Image by Brigitte from Pixabay
Article narrated by Marie T. Russell
On awakening, bless this day, for it is already full of unseen good which your blessings will call forth; for to bless is to acknowledge the unlimited good that is embedded in the very texture of the universe and awaiting each and all.
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One of the greatest secrets of life is to know how to constantly marvel at existence and at the world. And one of the greatest avatars of history told us 2000 years ago that if we did not become like little children, we would not be able to enter the realm of inner fulfillment or know happiness.
One of the countless wonders of life is that it is constantly full of opportunities for amazement at every turn, and one of the tragedies of our consumer society is that it devalues those opportunities through relentless media hype.
Enthusiasm and Wonder
I have a friend in his 85th year who is a Vesuvius of enthusiasm. The smallest flower on a cliff, a particular bird song, a special sunset, an act of kindness that is out of the ordinary…. absolutely everything is an opportunity for him to get inspired.
I am aware that I am writing this for the privileged, and it was not my language when I would meet the women of the village of Semari in the Sahel who walked 40km. a day in 120°F temperatures in the sun to fetch water. But this is not our case. So let us dare to assume our privileges.
In every field, you will find opportunities to marvel, whether it is in sports as in the case of that 105 years old marathon runner from New York who took up running at 100 years of age, or so many unforgettable works of art, the slow magic of the arrival of spring, the smile of a child in the bus, the incredible functioning of the human body (35 to 40,000,000,000,000,000 cells all coordinated in a magical way. )
And let’s not forget nature: those almost 100 meter high sequoias, almost 3000 years old, in California… The old Tjikko in Sweden, a Norway spruce almost 10,000 years old, or Pando, that tree in Utah that has been cloning itself since 80,000 years from its root system and without seeds.
The list of the wonders of nature is endless.
And remember that enthusiasm is a valuable practice for boosting your health and morale… Free of charge.
Blessing: On Openness to Grace
I bless myself in my constant openness to grace – to grace happening in totally unexpected and often startling ways in my life.
I open myself to grace speaking to me in a thousand magical manners:
- the ecstatic song of praise of a lark soaring into the sky,
- the “chance” encounter with an old friend of many years’ standing or meeting a total stranger who opens up an undreamed of and totally unexpected door to solving a challenging problem,
- the beauty of sunset or the melody of a stream which appeases my deeply troubled heart,
- the sudden and unheralded healing of a human relationship or of a seemingly hopeless, menacing disease,
- the right text that “just” brings the needed enlightenment or wisdom,
- a silent moment when I suddenly feel the presence of an angel by my side.
Fresh Inspiration
Few things are as soul-killing as routine, drabness, repetitive, mechanical activity. Let us open ourselves to the possibility of ever-renewed freshness in our everyday lives, activities, relationships, spiritual life.
That which is performed with love can never be drab. Do you imagine a thrush or nightingale singing its glorious melody thinking, “I’m so tired of this same old song,” or the alpine edelweiss perched on an unreachable ledge at 10,000 feet lamenting, “Oh gosh! No one ever sees me – why preen myself every morning to make myself beautiful,” for it knows itself to be God’s smile to the planet and the passing eagle.
Blessing For The Fullness of This Day
I bless this day in the fullness of good it already contains, in the many occasions it offers to listen deeply, to be of service to others, to express gratitude moment by moment and to keep my mind so filled with love, beauty and joy that no negativity can find even the tiniest crack in which to set foot.|
I bless this day in the infinite opportunities it gives me to love: to love and bless every human I meet, every beast or bird I pass by, every plant I behold, for all are but the manifold expressions of the infinite Life that undergirds all.
Truly, I bless this day for the wonderful adventure it can become as I walk through it with the eyes of wonder rather than boredom, use every opportunity to express peace rather than irritation, and chose love over fear.
Thank you, Life, for this day.
©2021 by Pierre Pradervand. All Rights Reserved.
Reprinted with permission of the author
and taken from the author's blog and from his book.
Book by this Author
365 Blessings to Heal Myself and the World: Really Living One’s Spirituality in Everyday Life
by Pierre Pradervand.
Can you imagine what it would feel like to never feel any resentment for any wrong done to you, gossip or lie disseminated about you? To respond with full awareness to all situations and people rather than react from your gut? What freedom that would entail! Well, this is just one of the gifts the practice of blessing from the heart, i.e. sending out focused love energy, will do for you. This book, from the bestselling author of The Gentle Art of Blessing, will help you learn to bless all situations and people as you go through the day and add overwhelming joy and presence to your existence.
For more info and/or to order this book, click here. Also available as a Kindle edition.
More books by this Author
About The Author
Pierre Pradervand is the author of The Gentle Art of Blessing. He has worked, travelled and lived in over 40 countries on five continents, and has been leading workshops and teaching the art of blessing for many years, with remarkable responses and transformational results.
For over 20 years Pierre has been practising blessing and collecting testimonies of blessing as a tool for healing the heart, mind, body and soul.
Visit his website at https://gentleartofblessing.org
