Now is the time to get Excited

​“The way we experience the world around us is a
direct reflection of the world within us.”
                                                                                        ---Gabrielle Bernstein:
 
Today Lent is a much-anticipated day for those of us who live in New Orleans. As soon as the fireworks and New Year’s parties are over, we get ready for endless partying until midnight of Fat Tuesday. This year I participated in many of these activities. Some of the partying became public when a video was posted on Facebook of me line dancing on the street while waiting for a parade. I did have a great time!
 
I am excited about the upcoming 40 days because these six weeks offer me a quiet reflective time to select one or two things from my tool box to seriously practice daily. This discipline can assist me in making a major positive change in my life.
 
In the past I have written about a tool I use daily, writing and saying affirmations. Some people have said to me that this sounds like a New Age practice.
It may be that for some but for me it creates trust and faith that what I want to attract in my life will manifest if I truly believe it will happen.  One of my favorites affirmations is “I accept good graciously into my life. All of my needs are met abundantly for me now and always.”
 
I feel encouraged about the message I am sharing with others when I receive confirmation from people I hold in high regard. A few days ago in Fr. Richard Rohr’s daily reflection he talked about the importance of affirmations.
“We have been conditioned to focus on the negative in ourselves and others. Think of a negative phrase you have said aloud or thought to yourself that stems from a sense of shame rather than your inherent dignity. Turn it upside down and say, in the first person, present tense, an affirmation of your God-given value. For example:
 
I don’t have enough....I have everything I need.
I am alone....I am indwelled by God’s presence.
I am worthless...I am precious in God’s eyes, I am honored, and God loves me.
 
Repeat the positive statement aloud, slowly, with intention and trust, several times. Then rest silently in the awareness that you are already and forever, without any effort or achievement on your part, a beloved child of God.”
 
I believe the practice of daily affirmations during the 40 days of Lent can create unlimited possibilities and perhaps even create a habit that can certainly enrich your life.