steps Dianne has taken towards her healing—an ongoing commitment that has thus far taken six years. Nevertheless, it is the reconciliation of the heart, and not the length of time it takes, that is central to hers or anyone’s healing. The Road to Reality is an invitation to each of us to look into our own heart and see where forgiveness is waiting to be offered as a gift to both ourselves and others who have knowingly or unknowingly hurt us, or whom we have hurt. Our individual process may not include writing a book about it, but whatever it is, let us discover it now, because forgiveness is a most excellent healing medicine.
Michael Bernard Beckwith
Founder, Agape International Spiritual Center
Author of Life Visioning, The Answer is You,
40 Day Mind Fast Soul Feast, and Spiritual Liberation
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DIANNE BURNETT is an author, producer, and actor of stage and screen. She is also a philanthropist and entrepreneur. Dianne and her ex-husband, Mark Burnett, joined their creative forces to invent Eco-Challenge, the impetus for Survivor, which kick-started America’s reality-television show craze and went on to become the longest-running and most lucrative reality TV series of all time.
Following the success of Survivor, Dianne produced and acted in the stage play Beyond Therapy at the Santa Monica Playhouse, served as Executive Producer of the indie film Jam (which won Best Narrative Feature at the Santa Fe Film Festival), and acted in Everybody Loves Raymond.
In memory of her mother, Joan, who lost her battle with esophageal cancer in 2010, Dianne formed Joan Valentine—A Foundation for Natural Cures, a nonprofit organization that serves as a resource for those seeking alternatives to traditional medicine. She also recently launched a multimedia platform and social network: called theotherside.com, it explores alternative views on everything from relationships to health. Formerly of New York, Dianne now lives in Malibu, California, with her family.
Websites:
www.DianneBurnett.com
www.joanvalentinefoundation.org
www.theotherside.com
Other Titles by Agape Media Authors
TranscenDance Expanded by Michael Bernard Beckwith
Intuitive Rebel–Tuning In To The Voice That Matters by Charles Holt
Resurrecting Venus–Embrace Your Feminine Power by Cynthia Occelli
Click!–Choosing Love One Frame At A Time by Carl Studna
Life Visioning–A Transformative Process for Activating Your Unique Gifts and Highest Potential by Michael Bernard Beckwith
The Answer Is You–Heart Sets & Mind Sets for Self-Discovery
by Michael Bernard Beckwith
40-Day Mind Fast Soul Feast by Michael Bernard Beckwith
Spiritual Liberation–Fulfilling Your Soul’s Potential
by Michael Bernard Beckwith
Agape Media International (AMI) is dedicated to promoting artists and art forms that uplift the human spirit and inspiring individuals to contribute their own talents to the creation of a world that works for everyone.
www.agapeme.com
For more information regarding Agape International
Spiritual Center in Los Angeles, visit www.agapelive.com
The Road to Reality Page 20
