"God is ready the moment you are. There is nothing to wait for except the changing of your consciousness."
--Emmet Fox
Topic of the Week
Habits of Reverence
A busier than usual schedule the last few months,
with deadlines, meetings, holiday activities,
house guests and sick kids has shifted me away
from the habits that provide sacred touchstones
in my day.
How easy it has been to give up the early morning
walk ‡ just for today, which has turned into ‡ just
for this week and then just until the snow melts.
The yoga, the journaling, and the conscious eating
have followed along and slipped out of rhythm.
When I tucked my youngest daughter into bed a few
nights ago, she took my hand and whispered, "Are
you stressed mom?" I didn't think I was but
reluctantly listened to her assessment.
Our children are often our finely tuned balance
barometers: they can sense a change in our inner
stability and will let us know one way or another.
I was out of balance and had unintentionally
eliminated my system for staying centered.
I'm glad Elizabeth woke me up.
What habits of reverence have you let slip?
We often think of eliminating bad habits rather
than adding actions that actualize the vision of
our lives into form.
We are trained to believe that only certain times
are sacred, but there is room for small habits of
reverence in even the busiest of lives -- dotted
throughout the landscape of details and drudgery.
Take some time this week to think about what habits
you might weave through your days so you can live
the life you envision with passion and enough energy
to whip up dinner while soothing your adolescent's
angst.
Some habits you might begin:
*Sip a cup of green tea. It takes an acquired
taste but the alchemy of warm goodness can lodge
you squarely in the moment.
*Wake up ten minutes earlier than usual and before
even getting out of bed visualize your day ahead
- picture in detail what you'd like to have happen.
Find your calm, centered place and you will be able
to get back there even when the day swirls around you.
*Make your bed and insist your kids make theirs.
This sounds like a silly habit but the comfort of
knowing our bed is tucked in and waiting for us as
we venture into a world beyond our control can help
us feel organized and centered.
*Over the holidays my daughter tied a silver ribbon
around the kitchen faucet. I've left it there as
my reminder, each time I see it, to give thanks for
this child's presence in my life. Where might you
tie a gratitude ribbon?
Go easy--this isn't one more item to add to your to
do list but rather a gentle opening to habits of reverence
your entire family might begin.
Let me know what habits are working for you and I'll
share them in future newsletters.
In the News
*Want to let other parents know about your
Spiritual Parenting Group? Send us your info: Mimi@SpiritualParenting.com and we will
list details here. There are many groups of
parents forming across the country to support
each other, focus on a principle per month,
hire guest speakers, and have a good time.
*Visit my column, The Spiritual Parent,
on www.BeliefNet.com (click on parenting). Make
sure to write your comments next to the article
in the dialogue board.
There is time......it is possible.....
You can add more spirit to your family life.
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