Book Review - Calm My Anxious Heart - by Linda Dillow

Book Review

Calm My Anxious Heart: A Woman's Guide to Finding Contentment by Linda Dillow

I stumbled across this book via my Kindle. I am a self confessed self help book junkie and I am always looking for some wise words to inspire. Written by a lady by the name of Linda Dillow, this book has a very religious flavor so it was a little left of centre for me. I found it to be filled with some wonderful advice on contentment and acceptance. You can replace the word "God" with whatever you feel comfortable with, "universe"or "higher power", regardless of your beliefs, this book is full of relevant wisdom for us all.

Some of my favorite quotes:-

Contentment happens on the Inside

Looking back I realise I did desire to trust God, but sometimes he was very slow. He was moving at what I thought as a snails pace, I unconsciously decided that he needed my help.

It's our "helping God out" that leads to an anxious heart. When we take over and try to control what happens, we take our focus off the One who is control and put our eyes on our circumstances.

As I accept the given portion other options are cancelled. Decisions become clearer and hence my heart becomes inexpressibly quieter.

Every woman has circumstances that appear to be prison bars.

Two women looked through prison bars, one saw mud the other saw stars.

Making the choice to look at the stars.

Most of us can categorise our lives in both positive and negative ways. You could write a glowing list of the positive in your life and you could then write a list of sobering negatives. Both lists are true. Which list do you spend most of your time dwelling on?

"Beware of what you dwell on, for that you shall surely become" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

We must take control of our mind. We are commanded to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind" We renew our mind when we take the negative thoughts captive and dwell on the positive.

Ultimately, contentment is more a shift in attitude than a change of circumstances.

You will never really enjoy other people, you will never have stable emotions, you will never lead a life of godly contentment, you will never conquer jealousy and love others as you should until you thank God for making you the way he did.

Although no one else could see you, God saw every detail of the formation of your body. As a weaver intricately embroiders colours together to create a beautiful pattern, God knit together your veins, muscles, nerves, and every curve and indentation that is uniquely yours. What tapestry can begin to equal that human fabric?

Perhaps you too want to be content, yet you hear the voices that say " be successful, be popular, be beautiful, be perfect" Oh my dear friend, stop listening to the voices. Listen to God's voice.

Helen Keller, who was born deaf and blind wrote these thought provoking words:

They took away what should have been my eyes
(But I remembered Milton's Paradise).

They took away what should have been my ears,
(Beethoven came and wiped away my tears).

They took away what should have been my tongue,
(But I had talked with God when I was young).

He would not let them take away my soul -
Possessing that, I still possess the whole.

-Helen Keller

Ironic isn't it? Single women look at married women and wish for a husband. Married women look at their husbands and wish for different ones. Childless women long for children and mothers long for the day when their kids will be in school. It is even possible to be content with your role in the here and now?

Sheryl's question is a good one. When does a woman become an adult? Perhaps when she stops comparing her life to other women's.

....peace of the sort the world can not give comes, not be removal of suffering, but in another way - through acceptance.

What roles do you play? Are you single, married, divorced, widowed? A physical mother, adoptive mother, a spiritual mother? Are you content with the roles God has given you?

If I insist on perfection or nothing I will end up with nothing. I must be willing to forgive. And if you long to be content, so must you. Unless we do, our anxious hearts will not be calmed.

Worry is like a rocking chair, it will give you something to do but it won't get you anywhere.

"The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith. The beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety". George Muller

Perhaps the most striking characteristic of worry is it's absolute impotence. Worry never changes a single thing except the worrier.

Faith is contemplating my small part of the picture/puzzle without being able to see the finished product.

Book - Reflections in the Light

Daily Thoughts and Affirmations
This is a beautiful book by Shakti Gawain with a message and affirmation for each day of the year.

I am going to keep it on hand again this year. It is the kind of book that you can open on any given day and it will have a message filled with wisdom and inspiration. It is almost as if the author is gently challenging your view of the world and of yourself. 

A couple of examples:-

Learning from our mistakes
“We must remember that we are babies in the new world. We learn by making lots of mistakes and often we may feel ignorant, frightened or unsure of ourselves. But we would not get angry at a baby every time he fell down, so we must try not to criticize ourselves for our natural learning process” I learn from all my mistakes.

 Communion
“I often find that most powerful communion with the universe is when I am alone, especially out in nature. At such times, the places inside of me that sometimes feel empty are filled with the energy of spirit. Here I find a guiding presence that nudges me in the direction I need to go, and helps me to learn the lesson that lies in taking each step along my path”. Nature helps me connect with spirit.

Each day has a way of putting things into perspective and helps in maintaining a mindful, positive and accepting outlook on life.

*Message for today Friday 3rd February 2012
Distinguishing Intuition
"Your intuition is always on hundred percent correct, but it takes time to hear it correctly. If you are willing to risk acting on what you believe to be true and risk making mistakes, you will learn very fast by paying attention to what works and what doesn't work. The first step is to pay more attention to what you feel inside, to the dialogue that goes on within you. Through practice you will be able to distinguish your intuitive voice from other thoughts and voices." I am hearing my intuition more clearly every day.

Book Review - Healer

I recently read this book which is a biography written by Joseph Dispenza about a woman named Dr Hazel Parcells who lived to the age of 106. The book is all about her views on life, health and wellbeing as well as her significant contribution to modern medicine by her commitment to trusting her instincts and documenting theories on diet, natural medicine and energy healing that worked for her and her patients. I found it to be an amazing book. This lady was really an inspiration and she knew things that were way before her time.

This is one of my absolute favourites quotes from the book,  infact I have framed it for a daily reminder...

"When I am asked the secret of my longevity, which I never planned and never gave any thought to, I say I was to busy with interesting things. There was no vacuum in my life. I seem always to have had a strong interest in one thing or another. A new idea is like a new life. When I have a new idea, my eyes begin to shine."

Here are some other words of wisdom from Dr Hazel Parcells:-

 "Why should this be happening to me" My only answer is "Can you honestly ask why it shouldn't" Pain frequently compels growth and development; if we are unwilling or unable to address the lessons before us, why should we think we are ready to graduate to the next level?"

 "Our bodies are made up of minerals. It is the first fact of nature: we are the earth. We come form the earth and we return to the earth. And while we are living upon the earth, we obtain out nourishment entirely from the earth, our mother."

 "I have often said that if the tool for natural healing were taken away from me tomorrow, save one, I would want that one to be colour.

"But I see now that those things that I had considered to be obstacles and impediments were actually stepping-stones to new knowledge. They were ways of making me stronger and 0f learning vitally important lessons. I understand now that every hurdle I overcame better prepared me to grasp the information that would need to be passed on to the next generation. I am grateful for the obstacles and the lessons they provided me."

"The ebbing away of the old and the flowing on of the new take place regardless of whether or not we fully comprehend the timing of their tides. These changes, which come in cycles, may be painful to live through, even if one has the grand view and is aware what is happening. But they are entirely beneficial, because they push us onto a new, higher level as we continue our growth."

Thank You Dr Hazel Parcells

For all your wisdom, knowledge and the courage to trust and follow your instincts. You are an inspiration and this book has contributed to my growth and hopefully my longevity.