Our Deepest Fear

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure” ~  Marianne Williamson.  Return to Love

Do you agree? Are you afraid of being powerful?
Do your talents terrify you? I scan through 
Internet comments and can identify with comments 
such as, "Saying I’m 'overwhelmed'
makes me sound busy and sophisticated
when what I really want to do
is crawl under my covers and hide.
Take a few minutes to name your fears.
Do you find a pile of sneaky lies slithering around
in the shadows of your thoughts, hissing
and making you feel small, helpless, and alone?
Do you fear the pandemic, the election,
that you'll promise to do today what 
you committed to do yesterday and forgot?
Do you fear you're inadequate?
Is your deepest fear that you
are powerful beyond measure?

  

Like-Minded

 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ~ Philippians 2:1-2 NIV, Holy Bible, eBook (p. 1141). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

It’s called a community,
“a feeling of fellowship with others
as a result of sharing
common attitudes, interests, and goals.”
But it’s not only sharing qualities with Christ
but expands to other people also united with Christ
having the same love, being one
in spirit and of one mind with our fellows.
What great comfort , having an instant community
with others  like-minded,
having the same love,
being one in spirit and of one mind.
Misery loves company but people finding true joy,
experiencing the same intimacy whether a new spirit
or walking a familiar and welcome path, relish the company
of companions who prove to be instant and perpetual
pilgrims on the journey.

God, thank you for ready-made friends and family
to share the joy of your pilgrimage.

Listen!

 Parents, teachers, friends, bosses, lovers, or spouses have offered us years of accumulated talk. But how much of this talk have we really let in? ~ Casey, Karen. A Life of My Own: Meditations on Hope and Acceptance (Hazelden Meditations Book 1) . Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Do you listen?
Are are you formulating your response?
Checking their grammar or yelling at media
because they pushed your button?
How much of what is offered do you take in?
Are do you refuse to be exposed
because your set understanding
of what should be said might not be?
But how much of this talk have we really let in?

Personal Criticism

 The sole reason why some people do not get their healing, or find their True Place in life, is that they constantly indulge in personal criticism—mental, if not spoken. Here you have an infallible test of your spiritual progress—How fast are you overcoming personal criticism? Unless you are trying to get rid of this you need not expect health, happiness, or freedom. ~ Fox, Emmet. Find and Use Your Inner Power (p. 109). New Albany. Kindle Edition.

Let’s review yesterday’s Dose.
What lies have you told yourself recently?
I’m not good enough.

• I’m stupid.
• I’m not smart enough.
• I’m unworthy.
• I’m _______

It’s okay to deprecate foolish conduct,
but not to hate the foolish one for it—
even…especially…in the one
doing the foolish conduct is you!
Are you as likely to value myself
as you are to admire others
for your best qualities and actions—
for those times when you are blessed with grace,
when you rise to heights of courage
and selflessness far beyond
your expectations?
Seek those moments and don’t let
one bad mistake cancel out those moments!

 

Honest?

 “What is honesty?” asked the old man.

“Telling the truth,” I said.
He raised his eyebrows and replied, “That’s only half of the answer. The other part is consistency, which means telling the truth all the time.” ~ INC., ACA WSO. Strengthening My Recovery: Meditations for Adult Children of Alcoholics/Dysfunctional Families. ACA WSO INC.. Kindle Edition.

My sponsor many years ago
told me about a wide variety of lies
and gave me questions to ask:
Kinds of lies:

1. DIRECT LIES
   Not telling the truth,
   a boldfaced lie.
2. LIES OF OMISSION:
   What did I need to say to this person
   so they knew how I honestly felt
   about them and the situation?
   Was I wrongfully silent?
3. LIES TO SELF:
   What were you telling yourself
   that wasn’t true?

• I’m not good enough.
• I’m stupid.
• I’m not smart enough.
• I’m unworthy.
• I’m _______

I love the addition here
that consistency is necessary
which means telling the truth all the time.”
My sponsor still quizzes me about vague answers.
I need a sponsor who knows me well enough
not to let me lie any kind of lie!

The Door to the Soul Opens Inward

Human nature is very prone to push blindly when frightened or frustrated. Indeed, this is precisely why the doors on all theaters and other public buildings are obliged by law to open outward—because it is the natural direction of panic. Prayer, however, is essentially the refusal to be rushed by panic or by the existing current of things. In prayer, you must draw back from the outer picture, cease to press against events, and realize the Presence of God. The door of the soul opens inward. ~ Fox, Emmet. Find and Use Your Inner Power (p. 61). New Albany. Kindle Edition.

A door to our heart if opened by pushing
would allow invasion. If opened when pushed,
our heart should open from the inside out,
at our invitation. Prayer is essentially
the refusal to be rushed by panic
or by the existing current of things.
While God could enter invited or not,
God allows us the dignity, the choice
to allow Him in. When we’re frightened or frustrated,
and we push it in panic, we can be sure God is there.
ready to bring us peace! 

Impossible?

 Challenge yourself with something you know you could never do, and what you’ll find is that you can overcome anything. ~ Anonymous

What could you never do?
My first answer is to run a competitive race.
I’ve never done that. And my tale of running at all
was of trying to break a Red Rover line
crying because I’d run to the prompt,
“Let Fat Domino come over.”
And having carried surplus weight all my life
running on arthritic knees sounds excruciating.
Yet last week I walked twenty-three and two-thirds miles.
And I’m no longer morbidly obese, not even obese,
just overweight. It’s not likely I’ll run in a competitive race
but I don’t qualify as a fat domino, either.
What you’ll find is that you can overcome anything.

 

Enfolded by Peace

 

Gradually a peace enfolded me. Forgiveness came, and with it came complete deliverance from those damaged feelings. From that moment, I was healed. Once the miracle of forgiveness occurred, the amends happened naturally. ~  Overeaters Anonymous, Voices of Recovery, Kindle Location 2445 (August 1st entry)

When bitterness and resentment controls us,
even when we accept the idea that we need
to forgive people involved in causing the hurts,
the feelings may be overwhelming,
so that praying to forgive seems hopeless.
However, God will guide us to the possible
so He can enable the impossible.
As we can seek guidance from our Higher Power
to lead us through the maze, He’s more than able
to take us millimeter by millimeter
until the impossible becomes fact.
Have the courage to ask for what you need!

Practice Peacefulness

 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:6-7

 I’ve never been to a Catholic mass except a wedding ceremony
in the late1970’s but I know the language, ” “Peace be with you.”
The correct response has been, “And also with you.”
Now, the response has been updated to, “And also with your spirit.”
But I certainly am aware of people wishing others peace.
The word “peace” is in the Bible over four hundred times.
How important is peace in your life? Do you actively try
to foster an attitude of peacefulness in your life?
Is that a part of the relatively new popularity of the response
to a casual inquiry of, “I’m blessed.”?
Do you try to live a life naturally peaceful, loving, and faithful?
How can you best establish a habit of being naturally peaceful?

No Unwanted Thoughts

 We never have to keep holding a thought we don’t want. ~ Casey, Karen. Daily Meditations for Practicing the Course (Hazelden Meditations) . Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.

We’re talking about how we behave.
Do you see your thoughts as part
of your behavior?
What does behavior mean?
May I suggest, “The way in which
one acts or conducts oneself,
especially toward others.”?
Isn’t thought integral to conducting yourself
toward others? Can you not best act differently
by ditching negativity (which must be done
if the attitude is to change?
Until we think favorably or at least with acceptance
will we not feel stuck, helpless, even hopeless
in facilitating improvement if we can’t change them?
It’s only ourselves that we can change.
We never have to keep holding a thought we don’t want.
Change your thoughts and change your life!

Action Trumps Motion

“The difference between motion and action.

Motion:
-talk to a personal trainer
-research your book idea
-explore different types of meditation

Action:
-do 10 squats
-write 1 sentence
-meditate for 1 minute

Motion feels like progress. Action is progress.” ~ James Clear

Yoda, “No! Try not! Do or do not. There is no try.”
Daddy, “Don’t be sorry. Don’t do it!
Resolutions are useless. They last a few hours.  Change who you are!
the desirable result materializes.
I’m going to write that book, the one that became
a three-volume set in my mind more than two decades ago!
But I’ve not written a sentence for it in longer than that.
I began a week ago spending five minutes daily decluttering.
The five minutes can last an hour and a half, but it’s action,
not just motion. 

Reaping Righteousness

 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. ~ James 3:17-18 (NIV)

How do we know God’s voice?
James suggests that first it’s pure,
not mixed or adulterated, uncontaminated.
It’s peace-loving, considerate, and submissive.
God’s wisdom is peaceful, peace-loving,
not bringing fear, anger, dissension.
But submissive? Does that mean accommodating
not offensive? Full of mercy and good fruit feels right,
impartial? maybe not offensive to anyone? and sincere.
Peacemakers who sow in peace
reap a harvest of righteousness.

Thank God for You

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. ~ Phillipians 1:3-6 NIV, Holy Bible, eBook (p. 1140). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

I am certain that my family kept me from gravitating to flophouses and gutters. I am eternally thankful to them that they never threw me out or refused me help when I was drinking. ~ World Service, Alcoholics Anonymous. The Big Book and A Study Guide of the 12 Steps . Anonymous Publishing. Kindle Edition.

As I sit home isolating, respecting social distancing,
I cannot possibly know Paul’s feelings,
remembering people as he sat in a prison cell.
I set out a plan to reach beyond the walls regularly
and for two days since committing to it, I have.
I am grateful to so many people who have helped me
to reach the maturity both in years and in understanding.
There is true joy for the people who have shared my journey.
None of us can accomplish what we want to,
but it’s not up to us. We do out part, actively
or in retrospect, sharing what we’ve learned.
The mantle will be taken up as we pass it.
In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy because of your partnership
in the gospel from the first day until now,
being confident of this,
that he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus. 

God, thank you for those who read these words.
May You guide each of us in these tumultuous times
and may You find us willing to do all that we can
to carry this on to completion.

Giving Up Our Controlling Nature

In Step Three, we may be confused about what it means to turn our will over to our Higher Power – that without our will we will be trapped with no options. We worry that we will be giving away our power. In reality we are giving over our controlling nature to our Higher Power. ~ INC., ACA WSO. Strengthening My Recovery: Meditations for Adult Children of Alcoholics/Dysfunctional Families. ACA WSO INC.. Kindle Edition.

3. Made a decision to turn our will
and our lives over to the care of God
as we understood Him.
A logical mistake, that’s what it says!
Our will is listed first, so that could imply
our will is even more important than our life!
But this does ring true…that we’re giving up
our controlling nature, our willfulness it could say.
And when we make a decision, we can make another.
It’s not as though we give away control forever.
God is going to show us He has our best as a goal,
but we can take back the controls.
Once we actually try the God way,
chances are extremely good we’ll see we benefit.
But when we try it, having seen the results God gets
as compared to what we get, we’ll choose better:
“God, I offer myself to Thee –
To build with me and to do with me
as Thou wilt.
Relieve me of the bondage of self,
that I may better do Thy will.
Take away my difficulties,
that victory over them
may bear witness to those I would help
of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of Life.
May I do Thy will always.”

God's Promise

Serenity is God’s promise. When we get in line with God’s will, we’ll find peace. ~ Casey, Karen. Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women (Hazelden Meditations). Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Do you live more days than not in a state of peace?
Do you believe peace comes when we get alined with God?
How do we do that? Wake up with “Good morning, God”
on our lips or in our thoughts,
checking any disruption through the day with his guidance,
expressing gratitude when we’re aware of it,
reading His word, loving others as we love ourselves,
loving ourselves, settling on the pillow
with “Good night, God”
on our lips or in our thoughts?
Serenity is God’s promise.
When we get in line with God’s will,
we’ll find peace.

Recovery, not Discovery

Discovery is marvelous, but recovery is the focus. We can discover many things from insightful self-help books or from a talk-show host. Yet, our experience shows that we cannot read ourselves into true change, and we cannot watch enough television to find healing that lasts. We simply become information gatherers, which is a form of control in itself. If we are simply reading about recovery or watching it on television, we still think we can reason out a solution without doing the actual work of recovery. Our experience shows that we cannot recover alone. ~ INC., ACA WSO. ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS/DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES . ACA WSO INC.. Kindle Edition.

Have you tried to read yourself into change?
I have. For several years I’ve read daily
from a dozen or more books, many program literature,
all designed for self-growth, some every year,
the rest rotated in and out. I have found it true,
though, I simply become an information gatherer,
that it is which is a form of control in itself.
When  work with others on the path I choose,
The reading is mind only. My experience shows
I need community, I cannot recover alone.

Summer Rain

106 degrees, a new record,
but at 10 o'clock thunder
for maybe twenty minutes,
a rain so light, so short
not enough to be really wet,
promises of things to come.
The West Texas Fair isn't cancelled
and it always rains for the fair!
God is good.
 

Doing Church Right

My mother did Catholicism right. She always said, “The best time to be in church is when nobody’s there.” ~ Cecilia L.

What does this say?

The best time to be in church

is when nobody’s there.
It does NOT say not to go
to worship services.
It does say there is no other
reason for being in God’s
House. I remember a decision
I needed to make in July,
1969. I stepped into a tiny chapel
and asked for guidance.
I’m quite sure God answered…
because it wasn’t the answer
I wanted to follow.
I did, though, and fifty-one years later
I know it was the right answer.
A community of faith is a great blessing
but cannot replace faith in God
(as you understand God which you discover
as you seek his guidance!

Fear

Fear develops from our incessant comparisons with others. We think everyone else is better than we are, “has it more together” than we do….

The solution for this and every instance of disharmony in our lives is the same. Seek to know better the God of our understanding, and do only what he/she would have us do. Remember that we are loved unconditionally, never judged, and we can pass on that which has been so freely given to us. ~ Casey, Karen. Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow. Red Wheel Weiser. Kindle Edition.

I was reading today from the Big Red Book,
Adult Children of Alcoholics/Dysfunctional Families
and while the title has nothing too do with me,
I recognized myself in never getting dishes clean enough
when washing, dry enough when drying, or put up right.
Sewing a seam never cut the mustard, and plenty often
I pulled stitches from the zipper I’d attempted.
Mother packed my camp clothes so I’d not clash.
Ironing lacked crispness, clutter abounded… I knew the feeling
of not living up to expectations. Everybody
had it more together than I did. Everybody else
can call the names of famous people,
for people they’ve worked around for years.
Everybody has it more together than I do.
So is it really true if I seek to know better
the God of our understanding, and do only
what He would have me do… If I remember
I am loved unconditionally, never judged,
and I and the people I’m around
can finally believe I/we have it all!!!!

Image Copyright : Brian Jackson

Fear

Fear develops from our incessant comparisons with others. We think everyone else is better than we are, “has it more together” than we do….

The solution for this and every instance of disharmony in our lives is the same. Seek to know better the God of our understanding, and do only what he/she would have us do. Remember that we are loved unconditionally, never judged, and we can pass on that which has been so freely given to us. ~ Casey, Karen. Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow. Red Wheel Weiser. Kindle Edition.

I was reading today from the Big Red Book,
Adult Children of Alcoholics/Dysfunctional Families
and while the title has nothing too do with me,
I recognized myself in never getting dishes clean enough
when washing, dry enough when drying, or put up right.
Sewing a seam never cut the mustard, and plenty often
I pulled stitches from the zipper I’d attempted.
Mother packed my camp clothes so I’d not clash.
Ironing lacked crispness, clutter abounded… I knew the feeling
of not living up to expectations. Everybody
had it more together than I did. Everybody else
can call the names of famous people,
for people they’ve worked around for years.
Everybody has it more together than I do.
So is it really true if I seek to know better
the God of our understanding, and do only
what He would have me do… If I remember
I am loved unconditionally, never judged,
and I and the people I’m around
can finally believe I/we have it all!!!!

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A Benefit of Addiction

…our addictions can lead us to a deep appreciation of grace. They can bring us to our knees. ~ May, Gerald G.. Addiction and Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions (p. 4). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

Have you considered your indebtedness
to addiction? No, not how grateful you are
for Recovery! If it were not for falling on our faces
we would never have been miserable enough
to make the total about face to surrender!
If you’re like me, you knew the answers,
could talk theology, quote scripture.
recite the answers, but it’s in needinggrace, knowing we don’t deserve it,
that we really listen, that we really
surrender, that we turn over control.
Oh, how great the relief!

Not My Mood

…we can’t change another person’s mood. Period. And we should not even try. What we can do is change our behavior around those people. Or we can choose to stay away from them altogether so we won’t be tempted to let their moodiness trigger an impulsive reaction rather than a thoughtful response. ~ Casey, Karen. Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow. Red Wheel Weiser. Kindle Edition.

I’ve come to accept the abbreviations NMF and NMD
as food I don’t eat and beverages, either alcoholic
or sweetened as NOT MY FOOD and NOT MY DRINK.
and I’m more than ready to add NMM meaning
NOT MY MOOD. Just because someone shares my space,
fails to appreciate my words or actions and adopts a mood
I’d rather not adopt, I have the right, the ability,
and the desire to declare it NMM. I choose Love
as my mood and anyone not acting out of love
is at that moment living NMM!

123rf.com Image ID : 86620857

Our Deepest Fear

Do You Think You Can?

He can who thinks he can. Face the facts candidly—and then you can alter them. ~ Fox, Emmet. Find and Use Your Inner Power (p. 74). New Albany. Kindle Edition.

Do you believe, “He can who thinks he can?”
Do you believe you can alter the facts that exist?
How often do we resign ourselves to the idea
what we want to do would never work?
Just because it might feel silly, do we back down?
Is the better question whether it seems practical?
A panel on television discussed three hours
on a Hello Kitty plane, starting and landing in Singapore.
One comment was flying around air space
near North Korea and China. Maybe it’s not
the smartest time for that, but let’s look at facts.
What would you like to do? Do you think you can?
What are the facts affecting it?
Do you still want to do it?
You can do it. You can also change details
and do what you choose to do!

Take Them as They Are

If you will please people, you must please them in their own way; and as you cannot make them what they should be, you must take them as they are. ~ Lord Chesterfield

We don’t please people by relying on them,
making their life easier, living for that person,
facilitating their needs, smoothing their path.
That’s codependence, not really accepting them,
but seeking to improve them.
Don’t change who you are to try to improve them.
Accept them as they are, love them,
make room for them to grow,
to be who they can be.
Take them as they are.

Image Copyright : primipil

In Search of Peace of Mind

Peace of mind comes from not wanting to change others, but by simply accepting them as they are. True acceptance is always without demands and expectations. ~ Jampolsky MD, Gerald G.. Love Is Letting Go of Fear, Third Edition (p. 39). Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale. Kindle Edition.

I don’t clean house, I hire it done.
I don’t declutter until someone’s coming
and they won’t have room to move
in the space available. For some reason
with the cleaning lady coming tomorrow
this afternoon I worked a solid hour
moving a heavy bed in not enough space
and excavating under the bed for bits and pieces
of toys, of pieces of paper, of the underlining
of the box springs that the dog has spent
more than thirteen months destroying,
bits and pieces of at least five pairs of shoes…
I worked hard this afternoon
and was loudly critiqued for leaving
a broom, a dustpan, a grabber, and a vacuum
scattered around the room. I knew I left a mess
but, “Who could see under the bed?”
I knew what I had done, wanted my critic
to know what I had done. I yelled back,
then backed down and explained.
Peace of mind comes from not wanting
to change others, but by simply accepting them
as they are. True acceptance
is always without demands and expectations.
And the cleaning lady will know it’s changed!

Change the thoughts that Bother You

The thoughts we are held hostage by were handed down to us by parents or educators or friends and other loved ones. They are not written in stone. The fact is, we can free ourselves from the past and from any thought that hasn't comforted us. When your thoughts no longer fit your reality, change them! You may have to keep working at it, keep challenging your thoughts and ensuring that they're not holding you hostage to some outdated picture of the world, but the choice is always yours. In every moment, we get to choose. ~ Casey, Karen. Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow . Red Wheel Weiser. Kindle Edition.

Are there thoughts that hold you hostage?
Several so hold me.
I'm proud to have legs slender enough to cross
at the knee, but in public, Mother's echo says
that ladies don't do that.
I was told I shouldn't wear tee-shirts
and kowtow to that one as well.
And shorts in public? Can you get by with it
if it's only a social media picture?
I'm proud the last three years or so
my fingernails have shown white tips
and are no longer stripped to the quick.
There are others, but I'll quit here.
The fact is, I can free myself
from the past and from any thought
that hasn't comforted me.
Instead I will devote a few moments
to gratitude for the many blessings
that have become evident in hindsight.
I can look at an image and see
what once was hidden from me
by knowing others see a vase
where I saw silhouettes angrily facing off.
Change the thoughts that bother you
by looking with eyes of love,
not eyes of fear.

Image Copyright : Peter Hermes 

Satsang

Satsang / satsaṅga / satsangam is a word which comes from Sanskrit, meaning to associate with true people, or to be in the company of true people. It is also related to sitting with a sat guru, or in a group meeting seeking that association. ~ Wikipedia

True people! To associate with true people!
To be in the company of true people!
For where two or three gather in my name,
there am I with them.*
It’s a description of Recovery people!
It’s all well and good we can still meet
maintaining social distance. What would we do
without technology bringing together.
But oh, how the resolution will bring
when we really “put my hand in yours,
and together we can do
what we could never do alone.
No longer is there a sense of hopelessness,
no longer must we each depend
upon our own unsteady willpower.
We are all together now,
reaching out our hands
for power and strength
greater than ours,
and as we join hands,
we find love and understanding
beyond our wildest dreams.“**

*Matthew 18:20 NIV
** Copyright Overeaters Anonymous

illustration Copyright : Lorelyn Medina

Don't Worry, Be Present

Worry is a state of being that is only possible when we are not living in the present. It is evidence that we are anticipating a future that we think will mimic our past and the painful experiences that we don’t want to repeat. We worry because we are uncertain of God’s availability. Was he/she there in the past and we didn’t listen to the guidance? We can be certain that God was there. But we may not have been; we may have been projecting into the future, as we are doing now. Our minds can only hold one thought at a time.

Do we entertain worry or the presence of God? ~ Casey, Karen. Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow. Red Wheel Weiser. Kindle Edition.

The most powerful part of the quote is “We worry
because we are uncertain of God’s availability.”Is it true God was there but we…our thoughts.
our minds…were wandering? Are our minds
present right now or are they dreading the ghost
of unpleasant experiences (reliving the past)?
Or are we projecting into the future?
Is it true our minds can only hold
one thought at a time? Do we entertain worry
or the presence of God?
Let’s entertain God!

 Image Copyright : Kevin Carden

Learning as You Go

Life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning the instrument as one goes on. ~ Samuel Butler

It can be embarrassing when we feel we’ve made
ourselves look like fools to all around.
Relax, though. People are wrapped up in their own lives,
making their own mistakes, assuming you’re looking
with disdain at their blunders. Cut yourself some slack.
Allow yourself to grow, don’t assume the teacher of life
starts every day with a pop quiz!
Sooner or later, the beautiful music you make
will prove itself well worth the wait!

Image Copyright : serezniy

A Bluebeard Cotner

We make spiritual progress by putting God into every corner of our lives. Most people on the spiritual path are willing to give God ninety-five per cent of their lives, but there is often one little corner that they keep back. There is something or other they do not want to change. There is one corner where they do not wish the Divine Light to shine. ~ Fox, Emmet. Find and Use Your Inner Power (p. 77). New Albany. Kindle Edition.

The quoted essay speaks of the folktale Bluebeard,
a story I didn’t know as a tale of a  wealthy man
in the habit of murdering his wives and one wife
hoping to avoid the fate of her predecessors.
Fox explains in his use the room need not be horrible.
Selfishness, laziness, spiritual pride, or “respectable”
sins, old grudges or prideful remorse can be the corner.
Is there something you do not want to change?
Is there a corner you prefer the Divine Light not illuminate?

Public Domain   File: Blue Beard in Tales of Mother Goose

Another Choice

…you can make another choice. That’s the heartening news for those of us on a spiritual path. We don’t have to do what we always did! We don’t have to think the way we always thought. We don’t have to expect what we always expected. ~ Casey, Karen. Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow. Red Wheel Weiser. Kindle Edition.

Habit stacks are things we need to do daily
that we can make into a routine.
If you automatically brush your teeth in the morning
it’s possible to add making the bed, meditating,
reading a daily-published tidbit like this…
We can also avoid habits we once did so that
video games if played at all are after the more needed habits….
You van change your habit stack, perhaps by cleaning the kitchen
before bed rather than facing chaos on coming in to fix breakfast.
We don’t have to do what we always did!
We don’t have to think the way we always thought.
We don’t have to expect what we always expected. You can make another choice!