This week’s winners are: Judy Coates and Ann Diener. Congratulations! A brand new go-round is underway as of now, so be sure to comment if you want to be entered for next Monday’s prize.
Now for the blog I actually wrote on Friday, and didn’t get to post until today, due to technical difficulties. 🙂
I met a goal today. Can you guess what it is?
I blogged every day this week! (Well, last week.) YES!
Since New Year’s Day, I’ve been using Danielle LaPorte’s “Desire Map Day Planner”—you can see it at DanielleLaPorte.com. As you may recall from earlier blogs, Danielle is the author of “The Desire Map”, a book I liked so much that I gave away copies on the blog. (I will be doing similar giveaways in the future.) Danielle’s technique focuses on feeling, the theory being that it isn’t the car/job/lover/lottery win, etc. that we really want when we set a goal, it’s the feeling we believe we’ll have when our wish comes true. Therefore, it makes sense to figure out how we want to feel and try to head in that direction. I’m loving this particular experience.
Since we’re on the topic of Things That Work for Linda—obviously, my hope is that some or all of them will work for you as well—here are a few more:
THE COURSE IN MIRACLES. I’ve been studying this book most mornings since July, and I have been blessed in SO many ways. Since the Course has a reputation for being New Agey and ‘channeled’, and I was raised in the church, I was wary of it for years. Well, as my Southern cousin Doris would say, butter my butt and call me a biscuit. This book is GREAT, life-changing, even, and there’s nothing—I repeat, nothing–in it to conflict with my Christian beliefs. The Course teaches peace, love, forgiveness and how to enjoy a genuine relationship with God. I thought this was bad because—?
Because I didn’t know what I was talking about, that’s why. I had truly judged a book by its cover.
EXERCISE. I’d been in Weight Watchers for months before I started riding my exercise bike 5 days a week. In the beginning, it was hard, because I thought I hated exercise. J I had to force myself to do it, actually—and now, a few short months later, I would have to force myself not to do it. If it helps me lose more weight, I’ll be thrilled, but this time around, that’s not the main reason for my commitment to the process. 45 minutes on my bike energizes me, helps me keep my spirits up, and does wonderful things for my health.
CENTERING PRAYER/MEDITATION. I’ve been meditating for a short time, but I’ve already noticed the benefits, and I plan to keep it up. Listening to a very short audiobook, “Father Keating on Prayer”, inspired me to switch to silent prayer instead—and I was blown away by the sense of peace and well-being I discovered the very first time I tried. And I’ll never forget one thing Father Keating said in the book—and I’m paraphrasing—“God is closer to you than you are to yourself.” WOW.
There are other things that work for me, so I’ll tell you more when I blog on Monday (make that Tuesday). Have a good weekend, be kind to yourself as well as others, and know that I think of you often.
About Linda
The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West.
Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a horse property outside Spokane.
