31 Days of Abundance Candy Paull 24
31 Days of Abundance
Meditations to Help You Make the Most of Every Moment
Candy Paull
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Smashwords edition
Copyright ©2010, 2011 by Candy Paull
new edition includes excerpt from Inner Abundance
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Candy Paull’s writing is the readable equivalent of Earl Grey tea, steeped in a pot, and served in your grandmother's china. That is: it warms you through and through.
Victoria Moran, bestselling author of Creating a Charmed Life
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Introduction
Though life continually offers its riches to us, it is easy to become caught up in the daily grind and miss the blessings that are right in front of our eyes. We need to be reminded of the treasures of abundance that our lives already hold. 31 Days of Abundance offers a combination of inspirational thoughts and practical actions that remind you to appreciate and embrace the gifts of life today.
Celebrate the abundance in each moment. Make simple choices that remind you how rich you already are in the things that count. Take a drive down a winding country road, drink a soothing cup of tea, read a good book, spend time meditating, get together with friends, and love life just a little more. Enjoy the little things, for you may one day look back and realize that they were the big things.
May you find encouragement, contentment, and delight in these meditations, and may these simple ideas inspire you to create and celebrate more abundance every day.
Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures.
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.
Henry Van Dyke
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#1
See the Splendor in the Ordinary
The Japanese have a term for something that is old, yet full of soul. “Wabi” refers to aged and imperfect items that have a weathered or worn patina. Ordinary things like an old teapot or an abandoned barn have a value and soul that slick new mass produced things lack. Rustic handmade pottery, an ancient garden gate, or well-worn but still comfortable shoes all carry an ordinary splendor.
Ordinary splendor is found in people, as well as in things. Where others see wrinkles and old age, you can discover the beauty of an ordinary person reflecting the splendor of God.
The very commonplaces of life are components of its eternal mystery.
Gertrude Atherton
• Look for the ordinary splendors in your life: a well-worn leather jacket, mismatched bone china cups and saucers, a bouquet of wildflowers, the face of someone who has weathered the storms of life with grace.
#2
Live in the Present Moment
Have you ever noticed how often your mind dwells on the past or in the future? You are in the midst of a conversation with a friend, but your mind is leaping ahead to the errands you still have to complete. You’re eating a delicious lunch, yet you replay a past argument in your mind.
Choose to focus on the Divine presence in this moment of your life instead of worrying about the future or regretting the past. Enjoy the moment while it is here. Savor the meal you are eating. Be fully present to your friend. Be aware that every moment is a gift and a miracle.
When you live completely today there is a great intensity in it and in its beauty.
Krishna
• Take a five-minute “life appreciation” break. Breathe deeply. Look at what is around you. Be aware of the simple wonder of here and now.
#3
Practice the Inner Smile
You may have heard that it takes more muscles to frown than to smile. Researchers now say that a smile can actually send signals to your body to produce chemicals that lift your mood.
A smile can come from the inside, too. With the calmness and peace of a gentle smile, learn to detach from critical thoughts and bring the sunshine of acceptance into each situation. Bruno Hagspiel recommends, “Smile to yourself until you have warmed your own heart with the sunshine of your cheery countenance. Then go out—and radiate your smile.” Smile within your heart, then give that smile to the world.
Today is your day. Remembering that, perhaps you can feel a smile that nourishes perfect mindfulness.
Thich Nhat Hanh
• When you are facing a stressful situation, use the concept of an inner smile to step back from the problem and bathe it in Divine love.
#4
Watch the Grass Grow
If you worry too much about productivity, about being busy and important, you need a time out to find a brighter and wider perspective. Go outdoors and enjoy the freedom of being one with nature. In the natural world there is room for both the busy bee and the quiet cow chewing her cud.
Life gains a certain space and graciousness when you practice the gentle art of doing nothing. Go ahead, you have permission to just “be.” Watch the grass grow. Feel the wind on your face. Rejoice in creation. Remember that you are a human being, not a human doing.
The moment one gives attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.
Henry Miller
• Enjoy a few minutes of holy leisure today. Let your mind wander, watch passing clouds, and rest. Then return to your tasks refreshed.
#5
Look for Hidden Possibilities
Practical, simple wisdom teaches you to look for the hidden possibilities in places or things that others overlook. Most people see briars and brambles beside the path, but you discover the ripe blackberries that will make a delicious pie. The Good Will store racks hold designer duds for pennies, if you know what to look for.
Seek out the hidden possibilities in people, too. An awkward adolescent hides beautiful dreams in her heart. The old man next door may hide a heart of gold under his gruff exterior. You can discover hidden heroes everywhere, if you have the eyes to see.
Great opportunities come to all, but many do not know they have met them. The only preparation to take advantage of them is simple fidelity to watch what each day brings.
Albert E. Dunning
• Look for the hidden possibilities in the life you lead today by paying attention to what others ignore or pass by.
#6
Take Your Shoes Off
When Moses saw the burning bush in the desert, he was curious and went to see this unusual sight. Then he heard a voice from within the bush commanding him to take off his shoes, for he was standing on holy ground. He realized that God was speaking to him.
Nature speaks of the greatness of the Creator. Decide today that you will take your shoes off and wiggle your toes in the grass, allowing a childlike spirit to speak to your heart. God’s glory can be found in any suburban yard, for even a common green lawn will shout his praise.
Lord, purge our eyes to see within the seed a tree, within the glowing egg a bird, within the shroud, a butterfly, till, taught by such, we see beyond all creatures, thee.
Christina Rosetti
• Go barefoot in the grass and take the time to enjoy small things like butterflies and flowers and earthworms, seeing God’s creative hand in them.
#7
Stretch Like a Cat
Imagine a cat curled up in a ball, sleeping in the sun. Now watch that cat awaken, yawn, and stretch out with long, long legs and torso. Cats know the wisdom of stretching. Animals teach simple lessons through the very nature of their being.
Stretching is good for the human being, too. Stretching your body makes you more flexible. A good yawn and a big stretch offer a simple way to relax tension when you’ve been hunched over a computer.
Stretch your mind with a stimulating conversation, a challenging idea, or a new thought. Stretch your spirit with prayer, meditation, and spiritual reading.
We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• Take an exercise class that stretches your body. Read a book that stretches your mind and spirit. Try something new and stretch your experience.
#8
Value Who You Are
There is great freedom when you learn to value who you are, instead of measuring your worth by what you do, how much you own, or how many credentials you have amassed. There is something unchanging and beautiful about the essential you, the one who is the Divine nature hidden within the heart.
The essential you comes from a place of love. There is childlike wonder and unwavering faith in your deepest heart of hearts. Things turn to dust, jobs end, and your body grows older. But nothing can separate the essential you from the love of God, the one who values who you are.
My business is not to remake myself,
But make the absolute best of what God made.
Robert Browning
• Find a wonderful picture of yourself when you were ten. Frame it and display it to remind you of who you are and where you’ve come from.
#9
Redefine “Foolish” as “Creative Freedom”
“You’ll think I’m crazy, but I really want to try this,” you confide to a friend. Every time you take a creative risk, it feels a bit foolish and crazy. After all, you’ve never done it before. Whether it’s learning to ice skate, auditioning for a part in a play, or competing for the top job in your department, trying something new can be intimidating. After all, who wants to fail and look foolish?
There is no such thing as failure. There’s only trying and learning. When you are expanding your boundaries, redefine words like “failure” and “foolish” as “creative freedom.”
Does not the history of the world show that there would have been no romance in life if there had been no risks?
Mahatma Gandhi
• Redefine other words that keep you from growing. For example: redefine “religious nut” as “spiritually adventurous.”
#10
Enjoy Seasonal Abundance
Summer ripe tomatoes can never be duplicated by cardboard-flavored winter supermarket tomatoes. When fruits and vegetables are in season, they deliver fabulous flavor at the lowest prices. And so it is with life as well.
Savoring seasonal abundance is an easy way to enjoy life every day of the year. Instead of elaborate and expensive vacations to distant climates, enjoy an hour or two celebrating the seasons here at home. Enjoy fruit when it’s at its peak, be thankful for whatever weather a day offers, stop and smell the roses, and give thanks for the small joys of living simply in seasonal abundance.
All seasons are beautiful for the person who carries happiness within.
Horace Friess
• Enjoy small seasonal celebrations: gather fall leaves, build a snowman, pick a spring bouquet, light sparklers, have a summer picnic, visit a farmer’s market.
#11
Live with What You Love
That ugly lamp that was a mistake when you bought it and it hasn’t improved with time. An uncomfortable chair is a family heirloom, but you can never bring yourself to sit in it. It’s time to clear your home of things you don’t like.
Instead, fill the rooms with things you love. You will be happier and more peaceful when you do. Just as comfortable and flattering clothes make you feel your best, so beauty and order in your home will lift your spirits. Before you bring anything into your home, ask yourself: Is this beautiful? Is it useful? Do I love it?
Have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful.
William Morris
• Start with one room in your home: weed out the clutter and leave only those things that feel useful or beautiful to you.
#12
Cultivate a Sense of Awe and Wonder
It is so easy to become caught up in the mundane aspects of life. You get up, go to work, come home to routine chores, watch TV or read the paper, go to bed, and then do it all again the next day. But life is not just a round of chores and work. It’s a vast and amazing mystery.
The night sky is full of starry wonder. Take the time to look up. A kiss from your beloved, a rose blooming in the sun, a squirrel’s antics—any of these can remind you of the mystery and greatness of creation.
He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.
Albert Einstein
• On a clear night, go out and look up at the stars. Contemplate the vastness and mystery of space and creation.
#13
Enjoy What You Have
Your tool chest may be overflowing, but it would be great to have that new gadget being advertised on TV. Your closet may be full of clothes, but the department store offers such a bright array of new fashions. The appetite for “new!” and “improved!” can blind you to what you already have.
Appreciate what you already have. Use your tools to create a fun project. Decide to enjoy clothes you own but never wear. Appreciate the life you have, too. Enjoy your home, your friends and family. Be thankful for what you have and trust that it’s enough right now.
May we never let the things we can’t have, or don’t have, spoil our enjoyment of the things we do have and can have.
Richard L. Evans
• Learn to differentiate between “needs” and “wants.” Instead of thinking about what you don’t have, be thankful for what you do have.
#14
Practice Mindfulness
It is easy to become distracted in today’s world. The hectic pace, constant interruptions, and overwhelming demands of daily living can leave you exhausted. Habits of fragmented thinking—anticipating the future, regretting the past—rob you of the precious gift of the present.
Practicing mindfulness is simple way to bring your attention back to what is happening your life right now. For example, when you wash dishes, concentrate your attention on the act of washing dishes. Feel the silkiness of the warm water. Take pleasure in the clean dishes. Perceive the Divine within through the simple metaphors of daily living.
Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. This kind of attention nurtures greater awareness, clarity, and acceptance of present-moment reality.
Jon Kabat-Zinn
• Practice focusing your mind on experiencing the moment. Set aside worries, plans, regrets—and pay attention to what you are doing right now.
#15
Take a Soul Vacation
There are vacations—and then there are soul vacations. A soul vacation can happen in a few minutes, a few hours, or a few days. Instead of packing your bags and heading for distant destinations, you can indulge your imagination, spend some time in contemplation, and satisfy your soul with the honey sweetness of the present moment.
A soul vacation makes much of small things. Enjoy a good book that takes you on inner adventures. Contemplate the wonders of nature by watching a bee browse in the heart of a flower. Take a walk in the woods. Sit and think about life.
The windows of my soul I throw
Wide open to the sun.
John Greenleaf Whittier
• Set aside a soul vacation for an afternoon. Do something you enjoy that also gives you time to contemplate what God is doing in your life.
#16
Turn the Media Down
The six o’clock news offers a litany of war, horror, corruption, greed, and trouble. The front page of the newspaper details the latest scandal. The media offers a constant flow of chatter, opinion, and advertising. Though it’s important to know what’s happening in the world, you also need time to listen to your spirit.
Ration your media exposure. Consider going on a media fast for a few days. Instead of watching TV, spend time in prayer and meditation. Turn the radio off and let the silence soothe you. Finish a neglected project. Give yourself quiet time for recollecting what is most important to you.
God is the friend of silence. See how nature—trees, flowers, grass—grow in silence? The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life.
Mother Teresa
• Instead of listening to the radio as you drive, turn the talk and music off and enjoy the quiet.
#17
Don’t Confuse Things with Happiness
It feels wonderful after you buy something you really want—for awhile. But it doesn’t take long for the thrill to subside and soon you desire another material object. Things break, wear out, or are soon taken for granted. If you frequently find yourself thinking, “I’ll be happy when I get this thing” choose to place your happiness in God’s hands instead.
Happiness comes from the heart, not things. Create authentic happiness by doing work you enjoy, loving and serving others, and trusting God to satisfy your deepest needs. Then things will be in their proper place and your happiness won’t be dependent on them.
Lives based on having are less free than lives based either on doing or being.
William James
• Do something to make someone else happy. Enjoy the simple pleasures of giving a gift, taking someone out to lunch, or just spending quality time together.
#18
Celebrate Your Senses
The five senses are a mysterious and wonderful gift. Though we use our senses for survival, the rich tapestry of sensation is full of pleasure, too. The scent of piney woods, the flaming colors of sunrise, the touch of a beloved’s hand, the sound of beautiful music, and the taste of sweet ripe melon—it is as if creation continually woos our souls as love pours out to us through the natural world.
Be thankful for your body. Allow yourself to be a sensuous being. Celebrate your senses and let the Divine whisper love to you in the sacred daily pleasures of scent, sight, touch, sound, and taste.
The body is a sacred garment. It is your first and last garment. It is what you enter life in, and what you depart with, and it should be treated with honor.
Martha Graham
• Take special notice today of all the beautiful sensations and delights of sight, sound, taste, touch, and scent that the day brings.
#19
Spend Reflective Time Alone
A workable strategy for remaining productive over the long haul is to balance busy times with down time. Create space in your schedule for personal reflection. Take time to think about life. Let go of the schedules and agendas of the day. Allow yourself some time to daydream, to mull over the events of the day and review your priorities.
Set aside regular times for contemplation and prayer. Quieting your heart and listening within allows you to access wisdom from the Divine. Time taken for reflection refreshes your spirit, allowing you to step back and see the larger picture.
Only when one is connected to one’s inner core is one connected to others. And, for me, the core, the inner spring, can best be re-found through solitude.
Anne Morrow Lindberg
• Brew a cup of coffee or tea. As you sip its comforting warmth, take a few moments to sit quietly and reflect on what is important to you.
#20
Take a Deep Breath
Deep breathing is a simple way to relieve stress and tension. Shallow breathing creates a feeling of tightness and constriction, putting you into a fight or flight mode. Deep breathing relaxes and slows you down.
Your body is fearfully and wonderfully made, entwined with mind and spirit. When you make gentle physical adjustments, like taking several deep breaths, you enjoy a corresponding mental and spiritual adjustment. As you open your lungs to receive the breath of life, allow the oxygenating energy to fill your entire body. As you release your breath in a deep exhale, let go of tension and constriction.
Conscious breathing, which is a powerful meditation in its own right, will gradually put you in touch with the body.
Eckhart Tolle
• Use daily deep breathing exercises as an opportunity to pray. Breathe in light and love. Exhale and let go of that which no longer serves you.
#21
Cultivate the Art of Contentment
Our consumer society feeds on fears of scarcity and feelings of desire, telling us that more is never enough. Wake up from the trance of scarcity thinking to the abundance hidden in the every day. Every moment offers a wonderful opportunity to see God in the details, and you can begin right here and now.
Living lessons of abundance hide in the heart of a lovely rose. Bugs and bees and butterflies busy themselves in nature’s glorious creation. The stars remind you of the vastness of the universe. Find contentment in the simple things in life: sunsets, delicious food, loving friends and family, beautiful flowers, and peaceful pleasures.
We live in and ascending scale when we live happily; one thing leading to another in an endless series.
Robert Louis Stephenson
• List twenty-five things you are grateful for today, such as: a bed to sleep in, good work to do, a friendly smile, a rose on your desk, etc.
#22
Be a Child for a Day
The wise person understands that childhood goes to the roots of your soul. Children have a wisdom that adults have forgotten. Reclaim your childlike wisdom, and pretend to be a child for a day.
If you don’t remember how to be a child, invite a youngster to spend the day with you. Indulge in favorite childhood activities. Go to the zoo, roll in the grass, play with other children. Have a day of pure fun.