The lesson is clear: As impractical as it may sound, the safest and most secure way to lead your life is to follow your dream.
There is a tremendous power in positive thinking. When you expect the best, you literally create a thought field that magnetizes that which you desire. Like attracts like.
What steps can I take to reduce the clutter so that I may live simply and joyously?
You are a child of the universe, "fearfully and wonderfully made. " In the history of creation, there has never been anyone like you. Accept this reality about yourself- that you are a special, unique human being who has a place on this earth that no one else can fill. Acknowledge yourself as a glorious expression of your loving Creator. This healthy self-love will form the foundation of a joyful and satisfying life. Then, as you love and accept yourself, your inner light will shine outward to bless and heal your fellow human beings.
Look at your own life. Has it become overly complex? Have you found yourself burdened by too many possessions or responsibilities? Take a deep breath and ask yourself: "What steps can I take to reduce the clutter so that I may live simply and joyously?"
There is only one basic desire that motivates the spiritual seeker-to make the experience of God, of divine bliss and joy, the center of the life experience. We are spiritual beings living in a material universe, and as such, our first priority is to nurture that eternal part of us. The eleventh step of AA's twelve-step program states it beautifully: "Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood him, praying only for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry that out. "
As you begin to live in the present moment, you will experience a subtle but profound change. Worrying about the future will cease. A deep peace will enfold you, a peace that says, 'all is well. There is nothing to fear. Everything is unfolding according to plan, and you are being guided each step along the way.
Even more than the depression, it was my anxiety and agitation that became the defining symptoms of my illness. Like epileptic seizures, a series of frenzied anxiety attacks would descend upon me without warning. My body was possessed by a chaotic, demonic force which led to my shaking, pacing and violently hitting myself across the chest or in the head. This self-flagellation seemed to provide a physical outlet for my invisible torment, as if I were letting steam out of a pressure cooker.
Abundance is the natural state of the universe--of this there can be no doubt. Just as the number of stars in the heavens or drops of water in the ocean is beyond counting, so are the spiritual and material blessings that have been prepared for us.
There is no pain quite like that of a broken heart. But a broken heart is an open heart. When we allow ourselves to be broken, a gentle transformation takes place.