I Believe . . .

. . . in the spiritual precepts of Simple Abundance. You may know Sara Ban Breathnach's timeless Daybook of Comfort and Joy that was published in the mid-1990s. It is my go-to book when I need to rediscover my own spirituality. Her truths are just as valid today as they were some 20 years ago, and every other year, I take up my now-battered copy of the book and reread the meditations—starting on January 1 and reading one each day. I love finding notes that I’ve scribbled in the margins and excerpts I’ve highlighted—ah-ha moments from past years.

The six principles of Simple Abundance are gratitude, simplicity, order, harmony, beauty, and joy.  Sara calls them the “Six Graces,” and she takes each one and spends two months exploring it, talking about ways to achieve those ideals in your life. At one point she writes,
“Learning to live in the present moment is a part of the path of joy.”
Wow, what a concept! I need those words right now. I need to take them to myself, take them into my heart and my soul. For the past few weeks, I’ve been absorbed in book sales--watching my Amazon dashboard graph, doing a happy dance when it’s up and fuming when it drops back again. The stress and worry has prevented me from writing. How ironic is that? Selling books is giving me writer’s block.

But, today, I made a conscious decision to stop stewing and obsessively checking my dashboard. I’m letting go of sales and marketing stress. It’s not serving me, and besides, outside of doing sensible promotions, I can’t, in any way, control what happens with these novels. I’ve had lots of people tell me they read and loved the Women of Willow Bay books and are looking forward to more. Those words warm my heart and remind me why I wrote the books in the first place. Because I love to write.

So, I’m getting back to the joy of writing. Back to listening to the people in my head and weaving stories about them. Back to the creative process--to storytelling. And most especially back to the here and now. No more vexed and anxious thoughts about how the books are selling and whether or not my Amazon ranking is at all respectable.

Instead, now, I’m going to revel in the wondrous fact that I've written four novels and they're all published! I’m going to rejoice in the knowledge that I’m working on another, have one on the back burner, and a long line of characters in my imagination waiting for their stories to be told. I’m going to be grateful for my work and my writing and my family and my friends.

I have an adorable Grandboy, lots of people who love me, and a terrific job. Summer is coming, and I am a great writer. I am blessed. So, I’m staying in the present—I’m opting for the joy of now. 2016 is the year for me to celebrate the Simple Abundance in my life.

Comments

  1. Yay for the present! And for you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed yay for the here and now! Hope you're enjoying yours in Chicago! <>

      Delete
  2. I'm going to check out this book...Thanks for the rec, Nan!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You won't regret it, Kristi--it'll ground you. Smiling at you, baby!

      Delete
  3. The present is a beautiful place to stay. No worries about tomorrow or regrets about yesterday. Keep writing. Your books have a very special place in my heart and my Kindle! Happy spring!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carolyn, you are a blessing! Thank you! So glad you're enjoying the WOWB and yup, I'm writing in the now! Smiles!!

      Delete
  4. Beautiful thoughts for today - and all of our life. Being thankful, in the moment, and being kind - for me -is the only way to live a meaningful life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Em, so glad you stopped by! Thank you and yes, those are two precepts to live by! Smiles to you!

      Delete

Post a Comment