"Simple Abundance" in 2008 - Page 2

[dolphinkisser]

Simple things that make me happy:

warm nutritious soup on a cold day ( not too cold here in NY now...but it's all good).
conversations with my 2 dd's and young adult son
curling up with tea and reading a book
listening to Mozart or Tchaikovsky
burning lavender or white ginger oil.
a long walk with our dog

Life is good...the passage about we will never get everything we want...we need to look at what we have was priceless. I have a habit of always trying to get something that i don't have but i have so much in my life now...so i am going to work on taking that and enjoying it.

[theresal]

I too have begun this book a few times but have never finished it, despite really enjoying it. I'd like to give it another chance - January should be easy for me since I've read it 3 times before.

Has anyone gotten the companion workbook or the SA Journal of Gratitude? I was wondering if they were helpful. I saw them on Amazon.

Regards,
Theresa

[1stTimeMummytoLore]

you can use any journal for the gratitude journal and i think it's more fun to go shopping for a pretty one of your one, but i do like the workbook. it's got lots of great readings and exercises.

[holyhelianthus]

sorry i mised out on the discussion. i have been reading and thinking of you all longing to comment but haven't had the chance because my laptop's charger was broken. but here i am!

what make me happy...

a good book
mint tea
chocolate covered honeycomb
a walk in nature
the Temple
cuddling up to my husband
my children's kisses
Masterpiece Theater

[holyhelianthus]

Gratitude Journals

i really don't like the idea of *another* journal (i have one for me, my blogs, and i'm starting up one for each of my girls about them) so i'm thinking every night i'll just jot 5 things down in my regular journal. thoughts?

also, being such a negative person i am having a hard time with the attitude of gratitude. any pointers?

[kathirynne]

One thing that worked for me was to play "the Glad Game" from Pollyanna. :

Also, reading "Hungry Planet", "Material World" and "Women in the Material World" (all by Peter Menzel) gave me a new perspective on just how blessed I am.

Remembering that my life has a purpose, that I chose to come to this earth, and that "all these things [are for my] good" really helped, as well.

[holyhelianthus]

what's the Glad Game?

[kathirynne]

Whenever Pollyanna had a bitter pill to swallow (figuratively speaking) she would find something to be glad about regarding the situation. For instance, when her family was sent crutches in the missionary barrell (her father was a missionary), they chose to be glad that they did not need to use them.

It's corny, but it works.

[1stTimeMummytoLore]

i often jot them in my planner, so a seperate journal isn't really necessary. and they can be anything. i know the first year i did this, i think i wrote down "that this day is over" several times. or sometimes it was little tiny things like "a bagel for breakfast" or something negative, rephrased- instead of saying i'm so critical that i can't find anything, i'd say i was grateful for "my attention to detail". over time it got easier and easier to find stuff to be grateful for on a daily basis.

[kathirynne]

Today's reading - cultivating Divine Order

I really loved this morning's reading. It confirmed for me what I had always suspected - that the more I declutter my surroundings, the more at peace I am.

[holyhelianthus]

Originally Posted by kathirynne

I really loved this morning's reading. It confirmed for me what I had always suspected - that the more I declutter my surroundings, the more at peace I am.

me too! and not only that but if i work on my surroundings based on making them the sanctuary i want them to be rather than the "do"s it makes it a lot easier.

[theresal]

Jan 4 This Isn't A Dress Rehearsal

Yikes! I'm behind already and it's only the 16th. But I did want to comment on the Jan 4 write-up on how THis Isn't a Dress Rehearsal. I really enjoyed this.

"Like an actress just going through the motions in order to conserve her creative energy and focus for opening night, we hold back."

Oh how true. It goes beyond just living in the moment, it's living each moment fully.

And this:

"None of us can be expected to perform every minute of our lives. But a lot of us might tap into the power , excitement, and glory of Real Life more frequently if we cast ourselves as the leading ladies in our own lives."

What a way of looking at it.

Theresa

[dolphinkisser]

Didn't you just love the parable about the farmer selling his farm and going beyond to find gold and riches and when he could not find that no matter where he searched and ended up killing himself ( well...i did not like that part) but the people who bought the farm ended up cultivating the soil and growing all kinds of food for their family and then they found they were on a diamond mine.
Wow...i loved that story...and it spoke to me...about looking for treasures within and right where you are!!

[holyhelianthus]

how is everyone doing? i love that a lot of the things she has suggested are things that i've been wanting to start incorporating in my life like meditation, creative visualization, True Self, treasure mapping, etc. i find that i have really started to cherish my mornings with her.

[1stTimeMummytoLore]

she is a cheerful bright spot in my day-- that is for sure. i am a little behind since i've had three sick kiddos the past week, but i am hoping to catch up today. i am really going to make creative excursions a goal this year. goodness knows i could use them with three kids 4 and under!

[trimomma]

Can I join in? I'm late in the beginning of the year, so to speak, but I have the book and made it to March a few years ago. I'd like to finish it this year.

As I began reading today's entry, I flipped through the book, looking at some photos I put in there a few years ago, and I found...a $100 bill!!!! I absolutely can no believe I would have put that much money in a book and not remembered it, but I'm taking it as a sign that it would be great for me to read and work with this book!

[holyhelianthus]

woah! that is totally awesome!!

[Manonash]

That's awesome!

I've put together a SA notebook with divisions for gratitude journal, daily dialogue, and notes and such from exercises.

I'm the worlds worst about writing down way too much though, and having paper scraps EVERYWHERE. So, I'm trying to show some restraint so I can actually use the info I write down.

magstphil: Me too on the negative thing. I'm REALLY working on that. Mine mostly stems from OCD so I fear and obsess. I've done the gratitude journal thing before and it didn't seem to make any difference for me, but I think the reason is that I would just write it down (obsessively of course -- like feeling guilty if I didn't put down my husband (and now my daughter) as first on every entry and such). What I'm trying this time is to try to do it more mindfully and really meditate on each entry for a minute or so. My mind is sooooooooooooo busy a lot of the time that my gratitude lists haven't had a chance to sink in. I'm working on that, too.

[theresal]

How's everyone doing?

I'm falling further behind, but I'm not giving up. I started a gratitude journal a few weeks ago which I've been thinking about doing for some time, so that's certainly progress.

I'm curious what time of day you like to read the book. I do it right before bed, which is fine for those entries that are contemplative in nature, but not as effective when the entry recommends an action step. I'm thinking that I should switch to reading it during the day.

I'm also curious whether you jump ahead during the month to read the end of month ideas. I always feel like I'm cheating when I do that but they seem to be designed to be appreciated as the month goes on, not once it's over.

Enjoy,
Theresa

[dolphinkisser]

I have been impressed with myself ...since i have been doing it very regularly. I do fall behind but i usually find if i do two a day...i can absorb her message. Any more than that ...it will lose the purpose. The best is one passage a day...so i can just absorb the simple beauty of her message. It is wonderful how she sees beauty in all the seasons...the cooking of soup and the slowing down in the winter months.Now that it is March...she points us to the renewal of life and awakening. It is just so helpful to be aware of the beauty and blessings around me.