I’ve been thinking lately about how we become all of the things that we see, hear, read, and experience. We are a composite of all that has come before even when we forget it. Several years ago a good friend of mine was going through a rough patch, and her therapist recommended a little book of meditations entitled The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie. My friend gained so much insight and peace from it that it didn’t take much convincing on her part for me to get a copy for myself.
In a word, Wow. It seemed as though Melody’s words were written just for me. I bought and gave away several copies of it, and about a month ago, I realized that I no longer had a copy of my own. Thanks to Amazon.com, that problem was solved in a matter of days, and since that time, I’ve been rereading meaningful passages.
What’s on my mind today is the author’s treatment of the word yes, my word for last year. Why did I choose that word? Hmmm. After re-reading the August 8 meditation, I’m thinking that maybe I absorbed Melody’s advice into my own heart and soul so much that YES became a part of me. On the chance that her “yes words” might mean something to you, I’m going to list a few:
“We can learn to say yes to healthy relationships, to people and activities that are good for us.
We can learn to say yes to ourselves, what we want and need, our instincts, and the leading of our Higher Power.
We can learn to say yes when it feels right to help someone. We can learn to say yes to our feelings. We can learn to identify when we need to take a walk, take a nap, have our back rubbed, or buy ourselves flowers.
We can learn to say yes to work that is right for us.
We can learn to say yes to all that will nurture and nourish us. We can learn to say yes to the best life and love have to offer.”
Is that last line powerful or what??? The truth is that way…powerful.
mom's musings 
YES! I love it. Did I mention what a privilege it is to have you for a friend. You are such a positive influence. As a result I can say Yes to good things and I can say no when I need to! Always love your posts!
“I’ve been thinking lately about how we become all of the things that we see, hear, read, and experience.”
How very very true. And, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have known anything about ‘resilient children’, which I am but didn’t know.
Thanks Connie. And “back at you” as the young folks say. You’re a positive influence not only on me but on everyone you’re around.
I LOVED the cell phone post and thought about it this morning while talking to the young prince. As we were talking, I got a couple of beeps, but as usual I didn’t even bother seeing who they were from because I knew that no one else was more important…not just because I was talking to my son but just because it was a person who deserved full attention.
Hayden, I think you’d love this book. I don’t know how I’ve done without it for the past few years unless it’s that I’ve already absorbed so many of her wise words. Just this morning I read one of her meditations on anger, and it was just what the doctor ordered.
that is how we become our own unique gods and godesses, by being all that we are trhough every experience, book, conversation, higher thought, lower gross things too, overcomeing them etc etc
yes… sometimes much harder to say yes than to say no.
Yes, Sarah, sometimes it is. But you know, I’ve found that when I say no to the stuff I don’t want to do or be involved in, it makes it easier (little by little) to say YES to the good stuff.
two of my heros, no surf and marlajayne