Feeling at Home in the World

By Dr. Edward Viljoen

William Osler, a physician in the late 1800s, is credited with saying, “Courage and cheerfulness will not only carry you over the rough places in life but will enable you to bring comfort and help to the weakhearted and will console you in the sad hours.”

I was raised with a similar outlook on joy, hope and happiness. My grandmother would say, “Everything will work out in the end,” with a certain cheerfulness that would drive me crazy. After she passed away, I realized she was on to something I would soon learn myself: It takes courage to be cheerful and hopeful, but it's worth it in the long run.

Her cheerfulness left an impression on everything and everyone. At least that is how it seemed to me. I felt safe and at home in the world when I was around her. I have learned that the same is true for me, whether I realize it or not. As I pass through the world, when hope is present in me, it leaves an impression on everything and everyone. Like a boat in the water, my atmosphere causes ripples.

Author Washington Irving wrote, “A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles.” These words encourage me to remember the opportunity I have every day to bring something wholesome into the world by means of the ripples I cause. Henry David Thoreau wrote, “There is … no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself.” Again, a reminder to me to be mindful of what I bring into a room when I enter.

On the other hand, I have also learned through Science of Mind that I don't generate gladness, hope or joy. They are already here, wherever here is. I don't create them. I walk into a place and there they are, ready to be discovered. This idea of the everywhere-present nature of the Living Spirit gives me the courage to step boldly into life and bring to life what is already present.

The Blessings of a Gratitude Practice

During November, as we approach Thanksgiving, our thoughts naturally turn to gratitude. We offer thanks for our loved ones, for our health, for the change of season. We feel our blessings, as we recount all we have to be grateful for.

Poet Maya Angelou reminds us, “The ship of my life may or may not be sailing on calm and amiable seas. The challenging days of my existence may or may not be bright and promising. Stormy or sunny days, glorious or lonely nights, I maintain an attitude of gratitude. If I insist on being pessimistic, there is always tomorrow. Today, I am blessed.”

In the November 2022 Science of Mind magazine, Mary Davis writes, “Gratitude practice redirects our focus from what is going wrong to what is going right. It trains our hearts and minds to notice abundance instead of lack. It awakens our souls to the Divine source of the countless gifts in our lives. Our gratitude practice reminds us of the magnificent blessings that surround us every day. And it's all right here, within our reach.”

She adds, “There is solid research revealing the extensive benefits of gratitude for mind, body and soul. For the time it takes to count our blessings, there is a real-life return on our investment.” That return includes happiness, kindness, better sleep and enhanced mental health.

“Finding greater happiness, peace and spiritual connection in our lives is the result of what we choose to practice,” Davis writes. “Will we count our blessings or our burdens?” She suggests we “start today by noticing what is good, loving and kind. Recognize the beauty, the blessings and the gifts. And give thanks.”

Science of Mind Holiday Special

Everywhere we look, we see prices going up. But the cost of Science of Mind magazine is coming down to support your spiritual journey. Get or give 12 months of Science of Mind magazine for just $2.50 per issue, and our digital edition is just $9.95 a year. This offer is valid through January 31, 2023.

Get your subscription or give one as a gift by visiting
https://scienceofmind.com/subscribe/.

Permanent happiness comes from a quiet contentment and an inner sense
of certainty that cannot be shaken by outer conditions.
— Ernest Holmes

...more