My sweet cat, Hal, has been a teacher for me by teaching me by example how to love and forgive unconditionally.

I try to practice grateful living through pain by finding reasons to be grateful for the pain itself. I have often found that my pain has been a source of wisdom and resilience and has often opened a door to greater joy.

I can’t wait to visit and hug my friends from college! I wasn’t able to go to Nebraska last year because of the pandemic, but I really hope I get a chance to do so this year.

I love the sound of chirping birds! When I hear beautiful sounds like that, our own human affairs seem to matter less.

The most important thing in this moment is caring for my own mental health. The world can wait.

I learned about this website through Unity Online Radio. There’s also a link to this site posted on Unity on Cape Cod’s website (Unity is a religion that blends Christianity with New Thought).

Right now, I am learning to see the Divine in all sentient beings. As such, reverence arises for animals, people, insects, and other sentient life. All of these, like the Masters of old, are the Logos made flesh.

This resonates with me because, when I look at the moon and the stars and planets outside, I kind of feel insignificant, but in a sacred, holy way. When we look at the vastness of the universe, our affairs don’t seem to matter much.

My soft, black cat, Hal, is the sweetest thing. He will come up to me to cuddle, sit on my lap, and then rub himself against me while purring. He also knows when I’m having a hard time and comes up to me when he notices I’m upset.

I can be still and listen as I fall asleep in my room at night. Sometimes, the silence at night can be comforting and reminds me that the future looks bright.

Today, I can ease the path others are walking by contributing to the discussions we have in my seminary classes so that other people can learn on their own spiritual journeys and have some clarity from my own insights.

If you ask, you will receive. Perhaps one way to begin receiving is to be willing to ask for what I want. If you don’t communicate, you can’t be helped. “Ask, and it will be given to you.”

Today, I would like to try experimenting with creative visualization meditation. Recently, I was reminded that this was something initiates into the Egyptian Mystery Schools do today, and I would like to try it to see for myself if the Law of Attraction really works. I’ve done visualization before but never in a completely meditative state.

My mom energizes me to show up as my most alive self. She has a sense of humor and an energy that allow me to come alive. She also really helps me when I don’t feel as alive as I want to be.

I definitely think I would like to give a thank you letter to my counselor once I am no longer working with her. She’s the one therapist I’ve had who I feel actually “gets it.” In the letter, I would say how much it means to me to have someone who is able to name trauma when it occurs (even if it might not be traumatic to most people) and to not invalidate the difficulties I go through.

Running, reading, prayer, working on a vision board, researching other cultures, and using this website make me feel rejuvenated.

To me, something that reminds me to attribute people’s actions in the best way possible is Martin Luther’s interpretation of the commandment against bearing false witness: “take people’s words and actions in the kindest possible way.” Keeping this in mind continually helps me to remember to assume the best intentions in others, and when someone does something good, to assume they did it with their whole heart.

As a graduate student, I can start to lighten my load by not being so perfectionistic about getting all the reading done and spending some time with prayer, running, and making an altar. If I don’t get through every word of every chapter, it’s not the end of the world.