Reflections on
"Simple Abundance"
July ~ Days 24-31
Month of July ~ Slow Down
"Lovely July...with the evocative murmur of honey bees on the wing and the smell of sun tan cream". (Cynthia Wickham)
"The pursuit of happiness becomes our personal priority this month, as the sweet strains of the fourth Simple Abundance principle ~ Harmoney ~ start to be heard in our hearts.
July 24 ~ Paying a High Price
Are you suffering from "privacy deprivation syndrome"? This is the name psyclologists have given to people who are burned out because they never took time for themselves. The build up of pressures from the day that never were released in a private 'time-out' to replenish their spirits, has left millions of people suffering from this "privacy deprivation syndrome".
Symptoms range from short fuses and quickly lost tempers to frequent tears and feelings of hopelessness. Physical tiredness that results in more difficulty warding off illnesses only clarify that it is just important physically as mentally to make time for yourself. If you would not expect your best friend to do the same things you are doing (if you were in charge of making out their list), then you are abusing yourself because there is no one there to speak up for you. Hello? If you are not for you, who will be??? Please be kind to yourself. Others will not respect you more than they see you respect yourself - what messages are you sending out to others?
Please don't get caught up in PRIDE. People who are doing too much may think pride is the last problem they have...but in fact, it is a biggie. I finally realized that in order to get people to quit trying to make me do there work, I had to explain to them that I wasn't able to finish the work I had of my own and I didn't feel too great. That was a real ego deflater, because I liked having people think I was a ball of fire that could do anything. Anything? Like my work and their work? Time for a reality check, the only glory in that is they don't have to do their own work so they feel great!
Please budget your time wisely. You will not be able to add someone else's time to your day if you took their job over because they didn't want to do it. You only lost your time and they still have theirs. I know I talk about this alot, but it is because I feel alot of women are worn thin from picking up what others let drop. I even had someone ask me to fix her dress. She proudly told me she had the skill and time to do it, she just didn't want to. (Did I mention this person didn't work and didn't have any one she had to do anything for?) I almost did it ...then I thought about the time I would have to use and take from caring for my son, getting ready for activities I was responsible for at his school and church ...-and I calmly told her I didn't want to do it either. Would you believe there was a day I would have thrown a hectic wrench into the day and spent hours on her dress just because she didn't want to and asked me to, leaving my own husband and son in the lurch? :)
July 25 ~ Opening a Door That Separates 2 Worlds
"There are voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
When we spend time that is just ours, we give the 'gift that keeps on giving'. We hear our voice and heart and are able to make sure our course is on track. Once we delve back into the daily world, that voice becomes fainter and fainter, and will disappear if we don't continually seek renewel.
Consider your time in contemplation the same for your spirit as your daily bath is for your body. You submerge yourself into it, it washes away all the outer layer of 'stuff' that has clung to you thru-out the day, leaving only the geniune article shimmering, clean and fresh, when freed from it's build up of the worlds daily offerings. As the water refreshes us and cradles our tired bodies, chipping away at our outward layer, so does the time we spend in solitude, reflection, dreaming, and praying gift us with power and strength to rise to our best in our daily lives.
Do not take your time lightly. That time will clarify who you are and keep you on path.
July 26 ~ Discovering what you'd like to do, if you ever had time....
"Develop interest in life as you see it: in people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself." (Henry Miller)
If you are living a life that feels like it is all drudgery then you have not learned to find time for yourself...quiet time....and time to ENJOY something that perks your interest. The zest for living is renewed when we do these things - and you will be amazed at how much less the real work seems like drudgery when you have time to renew and enjoy yourself! It could be it isn't drudgery at all ...it's just that you are so mentally and spiritually exhausted that you can barely keep going.
July 27 ~ Solitary Pleasures
...we have been warned about solitary vices. Have solitary pleasures ever been adequately praised? Do many people know they exist?" (Jessamyn West)
Consider giving your brain something to work on that is not for money or 'have to'. It may be hard to even remember what kind of thing you are drawn to. Here's a starter list to look at and think about if those things appeal to you: sketching, writing poetry, playing an instrument, studying a foreign language, handcrafts, taking walks. It may sound funny, but I have even sat down with a coloring book and crayons when I needed a simple distraction and didn't feel 'up to' much.
Do as Henry Miller suggest in today's quote, give yourself time breaks to 'forget yourself' (problems and duties) and you may find that when you are renewed, even work is a way to express yourself and feel good about again.
July 28 ~ The Pli� of Pleasure
Martha Graham advises us that our way of expressing ourselves is unique, something no one else can do and bring to light like we can. "And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost."
Sarah says "Pursuing a hobby warms up our talents and illuminates our natural inclinations. ...commit to bringing more fun into your life, and what was once inconceivable will soon become impossible to live without."
I hope you have found something to start bringing your creativity out from where it is hidden inside you so it is a visible pleasure living not in you, but thru you!
July 29 ~ The Home as a Hobby
I love my home ....how about you? Is your home a place that not only rocks you in it's cradle when you need comfort, but also peeks your interest and draws you into an exhange of matching your ideas with it's waiting canvas.
Do you dread doing work around the house and think you would rather skip it?
If you stop to think about it ...whenever you are cleaning an area of your home, you are doing the equivolent of painting on a canvas. As you straighten and move the objects around, you are applying your 'art' and creativity to produce an effect that will bring joy and comfort to you when you are witnessing it and surrounded by it. I am a firm believer in the effect - positive or negative that comes from living in your surroundings. As adults, we are the ones creating that surrounding. True, money is going to dictate if your house is a mansion or a cabin, and health will effect your ability to do as much as you would like BUT, don't take lightly the awesome power of your love and care that will be reflected in your home. Please don't ignore your home and it's reflective message to you if you are living alone. It only takes one to be family in your heart, because a family is going take your caring and co-operation to make it work, you are that person that is needed to care for yourself and your home. Think of yourself with love today, and know you are the closest person who cares for you, and be willing to 'do it for you'.
COZY DWELLING
By Thelma L. Moon
It's just a room, a simple room,
With no pretentious air,
But there's a warmth that radiates
From every freindly chair.
A patterned rug adorns the floor,
The furniture is old,
And sunset clings at close of day
To paint them all with gold.
In summer, through the open door,
Warm breezes dance and play
And bring with them the fragrance of
The roses by the way.
When all the earth is wrapped in snow,
And winter's sharp winds call,
Our fireplace sends forth a glow
That dances on the wall.
It's just a room, a simple room,
Perhaps a little bare,
But full of dreams and memories,
For family love is there.
*In order to understand the full context of these reflections, you will enjoy your own copy of the Sarah Ban Breathnach book:
"Simple Abundance ~ A Daybook of Comfort and joy"
Sarah's Website ~ ENJOY!: www.simpleabundance.com
Uploaded July 2001
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED-COPYRIGHT 2001
This page hosted by 
Get your own Free Home Page
Month of July ~ Slow Down
"Lovely July...with the evocative murmur of honey bees on the wing and the smell of sun tan cream". (Cynthia Wickham)
"The pursuit of happiness becomes our personal priority this month, as the sweet strains of the fourth Simple Abundance principle ~ Harmoney ~ start to be heard in our hearts.
July 24 ~ Paying a High Price
Are you suffering from "privacy deprivation syndrome"? This is the name psyclologists have given to people who are burned out because they never took time for themselves. The build up of pressures from the day that never were released in a private 'time-out' to replenish their spirits, has left millions of people suffering from this "privacy deprivation syndrome".
Symptoms range from short fuses and quickly lost tempers to frequent tears and feelings of hopelessness. Physical tiredness that results in more difficulty warding off illnesses only clarify that it is just important physically as mentally to make time for yourself. If you would not expect your best friend to do the same things you are doing (if you were in charge of making out their list), then you are abusing yourself because there is no one there to speak up for you. Hello? If you are not for you, who will be??? Please be kind to yourself. Others will not respect you more than they see you respect yourself - what messages are you sending out to others?
Please don't get caught up in PRIDE. People who are doing too much may think pride is the last problem they have...but in fact, it is a biggie. I finally realized that in order to get people to quit trying to make me do there work, I had to explain to them that I wasn't able to finish the work I had of my own and I didn't feel too great. That was a real ego deflater, because I liked having people think I was a ball of fire that could do anything. Anything? Like my work and their work? Time for a reality check, the only glory in that is they don't have to do their own work so they feel great!
Please budget your time wisely. You will not be able to add someone else's time to your day if you took their job over because they didn't want to do it. You only lost your time and they still have theirs. I know I talk about this alot, but it is because I feel alot of women are worn thin from picking up what others let drop. I even had someone ask me to fix her dress. She proudly told me she had the skill and time to do it, she just didn't want to. (Did I mention this person didn't work and didn't have any one she had to do anything for?) I almost did it ...then I thought about the time I would have to use and take from caring for my son, getting ready for activities I was responsible for at his school and church ...-and I calmly told her I didn't want to do it either. Would you believe there was a day I would have thrown a hectic wrench into the day and spent hours on her dress just because she didn't want to and asked me to, leaving my own husband and son in the lurch? :)
July 25 ~ Opening a Door That Separates 2 Worlds
"There are voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
When we spend time that is just ours, we give the 'gift that keeps on giving'. We hear our voice and heart and are able to make sure our course is on track. Once we delve back into the daily world, that voice becomes fainter and fainter, and will disappear if we don't continually seek renewel.
Consider your time in contemplation the same for your spirit as your daily bath is for your body. You submerge yourself into it, it washes away all the outer layer of 'stuff' that has clung to you thru-out the day, leaving only the geniune article shimmering, clean and fresh, when freed from it's build up of the worlds daily offerings. As the water refreshes us and cradles our tired bodies, chipping away at our outward layer, so does the time we spend in solitude, reflection, dreaming, and praying gift us with power and strength to rise to our best in our daily lives.
Do not take your time lightly. That time will clarify who you are and keep you on path.
July 26 ~ Discovering what you'd like to do, if you ever had time....
"Develop interest in life as you see it: in people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself." (Henry Miller)
If you are living a life that feels like it is all drudgery then you have not learned to find time for yourself...quiet time....and time to ENJOY something that perks your interest. The zest for living is renewed when we do these things - and you will be amazed at how much less the real work seems like drudgery when you have time to renew and enjoy yourself! It could be it isn't drudgery at all ...it's just that you are so mentally and spiritually exhausted that you can barely keep going.
July 27 ~ Solitary Pleasures
...we have been warned about solitary vices. Have solitary pleasures ever been adequately praised? Do many people know they exist?" (Jessamyn West)
Consider giving your brain something to work on that is not for money or 'have to'. It may be hard to even remember what kind of thing you are drawn to. Here's a starter list to look at and think about if those things appeal to you: sketching, writing poetry, playing an instrument, studying a foreign language, handcrafts, taking walks. It may sound funny, but I have even sat down with a coloring book and crayons when I needed a simple distraction and didn't feel 'up to' much.
Do as Henry Miller suggest in today's quote, give yourself time breaks to 'forget yourself' (problems and duties) and you may find that when you are renewed, even work is a way to express yourself and feel good about again.
July 28 ~ The Pli� of Pleasure
Martha Graham advises us that our way of expressing ourselves is unique, something no one else can do and bring to light like we can. "And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost."
Sarah says "Pursuing a hobby warms up our talents and illuminates our natural inclinations. ...commit to bringing more fun into your life, and what was once inconceivable will soon become impossible to live without."
I hope you have found something to start bringing your creativity out from where it is hidden inside you so it is a visible pleasure living not in you, but thru you!
July 29 ~ The Home as a Hobby
I love my home ....how about you? Is your home a place that not only rocks you in it's cradle when you need comfort, but also peeks your interest and draws you into an exhange of matching your ideas with it's waiting canvas.
Do you dread doing work around the house and think you would rather skip it?
If you stop to think about it ...whenever you are cleaning an area of your home, you are doing the equivolent of painting on a canvas. As you straighten and move the objects around, you are applying your 'art' and creativity to produce an effect that will bring joy and comfort to you when you are witnessing it and surrounded by it. I am a firm believer in the effect - positive or negative that comes from living in your surroundings. As adults, we are the ones creating that surrounding. True, money is going to dictate if your house is a mansion or a cabin, and health will effect your ability to do as much as you would like BUT, don't take lightly the awesome power of your love and care that will be reflected in your home. Please don't ignore your home and it's reflective message to you if you are living alone. It only takes one to be family in your heart, because a family is going take your caring and co-operation to make it work, you are that person that is needed to care for yourself and your home. Think of yourself with love today, and know you are the closest person who cares for you, and be willing to 'do it for you'.
COZY DWELLING
By Thelma L. Moon
It's just a room, a simple room,
With no pretentious air,
But there's a warmth that radiates
From every freindly chair.
A patterned rug adorns the floor,
The furniture is old,
And sunset clings at close of day
To paint them all with gold.
In summer, through the open door,
Warm breezes dance and play
And bring with them the fragrance of
The roses by the way.
When all the earth is wrapped in snow,
And winter's sharp winds call,
Our fireplace sends forth a glow
That dances on the wall.
It's just a room, a simple room,
Perhaps a little bare,
But full of dreams and memories,
For family love is there.
*In order to understand the full context of these reflections, you will enjoy your own copy of the Sarah Ban Breathnach book:
"Simple Abundance ~ A Daybook of Comfort and joy"
Sarah's Website ~ ENJOY!: www.simpleabundance.com
Uploaded July 2001
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED-COPYRIGHT 2001
This page hosted by
Get your own Free Home Page
"Lovely July...with the evocative murmur of honey bees on the wing and the smell of sun tan cream". (Cynthia Wickham)
"The pursuit of happiness becomes our personal priority this month, as the sweet strains of the fourth Simple Abundance principle ~ Harmoney ~ start to be heard in our hearts.
July 24 ~ Paying a High Price
Are you suffering from "privacy deprivation syndrome"? This is the name psyclologists have given to people who are burned out because they never took time for themselves. The build up of pressures from the day that never were released in a private 'time-out' to replenish their spirits, has left millions of people suffering from this "privacy deprivation syndrome".
Symptoms range from short fuses and quickly lost tempers to frequent tears and feelings of hopelessness. Physical tiredness that results in more difficulty warding off illnesses only clarify that it is just important physically as mentally to make time for yourself. If you would not expect your best friend to do the same things you are doing (if you were in charge of making out their list), then you are abusing yourself because there is no one there to speak up for you. Hello? If you are not for you, who will be??? Please be kind to yourself. Others will not respect you more than they see you respect yourself - what messages are you sending out to others?
Please don't get caught up in PRIDE. People who are doing too much may think pride is the last problem they have...but in fact, it is a biggie. I finally realized that in order to get people to quit trying to make me do there work, I had to explain to them that I wasn't able to finish the work I had of my own and I didn't feel too great. That was a real ego deflater, because I liked having people think I was a ball of fire that could do anything. Anything? Like my work and their work? Time for a reality check, the only glory in that is they don't have to do their own work so they feel great!
Please budget your time wisely. You will not be able to add someone else's time to your day if you took their job over because they didn't want to do it. You only lost your time and they still have theirs. I know I talk about this alot, but it is because I feel alot of women are worn thin from picking up what others let drop. I even had someone ask me to fix her dress. She proudly told me she had the skill and time to do it, she just didn't want to. (Did I mention this person didn't work and didn't have any one she had to do anything for?) I almost did it ...then I thought about the time I would have to use and take from caring for my son, getting ready for activities I was responsible for at his school and church ...-and I calmly told her I didn't want to do it either. Would you believe there was a day I would have thrown a hectic wrench into the day and spent hours on her dress just because she didn't want to and asked me to, leaving my own husband and son in the lurch? :)
July 25 ~ Opening a Door That Separates 2 Worlds
"There are voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
When we spend time that is just ours, we give the 'gift that keeps on giving'. We hear our voice and heart and are able to make sure our course is on track. Once we delve back into the daily world, that voice becomes fainter and fainter, and will disappear if we don't continually seek renewel.
Consider your time in contemplation the same for your spirit as your daily bath is for your body. You submerge yourself into it, it washes away all the outer layer of 'stuff' that has clung to you thru-out the day, leaving only the geniune article shimmering, clean and fresh, when freed from it's build up of the worlds daily offerings. As the water refreshes us and cradles our tired bodies, chipping away at our outward layer, so does the time we spend in solitude, reflection, dreaming, and praying gift us with power and strength to rise to our best in our daily lives.
Do not take your time lightly. That time will clarify who you are and keep you on path.
July 26 ~ Discovering what you'd like to do, if you ever had time....
"Develop interest in life as you see it: in people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself." (Henry Miller)
If you are living a life that feels like it is all drudgery then you have not learned to find time for yourself...quiet time....and time to ENJOY something that perks your interest. The zest for living is renewed when we do these things - and you will be amazed at how much less the real work seems like drudgery when you have time to renew and enjoy yourself! It could be it isn't drudgery at all ...it's just that you are so mentally and spiritually exhausted that you can barely keep going.
July 27 ~ Solitary Pleasures
...we have been warned about solitary vices. Have solitary pleasures ever been adequately praised? Do many people know they exist?" (Jessamyn West)
Consider giving your brain something to work on that is not for money or 'have to'. It may be hard to even remember what kind of thing you are drawn to. Here's a starter list to look at and think about if those things appeal to you: sketching, writing poetry, playing an instrument, studying a foreign language, handcrafts, taking walks. It may sound funny, but I have even sat down with a coloring book and crayons when I needed a simple distraction and didn't feel 'up to' much. Do as Henry Miller suggest in today's quote, give yourself time breaks to 'forget yourself' (problems and duties) and you may find that when you are renewed, even work is a way to express yourself and feel good about again.
July 28 ~ The Pli� of Pleasure
Martha Graham advises us that our way of expressing ourselves is unique, something no one else can do and bring to light like we can. "And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost."
Sarah says "Pursuing a hobby warms up our talents and illuminates our natural inclinations. ...commit to bringing more fun into your life, and what was once inconceivable will soon become impossible to live without."
I hope you have found something to start bringing your creativity out from where it is hidden inside you so it is a visible pleasure living not in you, but thru you!
July 29 ~ The Home as a Hobby
I love my home ....how about you? Is your home a place that not only rocks you in it's cradle when you need comfort, but also peeks your interest and draws you into an exhange of matching your ideas with it's waiting canvas.
Do you dread doing work around the house and think you would rather skip it?
If you stop to think about it ...whenever you are cleaning an area of your home, you are doing the equivolent of painting on a canvas. As you straighten and move the objects around, you are applying your 'art' and creativity to produce an effect that will bring joy and comfort to you when you are witnessing it and surrounded by it. I am a firm believer in the effect - positive or negative that comes from living in your surroundings. As adults, we are the ones creating that surrounding. True, money is going to dictate if your house is a mansion or a cabin, and health will effect your ability to do as much as you would like BUT, don't take lightly the awesome power of your love and care that will be reflected in your home. Please don't ignore your home and it's reflective message to you if you are living alone. It only takes one to be family in your heart, because a family is going take your caring and co-operation to make it work, you are that person that is needed to care for yourself and your home. Think of yourself with love today, and know you are the closest person who cares for you, and be willing to 'do it for you'.
COZY DWELLING
By Thelma L. Moon
It's just a room, a simple room,
With no pretentious air,
But there's a warmth that radiates
From every freindly chair.
A patterned rug adorns the floor,
The furniture is old,
And sunset clings at close of day
To paint them all with gold.
In summer, through the open door,
Warm breezes dance and play
And bring with them the fragrance of
The roses by the way.
When all the earth is wrapped in snow,
And winter's sharp winds call,
Our fireplace sends forth a glow
That dances on the wall.
It's just a room, a simple room,
Perhaps a little bare,
But full of dreams and memories,
For family love is there.
*In order to understand the full context of these reflections, you will enjoy your own copy of the Sarah Ban Breathnach book:
"Simple Abundance ~ A Daybook of Comfort and joy"
Sarah's Website ~ ENJOY!: www.simpleabundance.com
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED-COPYRIGHT 2001
This page hosted by
Get your own Free Home Page
