In this inspiring memoir, internationally beloved actress Jane Seymour shows how she has learned to embrace and learn from the many changes in her life

Now fifty, Jane Seymour––the eternally beautiful star of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and countless other television shows and films––is a living testament to the rewards of embracing midlife and its challenges eagerly and gracefully.

In Remarkable Changes, she leads the reader through the challenges of those years––from the physical changes that come with the territory to the emotional transformations that accompany this passage of life.

From understanding the stages of change, to making every moment significant, she helps us find the true value in our life transitions, from marriage and divorce to career changes to milestones in the lives of our parents and children. Whether we initiate change in our life or it is thrust upon us by circumstances beyond our control, Jane shows that we should stop coping with change and start actively incorporating it into our lives, using the hard–won wisdom weᵥ all gained through the years.

Holding up as an example her own life and the lives of those closest to her, Seymour empowers us to accept life shifts and teaches us how to take even the toughest situations and turn them into strengthening tools. She talks about her own experiences with divorce and remarriage, children and stepchildren, and her new twin boys, and she describes her indomitable mother's difficult years in a World War II prison camp in Indonesia. Her best friend faced her own challenges when learning to understand her son's mental illness, and another friend started a grief recovery organization when his wife and son were murdered.

We all need to face the beginnings and endings that make up our constantly changing lives. And this warm, inspiring book shows that we can all learn how to make each change remarkable.

It is a touching account of how she has embraced change, as
well as such life-altering events as rejection, betrayal, divorce,
near bankruptcy, and near-death experiences . . . I liked how
she was quite candid about her life . . . in addition, she
movingly told many other stories about others who have had
to deal with such tragedies as the loss of a child and sudden
blindness.

I especially liked a section toward the end, in which she described
a tradition her parents taught her:

As little girls we were always encouraged to count our blessings.
Of course what that implies is that no matter what happens, there
are always blessings among the day's events to be counted.
In my mind, that's what we do when we look for the gifts that change can
bring. The last thing I do every night-and have done all my life-is think
over what's happened that day, and what I think is going to happen, and
then to think of how grateful I am for the things that have happened. I've
taught my own children to do the same, and it's a lovely little ritual I often
complete with my twins. And I love feeling that I can pass to my children
the wonderful, enriching traditions my parents taught to me. Nice end to
the day, actually.

There were several other memorable passages; among them:
All these difficulties have taught me something. As a result of
feeling left out and separate, and later of losing my passionate
dream of dancing, I began to see that although we don't always
have a choice in what happens to us, we really do have a choice
in how we react to what's happened. My reaction to being
excluded was that I retreated into working hard at what I did.
At the Arts Educational School, my parents couldn't afford the
education I was getting. I was on a partial grant, and I was so
incredibly grateful to be allowed to study what I loved rather than
cope with regular school that I did not want to waste one second of
my life and wanted to prove it to be the right choice. It's a feeling
that's carried over to my life today. How grateful I am to live in
the moment.

When I was fighting my weight, years ago when I was in my twenties, I
used another trick. I realized that the more I thought about the situation,
the worse I got. The more I felt I had put myself on a diet, the more I
obsessed about food, or rather, about not having food. However, I found
that if I put knitting needles in my hands, or if I was embroidering, or
even now, if I'm painting, my hands are busy, and it doesn't occur to me
to put something in my mouth. When my mind is focused on being creative,
the time flies by, and suddenly I think, "Oh my goodness, I haven't eaten
anything for three hours."

When she [her mother] returned home and the diagnosis was made,
she went right to work on a will. Contrary to what most of us would
think, Corinna said, "It was a wonderful, extraordinary exercise. Like
being Santa Claus!" I can believe that because I've watched my
mother do the same thing, with great joy. At eighty-eight years
of age, she lives every day to the fullest, taking advantage
of every opportunity and invitation that comes her way, but at the
same time she's aware that she won't be here forever. Consequently
she's been quite literally gathering up the gifts she has in her life
and then slowly handing out treasures she's collected and things
she knows we'll value. She's been doing this for the last few years-we've
received things like my first ballet shoes or a dance outfit I wore as a girl,
an exercise book from school, an award my father received. My mother
is such a giving person, she derives great pleasure in sharing these gifts,
while she's well, alive, and vibrant enough to take part in the excitement
with us.


Remarkable Revelation   April 30, 2003
Tiffany Amber Stockton (Colorado Springs, CO USA)
21 out of 24 found this review helpful

Live in the moment. You can't take anything with you when you go except the imprint you leave behind in the lives of others. If you are struggling with something in your life, go out and help someone else.

All of these are pieces of advice for turning life's challenges into opportunities, the subtitle of REMARKABLE CHANGES.

For years, Jane Seymour has always been viewed as having the "perfect life." She's had 30+ successful years in the film industry, is happily married, has 4 children and 2 stepchildren, and seems to spin gold with everything she touches, including a clothing line, a worldwide art career, a new housewares collection, a children's clothing line and several published books.

However, appearances can be deceiving. So it is with Seymour. As she shares in this memoir, the life behind the smiling woman you've seen on TV is far from perfect. Although some might classify this book as self-help, it is more appropriately categorized in the autobiography section. Seymour uniquely combines personal stories with advice for an entertaining result full of heartwarming honesty and down-to-earth anecdotes.

Complete with 20 stories from friends and family who have triumphed over their adversities, REMARKABLE CHANGES offers fresh insight into the realities of life, told in a way that makes you feel more like you're sitting down to tea with Jane than delving into a personal counseling session.

Mirroring the quilting circles of days gone by, Seymour stresses the importance of sharing your struggles with others to help you get past whatever is holding you down. No stranger to setbacks, she details the pain of her divorces, her frightening near-death experiences and the ups and downs of her acting career. Through it all, Seymour writes about attitude being what makes or breaks you as you deal with the changes in your life. You are the one who decides how you'll react to whatever life throws your way and whether you'll have stepping stones or stumbling blocks.

So, be prepared for a journey of discovery and enlightenment, coupled with the 'fireside chat' voice of Jane Seymour as you learn about your own REMARKABLE CHANGES.