Blog Posts from Karen Casey

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December 14, 2009

Having hope is an inside job that requires practice. . .

Do you want to increase your own hope? Try these suggestions. They are guaranteed to work. Or your money back!! (Get a small notebook that you can carry with you everywhere and be ready to use it) 1. Begin noting how others on your path demonstrate their hope. Do this for a month. 2. Keep track of the times you extended love/hope to someone else over a seven day period. What effect does this extension have on you? 3. Practicing gratitude cultivates hope and a changed heart. At the end of each day for thirty days, write about your experiences. What change[...]

Your Experience, Strength and Hope

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December 12, 2009

Simple things we can do to become more hopeful. Now. . .

1. Ask God for help. 2. Let go! 3. Surrender. 4. Do one thing to inspire joy in some one else’s life each day. And make a note of this in a small note book. 5. Choose kindness with every response and feel it change your heart. 6, When feeling hopeless, choose a fond memory to change your perception. 7. Make a gratitude list to help you recall the good that has already happened. 8. Praying for others will change our hearts. 9. Peaceful acts create more hope in us and the world. 10. Using a gentle voice, always, can create more hope in us and others too[...]

Circle of Family and Friends - You and Your Personal Community

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December 10, 2009

The holidays can bring out the best or the worst in us. . .

I have always loved the holidays. I love the sparkling lights, the decorations, the carols and giving gifts to loved ones to let them know they matter to me. I have fond memories of how my family celebrated Christmas. We kids woke up early and hurried downstairs to see the gifts placed under the tree, while my parents sat watching, probably more tired than any thing else, pretending they were seeing what Santa had brought for the very first time. I usually got at least one thing I hoped for which made the day a success. That we had no fireplace, thus no c[...]

Circle of Family and Friends - You and Your Personal Community

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December 8, 2009

Giving away what we have received is how we keep it. . .

This simple aphorism is a bit of shorthand for living the good life. And I have been given the good life and my intent is to give away what I have learned from the many who are wiser than me. Among those things I want to give away at this gift-giving time is the suggestion that you, that all of us, slow down a bit and enjoy the simple pleasures that surround us. Every person on your path today, and every day, embodies one of those "moments of pleasure," if you choose to describe him or her that way. They have not arrived by accident. They are part of the[...]

Circle of Family and Friends - You and Your Personal Community

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December 5, 2009

Choosing simple principles to live by suggests wisdom . . .

I am a proponent of simple principles as my guideposts for living. One that greatly resonates with me is live and let live. The wish to control other people can be so strong and seductive. I have fought the urge to try to control others much of my life. I think insecurity and fear is what prompts it. But I know that every one of us is here to live out a very specific journey and I am not the camp director for any one else. Since I have finally gotten the hang of letting go of others, I experience much longer periods of peace in a 24 hour day. Giving u[...]

What I Believe - You and Your Higher Power

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December 2, 2009

Seeing our companions as specific to our journey. . .

Have you ever considered how really important to your growth every person you've met has been? Nary a one of them showed up accidentally. Amazing isn't it? I used to believe it was a coincidence when I met some one who felt special to my journey. Now I know they simply waited for the right time for our paths to intersect. I love this idea. It has given me comfort in myriad situations. I can't say "all meetings" were easy and gratifying in the moment, but hindsight is such a good teacher. My past is replete with circumstances and people who ushered[...]

Karen's Musings

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November 30, 2009

Tis the season to be jolly. . .

I am not your typical shopper. I don't run to shop the day after Thanksgiving. However, don't get me wrong; I am not above a good bargain. I simply choose to wander the malls, leisurely, until something strikes my fancy. I will pay my visit before the holiday actually arrives, but in the meantime, I do believe there are many additional ways to spread the joy of the season. The first one, and the easiest I might add, is to look into the eyes, often very tired eyes, of the other travelers on my path. Acknowledge them with a smile. Every one is deserv[...]

Your Experience, Strength and Hope

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November 26, 2009

My gratitude is overflowing. . .

I woke up this morning so happy to be alive and so grateful that I have been given, through my books and personal interactions at workshops and lectures, millions of opportunities to connect with all of you. In 1974 when I first entered a 12 Step room in Minneapolis, MN, I was terrified and hopeless. I couldn't fathom that I'd ever feel the way all of you looked that night. The laughter didn't penetrate, at first. I was convinced there was nothing to laugh about. But the message to come back got through to me. And I have been coming back ever since. A[...]

Circle of Family and Friends - You and Your Personal Community

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November 25, 2009

Deciding to be grateful can change the tenor of every moment. . .

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day but I feel a strong sense of gratitude every day of my life. I have recently started another 4th Step inventory, recalling fond memories from my childhood. The less fond ones don't need my attention any more. But I do think each memory, those painful ones as well as the happier ones, have served a very important role in my life and for all of them I now practice gratitude. Who ever we are today is a composite of the entire drama of our lives. And I like who I have become. Being able to say this is very important I think. A[...]

What I Believe - You and Your Higher Power

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November 23, 2009

Every time we make eye contact, we are experiencing a holy encounter. . .

What a glorious opportunity we have to shift the universe just a tiny bit if we look into the eyes of the many people we see for just one day, offering them a smile or a nod of the head. This simple acknowledgment lets them know they have been seen; that they are not invisible beings with no connection to the world around them. Too many people live lives of quiet desperation, knowing little more than isolation, but we can be the connecting rod that lets them know they matter. To us. People have honored us in this way. It's our turn to pass it on, to "pay[...]