Wednesday, September 10, 2008

An Altar to My Blessings

While neglecting the serious blogger within, I've been getting all metaphysical and stuff. I recently ordered a number of books from Amazon and hunkered down to get enlightened. And dogoneit, if that isn't exactly what happened.

My new favorite book is called The Gift of Change by Marianne Williamson. In it she talks about replacing the fear in our lives (and in our world) with love. Not romantic love, parental love, or even neighborly love, but Godly love.

And we all know that I tend to get a little jiggy with fear sometimes. Like here, and here, and here, to name just a few posts. But I'm ready to release the fear and replace it with something intentionally fabulous rather than the negative runoff that was certain to flow from other areas of my life. Love sounded intentionally fabulous enough for me.

So Marianne has become my new best friend, and here's just one of the things she shared with me:

"We often build an altar to our disasters, giving them so much time and attention and energy. But do we do the same for our blessings? Are our minds truly disciplined to call forth and accept the good?"

Oh boy. Have I built an altar to my disasters!

If there's one tangible thing I can do it's to begin neglecting my disasters and focusing on my blessings. I've noticed that as I do, those gifts seem to multiple under my attentive gaze. And the disasters? Those spoiled little suckers shrivel up and slink away. It's miraculous in the simplest of ways.

My new goal is to become more positive. To look at my life and always see the blessings first. With enough practice I'm hoping that it won't take long before that's all I see. (All right, all right. So this is me we're talking about. I'll still gripe about a thing or two--but in a very positive and uplifting way...)

Tonight's blessing? All three of my children were in bed and asleep by 7:30 pm. Miraculous, no?

What are you grateful for today?

12 comments:

GustoBones said...

That is truly a miracle. For some reasong bedtime at our house has gotten a little out of control. It has been taking my kids like 45 minutes to settle down once ther are ALREADY in bed. Needless to say Momzilla has come out a couple of times this week.

Kristi O said...

okay. pass the book on sista. boy do I need it? I used to do a post once a week on being thankful and lately I am living in the whole flee or fight mode and just running out of everything!!!

Candygirlflies said...

Grateful for you, my friend.

Thanks for sharing this.

xoxo CGF

Reverend Shawn said...

It is 3:40 as I write this ... my house is quiet ... my not-so-little people are asleep ... in moments like this it is a gift to see the blessings and to be reminded of the positives that are often overwhelmed by the negatives when in truth the negatives are fleeting moments unworthy of more than momentary consideration ...

Staying focused on THIS MOMENT and the fullness it offers is a gift - thanks for the reminder.

(you should check out Tolle too ... "A New Earth" is wonderful - it reminds us to let go and be present to the holiness in THIS moment!!)

shauna said...

Shawn, I'll have to put that book on my to-read list as well. Williamson touched on the holiness of the present as well, explaining that it's the only thing that's real.

CGF, And I'm grateful for you!

Kristi O, you and me both, sister. I'm trying to get out of that mood because it just feels so yucky (and tiring...).

Gustogirl, it's miraculous because it only happens once in a blue moon. Since school started my kids have had the same trouble settling down... Good luck! :)

Anonymous said...

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32 NIV

Shauna, good luck on your new journey.

pinkmorning said...

wow, it sounds like an amazing book. you know, i do that too. i build an altar to my disasters and failures and neglect my blessings way too much. this has given me inspiration today.

1blueshi1 said...

reminds me of Five Fortunes by Beth Gutcheon where the psychic advises the teenage girl, and she realizes, "The rapist was inside her, and she was giving him life and food and power, and she knew it. She absolutely knew it was true, she had made herself into a house for him."
I need to get that MW book.

Rachel said...

My kids go to bed at 8 every night...but I bet if I had them in bed at 7:30...that half hour would translate to getting up two hours early!
And of course I am ever thankful for my family but honestly I am struggling with focusing on my disaster (only one for now) big time.... I really am not too sure how not to...yet...maybe in time.

Tola said...

im grateful for iTunes because it means i can find CDs i lost long ago, like Labour of Love II by UB40. remember that one? i think every dorm room had a copy of that cassette our first year at BYUH.

Carrie Wilson Link said...

Great post! Sounds like a great book, too! Good for you!!!

Anonymous said...

Love this post, getting that book, as Amazon is one of my dearest friends. Today I am grateful for my friend who is "stealing" me from home tonight for a girls dinner and a movie (no kids). So grateful for my family and for "meeting" you.