I don’t spend much time outside — too many writerly things to do on the weekend — but I was walking outside the other day (at the day job) and realized I was no longer wearing the heavy winter parka, gloves on my hands and scarf wrapped around half my head. In fact, I’d pared down to a light jacket…a spring jacket! I could move! Spring has sprung in my…
I’m not sure when I became such a wimp about winter weather. It might have been the year when my kids were in grade school and we had 14 ice storms over the course of one winter. (We lived in New Jersey at the time, the land of the “wintery mix” one day, and a howling blizzard the next.) I remember kids ice skating down the street. Seriously. Or maybe it was before that, when…
As I write this, it’s actually Day 23 of the Simple Abundance devotional, and I’ve decided to put a pause on the blogging. The readings are beginning to seem too similar to me. I’m having a hard time picking up on the nuances from day to day, and I’m having an even harder time finding something fresh and interesting to say to readers. My other concern is that, in my opinion, the book is…
Today’s message from “Simple Abundance” is all about choosing joy in each moment–a nuanced take on thinking like an optimist. Author Sarah Ban Breathnach theorizes that by “cultivating gratitude,” we begin to experience a paradigm shift in our expectations. But it takes practice. “Many of us unconsciously create dramas in our minds, expecting the worst from a situation only to have our expectations become a self-fulfilling prophecy. … And so we struggle from day…
I feel like I’ve read today’s message before, about opening our eyes to the beauty in our worlds. Breathnach’s theory is that as we learn to simplify our existence (mentally and physically), we crave beauty more than ever. We don’t need to create this beauty because it already exists — we simply need to open our eyes and savor the beauty around us. And Breathnach’s focus seems to be on the physical beauty, things…
The message for Jan. 17 is about finding a balance in your life which Breathnach calls “harmony.” We each need to find the balance between the demands of outside forces–family, work, social obligations–and the inner “me” who needs peace and relaxation. Breathnach likens the journey for achieving harmony to that of the pianist learning not just the notes of a composition, but the timing, the cadence–knowing where to pause for effect. I get that.…
Hello, my name is Leah, and I’m a clutter-a-holic. I’m not sure that’s an actual word, but I do believe it’s an actual condition which could be applied to those who are surrounded by clutter. Just look at the TV shows that try to tackle this malady: Hoarders, Clean Sweep, Extreme Clutter, to name a few. The University of California even produced a series about how our modern culture looks at and uses space,…
Breathnach says once we begin to identify our blessings, “we feel the urge to pare down, get back to basics, and learn what is essential for happiness.” As an example she says, “Visualize a bouquet of bright yellow daffodils in a white milk jug on a pine mantel, sunlight streaming through sparking clean windows, the shine of beautifully varnished wooden floors, the shimmering glow and fragrance of pure beeswax candles.” Uh….all of that to…
Today’s reading suggests keeping a gratitude journal. Breathnach says to write down five good things that happened to you at the end of every day, the idea being if you document the good stuff, your perception will begin to change. You’ll begin to be more aware of your blessings. It is a great idea, one I started when I first began the book in November. Unfortunately I only lasted 15 days. My daily “thanks” ended…
I’m starting to really dislike this book. Today’s message is about awakening the gratitude in your heart for your many blessings. That’s not what’s causing the downward spiral of my enjoyment of the book. That’s a wonderful message, one I try to adhere to. What’s bothering me is my impression that the author was writing from a place of if not elitism, then certainly a position of comfort so extreme she can’t even understand…