A Little Thought of Encouragement …
Happy Holidays! As you prepare for what I am sure will be a very busy December, I would like to leave you with a thought of encouragement and hope inspired by this month’s editorial theme: Prayer and Meditation.
They are often used interchangeably and, without question, are the source of great discussion, debate and deep exploration. I will leave the philosophical positioning and theocratic arm wrestling for others and simply state that, as for me, the matter is settled: prayer and meditation are real, and if applied correctly and effectively, can be life changing.
If the mind is cluttered with unproductive and self-defeating thoughts, the heart is wrestling with serious life questions and the soul is thirsting for change, effective prayer and focused meditation can help open the door to clarity of mind, rediscovered hope and much sought-after change of self and circumstances. To many, both serve as an official invitation to God, a much higher power, to get intimately and actively engaged in one’s life and circumstances deemed much too difficult to overcome alone. Others refer to it as pure and focused positive thinking. In both instances, a grounding “faith,” as it were, is required to serve as a tether for an unrelenting hope and belief that change and transformation will absolutely occur as a result of the process—both inside and out.
This is where I stand: As this year comes to a close and 2016 looms just over the horizon, prayer and meditation, in my opinion, can be the keys to finding the right perspective and proper context for those things that left us puzzled, discouraged and frustrated in 2015. It was a difficult and trying year for many S.C. residents. And, the resulting negative thoughts, if not addressed and replaced by an invasion of new productive thinking, hope and an inspired vision, will most certainly put at risk all that is hoped for in 2016. As someone once said, “Meditation is to dive all the way within, beyond thought, to the source of thought and pure consciousness. It enlarges the container every time you transcend. When you come out, you come out refreshed, filled with energy and enthusiasm for life.” Those interested should find good and credible sources of researched information related to prayer and meditation to help build and reinforce life’s journey of hope and expectancy for the coming year and beyond.
In love,
