Sidney Poitier wrote The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography because he "felt called to write about certain values, such as integrity and commitment, faith and forgiveness, about the virtues of simplicity, about the difference between 'amusing ourselves to death' and finding meaningful pleasures--even joy". Yet Poitier's book does not speak from on high; its tone is conversational and endearingly self-critical: Poitier begins the first chapter by recounting an evening spent channel-surfing and wondering, as most of us do at one time or another, "What am I doing with my time?" The spiritual reflections in The Measure of a Man are non-sectarian; Poitier's faith is clearly influenced by his experience in Christian churches, but is not, strictly, Christian. Though idiosyncratic, his faith is disciplined and rigorous, and is informed by leaders as diverse as Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. Poitier's love--for himself, his family and the world--infuses his recollections of his early life on Cat Island in the Bahamas, and his memories of his stage and film career (including his Oscar-winning role in Lilies of the Field). Poitier has been rich and poor; he has been popular and despised; and his extremely varied experiences have made him a wise man, as he demonstrates with statements like this one: "[W]hat we do is stay within the context of what's practical, what's real, what dreams can be fashioned into reality, what values can send us to bed comfortably and make us courageous enough to face our end with character."

2008-03-30 The Miracles of Life

In an eloquent retelling of his life so far, Mr. Poitier shares his joys, losses, passions and difficulties. In my recalling of his movies, I can now appreciate his depth as an actor but I've also come to realize that he is a compassionate and thoughtful man. While watching his films you can see how his humanity carries over from his every day life into his work. Mr. Poitier writes of how effective acting involves "being in the moment" where listening and responding to others honestly and openly is of utmost importance in being real . That sentence and way of living resounded in me and inspires me to be genuine in all of my own encounters. It also reminded of a book I hold in high regard called "Working on Yourself Doesn't Work" written by Ariel and Shya Kane. The Kanes' book set me on my own path of living in the moment, where life can be lived day in and day out with joy, ease and purpose.

Mr. Poitier writes, "Almost invariably, the calibrations by which we measure ourselves move inward. It often takes a near death experience to make us realize how simple life is, how few the essentials really are. We love, we work; we raise our families." In this day and age it does not require a near death experience to realize how miraculous life is. With insightful books such as these anyone can live a life of his or her own choosing. Go ahead: Make it awesome!