Goodness gracious, I thought you realized by now.... nothing has to happen. This is paradise. - Mike Dooley
It's very refreshing to know that mindfulness has grown over the years and has entered the mainstream today as one of the many ways of demonstrating prayer. Every method of prayer and meditation we put into practice quiets our minds, guards our hearts, and allows miracles to take place in our lives through the laws of attraction. Whether we are praying with familiar traditional prayers learned early in life or have chosen affirmations and mantras, visualizing or emptying our minds, all of these methods bring us to the present awareness of breath and heartbeat that opens the door to grace no matter where we are. What's most significant when we commune with the divine for intercession is not to waver, doubt, or turn away from our desire or request. If we know "Thy will be done" is already greater for us than what we ask for and leave the details in His hand all will be well. The other point is to always remain in a constant state of gratitude, mindful of our thoughts and feelings; focusing only on those that bring you joy brings results. What works for me is to practice prayer and meditation by reflecting on a certain scripture; but you can reflect on your own tradition, religion, or whichever new thought practices feel right for you because only you know the vibration that echoes through your own heart.
Having had religious teachings to fall back on while meditating really helps. Prayer enriches us; when we meditate on abundance, we get results; both are keys to the stillness that create action in our lives. I believe it's necessary to go over the golden rule to recognize the hidden signs that might be behind our silly ego requests. It's important to also understand that all religions have teaching that help us making the best choices and encourage us. In the end, this is how we might all reach each other and expand our practices of prayer and meditation to enrich all of our lives.
Below is a true account of my own breakthrough in realizing that we already have it made when we follow through with faith-filled actions. I continue with my purest intentions through dedicating prayers along with meditation and the combination truly enhances my life.
What Is The Real Secret?
I can now understand that we made it through tough times by trusting in God, and I could not have done it without Him. I was living what some call "the secret," but at that time I didn't know the explanation for, or have a full understanding of, the law of attraction. The concept has recently gained so much attention from the book and movie The Secret. But whatever anyone calls them, I knew these concepts came from God. I knew that through trusting in the words of the Bible, which tell of God's promise and of the life of Jesus, that miracles were possible through unshakable faith. All of these messages came to me through the Scriptures, but it wasn't until later that I learned these principles were no different from the laws of nature, and were as absolute and could be counted on to work just as surely as the laws of gravity.
When we silently pray for whatever it is we need‒whether it's love, peace, joy, compassion, courage, helpfulness, support, forgiveness, gratitude, blessings, and patience, which are all the virtues at the foundation of true prosperity‒then all the material things of the world that we need will come to us. For every good thing we do for others brings us abundance for ourselves. But to have this abundance, we must give to others the very thing we need for ourselves.
Why does this work? Because when we give, we feel as though we are rich and blessed. We feel abundant. And this leads us to be even more generous and giving, which makes us feel even more abundant. We are all born with God's perfect love within us, which guides us on our journey to every good thing we need. And each time we respond to this love by sharing it with others, we are filled with even more. This means that the more we give, the more we will be able to give. It is a universal law: To those who have, more will be given.
Looking back, I see how I managed to attract healing and abundance by practicing gratitude and love. What is harder for most of us to accept and understand is our own role in attracting difficulty and sorrow. Most of us are blind to the ways we perpetuate hardship by focusing on it too much. And each time I asked, "Why is this happening to me?" I only saw more of the same. When we keep asking why we're suffering, we are attracting the sorrows in our lives with our predominant thoughts and feelings. If we want to experience joy, we have to focus on joy rather than being sad, which only brings us more sorrow.
About Catherine Nagle: Catherine grew up in Philadelphia with 16 brothers and sisters, reared by loving, old school Italian parents. Catherine's artist father's
works graced locations from churches to public buildings; her mother was a full-time homemaker. A professional hairdresser, Catherine worked in various salons while studying the Bible and pursuing spiritual growth through courses, seminars, lectures and inspirational books, including A Course in Miracles and the works of Marianne Williamson among many others. The mother of two children and a grandmother, Catherine lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and son. She is the Author of Imprinted Wisdom. http://www.amazon.com/Imprinted-Wisdom-Catherine-Nagle/dp/145256938X