Well, I put the pictures of my parents and me here because #8 on the list I'm about to post has to do with parents. Besides, I like showing them off! I'm doing my best to spend as much time (and quality time that is) as I can these days. Life is short and I really feel it's important to spend this time with people you love. And...I love my parents!
Now, getting to my post. Years ago, while going through some difficult times in my life, I came upon a book by Geri Larkin called "Stumbling Toward Enlightenment." I was always drawn to the Buddhist way of life but had such a difficult time grasping the tenets of that way of life. So, one day in the bookstore while desperately seeking some book which would give me solace, I saw the title of this book and I just knew I had to buy it. I was stumbling...big time! Well, it got read, and re-read and marked up and dog-eared over that summer and, to this day, I still go back and read through sections of it.
This evening I opened the book to the chapter on Fear, Worry and Shame and it began with a list of Twelve Steps for Dealing with Misery (I had A LOT of underlinings and notes in that chapter!).
So, here are the Twelve Steps for Dealing with Misery according to Geri Larkin:
Now, these may seem a bit harsh to some of you but, I assure you, at the time I bought this book (and I was VERY miserable), I worked on...well at least 11 of those steps (Don't think I'd have the courage to do step 7 quite yet.)
Although Larkin wrote these steps for dealing with misery, they are really good steps to help you lead a more peaceful life. Really.
Now, getting to my post. Years ago, while going through some difficult times in my life, I came upon a book by Geri Larkin called "Stumbling Toward Enlightenment." I was always drawn to the Buddhist way of life but had such a difficult time grasping the tenets of that way of life. So, one day in the bookstore while desperately seeking some book which would give me solace, I saw the title of this book and I just knew I had to buy it. I was stumbling...big time! Well, it got read, and re-read and marked up and dog-eared over that summer and, to this day, I still go back and read through sections of it.
This evening I opened the book to the chapter on Fear, Worry and Shame and it began with a list of Twelve Steps for Dealing with Misery (I had A LOT of underlinings and notes in that chapter!).
So, here are the Twelve Steps for Dealing with Misery according to Geri Larkin:
- Get over yourself. You are not the center of the universe. (Yup, that was me!)
- Repeat a hundred times a day: Nobody can read my mind. (Something my boyfriend could attest to)
- Stop watching the news. If it's bad enough you'll hear about it. (Got rid of my TV years ago so I am not being bombarded with the network news of choice since I really don't see any of them as being fair and balanced.)
- Change jobs. (I like mine too much to change right now - I just keep adding new ways to make money)
- Move. (Something I'm working on to happen in the next few years)
- Buy some new clothes from the consignment shop. (Do that all the time)
- Shave your head so there will be something new to focus on. (I'm not even going there!!!!)
- Forgive your parents. (Done...and they have forgiven theirs...who have forgiven theirs...etc. etc. - it's all about the conditioning in our early years - more on that in The Four Agreements by Ruiz)
- Repeat number eight for all your former mates. (Repeat for anyone you feel the need to forgive. Forgiveness is more about you and not the other person - also more on that in The Four Agreements)
- Reintroduce calming music into your life. (This I do ALL the time - love Windham Hill collections)
- Babysit someone else's kid. A baby with colic is good. (I've been doing that for a looooong time. In fact, the nieces and nephews I've taken care of over weekends are all now grown up - in fact I'll probably be babysitting my oldest niece's child soon - she's pregnant!. It was always fun going for walks, hikes, restaurants, museums, parks...they (and I) always love it.)
- Quit reading your horoscope. (Stopped doing that YEARS ago!)
Now, these may seem a bit harsh to some of you but, I assure you, at the time I bought this book (and I was VERY miserable), I worked on...well at least 11 of those steps (Don't think I'd have the courage to do step 7 quite yet.)
Although Larkin wrote these steps for dealing with misery, they are really good steps to help you lead a more peaceful life. Really.
RSS Feed