resilience

I got a book recommended by my therapist that is CHANGING MY LIFE for the BETTER.... it's apparently one of the new ways psychology is going these days-the study of being resilient in life. Carol's book is FULL of faith, (but not any specific faith) and hope when you have none! Her book expands on how we (should) deal with grief (ie: go through the grief, feel the feelings to get past them and grow from the experience) to any and all difficult emotions that come up for any reason... If you feel overwhelmed in life for any reason, do check out:

The Art of Resilience: 100 Paths to Wisdom and Strength in an Uncertain World
by Carol Orsborn

or any book on learning the art of resilience in life! ~ Lyne this July, 2015

Realizations I've Gained ...so far-

Despite Carol's style of writing (occasional double negatives, or grammar that is a bit confusing for my dyslexic brain) this book is so worth my taking the time to rewrite or rethink some of her important points - in sentences that seem clearer to me… For example:

The idea that my Higher Power (I often use the term "Higher Self") has empathy for my suffering is new to me. I think I had the idea that my Higher Self was more set apart for me.

But when I read the following quote of a Rabbi's words in this book:

"you can weep over your suffering until you despair, or you can feel in your weeping that God weeps along with you." Carol goes on to say: This is my God. Not God who is the source of my suffering. But rather God who shares the burden of my sorrow and who promises me that never need I suffer alone.

I translated the last sentence for my own understanding and belief system to read:

My Higher Self is not the source of my suffering but rather my Higher Self shares the burden of my sorrow and promises me that I will never suffer alone.
i.e.: My Higher Self weeps with me!

The idea that my Higher Self feels for everything I go through helps me to feel that my Higher Self is more and is less set up part from me!

Equally valuable is the section entitled: Direct Your Complaints Upward

In this section I gained the understanding that "complaining" to your higher power can actually be a very empowering thing to do! That sounds weird doesn't it? I mean I don't like to be a complainer or a whiner and yet when my inner thoughts are going around and around from being overwhelmed and somewhat depressed, it's a new idea for me that I could actually express these feelings to my Higher Self. I decided to give the little example in the book a try. I inserted the term Higher Self in the sentences that Carol provides and as I read them, I felt an almost magical sense of power. It's difficult to explain, but somehow truly expressing my feelings in this manner to a power higher than my current limited perspective/personality caused me to feel that my feelings were being acknowledged, understood, and empathized with!

Carol goes on to say that oddly enough you don't need to believe that this works for it to be effective… Those words remind me of the book I read long time ago called The Power of Your Subconscious Mind (referred to in my spiritual journey section). That book too, encouraged me just to express the words and thoughts and wait to see what happens-which I did, letting the concepts prove themselves out to me. Well, Carol's concepts are proving themselves to me pretty much immediately as I digest each section!
This is pretty darn exciting as I am feeling that I am now embarking on a new journey of growth and discovery at this time in my life, when what I had been feeling lately is that I was floundering. It's pretty exciting to finally have a sense of purpose again in my life!