“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.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

Sara’s words are so true.  For me, the last couple of years have been transformative ones.  I would have found them extremely difficult were I not doing the work I have been doing on this spiritual path I am on.

For as long as I can remember, back to my first memories at age three or four, I wanted to be a mother.  That is all I ever wanted to be.  I never thought about a career, other than knowing that I wanted to write, but I always thought about being a mother.  And once I became a mother, I loved every minute of raising my beautiful children.

In 2012 I turned 50.  My two sons are grown and on their own, and my daughter is in heaven.  The raising of my children, the only thing I ever really thought about doing in my younger years, is done.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I retired from my career as chief operating officer of a law firm in 2010.

After retiring, I found myself feeling isolated and not enjoying the time at home like I thought I would.  In 2011 I decided to go back to work and accepted a position as executive director of a non-profit organization.  I knew immediately that it had been the wrong decision and left the position after just two days.  This left me feeling like a failure, and I became very depressed.

“Trust that through the balm of simplicity your frazzled and weary soul can discover the place where you ought to be.”  SBB

The great thing about depression is that you don’t care about what you think you “should” be doing, and so you give yourself the time to do the work you really need to do.  I sought answers and solace through prayer, meditation, and in many spiritual self-help books, including Sarah’s book that we are reading together now, and I learned about the things that are most important to me.

When I prioritized what is most important to me, I was shocked to realize that none of those things were getting much of my attention.  What an eye opener that was!  For instance, if my relationship with my husband is most important to me, why was I not spending more time and energy on that?  Or on my grandchildren, parents and other loved ones?

“True simplicity as a conscious life choice illuminates our lives from within.”  SBB

How liberating! I am so grateful that God led me to make a huge error in judgment in job choice, which led me down this path of self-discovery.  Do you see where we can even find gratitude for things that we think are “bad” things that have happened to us?  As a result of that choice, I spent many quiet days really thinking about what was important to me.  Today, working in the real estate career I have dreamed of for two decades, I know how important it is to make a conscious effort to keep my priorities in line.  A real estate career is a lot of hard work and can be worked 24/7 if you aren’t careful.  I do work a lot of 14-hour days, but I am always conscious of making sure that I take the time for what is truly important in my life:  my loved ones.

What positive changes can you make in your life if you take the time to discover the true seeds of your deep spiritual contentment and give them priority?  Let us know how you make out!

Shalom!

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”  Melody Beattie

Oprah Winfrey credits Sarah with introducing her to the gratitude journal.  Since Sarah’s book’s release in 1996, Oprah has kept her daily gratitude journal and credits it with having a significant impact on her life.  I don’t think anyone can contest the fact that Oprah has done amazingly well for herself and has helped millions of others in the process!

“You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life.  And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law:  the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

Many spiritual leaders teach us this law.  We need to show we can appreciate and be responsible for what we already have before we will be trusted with more.  And of course there is the law of attraction:  if you are grateful and expect great things, that is what will come back to you!

“Simplicity, order, harmony, beauty and joy – all the other principles that can transform your life will not blossom and flourish without gratitude.”  SBB

If you have not started your gratitude journal yet, will you start one with us now?  Let us know how it has impacted you and bless your fellow readers with your insight!

“Begin this day to explore and integrate this beautiful, life-affirming principle into your life, and the miracle you have been seeking will unfold to your wonder and amazement.” SBB

Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?

Shalom!

P.S.  If you are new to these posts, Transforming 2014 is an online book club of sorts.  We are reading Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book, Simple Abundance:  A Daybook of Comfort and Joy, together so that 2014 can be a transformative year for all of us.  Use the comment section to inspire fellow readers or share your difficulties so that we can support you.  You can find Sarah’s book on Amazon, and it is available in the Kindle version as well!

“The eyes of my eyes are opened.”  E.E. Cummings

I love Sarah’s words for today.  If your gratitude journal contains entries like Sarah’s here:  daisies in a jelly jar, the smell of her daughter’s hair … how could financial lack maintain its vice grip on your spirit and your life?  Isn’t it beautiful to realize that our inner happiness and joy need not be controlled by things we cannot control?

As I sit here in my art studio, I hear the birds singing their beautiful song outside my window.  They’ve been singing to me for an hour now, since 5 am!  Do you ever wonder how birds rise so early with so much joy that they simply must sing with delight?

How do you rise in the morning?  I have to admit, I am not innately a morning person.  Until recently, if I had to rise before 8:00, I did not rise cheerfully.  But I have learned what a difference you can make in your day if you rise with a cheerful spirit, regardless of the discomfort of the hour.  It makes me a different person, and I am sure my husband appreciates the change.  Today, with my gratitude journal in mind, the first thought in my head before my feet hit the floor were, “Lord, thank you for another beautiful day.”  Regardless of what the day has in store for me, I know that the experience will be so much better by making this one simple change!

How do you start your day?  Has it changed since reading Sarah’s book and sharing this blog with your sisters?  How have the changes you’ve made impacted your life?  Inspire us all by sharing with us!

Shalom!

“The simpler we make our lives, the more abundant they become.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

Sarah’s words ring so true, don’t they?  Sarah is not making light of the burden of financial difficulties, acknowledging the “menacing shadow” of worries about money.  I think her point is that if we make our lives simpler, with less need for “things” and appreciating the abundance of just having a joyful existence, then the ebb and flow of money in our lives will not have such a strong impact that it steals our daily joy for living.

Financial difficulties can be a hardship, but the point is, how do we keep something that we have no control over from controlling our lives?  Finding true contentment in the spiritual side of our existence – the presence of a loved one, the love of a pet, prayer and meditation, helping others, enjoying nature, art, etc. – will help you to have more joy in your days and better sleep at night.

“Money ebbs and flows in our lives.  What should remain constant is our realization that abundance is our spiritual birthright.”  SBB

I pray that the difficulties that can come during times of financial trial will lose their ability to have a significant impact on your joyful journey as you continue to read Sarah’s book and share this blog with your sisters and brothers.  Please use the comment button at the left to let us know how you are doing!

Shalom!

“No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.”  Helen Keller

I love Helen Keller’s quote, and Sarah Ban Breathnach’s words in today’s entry are so appropriate, nearly 20 years later.  So many people are struggling financially today.  Financial hardship can cause great strife in our lives and relationships.  How can we keep financial difficulties from having a great negative impact on our daily lives?

“…it’s very easy to surrender to an emotional depression when a financial one occurs.  It’s easy to be pessimistic about tomorrow when today seems so bleak.  It’s time we put thoughts of lack behind us.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

Sarah has the right idea:  attitude is key.  As Helen Keller notes above, a pessimist will not get too far.  But how do we maintain an optimistic attitude when life becomes hard?  For starters, a gratitude journal can help.  As we discussed the other day, writing down five things you are thankful for each day can make a difference in your attitude.  Some days entries may be as simple as feeling the warm sunshine on your face.  The point is, no matter how difficult life gets, there are always things to be grateful for.

Secondly, if you have done what it takes to discover what truly makes you happy, you have likely realized that true, deep contentment does not come from anything that you can buy.  Having this realization gives you such freedom from allowing financial pressures to weigh you down!  Being happy deep down in my soul in spite of external circumstances, and knowing that I have a Savior who has a plan for me that is bigger and better than anything I could imagine, is what keeps me from letting external pressures take their toll.

Have you tried a gratitude journal yet?  What difficulties or successes have you had in keeping today’s financial pressures from having a negative impact on the daily life of you and your family?  Share with us and find the help you are needing, or offer inspiration to your sisters and brothers who are struggling.

Shalom!

“It’s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth – and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up – that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had.”  Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Are you living each day as if it could be your last?  So many of us take our time here on earth for granted, as if we have an unlimited supply of tomorrow’s, as if what we do today does not really matter.

How much I would hate to be Emily in Our Town, to find that my time on earth has ended and that I have not appreciated and taken advantage of all that I could have done and experienced, if only I had not put off until tomorrow what I could have done today!

“…our heart’s desire is possible every day if we recognize what it is that makes us happy.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

If we focus on the list we made of what truly makes us happy – the deep down place of contentment in our soul – then we will know what our priorities should be for each and every day.

Are you rising every morning with gratitude for another day to experience all that our earth journey has to offer us?  What rituals have you developed to ensure that you are following the path that keeps you on your intended journey?  Will you share them with us?

Shalom!

“In my life’s chain of events nothing was accidental.  Everything happened according to an inner need.”  Hannah Senesh

Look back at your happy list from a couple of days ago.  Is there anything on the list that you don’t absolutely need to be happy?

“It’s easy to lose clarity about what it is we need to live authentically.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

Sarah reminds us that we can’t have everything we want; it just isn’t realistic.  By distinguishing between your needs and your wants, you can determine where you need to focus.

“What you need you attract like a lover.”  Gertrude Stein

Meditation will help you to discover your needs through the wisdom of your soul.  Let your soul be your guide, and find yourself attracting everything you need for true happiness.  Let us know how you make out!

Shalom!

“There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy.  By being happy we sow anonymous benefits upon the world.”  Robert Louis Stevenson

Happiness truly is a choice, and you can make it a habit!  We talked yesterday about the fact that things that money can’t buy aren’t really what makes us happy.  So why then do we give our happiness away so easily for frivolous things?

Sometimes it can be hard to maintain a happy heart in spite of what is going on around us.  The car breaks down and we have to deal with the expense and the inconvenience.  A boss or a coworker treats us unkindly.  How much power would you have over your day if you could learn to maintain a happy heart in spite of these disappointments?  After all, everyone has disappointments.  Life is full of them, and no one is exempt.  The only difference for each of us is how we choose to react to those disappointments.

“By tending to our inner garden and uprooting the weeds of external expectations, we can nurture our authentic happiness the way we would nurture something that’s beautiful and alive.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

Have you ever tried being kind to someone who was being rude to you?  Isn’t it amazing how quickly the store clerk turns that frown upside down when you choose to be kind to them instead of returning their scowl with a scowl of your own?  We never know what is happening in another person’s life.  Perhaps they are stressed about a sick family member or bills they can’t pay, and they haven’t learned the ability to carry a happy heart in spite of external circumstances.  You have a tremendous opportunity to make a difference in that person’s day by doing nothing more than turning up the corners of your mouth.

You know what it means to you when someone does that for you.  What if everyone decided to return the favor by doing the same for someone else when they are having a bad day?

Choose happiness, both for yourself and those whose paths cross yours.  Let us know what impact that choice has on your life.

Shalom!

“Perhaps if one really knew when one was happy one would know the things that were necessary for one’s life.”  Joanna Field

Do you know what makes you genuinely happy?  There are so many things, aren’t there?  A tender moment with my husband.  Snuggling with any one of my grandsons.  A phone call from my grown sons.  Hearing a great song.  Reading a great book.  Playing music and singing.  Writing, painting, cooking.  My dog.  The smell of the air when we drive over the causeway to Lido Beach.  The sound of the waves.

I could go on and on, but do you notice the one thing in common among all of these things that make me happy?  They’re all free!  In fact, on the top of my “happy list” would be every time I reach out and help someone else.  I cannot begin to describe the lift in my spirit and joy in my heart that comes from helping another living being, or just making them smile.  We put so much time and energy into the acquisition of things, working in jobs that make us unhappy so that we can have a bigger house, a nicer car, more spending power … and for what?  None of those things are on my happy list!

How liberating!  If you know what truly makes you happy, then you can make decisions in your life accordingly.  It’s kind of like a corporation with a vision and a mission statement.  Once these things are defined, the answer to every decision you need to make is obvious.

Time is precious.  We only have 24 hours in a day, and none of us knows how many of those days we will have.  Do you want to waste any of them doing anything that doesn’t promote your happy list?  Obviously we have to work to pay our bills, but your happy list will define what is important to you beyond a roof over your head and food on the table, and you can choose your profession accordingly.

Make your list and reflect on how that impacts how you live your life and the choices you make.  You are sure to have some aha moments, and I hope you will share them with us here!

Shalom!

 

“Standing Knee Deep in a River & Dying of Thirst” – how appropriate a description for how so many of us live our lives, isn’t it?  Are you feeling parched while standing knee deep in a river?  Are you like I was, feeling depressed in spite of all of the blessings that surround you?

“The revelation that we have everything we need in life to make us happy but simply lack the conscious awareness to appreciate it can be as refreshing as lemonade on a hot afternoon.” Sarah Ban Breathnach

Make a list of everything you feel grateful for today.  Share some of it here with us if you will (comments button at left), and tell us how your spirit changed when you took the time to recognize all of your many blessings.

Oprah recommends keeping a gratitude journal – a separate journal where at the end of every day you write down five things that you are grateful for that day.  She feels that the action of writing them down has more impact than just thinking them with your mind or speaking them with your mouth.  How many of you will start a gratitude journal with me today?  I’m willing to bte that that gratitude journal, coupled with becoming your authentic self, is going to contribute to making 2014 the best year you have ever had!

Shalom!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWyFW1siCwQ