By BRUCE DENNILL
What happens when outward success masks an inner emptiness? In her deeply personal and transformative new book, Spirit@Rest, author Leela Verity invites readers to walk alongside her on a quest for meaning, truth, and happiness. Born into a traditional Christian family and trained as a lawyer, Verity appeared to have it all. Yet in her thirties, she faced an existential crisis. Disillusioned, she renounced the secular world and embarked on a spiritual journey with her husband, Maurice. Their search led them across continents to India, Asia, Europe, and Central America, exploring diverse religions and philosophies in pursuit of enlightenment. Her path ultimately brought her home, to a renewed faith in God, a rediscovered relationship with the church, and her spirit finally at rest.
Writing a book is a huge commitment. What are the elements that need to be in place if you are going to meet whatever writing goals you set?
Writing a book is both a commitment and a calling. I have always been a compulsive writer and felt the urge to record things before I forget the detail. I have always kept a diary or journal. Writing brings me clarity. Events in one’s life can often feel random and unrelated, but if you record them by writing them down, when you read them later, hidden connections reveal themselves, and help you to see patterns and make sense of the seemingly unrelated events. I would encourage everyone to write, even if it never ends up in a book! Spirit@Rest lived inside me for years before it appeared on paper. Writing it was like putting a blanket together. You know – those hand-made blankets made of small, knitted squares. I had the squares in my diaries, or on my computer. The book consisted of sewing them together in a meaningful and coherent way. I am not a very disciplined writer. Some people say you must make a commitment to write an hour or so every day. I could never do this. My writing went in fits and starts, as life happened around me. I think that passion for writing is more important than discipline, because if you are passionate about something, you will do it, no matter what. Passion is a driving force much more than self-inflicted discipline. For me, the most important element was not discipline or commitment, but a passion to tell the story itself.
Conversely, what are the strangest or most creative procrastination techniques you’ve devised to avoid all that work?
I had to overcome several challenges in order to finish writing, and then publishing, the book. One of them was the need to do it perfectly. I am a bit of a perfectionist, and I always felt that the book wasn’t 100% “right” yet. I had to reach a point where sharing my story became more important than getting it perfect. I also felt that I wasn’t perfect enough, wise enough, “at rest” enough myself. I even had a vivid dream, which tormented me for months. In the dream, an authority figure whom I trusted, appeared and said to me: “How can you write a book called Spirit@Rest when you are not completely at rest yourself? You still have issues that destroy your peace and rest. Don’t be such a hypocrite!” This dream nearly caused me to give up, and I put the book aside for months. It took me a long time to realise that this was a ploy from the enemy to prevent me from finishing the book. Eventually I realised that if I waited until I was perfect enough, or until I had all the answers, the book would never be completed. We are all saints in the making, but we haven’t got there yet! Then, once you have finished the book and are happy with it, you have to overcome the challenge of actually publishing it. If you are sharing a personal story, this means making details of yourself and your life open to the public. This caused me to back-track. I had to reach a willingness to be vulnerable and to share my journey honestly. It required courage to expose aspects of myself and to reveal details of my life that I wouldn’t normally do. Yet I realised that if the book was to be useful to others, it needed to include the uncertainty, confusion, false starts and unexpected turns that are part of any authentic search.
Is there a specific author (or writer, journalist, etc) who made you feel, “I want to be an author”? And what was it about them that spurred that feeling (anything from admirable eloquence to an outrageous public persona)?
I cannot point to a single author who made me want to become a writer. The urge to write came less from reading a particular author and more from the journey I had undertaken and the growing sense that it might be meaningful and helpful to others. I embarked on a profound and extensive search for meaning and purpose. There are many people who have similar questions about life and are also looking for answers. I hope that my book can help some of them, as much as my journey of discovery helped me. Sharing my experience might be of value to others who are asking similar questions. What motivated me to write, was not so much a desire to become an author, but a desire to tell a story. Spirit@Rest grew out of a personal search for truth, happiness and inner peace. A famous saint said, ‘Our hearts are restless until they rest in God.’ I know what it is like living with a restless heart, never satisfied, never content, always chasing after something to fill the emptiness inside. When I finally filled that deep inner hole, it was so incredible, that I felt compelled to share my story.
Do you tend to read the same kind of material (genre- or style-wise) that you prefer to write? If yes, what makes that particular niche so attractive to you? If no, what do you think it is that makes each different area appealing?
I have always been drawn to books that ask life’s larger questions. I enjoy books which explore spirituality, personal transformation, healing, faith, meaning and the inner life. Throughout my own journey, I have read widely across different traditions and perspectives, often searching for wisdom that might help me better understand myself and the world around me. I am drawn to writers who explore the deeper questions of life with honesty and humility. I admire authors who are willing to write about their own personal experience, rather than theoretical explanations, because this makes it more human, applicable and real. These are the books that have inspired and stayed with me. I enjoy books that invite reflection, rather than simply provide information, and encourage readers to engage with life’s deeper mysteries.
Outside of your profession, what role do books play in your life? Are you constantly reading; is your house lined in bookshelves; are books the ideal gift to give or receive, etc?
Books play a big part of my life. When I was a lawyer, I had an entire set of leather-bound law reports. They were beautiful! When I left my career, I sold them and gradually filled my bookcases with books on different religions. It wasn’t long before all three bookcases were full again! Books impart knowledge and wisdom. They are treasures and have always been faithful companions throughout my life. At different times, they have been teachers, guides, and comforters. At key moments they have given understanding and revelation. They have challenged assumptions, gently guided me toward questions I didn’t yet know I needed to ask, and pointed me in directions that needed exploration. Many important turning points in my spiritual journey were accompanied by a book which I encountered at exactly the right moment. I do believe that books make wonderful gifts because they have the power to open new doors, spark new conversations and ideas, and even change the direction of a person’s life. The right book at the right time can be a remarkable gift.
Who is your favourite literary character?
I do not have a favourite literary character. What has always interested me more than individual characters is the journey they undertake. I am drawn to stories of transformation, where people are challenged, changed and invited into a deeper understanding of themselves and life. Those are the stories that stay with me long after I have finished the book.