Wisdom

"Knowing others is intelligence. Knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power." -Lao Tzu
I have found over the course of my journey that people and information are limited by design. It's healthy to supplement research and support with spiritual means. For me this means investing time in my Catholic faith community, prayer, reading and journaling.


FAVORITE QUOTES

"Life is 10% what happens to young 90% how you react."-Charles R. Swindle

"Everyone spends his own life always anxious about what will occur and bored with what he has, on the contrary, the one who devotes every moment of his time to his own growth, the one who organizes each day as if it were his whole life, he neither waits with hope for tomorrow, nor fears it."-Seneca

"The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination."
-Carl Rogers

"If you want to change the world, go home and love your family."-Mother Teresa

"Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be."-Sonia Ricotta

"It is important not to think much but to love much; and so do that which best stirs you to love."-St. Teresa of Avila

"Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God"-Philippians 4:6-7

 "True contentment is not having everything, but in being satisfied with everything you have."
-Oscar Wilde

 "This too shall pass."

 "The more a soul trusts, the more (Mercy) it will receive."-Jesus to St. Faustia

"Mommy, you are kind, you are smart and you are important."-Christine, Age 3

 "One day you will long for this (early years)."-Ms. Donna

FAVORITE PRAYERS
"Let nothing disturb you;
Let nothing frighten you,
All things pass away.
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
He who has God,
finds he lacks nothing.
God alone suffices."
-St. Teresa of Avila

Some Definite Service
God knows me and calls me by my name.…
God has created me to do Him some definite service;
He has committed some work to me
which He has not committed to another.
I have my mission—I never may know it in this life,
but I shall be told it in the next.
Somehow I am necessary for His purposes…
I have a part in this great work;
I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection
between persons.
He has not created me for naught. I shall do good,
I shall do His work;
I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth
in my own place, while not intending it,
if I do but keep His commandments
and serve Him in my calling.

Therefore I will trust Him.
Whatever, wherever I am,
I can never be thrown away.
If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him;
In perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him;
If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him.
My sickness, or perplexity, or sorrow may be
necessary causes of some great end,
which is quite beyond us.
He does nothing in vain; He may prolong my life,
He may shorten it;
He knows what He is about.
He may take away my friends,
He may throw me among strangers,
He may make me feel desolate,
make my spirits sink, hide the future from me—
still He knows what He is about.…
Let me be Thy blind instrument. I ask not to see—
I ask not to know—I ask simply to be used.
-John Henry Cardinal Newman

Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation.
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm.
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence.
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith.
Replace the bitterness within us with the sweetness of grace.
Replace the darkness within us with a gentle light.
Replace the coldness within us with a loving warmth.
Replace the night within us with your light.
Replace the winter within us with your spring.
Straighten our crookedness.
Fill our emptiness.
Dull the edge of our pride.
Sharpen the edge of our humility.
Light the fires of our love.
Quench the flames of our lust.
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see You.
Amen.

Father, sometimes I find it so hard to pray, “thy will be done.” I ask for the courage and humility to open my hands to you and surrender my life, my will, and even my children to you. Help me to trust that you love me infinitely, that you are good, and that you work all things together for my good, my sanctification, and my salvation. I ask for a spirit of acquiescence like the Holy Mother, that I may say yes to you in all things, even when I am disappointed, sorrowful, or afraid.  Make yourself known in my yes, Father, and I may rest in the knowledge that my yes, united to yours, can only bring forth life. Amen.

FAVORITE MEDITATIONS/DEVOTIONS









Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My First Pregnancy

I didn't relapse; if anything, my mood improved some. I remember feeling like the best version of myself. I slept well, throughout.  I was calm. Cool. Collected. Well, most days. We moved into our first home. I even helped carry some boxes! With every passing month, it was clear that we had made the right decision to remain on medication. All my well visits were routine and uneventful, as were the ultrasounds. As a high risk patient in a maternal fetal health practice I was ordered an anatomy ultrasound. The ultrasound tech took pictures for what felt like 45 minutes. A pediatric cardiologist examined the heart, brain and spinal cord for developmental issues. There were none. Leading up to delivery day you could find me tutoring kids at Kumon, volunteering at a local nursing home or walking on the indoor track at our neighborhood park. Pregnant or not, I prefer to be busy. Having multiple responsibilities and a schedule has always kept me sane and satisfied.  Our first child,
Read more

The Attention Economy

As anxiety rates continue to rise over the decades one often wonders considering the events of the past, i.e. The Great Depression, WWII, The Civil Rights Era, etc., how is it that people are more anxious than ever before? There are some basic hypothesis out there including, the global economy, cost of living, breakdown of the family unit, general uncertainty, overconfidence and overstimulation. You may be surprised to learn that despite the constant media barrage of violence and terror, that both gun violence and terrorism in U.S. are on the decline. "Terrorism killed more Westerners in the 1970s and 1980s. Although terrorist-relared deaths are on the rise in the West, the numbers are small and globally, deaths from terrorism are on the decline" (Sanger-Katz, 2016). Gun violence has been on the decline since the 1990s. Although there has been an increase in mass shootings nationwide, fewer Americans are dying from firearm homicides (Ehrenfreund, 2015).  I am convinced Am
Read more

It Would Have Been Enough...

My Anniversary Dayenu It would have been enough when He introduced us as friends 15 years ago. It would have been enough when you taught me about self-love. It would have been enough to enjoy each others' families and friends all these years. It would've been enough to have your support during anxiety, depression and mania. It would have been enough to celebrate high school, college and graduate school graduation together. It would have been enough to travel the world together: across the U.S., Italy, Germany It would have been enough to be married on October 6, 2012. It would have been enough to welcome our healthy first born together on December 15, 2013. It would have been enough to welcome job opportunities together. It would have been enough to welcome our healthy second child together on August 5, 2016. It would have been enough to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the coronation of the Jankovich-Besan family in Budapest with family from all over th
Read more