1:56 p.m. - 2008-01-15
I'm sorry.....
It occurred to me that some of you might think I am taking life ....or at the very least...MY LIFE....for granted. I am truly trying to find the simple pleasures of my daily life and taking notice of them. I would NEVER say that what I am doing for myself and even posting on my blog is the only way to get through each day.
I know there are many people who are truly having a very hard time in many ways. In reading my list of blog subscriptions; there are some who have a serious illness in the family, lost their job, have financial problems, not to mention relationship situations, and all of those issues are so difficult.
I hope no one thinks that I am making light of any of those situations. I am not. I read and feel so badly for some of you. I often wish there was something I could do to help out. I guess I can't, really. Just leaving a comment that I am aware of what you are dealing with...is....hopefully; of some comfort. If good wishes could fix things, they would be taken care of right now.
I still have to work every day on not getting overly upset over some problems in my own life. There have been some bad times and some not-so-good times in my past too. Currently I am facing some changes in my family that will impact all of my family in some way in the future. I am trying to find the simple pleasures in what is coming up for us. I do believe that looking for the good times, enjoying the special moments and feeling optimism is a great way to cope.
So, maybe ....in a very small way, my thoughts of trying to put some sunlight in a dark corner of your world today will give you some hope that things will get better. Or at the very least, that you will find a way to deal with some of it better.
Which brings me to the next essays in Simple Abundance...(and you KNEW it would, didn't you?)
Yesterday's essay was about keeping a Gratitude Journal. You probably all remember those words from a few years ago. Oprah had a few shows about Gratitude and finding a special place to record those thoughts. The usual idea is to find a beautiful journal to list at least 5 things daily that made you happy. The essay even said if you had a very bad day and can't think of anything to list...think good thoughts about having a warm bed to sleep in, a meal that evening, maybe some clean clothes to put on in the morning. "Real life isn't always going to be perfect or go our way, but the recurring acknowledgement of what is working in our lives can help us not only survive but surmount our difficulties."
"The gratitude journal has to be the first step on the Simple Abundance path or....simplicity, order, harmony, beauty and joy..all the other principles that can transform your life will not blossom.... If you want to travel this journey....the gratitude journal is not an option."
"As months pass and you fill the....journal with blessings, an inner shift in reality will occur. Soon you will ....discover how content and hopeful you are feeling. "...focus on abundance rather than on...the lack... This sense of fulfillment is gratitude at work, transforming your dreams into reality"
And for today's essay: SIMPLE GIFTS; EMBRACING SIMPLICITY. "When we appreciate how much we have, we feel the urge to pare down, get back to basics and learn what is essential for our happiness."
"Some people believe simplicity means doing without." No, that is not true. "True simplicity ...illuminates our lives from within." "Less can mean MORE... on the path." Visualize a bouquet of bright...flowers in a...vase on a pine mantel, sunlight streaming through sparkling clean windows, the shine of beautifully varnished wooden floors, the shimmering glow and fragrance of pure beeswax candles"
"Trust that through...simplicity..your ...weary soul can discover the place where you ought to be"
Look for some simple pleasures today....can you find 5 things that made you feel happy?
