The Heart of Abundance:
A Simple Guide to Appreciating and Enjoying Life
by Candy Paull
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Smashwords edition
Copyright ©2010 by Candy Paull
Nashville, TN 37215
Website:http://www.candypaull.com/
Website: http://www.candypaull.net/
Blog: http://candypaull.com/blog.htm
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https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/candypaull
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/3901
Cover design by: Candy Paull
Cover photo by: Candy Paull
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
Thank you for downloading this free e-book. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. If you enjoyed this book, please return to Smashwords.com to discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.
@2010 License addendum for The Heart of Abundance from the author:
The text-only e-book edition is free and you may pass it along to whomever you please. I only ask that you remember I make my living from selling my books in many formats, and your willingness to buy my products supports me and honors our relationship. If you want to quote portions for your blog, thank you for including credit and a link to my website candypaull.com.
Though I offer the e-book itself for free, thank you for protecting the use of my copyrights in all other instances. It is my hope that the support of those who can pay for my works will make it possible for the abundance to be shared with all, regardless of ability to pay.
And remember that whatever your monetary resources might be, you can always share the gift of abundance from your heart. I offer this e-book edition of The Heart of Abundance as a gift of love and as an act of faith in the new gift economy that is developing. It is my joy to share my gifts in a larger and more abundant way.
Candy Paull
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There is a great gift when we realize that the journey of life is guided by our willingness to believe in ourselves and know that with God, all things are possible. This kind of abundance cannot be measured, only celebrated. Candy Paull’s breathtakingly beautiful photographs and wonderful words of wisdom will remind you of a simple yet profound truth: The journey to claim your abundance begins within.
Rev. Donna Michael, recording artist, forgiveness coach, speaker
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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The Heart of Abundance
A Simple Guide to Appreciating and Enjoying Life
The Heart of Abundance is a “best of” collection from Candy Paull’s books, including the bestselling book The Art of Abundance. Discover more abundance, encouragement, and simplicity in your life. Be present in the moment, see the divine at work in all circumstances, and experience ordinary life as sacred. Learn to practice the art of abundance as a form of spiritual awareness based in gratitude. This free e-book helps you enjoy the life you have and create a life you enjoy.
Introduction
The Art of Abundance was first published in 1998 and eventually sold over 80,000 copies through my first publisher. As the fortunes of my career and the publishing industry waxed and waned, I went on to write other books and to work with many publishers. Eventually the three Artful Living books were published in 2006 with Stewart, Tabori & Chang. They created amazingly beautiful packages, but the upheavals in 2009 proved too much and the books went out of print. Thanks to a fabulous agent who negotiated a great deal, my rights were returned to me. Now I have the opportunity to publish them on Smashwords.com, where I published my first e-book, Inner Abundance, on September 11, 2009. I was determined to have that date mean more than an act of destruction, so I made it a day of creative revolution. Now the revolution—or should I say, the evolution—continues.
I have been greatly influenced in my understanding of the Internet infrastructure and its burgeoning possibilities thanks to visionaries like Seth Godin, Chris Guillebeau, Christine Kane, and Pam Slim, among others. Their insistence on the gift economy and making information freely available has convinced me that it is time to share some of the best from my books, especially key concepts from The Art of Abundance, the book that started it all. The Heart of Abundance offers excerpts from several of my books in a free e-book format. It’s a good introduction to the other books and products I will be offering for sale on Smashwords.com and in other venues. Please continue to check back at candypaull.com or candypaull.net to see what other books and formats I will be releasing.
We live in transformational times. When the road to transformation gets bumpy and we feel lost and disoriented, it is even more important to ground ourselves in the firm realities of daily life. Mindful living, slowing down to notice and savor the blessings and beauty of the ordinary, and soothing our spirits with thoughtful and loving actions can help us through times of doubt, despair, and loss. Practicing the art of abundance is a form of spiritual awareness based in gratitude.
Everyone has something to be grateful for, no matter how dire the situation might seem to be. The little “Abundance is…” observations can be a springboard to inspire you to discover the abundance, encouragement, and simplicity in your life. By being present in the moment, seeing God at work no matter what the circumstance, and experiencing ordinary life as sacred, you can begin to heal yourself so that you might reach out and heal the world.
May The Heart of Abundance bless every person who reads or shares it with others. May it find its home in hearts around the globe, freely and gently, from my heart to your heart.
Your abundance is my abundance.
Celebrate the abundance!
Candy Paull
I feel an earnest and humble desire, and shall do till I die, to increase the stock of harmless cheerfulness.
Charles Dickens
Abundance Prayer
When I am afraid, I ask myself:
How can I give more to life?
When I am tangled in past regrets
or frightening stories of the future,
I bring myself into the present moment
And know that I am safe.
When I am tempted to complain
I choose praise and gratitude.
I take a deep breath.
I look around and see
How rich I am in the things that count.
I look within and see my unlimited potential
I realize that every moment is filled with blessings
and every day I am alive
is a gift to be grateful for.
I remember that God is my Source
and abundance is reflected
in the faces of the people I love
and in the faces of those
I have yet to learn to love.
Eternally, this abundance says:
Every family is my family.
Every success is my success.
Every bride is my beauty
and every bridegroom my Beloved.
Every child is my new beginning
and every elder is my life ripe with experience.
Every dawn is my new day.
Every sunset is my world turning.
Every season is good
and offers its bounty to me.
Every moment is mine to embrace
for it is the Eternal Now
forever expressing in, through, and for me.
I live in the Forever Here
that is alive in all.
Translucent grace shines in us,
awake and aware of the beauty we are
as we become all we were meant to be.
And so it is.
For it is in giving we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.
Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Judge not and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.
Luke 6:37-38 (RSV)
The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.
Benjamin Disraeli
We cannot hold a torch to light another’s path without brightening our own.
Ben Sweetland
Nothing is really ours until we share it.
C. S. Lewis
Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything.
1 Peter 4:8 The Message
Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.
Mother Teresa
What we see depends mainly on what we look for.
John Lubbock
In all ranks of life the human heart yearns for the beautiful, and the beautiful things that God makes are his gifts to all alike.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Touch the earth, love the earth, honour the earth, her plains, her valleys, her hills, and her seas; rest your spirit in her solitary places.
Henry Beston
Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invisible host against difficulty.
Helen Keller
An unshared life is not living. He who shares does not lessen, but greatens, his life.
Stephen S. Wise
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No Fear In Love
There is no fear in love . . .
I John 4:18
Fear believes . . . there is never enough.
Love believes . . . there is plenty for everyone.
Fear believes . . . the worst about people and situations.
Love believes . . . the best about people and situations.
Fear believes . . . there is only one right answer.
Love believes . . . there are many ways to understand something.
Fear believes . . . you have to change others through manipulation and coercion to get what you want.
Love believes . . . real change comes from the heart, starting with your own heart.
Fear believes . . . things will never change.
Love believes . . . any situation can be transformed by the power of love.
Fear believes . . . that everything must be mapped out ahead of time.
Love believes . . . that you can trust the process.
Fear believes . . . in negative thinking.
Love believes . . . in positive choice.
Fear believes . . . the damage is done.
Love believes . . . healing can happen.
Fear believes . . . if you're not a success by now, you must be a failure.
Love believes . . . you're only a failure if you give up on your dreams.
Fear believes . . . I must do everything with my own strength.
Love believes . . . there is a Higher Power that wants to help me.
Fear believes . . . that everything needs to hyped.
Love believes . . . in quiet strength and simple faith.
Fear believes . . . life is cheap.
Love believes . . . life is precious.
Fear believes . . . anyone different is "them.”
Love believes . . . there is only "us."
Fear believes . . . it's too late.
Love believes . . . it's never too late.
Fear believes . . . the situation is impossible.
Love believes . . . a solution can be found.
Fear believes . . . that fifteen minutes of fame makes you important.
Love believes . . . we are all important.
Fear believes . . . people are disposable commodities.
Love believes . . . people are sacred.
Fear believes . . . in proving your own superiority over others.
Love believes . . . in honoring the greatness in others.
Fear believes . . . no one is listening and no one cares.
Love believes . . . in prayer.
Fear believes . . . effort is only justified by outward success.
Love believes . . . sometimes we need to do something for its own sake.
Where there is great love, there are always miracles.
Willa Cather
Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply.
Romans 12:9-10 The Message
Providence is the care God takes of all existing things.
John of Damascus
Trust God for great things; with your five loaves and two fishes, He will show you a way to feed thousands.
Horace Bushnell
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The Art of Abundance
A Simple Guide to Discovering Life’s Treasures
Abundance is…not how much I own but how much I appreciate.
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 10:10 (KJV)
Abundance is… a pink and lavender sunset sky.
Abundance is… the smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.
Abundance is… an unexpected phone call from a friend.
Be alert for the unpredicted presence of God unexpectedly intruding upon your everyday life.
M. Scott Peck
The art of abundance is not about greed or selfishness. The art of abundance is about celebrating life right now, this minute. It is a way of looking at the potential your life holds—the little blessings to be thankful for now and the gifts that God wants to give you, if you'll just open your heart to receive. It's about being enthusiastic about life every day, not just on the rare occasions when everything seems to be going your way. The art of abundance is finding the provision in what is right in front of you, seeing the hand of God already giving you what you need, moment by moment. Then sharing the abundant blessings God has given with others. And completing the circle of giving by praising the One who gave the gifts for us to enjoy.
Write in your heart that every day is the best day of the year.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Abundance is… wildflowers in a mason jar.
Abundance is… the stars on a clear night.
Be thine own palace, or the world's thy jail.
John Donne
Abundance is…creating something special out of the ordinary.
Abundance is… the look of wonder in a two-year-old child's eyes.
Abundance is… the first lick of an ice cream cone.
Abundance is… cows in clover.
For I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for your good, not to destroy you or bring evil to you. These plans are for a future full of hope and promise.
Jeremiah 29:11 (Author’s paraphrase)
Choice of attention—to pay attention to this and ignore that—is to the inner life what choice of action is to the outer. In both cases, a man is responsible for his choice and must accept the consequences.
W. H. Auden
Overcoming Fears
I first started consciously practicing the art of abundance a few years ago. My parents had always shared their delight in small things—the view from the front window, the comings and goings of birds and wildlife, the pleasure of flowers on the table and well-cooked food, the joy of reading—but it wasn't until I became an adult that I realized how rich their lives have always been in celebrating the small abundances of life.
Abundance is…a rich red oriental rug.
Abundance is…a vase full of roses from the garden.
Abundance is…watching the seasons change outside your window.
As a freelance writer, I've had times of plenty—but I've had a lot more times of doing without, making do, or just plain being frustrated by a short financial leash. And many times of being scared, because I didn't know how my bills were going to get paid. It seemed I could barely manage the basics, let alone the extras.
But when I learned to live the abundant life, I began to feel rich in spite of fluctuating finances. And I firmly believe that most of the improvements in my financial situation have come about because I learned to stop being fearful and start being creatively thankful. By being receptive to the gifts I had already received, greater gifts came more freely. God was at last able to give the gifts He's been wanting to give me all along.
I also learned how to react to life differently. It didn't come all at once. I didn't suddenly wake up one day and say, "Gee, if I'd just see the glass as half full instead of half empty, I'd enjoy life more." I learned incrementally, one small lesson on top of another small lesson, with the big picture coming slowly into focus.
Once I began to look at life through a more positive lens, I found I had more energy and was able to enjoy the opportunities that came my way because I was no longer blinded by my fear. I could say “yes” to life. I learned that creativity grows in feelings of abundance. And I discovered that my thankfulness for current blessings made me aware of other abundances that I might otherwise have blindly overlooked.
Abundance is…having enough for today.
Abundance is… a warm bed to fall into when you are tired.
Abundance is…pink lemonade.
Abundance is…freshly picked red strawberries and rich white cream in a cobalt blue bowl.
Light tomorrow with today.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Abundance is…ivy and morning glories in a vacant lot.
Abundance is…being able to say "yes."
Abundance is…being able to say "no."
The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions—the little soon forgotten charities of a kiss or smile, a kind look, a heartfelt compliment, and the countless infinitesimals of pleasurable and genial feeling.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Abundance is…a sunny day when you expected stormy weather.
Abundance is…the first page of a new novel from a favorite author.
Abundance is… a full moon playing hide and seek with the clouds.
Always leave enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied, even joyous. That has more of an effect on economic well-being than any other single factor.
Paul Hawken
Abundance is… nurturing a tiny seedling.
Abundance is…bath time for little ones.
Abundance is…a child learning her ABCs.
Abundance is…being able to read this page.
Only the individual with a healthy, wholesome self-view will feel inwardly rich when he or she is outwardly broke.
Marsha Sinetar
Truth exists for the wise,
beauty for the feeling heart.
Johann von Schiller
Abundance is…the ability to look at life with the eyes of an appreciative lover.
In every man's heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty.
Christopher Morley
Abundance is…taking the long scenic route home.
The strength and happiness of a man consists in finding out the way in which God is going, and going in that way too.
Henry Ward Beecher
Abundance is…pigeons flying into a church bell tower.
Abundance is…a cat purring in your lap.
Abundance is…freshly popped popcorn.
Blessed is everyone that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands; happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
Psalm 128:1-2 (KJV)
Abundance is…the face of someone who has survived the storms of life with faith and gratitude.
Abundance is…a dance studio full of eager little ballerinas.
Happiness lies in the absorption in some vocation which satisfies the soul.
Henry Ward Beecher
Abundance is…a box of crayons and a clean sheet of paper.
Abundance is…a bouquet of fresh flowers and a vase to arrange them in.
Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men.
Colossians 3:23 (RSV)
Abundance is…a piano recital where parents are as nervous watching as the children are performing.
A New Way of Looking At Life
In some ways I consider practicing the art of abundance as a way of practicing the art of seeing. Artists train themselves to really look at the world around them. And they don't see through everybody else's frame of reference. They discover their own unique vantage point and then express what they've seen in creative ways.
That's what this little book is all about. It's a visual aid, a spiritual tool for learning to look at your own life in healing, creative ways. It is a way to cultivate opportunity for observation and practice the discipline of simple thankfulness to the Creator. When I practice seeing and experiencing my life through the lens of hope and gratitude, I find that life expands in new and unexpected ways.
Practicing the art of abundance means looking at the world as it is, right in front of you, not as you think it should be. It is a way of letting go of expectations and letting what is, what already exists, speak to you in a new way.
Abundance is… an old hound dog dozing on the porch.
Abundance is… a pair of warm hazel eyes.
The world is God's language to us.
Simone Weil
Abundance is…the velvet petals of a newly opened flower.
Abundance is…chicks in an incubator.
Abundance is…a maternity ward.
Look at the lilies and the way they grow. They do not toil. They do not spin. Yet I tell you, even King Solomon in all his glory was never dressed as wonderfully as these.
Luke 12:27 (Author’s paraphrase)
Abundance is…tall tall redwoods creating a hushed mountain cathedral.
Abundance is…a pink rose surrounded by a constellation of baby's breath.
Abundance is… an art gallery full of paintings.
Art is the demonstration that the ordinary is extraordinary.
Amedee Ozenfant
Abundance is…an afternoon in a meadow with canvas, easel, paintbrush—and butterflies!
Abundance is…the first daffodils of spring.
Abundance is…white clouds dancing across the sky.
Abundance is…paying attention to the moment here and now.
Abundance is… the swish of clear clean water from a faucet.
One of the most important—and most neglected—elements in the beginnings of the interior life is the ability to respond to reality, to see the value and the beauty in ordinary things, to come alive to the splendor that is all around us in the creatures of God.
Thomas Merton
Abundance is…a window box of purple and gold pansies.
Abundance is…a slice of moon in a cold winter sky.
Abundance is… crisp shiny apples on a fall afternoon.
Abundance is…an exercise class to stretch and tone your body.
Abundance is…white wicker chair on a shady porch.
Every believer must be a kind of psalmist, either literally or privately. That living itself has been given, at least in part, as a way of knowing God intimately. Every event takes on a significance in that context, for there is no waste in experience.
Phyllis A. Tickle
Abundance is…a pure white mountain peak rising above wildflower meadows.
Abundance is…fireflies twinkling like stars on the lawn.
Abundance is…the salt-smell of an ocean breeze.
Abundance is…a hawk making lazy circles in the sky.
Celebrate the Abundant Life
As you master simple practical ways to nurture abundance, you will discover new avenues to receive and enjoy and be thankful for the gift of life.
Venture forth and develop your own creative response by seeing the small gifts life gives. I can almost guarantee that if you take even one baby step, you will find a response in the universe, an embracing and a joyous welcome from the Father to a prodigal child who has wasted so many precious hours of life worrying about what was lacking and being blind to the loving abundance all around her.
God bless you as you begin your personal pilgrimage into the kingdom of abundance. Come celebrate the abundant life!
Abundance is… children and puppies rolling in the grass.
May your laughter be from God.
Irish Proverb
Abundance is…citronella keeping bugs away on a summer night.
Abundance is…a door that opens to let you in.
Abundance is…macaroni and cheese when you want comfort food.
Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.
Charles Dickens
Abundance is…a rest stop on a long hike.
Abundance is…a Little League baseball game on a soft spring afternoon.
Gratitude is born in hearts that take time to count up past mercies.
Charles E. Jefferson
Happiness is itself a kind of gratitude.
Joseph Wood Krutch
Abundance is…a fresh coat of paint.
Abundance is…bare branches against the winter sunset.
He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
II Corinthians 9:10 (RSV)
Abundance is…an hour before it's time for bed.
Abundance Is…
Celebrating abundance is the best antidote I know of for fear: fear that whispers there won't be enough for tomorrow, fear that hisses "things will never improve," fear that dominates and tortures, telling you that you’re helpless and God has forgotten you. Don't believe it.
Start looking at what you already have. Start with basics like, "I'm still breathing." Make a game seeing how many positives there are in your life. Then start counting the little things, the tiny joys a moment can bring. Open your eyes to see the wonder of the world you live in. I call this the Abundance is… game. Here is a sampling:
Abundance is… a cool breeze on a summer evening.
Abundance is… a song to sustain you through a dark night.
Abundance is… blue jays fighting over the birdseed in a bird feeder.
Abundance is… ginger cookies that snap.
Abundance is… the opening chords of the Hallelujah Chorus.
Abundance is… warm hands on a cold winter day.
Abundance is… someone who asks how you're doing (and really wants to know!).
Abundance is… the smell of a steak sizzling on a neighbor's barbecue.
Abundance is… a cat basking in the sun.
Abundance is… a can opener that really works.
Abundance is… a white church steeple against a bright blue sky.
Abundance is… a flock of geese winging their way south on a sunny fall day.
Abundance is… the first day of a long vacation.
Abundance is… the feel of a fine tool in your hand.
Abundance is… the sharp smell of fallen pine needles.
Abundance is… the opening scene of a favorite movie.
Abundance is… all the different noses on all the different faces in the world.
Abundance is… walking into a public library.
Abundance is… a busy airport.
Abundance is… browsing in a fabric store.
Abundance is… when you get more than you anticipated.
Abundance is… sunlight creating rainbows as it shines through a crystal prism.
Abundance is… an understanding friend.
Abundance is… dandelion seeds blowing in the wind.
Abundance is… a thankful heart.
Abundance is…_______________________(make up your own!)
Start playing this celebratory game by looking at your life. It's not only the little things to be thankful for. It's the things that illustrate potential:
Abundance… is a full tank of gas.
Abundance is…a tree loaded with apple blossoms.
Abundance is…a telephone line that's connected.
Abundance is…flour, sugar, butter, salt, eggs, a recipe, and a kitchen to bake a cake in.
Abundance is… a smiling four-year-old.
Abundance is…a box full of kittens.
Abundance is…an hour to play in the park on a sunny day.
Abundance is…the first day you feel better after having the flu.
Abundance is…a crocus peeking its head out of the snow.
Abundance is…the little tight green buds of spring.
Share the Abundance
True abundance is love in action. God in love gives to us. We, in turn, give to others. We can be a part of the chain of love, making a circle of giving that makes its way back around to us in God's good time.
We are made for giving and sharing. True abundance opens its arms to others. Sometimes we get so busy we forget how important being with others can be. Make time in your life for the small joys of giving, sharing, and togetherness.
It must be obvious to those who take time to look at human life that its greatest values lie not in getting things, but in doing them, in doing them together, in all working toward a common aim, in the experience of comradeship, of warmhearted 100 percent human life.
W. T. Grant
Abundance is…teaching a child about gardens.
Abundance is…a cool hand on a hot forehead.
The races of mankind would perish did they cease to aid each other. From the time the mother binds the child's head till the moment that some kind assistant wipes the brow of the dying, we cannot exist without mutual help.
Sir Walter Scott
Abundance is…offering encouragement instead of objections.
Abundance is…respecting others' dreams and differences.
Little progress can be made by merely attempting to repress what is evil; our great hope lies in developing what is good.
Calvin Coolidge
Abundance is…listening to a three-year-old explain his world to you.
God has given us two hands—one to receive with and the other to give with. We are not cisterns made for hoarding; we are channels made for sharing.
Billy Graham
Abundance is…a warm shoulder in a cold world.
Spend a few hours with a friend, a loved one, or a child. Make a protected time for just the two of you. Do something fun, something relaxing, and something that gives you time and space to talk about life.
Abundance is…a tickle and a cuddle.
Abundance is…telling stories, enjoying good food, and sitting around the table laughing.
Giving is the secret of a healthy life. Not necessarily money, but whatever a man has of encouragement and sympathy and understanding.
John D. Rockefeller Jr.
Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.
I Peter 4:8 (RSV)
Give what you have. To someone it may be better than you dare think.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Abundance is…the good Samaritan who helped you fix a flat tire.
Abundance is…a compliment on how you look.
Wrap a present. Buy small gifts to surprise others. Don't wait for birthdays or holidays. Sometimes the most wonderful gifts are the unexpected ones. Give a gift that says, "This isn't because of any obligation, but just because I think you're wonderful."
Abundance is…finding the perfect gift for someone you love.
All who would win joy, must share it; happiness was born a twin.
Lord Byron
Abundance is…a handful of wildflowers.
Abundance is…children's drawings hanging on the refrigerator door.
Abundance is…hugs and kisses at a family reunion.
Abundance is…a jigsaw puzzle to put together.
The smallest actual good is better than the most magnificent promise of impossibilities.
Macaulay
Abundance is…a smile from a perfect stranger.
Abundance is…golden maple leaves carpeting a forest floor.
Abundance is…a jack-o-lantern grinning at you from a doorstep.
Abundance is…a comfortable chair.
Abundance is…weeds and wild things.
Abundance is… little kids and mud puddles.
Abundance is… snowflakes in a snowstorm.
Abundance is… the potential of every child born on this earth.
Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has its own challenges to face.
Matthew 6:34 (Author’s paraphrase)
Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.
Anne Frank
Today is for itself enough…
Shelley
Abundance is…the graceful curve of a fragrant white lily.
Abundance is…someone saying "yes" to your request.
Abundance is…a dog and two kids rolling in the grass.
There is the music of Heaven in all things.
Hildegard of Bingen
Abundance is…running through the sprinkler.
Abundance is…a bowl of Mom's potato salad.
Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsover.
Isak Dineson
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8 (RSV)
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The Art of Encouragement
A Simple Guide to Living Life from the Heart
Encouragement is… inspiring each other to embrace life with enthusiasm, courage, and love.
Encouragement is… a warm shoulder in a cold world.
Encouragement is… a cup of tea and a listening ear.
Encouragement is… being loved for who I am.
Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.
Woodrow Wilson
Encouragement is… seeing the unique beauty in another person.
Encouragement is… saying "I love you."
Encouragement is… a card sent for no special occasion, just because.
By consistently choosing love rather than fear, we can experience a personal transformation that enables us to be more naturally loving to ourselves and others. In this way we can begin to recognize and experience the love and joy that unites us.
Dr. Jerry Jampolsky
You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have really lived are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love.
Henry Drummond
Encouragement is the art of abundance shared and multiplied. It is a way of living that seeks to bless every person we meet. Encouragement looks at what we can be, believes in the best in each of us. Encouragement is love in action. It is taking time to appreciate everyone we meet.
When the world and all its pressures take the heart out of us, we need to know that someone cares for and believes in us. And we need to do the same for others. Encouragement means taking time to let God encourage us, to meditate on the small miracles of life. Enthusiasm and courage, love and appreciation, practical acts of mercy and compassion — that's the way of encouragement. The art of encouragement is the art of creating community and celebrating friendship.
I encourage you to make a circle of giving. Dare to dream for yourself, for one another, for your community, and for our world. The Art of Encouragement offers a collection of quotes, meditations, and ideas for encouraging ourselves, encouraging others, and making a difference in our own corner of the world. Say yes to the deepest promptings of your heart and create a life that nurtures your soul.
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)
Real encouragement that makes a lasting difference is visionary. It is the willingness to imagine a good future, the choice to believe in a better world. It is not critical, tearing people down and nitpicking at their faults, but instead valuing their uniqueness and seeing potential that they may not be able to see for themselves. In many ways, a true encourager functions as a personal prophet, helping others discover their own potential and make it incarnate in the physical world.
Real encouragement sees us as we yearn to be seen, sees others as they long to be seen, and the world as it is meant to be seen. Yes, there are faults, problems, evil—but there is an original vision that our deepest hearts know is the true vision. Real encouragers are willing to be fools in the eyes of cynics because they have a great vision, like Martin Luther King, who dared to say to a country, "I have a dream . . . "
Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.
Anaïs Nin
Follow the grain in your own wood.
Howard Thurman
Self-conquest is really self-surrender. Yet before we can surrender ourselves we must become ourselves. For no one can give up what he does not possess.
Thomas Merton
When we learn the art of encouragement, we learn to see the good in ourselves, as well as in others. Before we can give to others, we must have something to give. We become like gardeners who look at bare soil and see the flowers and fruit that could grow there. Or we become like architects who envision a beautiful building on an empty lot. A gardener sees what the garden can be and then takes practical steps to plant, weed, cultivate, water, wait, and eventually reap a good harvest. An architect imagines what a building can be, examines the site, draws up the plan, and works with the construction team and the new owners to create a place where others will live, work, and play.
Encouragers do not merely set goals but reach for the stars. They dare to dream first, then find ways to make the dream come true. Yet they do not force their patterns or desires on others. Instead they become visionaries who see the unique fingerprint of God in every person and treasure the sacredness of each human being, including themselves.
What do you dare to dream for yourself?
What do you dare to dream for others?
What do you dare to dream for your community?
What do you dare to dream for our world?
I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.
Albert Schweitzer
Mankind’s role is to fulfill his heaven-sent purpose through a sincere heart that is in harmony with all creation and loves all things.
Morihei Usehiba
I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.
Mother Teresa
This seeing and encouraging of potential in people and circumstances can't just remain a neat, pretty vision in the mind. It needs to be acted out, incarnated (fleshed out, made real) in this physical world where we live, move, and have our being. Small specific acts of encouragement help us move from our heads and hearts to our hands and feet.
Here are some simple ideas that make love visible and physical:
• Take time to share a nurturing meal.
• Write cards and letters.
• When you are thinking of someone, pick up the phone and call.
• Say it with flowers.
• Give little gifts that say "I'm thinking of you," even when there is no special occasion.
• Share back rubs, hugs, touching, cuddling.
• Smile.
• Say a few kind words.
• Welcome others into your home.
• Organize your closet and give clothes you never wear to someone who can use them.
• Offer to drive someone to a doctor's appointment.
• Love a pet.
• Plant some seeds and grow a garden.
• Make a big pot of soup and share it.
• Take time to listen to a friend.
• Volunteer.
• Say thank you.
No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.
Charles Dickens
Helping others, that’s the main thing. The only way for us to help ourselves is to help others and to listen to each other’s stories.
Eli Wiesel
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
I Corinthians 13:7 (RSV)
The capacity to be of service to the greater good requires that we have the security to risk our image, our position, and our pride in the search for greater justice—at the workplace, in our families, and in our community at large.
Mark Bryan, Julia Cameron, and Catherine Allen
If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships—the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.
Helen Keller
We know God wipes away all tears, but it certainly feels good when He uses human hands.
Mary Paulson-Lauda
Every man rejoices twice when he has a partner in his joy. He who shares tears with us wipes them away. He divides them in two, and he who laughs with us makes the joy double.
Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
Bear one another’s burdens…
Galatians 6:2 (RSV)
Permission Granted
Think of yourself as an incandescent power, illuminated and perhaps forever talked to by God and His messengers.
Brenda Ueland
You have permission to be who you are. You have permission to love what you love. You have permission to be with the people you wish to be with and to do the things you want to do. You have permission to ask questions, to experience all the pains and pleasures of your life.
You have permission to listen to your body’s needs and to meet those needs. You have permission to explore your inner heart. You do not have to separate yourself into airtight compartments labeled body, mind, soul, spirit. You have permission to be a whole person, not a fragmented collection of miscellaneous parts.
You have permission to wait for divine guidance. Divine Source gives you permission to be who you are right now—and will help you become all that you were born to be. God is an artist and you are a work of art, unique and beautiful. You are a work of art in progress, a divine poem being written on the pages of time.
You don’t have to twist yourself into a pretzel to become someone you are not. You don’t have to squeeze yourself into a tight little box to fit someone else’s expectations. The universe has given you permission to be yourself.
Breathe a sigh of relief. Let go of what you have been holding onto so tightly. Open your hands and release your spirit. Let the Divine Presence enter the temple of your heart. Allow healing to begin. Allow growth and change to happen. It will be all right. Let life flow through the center of your being. Bask in the sunlight of God’s love. You are beloved and you are becoming. God is removing all obstacles, all stumbling blocks, all sin, disappointment, and failure. You have spent too much time beating yourself up for the wrong reasons. No one needs to tell you about your sins, your shortcomings, and all the times you failed to make the right decision and follow through on it. You know these things in your heart of hearts. Your very cells carry the memory and the pain.
But God does not leave you in your misery. The divine intent is life—God is the fullness of life itself, and you share in that fullness. The source that drives the green shoot of spring’s new life wants also to fill you with that renewing life. Healing, forgiveness, and refreshment are there for you. Open your heart and open your hands—you will receive.
You have permission to receive this loving flow of energy and healing. You do not have to earn it, or buy it, or steal it from someone else. The ever-flowing fountain of life streams from the center of your heart, from the hidden springs of your being. You just need to rest, rest, rest. Be still in the silence of God’s love and acceptance.
If Not Now, When?
You already possess everything necessary to become great.
Crow proverb
If not now, when?
Martin Buber
If not you, then who? You have to start somewhere, believe something. You are the answer to the world’s question. Your gifts are to be shaped on the anvil of life and fired in the furnace of adversity, so that they can be polished to reflect the light of shared experience. You do not have to be a superhero; you can choose to start with the work at hand.
It begins with you. Value yourself. Then value others. The quiet contagion of example can spread. It will make a difference, one person at a time. If each of us chooses to make even a small difference in our corner of the universe, then perhaps we can be part of a movement that could one day transform the world. Idealistic? You bet. And isn’t it a relief to be idealistic and give free rein to our highest dreams? To choose to practice the art of encouragement is to invest in your best and most idealistic dreams.
We become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions.
Aristotle
Everything that lives, lives not alone, nor for itself.
William Blake
Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
Matthew 5: 13–16 (The Message)
Let God love you through others and let God love others through you.
D. M. Street
Life is short and we have not too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark way with us. Oh, be swift to love! Make haste to be kind!
Henri F. Amiel
Encouragement . . .
is not lecturing people about what they should do or what they should be,
but holding up a positive mirror and showing them what they already are or have the potential to become.
Encouragement . . .
believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things because of love.
Encouragement . . .
critiques but never criticizes, and is always willing to look for the good.
Encouragement . . .
comes from one fellow traveler to another fellow traveler—we are all in this together.
Encouragement . . .
is the art of helping people discover their own beauty, potential, and uniqueness.
Encouragement . . .
is the joy of sharing the load for a small portion of the journey.
Encouragement . . .
is someone to laugh with, to cry with, to rejoice with in happiness and share with in sorrow.
Encouragement . . .
is a lamp in the window on a dark and stormy night.
Encouragement . . .
is a smile and a helping hand.
I’m going your way, so let us go hand in hand. You help me and I’ll help you. We shall not be here for very long, for soon death, the kind old nurse, will come back and rock us all to sleep. Let us help one another while we may.
William Morris
****
The Art of Simplicity
A Simple Guide to Focusing on the Essentials of the Heart
Simplicity is… a single red rose in a crystal vase.
Simplicity is… a child's smile.
Simplicity is… eyes closed in prayer.
I want to know the mind of God. The rest is all details
Albert Einstein
Do you have the patience to wait till the mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?
Tao Te Ching
The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials.
Lin Yutang
Simplicity is… a moment of silence.
Simplicity is… bread, wine, and a table.
Simplicity is… a clean closet.
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10 (KJV)
Simplicity is…ordering my life around the essentials of the heart.
Simplicity can be difficult to achieve in a world that clamors for "more! more! more!" But simplicity opens the way to the center of the heart—the place where quiet, healing, and a still small voice await. Simplicity is making elegant choices, treasuring precious moments, and valuing that which is of eternal worth. Like Michelangelo who saw the statue of David in the heart of the stone, so we are called to reveal the inner beauty hidden in the complexity of our lives. Simplicity is singleness of heart, focused on the essentials of life, rather than allowing our desires and fears to distract us. Simplicity is a celebration of the heart—an opportunity to touch eternity in a moment of meditation. Simplicity is finding abundance in the small things and rediscovering the wonder we once knew in the purity of childhood days.
For the good man to realize that it is better to be whole than to be good is to enter on a straight and narrow path compared to which his previous rectitude was flowery license.
John Middleton Murry
I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive,
so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.
Joseph Campbell
Simplicity is… focusing my attention on what I want to create and experience.
Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.
James Thurber
The whole thing boils down to giving ourselves in prayer a chance to realize that we have what we seek. We don’t have to rush after it. It is there all the time, and if we give it time, it will make itself known to us.
Thomas Merton
Be still and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10 (KJV)
The Freedom of Simplicity
It is a spiritual thing to comprehend what simplicity means.
Frank Lloyd Wright
The singer opens her mouth and the pure tone floats out freely … and its simple beauty goes straight to the heart of the listener and nestles there. You have a gift to offer the world, a song that only you can sing. Like the soprano who has learned to get out of her own way so that her free voice may float on the wings of delight to the listener’s ears, you can make choices that empower you to bring the music of your life to a world that needs to receive the gift you bring.
Everyone is born with a song in the heart. Every person has a unique and wonderful gift to give. The pure life potential beats in every heart. And pure potential waits to be expressed.
However, like the soprano who had to learn how to focus and refine her gift so that her true voice could emerge, so you have to clear the way for your unique gift to emerge. The Art of Simplicity is written to inspire you to let the one true song of the heart emerge. Sharing wisdom from many sources, a little bit of practical advice, and a few ideas that might spark your thinking, this little guide encourages you to make the changes within that will flow out and transform your outer life. It encourages you to change habits that hold you back and remove the clutter of old beliefs that limit the free expression of the essential you. The Art of Simplicity helps you catch a glimpse of your own spiritual magnificence.
This book grew from my own experience of moving into freedom and simplicity. It is an ongoing process. But as I have learned to move beyond victimhood, blame, anger, fear, and all the ego games that held me back, I have discovered that every situation, every choice, every single experience in my life contains the potential for God to work all things together for the highest good and for me to express my unique, one-and-only heartsong in simplicity, love, and joy. I know this can happen for you, too.
No matter what your story, no matter what your past limitations, no matter what mountains must be moved, you have no less potential than any other human being on earth to become the person God created you to be. As you get in touch with the great inner simplicity within, you will see your life re-align itself in miraculous ways. You are a co-creator with God, and even small choices can change the trajectory of your life, if you are willing to step out in faith.
When your voice is finally free, you become the instrument. All of the events and choices of your life converge in a pure note of joy and peace. You experience the sensation of being at one with the energies of the Universe, a co-creator with God as you release the exquisite song and spin it out into the air. Alive from toes to fingertips, fully present and aware, you sense the life force moving in and through you. And it is beautiful. Because you have focused on the essentials of the heart, your gift is received gladly, for it rises from deep within and touches other hearts at their point of greatest need.
Let your true essence be the goal you seek, and seek to bring that true essence into everything you do—and everything you are. Let the song of love take flight in your life. Come explore the potential and magnificent power that has been buried beneath the clutter and confusion for so long. Enter into the freedom of simplicity.
Become aware of what is in you.
Announce it, pronounce it,
produce it, and give birth to it.
Meister Eckhart
Celebrate the Simple Things
I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life
which are the real ones after all.
Laura Ingalls Wilder
The simple life. Think about what the simple life really means. Does it mean we strip our lives down to the bare bones, give up our homes and our lives for a more ascetic experience? Or can we discover the simplicity that is within the complex lives we already lead?
I believe that simplicity is about focus and choice. In a life full of distractions, it’s easy to lose your focus and lose sight of the small simplicities that make up the fabric of everyday existence. These simplicities are the things we tend to pass over and take for granted—at least until some crisis or loss or tragedy takes them from us. Then suddenly we miss the small treasures we took for granted.
The simple things, like clean water or a loving hug or a light in the darkness, are the things that keep us grounded and remind us of our connection to the Life Force. They create a sense of safety and wholeness, cradling us in the here and now of creation. Simple things and simple choices make the difference between merely existing and real living. They are about values and character as much as about material possessions. Whether it is a choice to live life from the heart or a quiet appreciation of the small gifts of life, simple living is about simply living, finding a balance between being and doing, making the most of the life you have been given on earth, right here and right now.
Look at the simple things you enjoy. Let them be reminders that God is your source, and that there are many channels and ways for God’s good to flow into your life. When you are tempted to focus too much attention on what you don’t have, make a conscious decision to shift your focus to what you already have, and decide to appreciate it and enjoy it more fully and completely. Think of all the simple things you take for granted and thank God for them. Realize that each simple joy in life is God whispering that you are loved and supported by an abundant universe.
The obvious is that which is never seen until someone expresses it simply.
Kahlil Gibran
Here are a few of the simple things in life, to remind you that you are already rich in the things that count. Let them inspire you to count your own joyful simplicities and become aware of how much good God brings into your life every day.
… hot potatoes, butter, salt, pepper
… water flowing freely from a tap
… clear skies after a storm
… a kiss and a hug
… a roof over your head
… a safe place to sleep at night
… walking shoes and a trail
… home cooking
… an unexpected compliment
… grandparents holding grandbabies
… a hot shower or bath
… toilets that flush, plumbing that works
… soap and water
… a new book to read
… tea with your best friend
… a gentle wind in the tree tops
… the laughter of children
… dogs loving every second of life (and worshipping you no matter what you do)
… cats allowing you to be their servants (dogs have owners, cats have staff)
… a lighted candle
… rainbows
… a flat tire repaired
… fresh raspberries
… bedtime stories for little ones
… fresh veggies from the garden
… a full tank of gas
… good neighbors
… family reunions
… an umbrella on a rainy day
… cheering for your team
… anything young and innocent
… a mountain view
… sacred scriptures in your faith tradition
… a deer in the forest
… open windows
… a check in the mail
… clean laundry
… a quiet moment alone
… the sound of a voice you love to hear
… evening prayer
Essentials of the Heart
One should never be nervous about being asked to tackle anything. One has all the power necessary to achieve everything within oneself. It is only necessary to remember the power. If people are nervous, it is because they forget their potentialities and remember only their limitations.
Frank Lloyd Wright
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