Wonder

 

"We love to wonder, and that is the seed of science." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

In sobriety, the world is a wonderful place. I often sit back and am amazed at the splendor of life, the simple happenings that bring such joy, the nobility that is revealed in humankind, and the creative adventure and mystery of life. I see how drugs kept me blind to so much. Alcohol held me prisoner to mediocrity, and much of the wonder of life passed me by. As a drinking alcoholic, I existed rather than lived life. I was a bored spectator rather than a participant. I reacted to things, rather than initiating events. Alcoholism equals dullness. Recovery symbolizes energy. Today I dream dreams and bask in the wonder of it all.

Divine Spirit, let me see the wonderful mystery of life even in the ordinary.

On this day of your life

 

I believe God wants you to know ...

 

... that if you think you have nothing to lose, you win.

If you think you have something to win, you lose.

 

It all drives to motivation. Why are you doing what you

are doing right now? To avoid loss? To achieve gain?

Wrong reason both times. Life is not about win-and-lose.

Life is about being or not being, expressing or not

expressing, who you are.

 

Don't do things for personal benefit. And don't do things

to avoid personal damage. Do things to feel personal

authenticity. Then your life will make sense, no matter

what is going on around you. It is clear why you have been told this today, yes?

The Breath of the Universe (OM)

 

We remember that nature's power is as close as our breath, and we breathe deeply once again. We can connect ourselves with a basic force of nature by focusing on the essential element of air during a wind meditation. We begin by centering ourselves on our breath. We inhale the life-giving force, feeling it fill us, and then releasing it into the world to let our breath mingle with the breath of nature. If we cannot feel the wind right now, we can recall times when the wind has sent us caresses on bare skin, ruffling our clothes, and playing with our hair. We can evoke sounds carried on the wind, maybe laughter or song, or perhaps just the wind’s own whispers through the trees or across the landscape of our ears. We may summon up an image of falling flowers or leaves from above, vivid colors set free with the wind’s encouragement. We may envision birds drifting on unseen currents with wings unbent, or flags and banners unfurled in the breeze. The scent of a sea breeze may come to mind or the aromas of freshly baked treats or fragrant blooms that reach us from a distance. As these memories enliven our senses, we are feeling the vital force that surrounds and animates us. We can look to the trees to sway in time with nature’s rhythm. Just as we can be soothed by the wind, we know that nature has great power. In a rush, it can block out all sound, leaving us with only the beating of our hearts. Wind can even make the inanimate dance and whirl gracefully. With a gentle sigh, the wind has carried sailors to faraway lands and balloons to great heights. We can entrust the wind to carry our voices and best wishes out into the world, knowing they will be carried to their perfect destination. Releasing these precious offerings to the wind’s care, we remember that nature’s power is as close as our breath, and we breathe deeply once again before returning to the world around us.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM - 855

 

• ·       I'm doing all that I can to maintain peace in my life.

  ·       "[The] golden rule takes on living qualities of spiritual realization on those higher levels of interpretation which cause the mortal sons of God to view this injunction of the Master as requiring them so to relate themselves to their fellows that they will receive the highest possible good as a result of the believer's contact with them."

  ·       Drama is for fools. The wise stay calm. - Maxime Lagacé

  ·       If we are always demanding something out of life, then we will never be content. But if we accept life as it is, then we will know contentment. - Thich Thien-An

  ·       I'm focusing on my particular dance.

  ·       A state of mind attains to faith levels only when it actually dominates the mode of living. Faith is a living attribute of genuine personal religious experience."

  ·       Some can delay gratification. Others don’t seek it at all. Be the latter. - Maxime Lagacé

  ·       I've always been in the right place at the right time. Of course, I steered myself there. - Bob Hope

  ·       I'm sad today. But I imagine myself dancing tomorrow.

  ·       "The more steadfastly you behold, and the more persistently you pursue, the concepts of divine goodness, the more certainly will you grow in greatness, in true magnitude of genuine survival character."

  ·       I believe the first test of a truly great man is in his humility. - John Ruskin

  ·       "The quickest way to change your attitude toward pain is to accept the fact that everything that happens to us has been designed for our spiritual growth." - M. Scott Peck

  
  

Wisdom Quote

 

Love

 

Once you have learned to love, you will have learned to live. -Unknown

Love is fascinating. It covers a myriad of feelings: joy, fear, anger, completeness, sadness, ecstasy. Love is life. Erich Fromm wrote an absorbing book called The Art of Loving. Basically what he said is that we need to learn to love; it does not come easily. It takes time, patience, and a willingness to see life and God differently. I used to believe that God not only loves the world but controls it and manipulates it.Now I realize that love is not about control and never about manipulation. When I was an active alcoholic, my mother said to me, "Leo, I love you enough to let you go." It was the beginning of my recovery. It was the beginning of a new understanding of love: tough love. My Say Yes to Your Spirit involves the complexities of love . . . and it feels good.

Today my love involves letting go.

On this day of your life

 

I believe God wants you to know ...   ... that getting down on yourself is not the answer. Why would you do to you what God would never do to you?   The few things you do not "get right" (whatever that is) cannot compare to the things at which you excel. Do you know that? You are kind, you are caring, you are generous, you are sensitive, you are compassionate, you are forgiving, you are more accepting than you know, and more loving than you will give yourself credit for.   Now...what else is there?   Try to understand this: You are doing just fine. Better than 'just fine.' You are excelling. You are magnificent, you are wonderful! And God loves you to pieces!

When Life Falls Apart (OM)

 

We can trust that our inner core is always shining brightly, even when we cannot quite see it. There are times when our whole world seems to be falling apart around us, and we are not sure what to hold on to anymore. Sometimes our relationships crumble and sometimes it’s our physical environment. At other times, we can’t put our finger on it, but we feel as if all the walls have fallen down around us and we are standing with nothing to lean on, exposed and vulnerable. These are the times in our lives when we are given an opportunity to see where we have established our sense of identity, safety, and well-being. And while it is perfectly natural and part of our process to locate our sense of self in externals, anytime those external factors shift, we have an opportunity to rediscover and move closer to the core of our being, which is the only truly safe place to call home. The core of our being is not affected by the shifting winds of circumstance or the cycles of change that govern physical reality. It is as steady and consistent as the sun, which is why the great mystics and mystical poets often reference the sun in their odes to the self. Like the sun, there are times when our core seems to be inaccessible to us, but this is a misconception. We know that when the sun goes behind a cloud or sets for the night, it has not disappeared but is temporarily out of sight. In the same way, we can trust that our inner core is always shining brightly, even when we cannot quite see it. When things around us are falling apart, we can cling to this core knowing that an inextinguishable light shines from within ourselves. Times of external darkness can be a great gift in that they provide an opportunity to remember this inner light that shines regardless of the circumstances of our lives. When our external lives begin to come back together, we are able to lean a bit more lightly on them, knowing more clearly than ever that our true home is that bright sun shining in our core.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM - 854

 

• ·       Today I seek to put Your beauty in my actions,words, and attitudes.

  ·       "Rejoice in the tender mercy of our God because the dayspring from on high has now visited us To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; To guide our feet into ways of peace."

  ·       If it’s endurable, then endure it. Stop complaining. - Marcus Aurelius

  ·       Your attention has value. Don’t give it away. They will say it’s important but it’s not. Stay focused. - Maxime Lagacé

  ·       "To treat your facts with imagination is one thing, but to imagine your facts is another."  - John Burroughs

  ·       God,who created the mountains, help me take responsibility for the grit between my toes.

  ·       "The bread of heaven is that which comes down from God and gives eternal life to the men of the world. And when you say to me, Give us this living bread, I will answer: I am this bread of life." – Jesus

  ·       Most people focus too much on what’s going to happen next, and not enough on what’s happening now. - Marianne Williamson

  ·       A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labours of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I received and am still receiving.  - Albert Einstein

  ·       Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. - Gautama Buddha

  
  

Wisdom Quote

 

Christianity

 

"Going to Church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to the garage makes you a car." Laurence J. Peter

I believe Christianity is about bringing humankind together, rather than creating division and resentment. It must be much bigger than what we do or say in any building. Christ's truth seeks to discover God in the splendor of this varied world. My addiction made me a small person with a small god. Constantly focusing on differences in the world stopped me from seeing the glaring similarities. The world of black and white, rather than shades of creative color, is sick and dangerous. Christ reveals for me the bridge by which reconciliation and harmony are achieved. The message is not so much dogma as a revealed journey into Truth.

In the created stranger, help me discover the friend.

On this day of your life

 

I believe God wants you to know ...

 

... that yearning for a new way will not produce it.

Only ending the old way can do that.

 

You cannot hold onto the old all the while

declaring that you want something new.

The old will defy the new;

the old will deny the new;

the old will decry the new.

 

There is only one way to bring in the new.

You must make room for it.

Reclaiming Our Roots (OM)

 

We are of the earth. Some cultures are more rooted to the earth and connected to their inherent spirituality. But every one of us, even those of us who have been disconnected from our roots for hundreds of years, comes from a place that was once inhabited by people who worshipped and honored the earth on which they lived. In other words, we can all claim this wisdom as an essential part of who we are. One way we can begin to rediscover our roots is to explore the early earth-based religions practiced in the parts of the world that birthed our ancestors. If we explore the ancient spiritual practices of our ancestors, we will find that their practices and beliefs share many elements with Native American, African, and aboriginal religious traditions. People who are connected to the earth and honor her share a fundamental philosophy that is part of our legacy because we, too, are of the earth. Many of us have become so disconnected from the earth that it feels foreign and awkward to imagine communing with her or performing a ritual for her. If we are honest, though, we will find within ourselves yearning to feel more connected, more grounded, and more at home in this world. This yearning can lead us back to our forgotten roots, which, of course, leads us right into the heart of the earth. As we begin to more clearly see the people we come from, we can begin to alter our perception of who we are now, laying claim to our inherent connection to the earth. We might celebrate this by observing the ancient calendar of solstices and equinoxes, celebrating and honoring the cycle of the seasons as our ancestors did, or exploring any one of the many earth-based practices through reading or participating in ritual. When we do these things, we tap back into our roots and can often find nourishment through our earthly origins -- something we share with all of humanity.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM - 853

 

• ·       "The child without ambition is like a watch with a broken spring." - R. W. Stockman

  ·       God, may I always have ambition for those things that are good and true.

  ·       "Urantians benefit by the spiritual influences and activities of the local and the superuniverse, with their almost endless array of loving personalities who ever lead the true of purpose and the honest of heart upward and inward towards the ideals of divinity and the goal of supreme perfection."

  ·       Success comes from curiosity, concentration, perseverance and self-criticism. - Albert Einstein

  ·       You can only have bliss if you don’t chase it. - Henepola Gunaratana

  ·       "It is the chiefest point of happiness that humankind is willing to be what it is." - Desiderius Erasmus

  ·       In the spiritual journey to You is my happiness.

  ·       "At noon, August 21, 7 B.C., with the help and kind ministrations of women fellow travelers, Mary was delivered of a male child. Jesus of Nazareth was born into the world, was wrapped in the clothes which Mary had brought along for such a possible contingency, and laid in a near-by manger."

  ·       Love is a great master. It teaches us to be what we never were. - Molière

  ·       Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions. - Albert Einstein

  
  

Wisdom Quote

 

Future

 

"The future is hidden even from those who made it." Anatole France

Life is a glorious mystery. I will never fully understand it. It will always confuse and amaze me. After I have understood one thing, I am presented with a fresh problem. I am not perfect. I am not God. Years ago, this angered and irritated me. I wanted to know everything. I wanted to have the answer to all life's problems. I wanted the power that comes with perfection. I hated being vulnerable, weak, and confused! I hated being human. Yes, that was my problem. I hated being a human being. Today I enjoy the adventure of life. I kneel in awe at life's mingled complexity. Now life is a paradox I can live with.

Help me accept the mystery of life.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM - 852

 

• ·       "Nothing is more terrible than activity without insight." - Thomas Carlyle

  ·       You are the light of the world. Shine through my honesty.

  ·       “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”
  ~ James Clear

  ·       "The inherent weakness of secularism is that it discards ethics and religion for politics and power. You simply cannot establish the brotherhood of men while ignoring or denying the fatherhood of God."

  ·       I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best both for the body and the mind. - Albert Einstein

  ·       The ability to stay focused will be the superpower of the 21st century. - Cal Newport

  ·       "People who take time to be alone usually have depth, originality, and quiet reserve." - John Miller

  ·       God, in the stillness of Your life, I am healed and rejuvenated.

  ·       "You can know God, not by understanding what Jesus said, but by knowing what Jesus was. Jesus was a revelation of God."

  ·       Children learn more from what you are, than what you teach. - W.E.B. Du Bois

  ·       To live the good life: We have the potential for it. If we can learn to be indifferent to what makes no difference. - Marcus Aurelius

  
  

Wisdom Quote

 

Values

 

"A person who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life." Charles Darwin

Life is not to be wasted. Time is not to be wasted. Friends, relationships, and opportunities are not to be wasted.Why? Because as a vulnerable human being, I do not have ultimate control. I do not know when my life will end, when I shall die, or when time and opportunity will be no more! Life is too precious to waste. As an addict, I did not value life or time. I did not value friends or relationships.Nothing was valued except the alcohol! My life was meaningless. God was absent, and I felt nothing. Today this is not the case. Through my pain, I have found the value of life and discovered a God of my understanding.

God, let me value what I have while I have it.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM - 851

 

• ·       The greatest effort is not concerned with results. - Atisa

  ·       Many will choose the stability of slavery over the uncertainty of freedom. - The Stoic Emperor

  ·       "Imagination is the highest kite one can fly." - Lauren Bacall

  ·       I'm polishing God's gift of imagination.

  ·       "The Adjuster is truly the path to Paradise, but man himself must pursue that path by his own deciding, his freewill choosing." 

  ·       Everyone can perform magic, everyone can reach his goals, if he is able to think, if he is able to wait, if he is able to fast. - Hermann Hesse

  ·       By discovering nature, you discover yourself. - Maxime Lagacé

  ·       "If you open to all your emotions, to all the people, to all situations, staying present and trusting, that trust will take you as far as you can go, and you will understand all the teachings anyone has ever taught.” - Pema Chodron

  ·       “God invented men and women because God loves stories." - proverb

  ·       "Religion is man's supreme gesture, his magnificent reach for final reality, his determination to find God and to be like him."

  ·       "There is nothing permanent except change." - Heraclitus

  ·       In the daily changes I discover Your stability.

  ·       Simplicity and harmony are the ultimate conditions to be attained in all things. - Horace Fletcher

  ·       Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position. But certainty is an absurd one. - Voltaire