108 Books: The Law of Divine Compensation

Apr 20, 2013 by Meghan

“…you’re on this earth with a divine purpose: to rise to the level of your highest creative possibility, expressing all that you are intellectually, emotionally, psychologically, and physically in order to make the universe a more beautiful place.” – Marianne Williamson, The Law of Divine Compensation

My first confession is that I am a fan of Marianne Williamson. High on the list of books that altered me profoundly is A Woman’s Worth. I own several other of her books, and her quote: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…” is tacked up on my bulletin board. So it’s not exaggerating to say that I was excited to read this book.

First off I want to say that I am inspired by Williamson’s unabashed use of the word God. In a world where people use Spirit or Divine or Universe interchangeably, to read an author who talks about God unapologetically is empowering. That being said, this is not a religious book. Instead, like other of Williamson’s books, it helps to liberate the reader by reminding us that God is really all about love, and that we are a part of that love. In fact, she states that:

“Your immutable truth is that you are an unlimited spiritual being.” 

But this is also a book about money and work. Williamson writes to help us connect these things with our spirituality. What I got from it is that it is only by remembering who we really are and aligning that with how we can best heal the world that we will begin to be abundant on the inside. When we are abundant on the inside, the outside world will mirror that abundance back to us.

“Think of your work like, therefore, not as separate from your spiritual life but as central to your spiritual life. Whatever your business, it is your ministry.”

I read a large amount of this book while I was on a train journey to and from London. While I was wandering around the city, I found myself going back to the ideas from the book over and over again. It’s one that makes you really think about how you move through your world. I have found myself “surrendering meetings”, greeting people with love, and asking for help showing up as my truest, highest, most loving self. And you know, things are shifting.

I’ve only scratched the surface of this lovely little book. If you are remotely interested in inner or outer abundance, I would recommend giving yourself the gift of some time with Marianne Williamson.

“Let it flow from you, and it will flow to you. Aways.” – Marianne Williamson

Now Reading:  Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul – Deepak Chopra

 

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108 Books

Apr 8, 2013 by Meghan

“Theory alone does not change our lives, but theory activated by mental shifts and behavioural follow-up becomes nothing short of miraculous help in even the most troubled times.” – Marianne Williamson, The Law of Divine Compensation

This morning, after trolling through my Amazon recommendations and realising that I already owned one of the books that I was thinking about purchasing, I knew that it was time to get my act together.  If you are at all interested in the health or progression of your body, mind or spirit, or if you are interested in stories, magic, abundance, the divine feminine, creativity, or anything even distantly related to any of these topics, I guarantee that I have at least ten books that would interest you sitting on my shelves.

And have I read them all?

Some have bookmarks still sitting where I came up against something difficult. Some have scribblings or exclamation marks in the margins where I have read through them and loved – but then stopped – reading them. Some have never so much as had a breath of air hit their leaves.

And still I buy more. I am always searching for inspiration, but I never sit still with one book long enough to know what treasures it may hold. So this morning I went on a mission to count my books.

If you add the three that are pre-orders that I ordered months ago that I am not cancelling, the grand total comes to 108 books that need to be read. ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT BOOKS!  (A number unbelievable to everyone apart from my postman.)

108 sounded familiar, so I did what any normal person does nowadays and googled it. 108 is the number of beads in a mala. In Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, 108 is a sacred number. Stonehenge is ‘about’ 108 feet in diameter. In Ayurveda there are 108 pressure points on the body. In fact, if you only look to Wikipedia (which I grant you isn’t always the best reference), the references to 108 are many.

So, I think you will agree, it’s time that these books are read.

From today, I’m enrolling myself in my own Body, Mind, and Spirit University, with a set curriculum of 108 books.

This means I can’t buy any more books until I have read the 108.  No matter who has written them.

(I can’t tell you how much that pains me to write.)

And as this is now a set course, I will return here with a book report on each one.

So, with a fresh, clean notebook, a new pen and pencil, and some sticky post-its, I start today. Rather than make it a BIG DEAL, I made myself start with the book that happened to be on top of the nearest pile.

Wish me luck.

xo

 

[Update: I've decided to make this real, I need to make the list official. It'll take me a little while, but the definitive curriculum is on its way.]

 

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The Sensitive Soul – A Story

Dec 19, 2012 by Meghan

“So please be careful with me, I’m sensitive and I’d like to stay that way.” – Jewel

A couple of weeks ago I was talking to a friend about her daughter. The little one was having stomach aches at school.  I don’t think I got through to my friend just how much I could relate to that feeling.  Sometimes I feel like I am sensitive to the whole world.  The older I get and the more I learn about myself and about the way my body, mind and spirit work, the more I realise just how sensitive I am – how sensitive I have always been.  I have begun to listen to the messages my body is sending me, and to learn to be grateful for the ‘different’ way I feel the world.

So this story is dedicated to my friend and her wonderful, special and magical daughter, and to all of the other souls who can see even a glimpse of themselves in my words.  You are not alone. You are loved.

 

[Update: Since writing this, I discovered that my friend Susannah and I were on pretty similar wavelengths this week!]

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The Village – A Story

Dec 11, 2012 by Meghan

“Human folly does not impede the turning of the stars.” – Tom Robbins

A Storyteller with no voice is a sad state of affairs!  I had always heard that when you stepped into what you were supposed to be doing, the universe would reward you with flow.  Flow is the opposite of what November felt like!

The upside of nearly a month of no creativity is that I am full of new story ideas!  I hope you enjoy this one. It is a little longer than normal at 8 minutes, but it’s one of the stories that just about wrote itself.

From me to you, with love.

 

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The Necessity of a Great Villain

Dec 9, 2012 by Meghan

“After all, what would the world be like without Captain Hook?” – Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman)

 

I have a nemesis.  I have chosen her carefully.  Allow me to explain:

Today ended up being a very quiet day.  We started with a late breakfast and ended up – as I hope other people occasionally do – watching ridiculous Sunday television.  The Three Musketeers was on: the one with Charlie Sheen sporting a mullet and Keifer Sutherland before he was Jack Bauer. Best of all was Tim Curry’s performance as Cardinal Richelieu.  Mark and I often judge a movie’s appeal on the quotableness of its lines – and Tim Curry, with his, “All for one and more for me,” provides ridiculous entertainment.

It did get us talking about the best movie villains.  Alan Rickman in the atrocious Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Glenn Close as Cruella in 101 Dalmations, or even Thomas F. Wilson as Biff Tannen in the Back to the Future movies.  Fabulous villains in the proper sense of the word, not just bad or evil or scary but properly fun, very quotable and always dastardly and compelling.  In Ocean’s Eleven, Basher says, “It will be nice working with proper villains again,” and we secretly agree.

Does every story need a good villain?  Does every hero or heroine need a nemesis?  Is Sarah Ban Breathnach right when she says that it is “simply not an adventure worth telling if there aren’t any dragons?” Are the hard and scary parts of our lives as vital to our story as the sunny ones?

I myself have a nemesis.  It may seem crazy to think of her in this way, but when I do our interactions cease to stress me out. Instead of letting her get to me as she used to, I now look at her with amusement and a certain level of comic detachment.  In my head I am looking at her with narrowed eyes, tossing my hair back and getting ready to do battle.  I imagine her with her red cape flapping behind her as we circle each other with purpose.  She is as silly to me as the best of the fabulous villains. By letting the energy out of our interactions I get to live that moment when Sarah says, “You have no power over me,” to an inappropriately crotch-stuffed David Bowie in Labyrinth. Doing this sounds silly, but it means that I get to decide who the heroes and the villains are in my life.

So just for a moment, try seeing the world around you as characters in your own movie.  Try seeing the people who drive you crazy as ridiculous partners to your hero or heroine self.  Who is the Vader to your Luke or the Hook to your Pan?  Then delight in knowing that they have no power over you.

And know that the heroine of this particular story is going to win.

xo

 

P.S.  My voice is (mostly) healed! There’ll be a new story this week. I’m just recording it now! xo

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