Every person you and I travel these roads with have made their trek to us because they need us and what we know as much as we need them for what they can teach us. Iʼve mentioned this idea before no doubt but itʼs one worth further emphasis, I think, because of the importance of the journey we share. Knowing that every person is specific to our education means we donʼt have to be fearful about the experiences that present themselves. We have been guided to each experience and we will be led through it too. I have heard it said in many gatherings, that[...]
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Reflections in the Mirror – You and Yourself
2 My newest book: LIVING LONG, LIVING PASSIONATELY, 75 (and counting)WAYS TO BRING PEACE AND PURPOSE TO YOUR LIFE, was released Sept 1 by Conari and is available on Amazon and in bookstores. I am thrilled with it. I guess I'd have to say that I have been thrilled about every book I have published, but this one does feel a bit different. Perhaps that's because it's not specifically for folks in recovery, although I'd have to say that every book I have written has quite miraculously appealed to a wider audience than just recovering folks. This fact has convinc[...]
Circle of Family and Friends - You and Your Personal Community, Reflections in the Mirror - You and Yourself
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“Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think.”
I’m sure this quote by Buddah isn’t an unfamiliar idea. Perhaps you didn’t attribute it to him but undoubtedly you have heard an idea similar to this uttered many times over your life. It’s a popular notion among psychologists and psychiatrists. Gurus of the self-help movement have relied on it for years as the explanation of why people behave as they do. It’s also considered the easiest way for people to change aspects of their behavior. “As we think so we are.” A book I wrote a few years ago, CHANGE YOUR MIND AND YOUR LIFE WILL FOLLOW[...]
Karen's Musings, Reflections in the Mirror - You and Yourself, What I Believe - You and Your Higher Power
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Our need for one another is what heals us. . .
Admitting our vulnerability, dare I say fear and feelings of inadequacy, is what opens the door to our healing. Of this I am certain. And yet, we all know folks who simply can't "go there." And each of us has been one of those people in the past. Maybe the very recent past, in fact. There is no shame in that. It's so very human of us to want to appear to be different than we really are, particularly if we think the stakes are high. And there is no shame in that either. Being human isn't all that easy at times. I have talked about my emotional roll[...]
Karen's Musings, Reflections in the Mirror - You and Yourself, What I Believe - You and Your Higher Power
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A puppy update . . .
Nellie, our puppy, is getting both cuter and into more stuff as the days go by. I sure wish I had had children. I feel in the dark about so much of this training. Everyone keeps saying it's like having a baby. Well, never having had a child is a drawback, I can assure you. But she and I are figuring it out. One No! at a time. One treat at a time. Raising a puppy is kind of like getting sober, I have decided. You live in a place of doubt quite often. You think you are grasping the first step, and the next thing you know, you are trying to contr[...]
I was the moderator for an on-line meeting this morning and the topic was the above statement. I do know that when I am in a cranky mood, I need to take stock of all the good in my life. And were I to list it, I'd fill more than one page for sure. To begin with, I am so grateful to have a terrific husband to share my recovery journey. And for 39 years clean and sober, I am grateful beyond measure. May 24th, 1976, didn't seem like a particularly eventful day. But it marked the turning point in my life. I walked into my first AA meeting that evening[...]
I recently read a great quote attributed to Winston Churchill: "Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." I have yet to meet anyone either "in the rooms," or outside of them who doesn't fret about failure. Somewhere in our past, perhaps at the dinner table when we were young or in the many classrooms that demanded our attention over the years, we got the idea that failure was a bad thing, a shameful thing. That it would define us. That it determined whether or not we would ever amount to anything. Our worthiness as huma[...]
Perhaps this seems like an odd topic for a post, but sorting through the "stuff" of my life has garnered my attention since returning from Naples. And it feels good. I think approaching 76 has given me reason to pause. What more do I need to do? How do I best continue to fulfill the Will of God? What truly calls to me now? I am actually thrilled to be sitting in my study, going through my library, reading a bit, choosing which books to pass on to the thrift store, and in the process, revisiting some spiritual ideas that I hunger for once again. THE[...]
The last three weeks have flown by. That seems to be the case when aging is factored in. And I have become more aware of aging since my recent trip to Annapolis, MD. I suppose some of you saw my Facebook post about my excursion and subsequent fall in that fair city. It wasn't a pretty experience. I can't even say it was educational. Picking up my feet more intentionally would not have saved me from that particular fall. I wish I could say otherwise. However, I simply fell forward. With no warning. My nose hitting the pavement was my first aware[...]
About a month ago i was scheduled to do a women's retreat in Mount Pocono, PA. It was a group I had done retreats for a few other times. I was looking forward to the experience, as is true of every retreat or workshop experience I contract to do. Leading a group of women who are hungry for continued spiritual growth is what my calling is all about I believe. I love the interactions with the women. I love preparing my presentations, and I love making them. Speaking and writing simply make my heart sing with joy. And I am fortunate to be invited to do[...]