Affirmations, Blessings, Prayers and Inspired Ideas for Life's Journey
Better
than if there were thousands
of meaningless words is
one
meaningful
word
that on hearing
brings peace.
Better
than if there were thousands
of meaningless verses is
one
meaningful
verse
that on hearing
brings peace.
And better than chanting hundreds
of meaningless verses is
one
Dhamma-saying
that on hearing
brings peace.
—Dhammapada, VIIIii, attributed to Buddha
This post is an excerpt from Prayers for Calm by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon.
KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE
All you who sleep tonight
Far from the ones you love,
No hand to left or right,
And emptiness above—
Know that you aren’t alone.
The whole world shares your tears,
Some for two nights or one,
And some for all their years.
—Vikram Seth
YOU WON’T FEEL THIS WAY FOREVER
That’s how you stay alive.
When it hurts so much you can’t breathe,
that’s how you survive.
By remembering that,
one day, somehow, impossibly,
you won’t feel this way.
It won’t hurt this much.
—Grey’s Anatomy
ETERNAL LOVE FOR ALL IN THE WORLD
For as long as space endures
And for as long as living beings remain
Until then may I too abide
To dispel the misery of the world.
—Shantideva
This post is an excerpt from Prayers for Calm by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon.
HAPPINESS IS WORTH STRIVING FOR
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
—Max Ehrmann, 1927
WITH DEEP PRAYER COMES DEEP PEACE
Pray for what you cannot see.
Pray clearly
for what you can only faintly grasp.
Pray silently
from the core of your being.
Pray for healing.
Pray for humanity.
Pray lovingly
Pray deeply—
pray so deeply that
the prayer and the praying
become one.
—Charlie Elkind
This post is an excerpt from Prayers for Calm by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon.
To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.
To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.
—Christian D. Larson, 1912
This post is an excerpt from Prayers for Calm by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon.
Crying does not indicate that you are weak. Since birth, it has always been a sign that you are alive.”
—Charlotte Bronte
“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.”
—Psalm 62:8
“So many people love you. Don’t focus on the people who don’t.”
—Colin Tate
“It is part of the
human experience to feel pain do not be afraid
open yourself to it.”
—Rupi Kaur, evolving
“Everything in moderation, including moderation.”
—Anonymous
This post is an excerpt from Prayers for Calm by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon.
The breath-focused meditation is typically a short meditation intended to refocus you during your day. You can do this anytime, anywhere. I usually do it when I feel particularly stressed but don’t have a lot of time to meditate.
Start by sitting in a comfortable position. Take a deep breath in and let it go, slowly, gently closing your eyes, then return to breathing normally. Take a few moments to notice how your body feels. Does it feel good? Are you sore anywhere? Once you’ve acknowledged these feelings, allow yourself to let them go. Softly pull your focus inward to your breaths. Notice how each intake of air is different from the last. If you find yourself straying to other thoughts, gently let go of them, allow them to pass you by, and bring yourself back to the breath. Allow your breath to lead your mind instead of the other way around. Continue this for a few moments. When you’re ready, slowly, gently open your eyes. Think of the blessings in your life and continue your day with that sense of being blessed.
This post is an excerpt from Prayers for Calm by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon.
“It is okay to be at a place of struggle. Struggle is just another word for growth.” —Neale Donald Walsch
“Problems are not stop signs; they are guidelines.”
—Robert Schuller
“Be patient. Sometimes you have to go through the worst to get to the best. Give time some time.” —Karen Salmansohn
“Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in mind.” —David G. Allen
“Maturity of mind is the capacity to endure uncertainty.”
—John Huston Finley
This post is an excerpt from Prayers for Calm by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon.
DON’T FORGET TO COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES
Your attitude is
like a box of crayons
that color your world.
—Allen Klein
PUT ASIDE ALL ANXIOUS THOUGHTS
Do not look forward to what may happen
tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares
for you today will take care of you tomorrow and
every day. Either He will shield you from suffering,
or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace, then. Put aside all anxious thoughts and
imaginations, and say continually:
“The Lord is my strength and my shield.
My heart has trusted in Him and I am helped.
He is not only with me but in me,
and I in Him.”
—St. Francis de Sales
This post is an excerpt from Prayers for Calm by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon.
SINK INTO JOY
Flowers, sesame-seed, bowls of fresh water, a tuft of kusha grass,
all this altar paraphernalia is not needed
by someone who takes the teacher’s words in
and honestly lives them.
Full of longing in meditation,
one sinks into a joy that is free of any impulse to act,
and will never enter a human birth again.
—Lalia, 1381
LIFE IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART
Fearlessness is better
than a faint heart
for any man who puts
his nose out of doors.
The length of my life and the day
of my death were fated long ago.
—Ancient Norse Verse
IT’S OK TO BE VULNERABLE
Don’t worry, it’s going to be OK.
It’s all right, little one, you’re safe and loved.
It’s OK to cry, it’s OK to be afraid, it’s OK to be weak,
it’s OK to be vulnerable, it’s OK to be human.
It’s from all these elements that we grow,
and it’s from all these elements that I am born out of you.
I Love You.
You’re not alone.
So long as you reach out to others, you’re never alone.
Ask for my help in loaning you the courage you already have.
It’s not that I never give you more than you can handle,
I am not responsible for the consequences of your actions,
only you are.
Stay on the path if you’re suffering
by taking the steps you need to take.
Hang on and hang in there, because it’s now
that you’re growing at light speed.
You’re never going backward, only forward.
—Anonymous
This post is an excerpt from Prayers for Calm by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon.
HAPPY IS THE PERSON WHO DOES WHAT IS RIGHT
Doing the right thing is our best gift;
That is what brings us bliss and happiness.
Happy and blissful is the person who does what is right,
because it is the right thing to do.
—Vohu Prayer
TAKE THE LESSON IN EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS
And even in our sleep,
pain that cannot forget
falls drop by drop upon the heart,
and in our own despair,
against our will,
comes wisdom to us
by the awful grace of God.
—Aeschylus
KNOW THERE IS LOVE IN THE WORLD
At the center of the universe is a
loving heart that continues to beat
and that wants the best for every person.
Anything we can do to help foster
the intellect and spirit and emotional growth
of our fellow human beings, that is our job.
Those of us who have this particular vision
must continue against all odds.
Life is for service.
—Fred Rogers, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood
HAVE A COMPASSIONATE HEART
Be kind,
for everyone you meet
is carrying
a great burden.
—Ian Maclaren, 1898
This post is an excerpt from Prayers for Calm by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon.
Kindness is Your Super Power 