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Everyday Grace
In this comforting, inspirational companion to the No1 "New York Times" bestseller, "A Return to Love", Marianne Williamson returns to her spiritual roots, writing on the art of nurturing a thriving soul in a harsh world. What do your spiritual convictions have to do with traffic jams, job anxiety, reading the newspaper, or arguing with your spouse? Everything, according to Marianne Williamson. It is the way we live in our everyday world that determines the shape of who we are. So Buddhist or Muslim, Christian or Jew, it is the moment when your child fails an exam, when your best friend lands your dream job, or your business instinct tells you to watch your back, that tests and builds our living faith. With an attitude of hope, a call to forgive, a celebration of miracles, and the promise of strength and grace, Williamson helps us find our sacred footing on ordinary ground. No matter where we are or what we're doing, no matter what difficulties we face, there is always an opportunity to be happy, to connect with the spiritual - and to open our hearts and our minds. In the book of hours, Marianne Williamson teaches us to ride the currents of life and to seek out the sacred that will bring forth a sea change of the soul.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
156 people are currently reading
1716 people want to read
About the author
Marianne Williamson
461 books2,332 followersMarianne Williamson is an internationally acclaimed lecturer, activist, and author with six New York Times bestsellers. Her books include Tears to Triumph, A Return to Love, A Year of Miracles, The Law of Divine Compensation, The Gift of Change, The Age of Miracles, Everyday Grace, A Woman's Worth, Illuminata, and A Course in Weight Loss. She has been a popular guest on television programs such as Oprah and Good Morning America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
Currently reading
December 1, 2011Loved reading this this morning:
"A moment of silence is our cosmic reset button. My niece, Meredith, is a third grade teacher, and she puts a moment of silence to great use when her students are beginning to spin out of control. "Stop!" she says, putting a hand out in front of her like the Supremes singing, "Stop, in the name of love!" Then she says, "Take a deep breath," and inhales. Then she taps the fingers of one hand to the side of her head, counting out loud to five. Then she slowly exhales. The kids inhale and exhale right along with her."
"A moment of silence is our cosmic reset button. My niece, Meredith, is a third grade teacher, and she puts a moment of silence to great use when her students are beginning to spin out of control. "Stop!" she says, putting a hand out in front of her like the Supremes singing, "Stop, in the name of love!" Then she says, "Take a deep breath," and inhales. Then she taps the fingers of one hand to the side of her head, counting out loud to five. Then she slowly exhales. The kids inhale and exhale right along with her."
January 11, 2009
Inspirational and down-to-earth, full of insight into the possibilites of the world we can create, if we become conscious enough to let it happen...
"Our choice to stand within a field of infinite possibility is our miraculous authority in any situation."
“Each day can be a glorious canvas painted by the hand of God, and we pray for eyes with which to see it.”
“From a spiritual perspective anything negative that happens has only one purpose: to foster compassion in the human heart.”
"The attention we pay to the nature of our thinking is the most powerful reflection we can have."
"There are clearly times when quieting down and bringing our energy back into ourselves is a step toward inner peace."
"When enough of us learn to become deeply, profoundly quiet, then the hysteria of the world will begin to subside."
"Our choice to stand within a field of infinite possibility is our miraculous authority in any situation."
“Each day can be a glorious canvas painted by the hand of God, and we pray for eyes with which to see it.”
“From a spiritual perspective anything negative that happens has only one purpose: to foster compassion in the human heart.”
"The attention we pay to the nature of our thinking is the most powerful reflection we can have."
"There are clearly times when quieting down and bringing our energy back into ourselves is a step toward inner peace."
"When enough of us learn to become deeply, profoundly quiet, then the hysteria of the world will begin to subside."
August 31, 2009
This is an extremely powerful book, especially if you're questioning your relationship with a higher power. I found Williamson's references to Cinderella and Harry Potter amusing and relatable. It was an easy read but that doesn't mean the content wasn't meaningful. Williamson chooses her words and her examples carefully; every idea she poses is meant to invoke a reaction. I keenly felt her points and was left quite thoughtful after I put the book down. The idea of "everyday grace" will stick with me and will hopefully make a positive impact on my daily life.
March 23, 2010
This book contains some really great nuggets. Marianne knows how to break things down into language that makes so much clear sense. Some of it I kind of skimmed through, but there was one part that really motivated me and actually made a big difference in how I begin each day. I liked A Return To Love better, but this is very much worth reading.
November 29, 2013
Awesomely amazing book. It changed the way I look at life. A nice thing about it is a person of any faith and any walk of life will be able to relate and benefit.
February 14, 2017
This book Every Day Grace could be considered a decent book on spirituality, life and divine love.
It is my second Marianne Williamson read and was worth it .. full of meaning, insights and inspiration .. the book is made up of three sections after the introduction:
First section where the tools or magic wands are displayed, second section where daily events are explored brilliantly in spiritual aspect, third section where main life events and subjects are explored with great depth and knowledge from the aspect of spirituality.
I would recommend this book for readers with general interest in the subject thanking the author for her inspiration ..
I would like to share below some of the quotes I managed to note down while reading this book :
Every Day Grace
I believe that that hunger for a “lost dimension” of experience is a natural yearning in all of us, and it doesn’t go away just because we ignore it.
It is said that fiction is where someone gets to tell the truth.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.1
Everything connects to everything; therefore, as we change, the world cannot but change with us.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.6
The mystic path is a journey of personal transformation, and while the goal of the journey is to become our true selves, we can only do this by letting go of who we are not. If we wish to experience the fullness of life, we must cut through layers of illusion that hide the truth of who we really are.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.12
The mystic does not deny the darkness, in ourselves or in the world, but affirms a light that lies beyond it. And we have faith the light will prevail because we have faith that light is our true identity.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.13
Mysticism is not a trend. Our entire being is called to the task, for the journey from density to light involves every aspect of who we are.
We see that everything we go through is a step along the path. We are taking the mystical journey as a way of transforming the world by transforming ourselves. Only by finding the love within us can we provide the love that will save the world.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.14
Fairy tales are rife with archetypal truths that teach not only children, but open-minded adults as well, deep and fundamental truths about the nature of reality.
A wand is a medium of power, not just for wizards but also for you and me. A wand is essentially a principle, an intention, a focused thought. When focused thought is negative, it creates ill. And when focused thought is loving and enlightened, it creates miraculous breakthroughs. A mystical wand is the illumined power that emanates from the mind when it is married to the heart.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.15
For hatred, as we know all too well, has no problem announcing itself and its intentions to the world. Our response should not just be that we oppose hate; our response must be that we love the world.
It is the conviction to love that gives birth to miracles.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.16
Everything we encounter throughout the day is a spiritual opportunity, if we approach it with love. Every moment challenges us to rise to our highest: to choose strength over weakness, forgiveness over blame, faith over faithlessness, and love over fear.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.17
There is another way of knowing, another way of living, and another way of loving on this earth. This “other way” is a realm that is full of magic and miracles. It is a world more real than what we see around us. It is the realm from which we have come, and to which all of us long to return.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.18
As we stand firmly within a point of light—though darkness might be all around us—the darkness begins to dissolve into the nothingness from whence it came.
The attention we pay to the nature of our thinking, therefore, is the most powerful attention we can pay. Our spiritual victory lies in rising above the mental forces of fear and limitation, using our wands to purify our thought forms, thus attaining the power to heal and be healed.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.19
If we fail to express God’s love through faith or compassion or forgiveness, then the problem is not the absence of God’s power but rather our failure to align our will with His.
Children memorize the alphabet so they can learn how to read; we should memorize mystical principles so we can learn how to live most creatively
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.22
“Dear God, please send a miracle” is a powerful prayer for cosmic support. To pray is to take spiritual action.
Miracles aren’t possible because of anything we do; they are possible because of the nature of God. We do not personally work them; rather, they are worked through us as we open our hearts more deeply to love. The mystical heart is a loving one, and thus a conduit through which God naturally reveals Himself. We have a power in us, but not of us, that can miraculously heal the entire world.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.23
When we are open to the possibility that God’s power is truly unlimited—that in the ultimate vastness of the cosmos, love prevails—then we are automatically transported to a realm of possibility in which miracles flow forth naturally.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.26
Infinite love is not an attribute of our being, but rather the essence of our being. Our only real problem is that we have forgotten who we are.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.27
When our minds are no longer fragmented by the illusion of our separation from each other, but healed by the truth of our oneness, we are awakened to a new dimension of compassion.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.30
Each time we consider a miracle impossible, or assume that we ourselves are not capable of working it, then we’re choosing not to take flight. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t, or that we won’t. We will emerge from our spiritual chrysalis into the light of a new state of being, when human consciousness has realized our capacity to do so.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.34
Life is a swirling pool of infinite potential at every single moment, and we ourselves either activate or refuse to activate the mystical fertility of the universe.
As we convert our thinking—much as one converts an electrical current—from identifying with the material realm to identifying with the spirit, then our spiritual wings take flight. We are lifted above the limitations of the past, for when we approach a situation from merely a material orientation, we remain at the effects of material factors. But if we approach it from a spiritual orientation, we are freed from the confines of material factors. We are heir to the laws of whichever world we believe in.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.35
The path to a transcendent sensibility is neither even nor easy at times, but the difficulty of the journey sometimes turns out to be its blessing. Indeed, there are ways in which the pain we suffered yesterday increases our power to work miracles today.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.36
You will know that to God you are everything when He has become everything to you.
As children of God, we’ve been given free will: We can think with Him, or not think with Him. But we cannot limit the creative power of our thoughts. When our thoughts are thoughts of love, then we are aligned with and receive His power. When our thoughts are judgmental, then we are choosing to turn our backs to God. We can no longer see the light He is shining on us when we stop shining it on others.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.41
It takes tremendous faith in the power of love to refuse to hate those who behave in hateful ways. Yet in that refusal lies our grace.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.42
The miracle worker remembers a part of someone that they themselves have forgotten. People deserve love not because of what they do, but because of who they are. When someone has forgotten their love, they have fallen asleep to who they are; our mystical challenge, and our spiritual power, lies in choosing to remain awake.
The realm of personality, with all its good and bad, is not the realm of spiritual Truth. It is a “fallen” realm. And we can escape it through the act of forgiveness.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.43
Our focus on the good in someone else, regardless of whether or not our ego thinks they “deserve” it, casts a mystical light on any relationship.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.44
Forgiveness is our decision to see the love that is real in all of us, despite whatever appearances to the contrary there are.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.47
Love is a process as well as a goal.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.50
So it is that if we foster good Cause, then good Effects will ensue—not always immediately, but ultimately.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.51
When we’re aligned with our own spiritual essence, the world is a safer place to be. Remaining serene within ourselves, we become magnets for harmony and peace in the world.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.60
The door to God swings open at the slightest knock. The portal that takes us from the hysteria of a fear-based world to the peace and love of God is any moment of pure and sacred silence.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.61
There are clearly times when quieting down and bringing our energy back into ourselves is a step toward inner peace. Yet the most powerful life is not one in which we bring ourselves back to our center when we have spun away from it, but rather one in which we seek to live from that center at all times.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.64
“The more still you become, the more the universe moves into powerful action on your behalf. Forces you will never be consciously aware of begin to move in your direction. The less still you are—the more emotionally and mentally fidgety you are—the more the universe stays stuck in old patterns of energy, reflecting the general chaos of your own psyche.”
It is fearful and destructive thoughts that set up fearful and destructive patterns in our lives.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.65
Staying within ourselves, feeling the center of our own being, we allow the power of God to give us everything we need. Living there, we can always work miracles. Living outside, we will always be in need of them.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.68
When love and forgiveness replace blame and retribution, we will have begun construction on a new and better world.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.94
The decision to adjust our perspective on a situation, seeing as its only purpose the extension of love, automatically illumines it. For a situation to be illumined, our thoughts must become illumined. Within this light, our ideas are more insightful and wise, our personal energies radiate integrity, and circumstances around us unfold along a palpable path of divine right order. There is a “flow” we can all feel when a situation is aligned with the peace of God.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.103
An attitude of giving will ultimately attract more material and spiritual wealth to us than will an attitude of getting. But it takes faith in the workings of the spiritual universe to trust that this is so. The voice of the ego is loud, but its message is a lie. Pursuing success for nothing but personal gain will not and cannot lead to true joy, because it is a quest that is out of harmony with the ultimate reality of the universe.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.104
From the miracle of our realignment with God flows every other miracle we need.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.120
Our greatest need is for the hand of God to build a bridge over which we can cross from mortal perception to divine understanding.
Miracles can come from anything, anywhere, anytime. There is no situation that ties God’s hands.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.122
I have learned from experience that happiness is an acquired skill. There is always something to complain about, even in the best of times. And there is always something to celebrate, even in the worst of times. Happiness is not an objective reality so much as a subjective decision. Chronic complainers miss the boat.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.126
Happiness is not what happens when everything goes the way you think it should go; happiness is what happens when you decide to be happy.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.128
When simple pleasures have been taken away, such as someone’s loving smile or encouraging word, then the next time such pleasures come around—and they do—we lift our cup of life to them. We sing God’s praises in a way we had never done in the days when we took so much for granted.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.129
And with grace comes the opening of our eyes. We begin to see that every circumstance and every situation is just a corner of an infinite universe. No corner is really so good or bad, as it is simply a place the soul is in need of experiencing now. Whatever it is, it will not last. Whatever it is, it is leading to something better. And whatever it is, it is actually perfect.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.140
The mortal ego dwells in linear time and does not know the future; the Holy Spirit dwells in eternity and therefore does. He knows not only what will happen in the future, but also how every decision made will affect every living thing forever.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.144
Every moment, faithfully lived, is a chance to practice the art of living. A life of magnitude does not just happen; it is consciously chosen. Living is an endlessly creative process in which we work on achieving the life we want through our willingness to be who we would like to be.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.152
Emotional havoc usually comes not from the issues that divide us so much as from the things we say and do because of the issues that divide us.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.163
For it is not our disagreements that wound; it’s our criticism, attack, and blame that wound. Until we know we’re solidly on loving ground—past the temptation to even subtly blame—we had best be very careful with what we say and how we say it. Some words cut, while others heal.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.164
Once we do—when we have allowed our hearts to soften into genuinely right relationship—the words with which we express ourselves in a disagreement become guided by a higher source. We remember to point out how much we appreciate someone before we point out what we perceive to be a problem. We are willing to express ourselves from a place of questioning rather than a place of blame. And we are able to see the difference between criticism, which tears people down, and honest disagreement, which can be a creative and even collaborative process.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.165
The mystic hopes not for a particular outcome, then, but for the best outcome for all concerned. And what that is can only be determined by God
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.174
Hope lies in having more faith in the power of God to heal us than in the power of anything to hurt or destroy us
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.175
Hope is simply an attitude, placing trust in the mystery of the universe before trust in the things of this world.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.178
The material world can be a marvelous place, full of power and excitement, but it is not—even in its most intense manifestations—the world of ultimate truth. Only the truth of a radical, fundamental love is unalterable and eternal. Our own will may delay its expression, but love will always prevail.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.214
The spiritual life is one of mental discipline in which we cleave to higher thought forms because we know they are key to our happiness and peace.
Only in Truth do we find a context for life that makes sense of our existence. And only deeper meaning assuages the suffering of the soul.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.232
We are on the earth to be joyful and to share our joy with others. The spirit looks to relationships as a place to share our happiness, while the ego looks to them to assuage our pain.
The realm of physical things—the body included—is the realm of separation, not of true joining. Knowing that, making the focus of our attention the connection of spirits rather than the connection of bodies, gives us a fundamental, spiritual sanity that serves us well in relating to others.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.250
Love is the miracle of a rewired heart, as our relationship with Him redeems our relationships with others.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.252
It is my second Marianne Williamson read and was worth it .. full of meaning, insights and inspiration .. the book is made up of three sections after the introduction:
First section where the tools or magic wands are displayed, second section where daily events are explored brilliantly in spiritual aspect, third section where main life events and subjects are explored with great depth and knowledge from the aspect of spirituality.
I would recommend this book for readers with general interest in the subject thanking the author for her inspiration ..
I would like to share below some of the quotes I managed to note down while reading this book :
Every Day Grace
I believe that that hunger for a “lost dimension” of experience is a natural yearning in all of us, and it doesn’t go away just because we ignore it.
It is said that fiction is where someone gets to tell the truth.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.1
Everything connects to everything; therefore, as we change, the world cannot but change with us.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.6
The mystic path is a journey of personal transformation, and while the goal of the journey is to become our true selves, we can only do this by letting go of who we are not. If we wish to experience the fullness of life, we must cut through layers of illusion that hide the truth of who we really are.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.12
The mystic does not deny the darkness, in ourselves or in the world, but affirms a light that lies beyond it. And we have faith the light will prevail because we have faith that light is our true identity.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.13
Mysticism is not a trend. Our entire being is called to the task, for the journey from density to light involves every aspect of who we are.
We see that everything we go through is a step along the path. We are taking the mystical journey as a way of transforming the world by transforming ourselves. Only by finding the love within us can we provide the love that will save the world.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.14
Fairy tales are rife with archetypal truths that teach not only children, but open-minded adults as well, deep and fundamental truths about the nature of reality.
A wand is a medium of power, not just for wizards but also for you and me. A wand is essentially a principle, an intention, a focused thought. When focused thought is negative, it creates ill. And when focused thought is loving and enlightened, it creates miraculous breakthroughs. A mystical wand is the illumined power that emanates from the mind when it is married to the heart.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.15
For hatred, as we know all too well, has no problem announcing itself and its intentions to the world. Our response should not just be that we oppose hate; our response must be that we love the world.
It is the conviction to love that gives birth to miracles.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.16
Everything we encounter throughout the day is a spiritual opportunity, if we approach it with love. Every moment challenges us to rise to our highest: to choose strength over weakness, forgiveness over blame, faith over faithlessness, and love over fear.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.17
There is another way of knowing, another way of living, and another way of loving on this earth. This “other way” is a realm that is full of magic and miracles. It is a world more real than what we see around us. It is the realm from which we have come, and to which all of us long to return.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.18
As we stand firmly within a point of light—though darkness might be all around us—the darkness begins to dissolve into the nothingness from whence it came.
The attention we pay to the nature of our thinking, therefore, is the most powerful attention we can pay. Our spiritual victory lies in rising above the mental forces of fear and limitation, using our wands to purify our thought forms, thus attaining the power to heal and be healed.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.19
If we fail to express God’s love through faith or compassion or forgiveness, then the problem is not the absence of God’s power but rather our failure to align our will with His.
Children memorize the alphabet so they can learn how to read; we should memorize mystical principles so we can learn how to live most creatively
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.22
“Dear God, please send a miracle” is a powerful prayer for cosmic support. To pray is to take spiritual action.
Miracles aren’t possible because of anything we do; they are possible because of the nature of God. We do not personally work them; rather, they are worked through us as we open our hearts more deeply to love. The mystical heart is a loving one, and thus a conduit through which God naturally reveals Himself. We have a power in us, but not of us, that can miraculously heal the entire world.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.23
When we are open to the possibility that God’s power is truly unlimited—that in the ultimate vastness of the cosmos, love prevails—then we are automatically transported to a realm of possibility in which miracles flow forth naturally.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.26
Infinite love is not an attribute of our being, but rather the essence of our being. Our only real problem is that we have forgotten who we are.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.27
When our minds are no longer fragmented by the illusion of our separation from each other, but healed by the truth of our oneness, we are awakened to a new dimension of compassion.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.30
Each time we consider a miracle impossible, or assume that we ourselves are not capable of working it, then we’re choosing not to take flight. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t, or that we won’t. We will emerge from our spiritual chrysalis into the light of a new state of being, when human consciousness has realized our capacity to do so.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.34
Life is a swirling pool of infinite potential at every single moment, and we ourselves either activate or refuse to activate the mystical fertility of the universe.
As we convert our thinking—much as one converts an electrical current—from identifying with the material realm to identifying with the spirit, then our spiritual wings take flight. We are lifted above the limitations of the past, for when we approach a situation from merely a material orientation, we remain at the effects of material factors. But if we approach it from a spiritual orientation, we are freed from the confines of material factors. We are heir to the laws of whichever world we believe in.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.35
The path to a transcendent sensibility is neither even nor easy at times, but the difficulty of the journey sometimes turns out to be its blessing. Indeed, there are ways in which the pain we suffered yesterday increases our power to work miracles today.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.36
You will know that to God you are everything when He has become everything to you.
As children of God, we’ve been given free will: We can think with Him, or not think with Him. But we cannot limit the creative power of our thoughts. When our thoughts are thoughts of love, then we are aligned with and receive His power. When our thoughts are judgmental, then we are choosing to turn our backs to God. We can no longer see the light He is shining on us when we stop shining it on others.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.41
It takes tremendous faith in the power of love to refuse to hate those who behave in hateful ways. Yet in that refusal lies our grace.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.42
The miracle worker remembers a part of someone that they themselves have forgotten. People deserve love not because of what they do, but because of who they are. When someone has forgotten their love, they have fallen asleep to who they are; our mystical challenge, and our spiritual power, lies in choosing to remain awake.
The realm of personality, with all its good and bad, is not the realm of spiritual Truth. It is a “fallen” realm. And we can escape it through the act of forgiveness.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.43
Our focus on the good in someone else, regardless of whether or not our ego thinks they “deserve” it, casts a mystical light on any relationship.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.44
Forgiveness is our decision to see the love that is real in all of us, despite whatever appearances to the contrary there are.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.47
Love is a process as well as a goal.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.50
So it is that if we foster good Cause, then good Effects will ensue—not always immediately, but ultimately.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.51
When we’re aligned with our own spiritual essence, the world is a safer place to be. Remaining serene within ourselves, we become magnets for harmony and peace in the world.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.60
The door to God swings open at the slightest knock. The portal that takes us from the hysteria of a fear-based world to the peace and love of God is any moment of pure and sacred silence.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.61
There are clearly times when quieting down and bringing our energy back into ourselves is a step toward inner peace. Yet the most powerful life is not one in which we bring ourselves back to our center when we have spun away from it, but rather one in which we seek to live from that center at all times.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.64
“The more still you become, the more the universe moves into powerful action on your behalf. Forces you will never be consciously aware of begin to move in your direction. The less still you are—the more emotionally and mentally fidgety you are—the more the universe stays stuck in old patterns of energy, reflecting the general chaos of your own psyche.”
It is fearful and destructive thoughts that set up fearful and destructive patterns in our lives.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.65
Staying within ourselves, feeling the center of our own being, we allow the power of God to give us everything we need. Living there, we can always work miracles. Living outside, we will always be in need of them.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.68
When love and forgiveness replace blame and retribution, we will have begun construction on a new and better world.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.94
The decision to adjust our perspective on a situation, seeing as its only purpose the extension of love, automatically illumines it. For a situation to be illumined, our thoughts must become illumined. Within this light, our ideas are more insightful and wise, our personal energies radiate integrity, and circumstances around us unfold along a palpable path of divine right order. There is a “flow” we can all feel when a situation is aligned with the peace of God.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.103
An attitude of giving will ultimately attract more material and spiritual wealth to us than will an attitude of getting. But it takes faith in the workings of the spiritual universe to trust that this is so. The voice of the ego is loud, but its message is a lie. Pursuing success for nothing but personal gain will not and cannot lead to true joy, because it is a quest that is out of harmony with the ultimate reality of the universe.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.104
From the miracle of our realignment with God flows every other miracle we need.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.120
Our greatest need is for the hand of God to build a bridge over which we can cross from mortal perception to divine understanding.
Miracles can come from anything, anywhere, anytime. There is no situation that ties God’s hands.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.122
I have learned from experience that happiness is an acquired skill. There is always something to complain about, even in the best of times. And there is always something to celebrate, even in the worst of times. Happiness is not an objective reality so much as a subjective decision. Chronic complainers miss the boat.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.126
Happiness is not what happens when everything goes the way you think it should go; happiness is what happens when you decide to be happy.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.128
When simple pleasures have been taken away, such as someone’s loving smile or encouraging word, then the next time such pleasures come around—and they do—we lift our cup of life to them. We sing God’s praises in a way we had never done in the days when we took so much for granted.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.129
And with grace comes the opening of our eyes. We begin to see that every circumstance and every situation is just a corner of an infinite universe. No corner is really so good or bad, as it is simply a place the soul is in need of experiencing now. Whatever it is, it will not last. Whatever it is, it is leading to something better. And whatever it is, it is actually perfect.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.140
The mortal ego dwells in linear time and does not know the future; the Holy Spirit dwells in eternity and therefore does. He knows not only what will happen in the future, but also how every decision made will affect every living thing forever.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.144
Every moment, faithfully lived, is a chance to practice the art of living. A life of magnitude does not just happen; it is consciously chosen. Living is an endlessly creative process in which we work on achieving the life we want through our willingness to be who we would like to be.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.152
Emotional havoc usually comes not from the issues that divide us so much as from the things we say and do because of the issues that divide us.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.163
For it is not our disagreements that wound; it’s our criticism, attack, and blame that wound. Until we know we’re solidly on loving ground—past the temptation to even subtly blame—we had best be very careful with what we say and how we say it. Some words cut, while others heal.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.164
Once we do—when we have allowed our hearts to soften into genuinely right relationship—the words with which we express ourselves in a disagreement become guided by a higher source. We remember to point out how much we appreciate someone before we point out what we perceive to be a problem. We are willing to express ourselves from a place of questioning rather than a place of blame. And we are able to see the difference between criticism, which tears people down, and honest disagreement, which can be a creative and even collaborative process.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.165
The mystic hopes not for a particular outcome, then, but for the best outcome for all concerned. And what that is can only be determined by God
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.174
Hope lies in having more faith in the power of God to heal us than in the power of anything to hurt or destroy us
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.175
Hope is simply an attitude, placing trust in the mystery of the universe before trust in the things of this world.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.178
The material world can be a marvelous place, full of power and excitement, but it is not—even in its most intense manifestations—the world of ultimate truth. Only the truth of a radical, fundamental love is unalterable and eternal. Our own will may delay its expression, but love will always prevail.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.214
The spiritual life is one of mental discipline in which we cleave to higher thought forms because we know they are key to our happiness and peace.
Only in Truth do we find a context for life that makes sense of our existence. And only deeper meaning assuages the suffering of the soul.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.232
We are on the earth to be joyful and to share our joy with others. The spirit looks to relationships as a place to share our happiness, while the ego looks to them to assuage our pain.
The realm of physical things—the body included—is the realm of separation, not of true joining. Knowing that, making the focus of our attention the connection of spirits rather than the connection of bodies, gives us a fundamental, spiritual sanity that serves us well in relating to others.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.250
Love is the miracle of a rewired heart, as our relationship with Him redeems our relationships with others.
Marianne Williamson, Every Day Grace, p.252
August 23, 2016
Marianne Williamson's “Everyday Grace: Having Hope, Finding Forgiveness, and Making Miracles” is a magical book on how we can live life better and more fully, every moment of our lives. This book is addressed to everyone, and starts off with a wonderful interpretation of the Harry Potter world, in which we all start off as plain Muggles and find the magic within our lives with a little help. Further on, there are deeply moving interpretations of fairy tales, such as Cinderella:
“When Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother waved her wand… a shimmering energy of golden light surrounded the object of her attention… mice turned into horses, a pumpkin turned into a carriage, and rags turned into a beautiful ball gown. Translated: People around us, once we have shown more faith in them, show up for us more powerfully than we had thought them capable; a job we had thought beneath us, once we throw our creativity into it, becomes the vehicle for great success, our lack in some area, once changed from a source of complaint to a source of thanksgiving for what we do have, turns into a source of joy... Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother worked with what was there: She didn’t call a car service and order up a limo. She didn’t call Saks Fifth Avenue and say ‘Bring me over something gorgeous’. Rather, she surrounded what was already there with the illumination and divine understanding, and what already existed then miraculously transformed.”
These simple yet profound words that Williamson offers are written in such a way that what we once may have already known in some *other* way is now articulated beautifully and serves as a much needed reminder.
This being the first book I’ve read by Williamson (she has written many others, including a brand new book titled “From Tears To Triumph”), I very much appreciated her unique and respectful take on organized religion. She explains that religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism have many similar symbolic meanings that we can understand, and that we should keep these in mind when we pray. That being said, to Williamson, praying is something that we all must do, in whatever form each individual wants to do so. The book is interspersed with her own prayers that may be used as examples. Here is one on jobs and working:
“Dear God,
I surrender to you my work.
May I be who you would have me be,
That I might do as you would have me do.
May my relationships be blessed,
With those for whom I work
And with those who work for me.
May Your light be upon us
As we do our work
And may our work
Be Yours.
Amen.”
Much of the philosophy presented in “Everyday Grace: Having Hope, Finding Forgiveness, and Making Miracles” is about the interconnectedness of all souls on Earth, even those who we might completely disagree with. She asks that we see absolutely everyone, though they may slight us or even hurt us, as divine beings like angels with a shared innocence. Moreover, Williamson’s idea that personality is an illusion, is actually a great “tactic” (for lack of a better word), to see past what we conceive as faults in other persons.
This book is organized into three parts: “Part I: Thoughts Of Grace”, “Part II: A Day Of Grace”, and “Part III: A Life Of Grace”. Part I explains what “mystical wands” are and how to use them. A simple understanding of this is that we can all use our hypothetical magical “wand” by focusing our energy on positivity (miracles *do* happen, angels *are* real). Part II is divided up for each hour of the day starting from 8:00 am through 8:00 pm. She addresses issues such as jealousy, boredom and guilt, and also, finally and throughout, sheds light on what it means to have compassion. Part III is a more general expose on life itself, and is a phenomenal conclusion that focuses on things we do that are taken for granted by going through the motions. For example, marriage is not about the fancy gown, it’s the sacrament that we must always be thinking of, first and foremost.
I recommend this book to anyone who needs a little push as they live their lives, a push to be happier each day and more patient as trials come all the time. This book has changed parts of me for the better, and I think it will be the same for those who seek to be healed.
“When Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother waved her wand… a shimmering energy of golden light surrounded the object of her attention… mice turned into horses, a pumpkin turned into a carriage, and rags turned into a beautiful ball gown. Translated: People around us, once we have shown more faith in them, show up for us more powerfully than we had thought them capable; a job we had thought beneath us, once we throw our creativity into it, becomes the vehicle for great success, our lack in some area, once changed from a source of complaint to a source of thanksgiving for what we do have, turns into a source of joy... Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother worked with what was there: She didn’t call a car service and order up a limo. She didn’t call Saks Fifth Avenue and say ‘Bring me over something gorgeous’. Rather, she surrounded what was already there with the illumination and divine understanding, and what already existed then miraculously transformed.”
These simple yet profound words that Williamson offers are written in such a way that what we once may have already known in some *other* way is now articulated beautifully and serves as a much needed reminder.
This being the first book I’ve read by Williamson (she has written many others, including a brand new book titled “From Tears To Triumph”), I very much appreciated her unique and respectful take on organized religion. She explains that religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism have many similar symbolic meanings that we can understand, and that we should keep these in mind when we pray. That being said, to Williamson, praying is something that we all must do, in whatever form each individual wants to do so. The book is interspersed with her own prayers that may be used as examples. Here is one on jobs and working:
“Dear God,
I surrender to you my work.
May I be who you would have me be,
That I might do as you would have me do.
May my relationships be blessed,
With those for whom I work
And with those who work for me.
May Your light be upon us
As we do our work
And may our work
Be Yours.
Amen.”
Much of the philosophy presented in “Everyday Grace: Having Hope, Finding Forgiveness, and Making Miracles” is about the interconnectedness of all souls on Earth, even those who we might completely disagree with. She asks that we see absolutely everyone, though they may slight us or even hurt us, as divine beings like angels with a shared innocence. Moreover, Williamson’s idea that personality is an illusion, is actually a great “tactic” (for lack of a better word), to see past what we conceive as faults in other persons.
This book is organized into three parts: “Part I: Thoughts Of Grace”, “Part II: A Day Of Grace”, and “Part III: A Life Of Grace”. Part I explains what “mystical wands” are and how to use them. A simple understanding of this is that we can all use our hypothetical magical “wand” by focusing our energy on positivity (miracles *do* happen, angels *are* real). Part II is divided up for each hour of the day starting from 8:00 am through 8:00 pm. She addresses issues such as jealousy, boredom and guilt, and also, finally and throughout, sheds light on what it means to have compassion. Part III is a more general expose on life itself, and is a phenomenal conclusion that focuses on things we do that are taken for granted by going through the motions. For example, marriage is not about the fancy gown, it’s the sacrament that we must always be thinking of, first and foremost.
I recommend this book to anyone who needs a little push as they live their lives, a push to be happier each day and more patient as trials come all the time. This book has changed parts of me for the better, and I think it will be the same for those who seek to be healed.
February 20, 2014
What I appreciated about this book was not that it gave more information, but it gave practical application ideas. Some parts of the book were really inspiring to me, especially the parts encouraging me to look outside of myself towards serving and loving others. She said something from A Course in Miracles that really rubbed me the wrong way. She indicated the belief that God is the creator. God only creates good things. Therefore, if bad things happen, they are not real. They are only manifestations on a "screen" brought about by our own negative thought patterns and fears. This is a nice ideal, but the practical application stinks to me. If you are raped, it is not real, it is not really happening, it's just your own mind manifesting your fear?? It feels an awful lot like blaming the victim. Otherwise, I liked the book. It was pleasant to spend time in it. Marianne is charming and inspiring.
May 5, 2013
I really struggled between whether to rate this a three for "liked it" and a four for "really liked it." The message is top notch...give everything up to God...have total faith...and you will have peace and love in your life. And one really does need to be reminded on a continuous basis to have faith because it's difficult..so for that reason alone this book is worth reading. But, as with many of these spiritual/inspirational books, I find it more helpful when the author gives us concrete ways to try to deepen your faith. It is very easy to say "have faith," much more difficult to actually do. In the second half of the book, the author does start or end each chapter with beautifully written prayers...and again, the book is worth reading just for those.
Read
June 30, 2011"As long as there are walls inside our minds, we are bounds to remain behind them. For id you think you can't, you can't. If you think you can, you might. And it you think God can, you're on your way to a life of spritual triumph."
July 12, 2015
This was a great book! I would highly recommend it for anyone that is searching for meaning in life. At one point, she uses the term spiritual psychology. That is high I would term this book. All of us are connected through the love of the creator.
July 13, 2010
Great Book! It is to be read over and over again....
January 4, 2015
I have to say that this book really did very little for me. It was a disappointment after reading Joseph Campbell's 'The Power of Myth'. He explained things far more clearly.
February 22, 2015
The book was so close to her previous books I felt like I wasn't getting anything new. I rated it low because I was looking forward to new insights but didn't get any. That was disappointing.
July 13, 2025
My therapist recommended this book to me bc I was in need of faith that things would work out, and struggling with the anxious questions of if I was doing enough and if I was where I was meant to be. While I was originally turned off by how heavily religious language is used, this is something I think I eventually got used to and accepted as just Marianne’s way of communicating. Moreover, this book came out in the early 2000s, so I think it might have made the book far more accessible then. I also discovered that maybe my discomfort at this type of language simply revealed my discomfort with the religious institutions of my past, and it challenged me to reclaim those words and concepts in a way that was pertinent to me, not to a scaffolded agenda.
This book lived in and out of my backpack and several different bags, sometimes opened several times a day and sometimes untouched for weeks. When spirituality seemed unwelcoming or unnecessary, I judged Marianne’s language and decided the book was not for me. But when I felt chaos and worry gearing up to control my summer, I leaned into her message hard. This book is for dreamers, imaginers, conceivers of a world far better than this one, a world that can come about at any moment— where love is universally chosen over fear, and where individuality does not mean the denial of community. A world where community is paramount, and everything else seems secondary. Marianne’s commitment to hope made me feel comforted and unafraid, as if for the first time I had met someone who was a bigger dreamer than me.
Several times I picked up this book with the intention to only read a chapter or two, and I would find that whatever tiny calamity I was facing that day would be expressly discussed in the following section. Something about this book felt very intentional in my hands and gave me a comfort that I came to really enjoy by the end. Though a lot of the language is definitely more Christian than I would use myself, I accept this not as a flaw of the book, but something special to Marianne and the way that she believes, the way that she moves through life. This book challenged me to appreciate something even if I don’t believe it, even if I don’t agree, even if it scares me. Some parts I felt had very little to do with me, while others seemed to touch on an insecurity or fear that I wasn’t yet aware of. Overall, I heavily recommend this book to anyone struggling with questions of identity, fear for the future, or who longs to rebuild that bridge to spirituality that may have been severed in the past.
This book lived in and out of my backpack and several different bags, sometimes opened several times a day and sometimes untouched for weeks. When spirituality seemed unwelcoming or unnecessary, I judged Marianne’s language and decided the book was not for me. But when I felt chaos and worry gearing up to control my summer, I leaned into her message hard. This book is for dreamers, imaginers, conceivers of a world far better than this one, a world that can come about at any moment— where love is universally chosen over fear, and where individuality does not mean the denial of community. A world where community is paramount, and everything else seems secondary. Marianne’s commitment to hope made me feel comforted and unafraid, as if for the first time I had met someone who was a bigger dreamer than me.
Several times I picked up this book with the intention to only read a chapter or two, and I would find that whatever tiny calamity I was facing that day would be expressly discussed in the following section. Something about this book felt very intentional in my hands and gave me a comfort that I came to really enjoy by the end. Though a lot of the language is definitely more Christian than I would use myself, I accept this not as a flaw of the book, but something special to Marianne and the way that she believes, the way that she moves through life. This book challenged me to appreciate something even if I don’t believe it, even if I don’t agree, even if it scares me. Some parts I felt had very little to do with me, while others seemed to touch on an insecurity or fear that I wasn’t yet aware of. Overall, I heavily recommend this book to anyone struggling with questions of identity, fear for the future, or who longs to rebuild that bridge to spirituality that may have been severed in the past.
January 8, 2026
This read provided insight and some resolve for me with regards to some very personal questions. Having hope is huge for me. Believing that we basically have goodwill and the need to connect. It is those with ill-will in their heart and mind that I find disturbing. I found a little resolution reading this book.
Read
August 16, 2021Eh….I know she’s a popular author but I just can’t seem to get into this book as much as I’d hoped I would. Maybe it’s just this particular book, so I may try another one at some point.
August 7, 2019
solid spiritual laws, clearly stated. inspiring.
November 12, 2019
This is the first opportunity that I’ve had to read Marianne Williamson and I certainly hope it will not be the last. My first encounter with Marianne was seeing her on the debate stage for the presidential primaries and my first impression was that she was certainly a bit “out in orbit” somewhere; but her responses were nevertheless logical and poignant. I was also bothered by the extent to which the debate commentators sought to purposefully ignore Marianne, almost as if they were afraid of her message. These experiences led me to seek out this book.
Fantasy or Fact
I’ve always embraced the fact that a story does not have to be literally true in order to convey an important moral truth and Marianne drives that point home very profoundly. Humans have always sought to explain the mysterious with mythology, which is expressive of the awe that comes from bearing awareness.
I came to understand this even more when I recently walked the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. The Camino trek is marked extensively with yellow arrows that bring to mind the “yellow brick road” in The Wizard of Oz. Like Dorothy, we meet many friends along the Camino and some are in need of hearts, courage or brains. Wizards reside about the many cathedrals along the way; and even a wicked witch or two will pop up unexpectedly. And like Dorothy, we ultimately find our way back home through the course of friendships and relationships we encounter along the journey.
Marianne doesn’t cite the Wizard of Oz or the Camino de Santiago, but she does mention other works of fantasy with similar relevance in our lives, such as the Narnia series, Harry Potter and Cinderella. Further, Marianne doesn’t neglect the Gospels, reminding us that Jesus said we could work miracles, even move mountains and heal the sick. However, Marianne points out that in order to work such miracles we must “seek” to accomplish them, which implies the presence of optimistic belief and hope.
Praxis
Pessimism is the quickest way in which we are defeated. In order to cultivate sacred things, we have to understand they are more than mere abstractions. We have to believe enough to comprehend the sacred as something profound and capable of transforming lives. Such transformations are where the spiritual becomes manifest within our material existence. But gaining this manifestation involves practice.
Practice is more than merely proclaiming our spirituality; practice involves undertaking actions that awaken awareness within the material plane of our existence. We may have believed slavery was wrong but it persisted until actions were initiated to discontinue it. We may have believed in women’s suffrage but it never materialized until actions were taken. Our actions go much further than we like to believe in actually modifying the state of our reality.
Believe
Is it so hard to imagine nations of the world recognizing each other as fellow citizens of this planet? Is it so hard to imagine flowers, snacks and smiles greeting us when we arrive in another country instead of long lines, customs agents, guards, and automatic weapons? Is it that hard to imagine abundance and peace instead of poverty and war? We must first accept these visions and believe them possible before our lives will become channels through which they emerge.
When we begin a journey of action, we will invariably meet monsters within us that will try to deter us. The monsters which must be defeated include: narcissism, rejection, humiliation, selfishness, greed, fear, and many others. Winning these battles necessitates that we understand these monsters do not define us and that we can better them. We have to actively choose and believe in rebirth for ourselves in order to win. It is by first transforming ourselves that we begin to transform the world.
Focus
I’m certain that Marianne takes the concept of “spiritual focus” a bit too far for many of my fundamentalist friends when she equates it to a “magic wand”. Such fundamentalists will immediately call her a “new age witch” or suggest she is attempting to subliminally direct the reader into witchcraft; but reading on will let any reader see how relevant her analogy is for understanding that spiritual awareness goes beyond mere passive belief and entails focus and direct action. Authentic belief motivates and empowers the believer to effectuate changes in the material world. Passive belief is, at best, merely lukewarm.
Love is not passive but proactive; neutrality is laziness. We must do more than merely feel love, we must also “express” it. And we do this most effectively by directing love into the darkened areas of human existence: to foster children, unloved homeless peoples, abandoned widows, divorcees, the unloved, the incarcerated, substance abusers and those struggling merely to find adequate sustenance.
Like in Cinderella, with the mice turning into horses, the pumpkin into a carriage, and the rags into a beautiful ball gown, distressed people around us can change when we show more faith in them. The authentic believer lives with the power of love burning in their heart like a fire, ready to direct that power out of them toward others. In this sense, Marianne’s “magic wand” analogy is perhaps better understood. We do undoubtedly possess the ability to effectuate change in the world around us and the extent of this ability is directly related to the extent of our spiritual focus. Love is a power to be applied, with no less expectation for its effect than the application of gas or electricity.
Thoughts
By focusing or directing our love, we work to invoke the world we wish to see and we repudiate the world we despise. But this entails that we pay close attention to the nature of our thinking and guard against thoughts of fear, error, intimidation, reluctance, temptation, etc. Other people telepathically register or sense our thoughts. We have no persuasive power with people who can feel our underlying contempt. An agitated mind creates an agitated world. Our mind must become a magnet to attract positive things.
Purifying our mental and emotional energy opens pathways of potentiality that are full of love and creativity. Conversely, fearful and destructive thoughts set up fearful and destructive patterns in our lives. The spiritual life is one of mental discipline in which we cleave to higher thought forms, i.e. God. The potential for divinely empowered consciousness exists within every one of us.
Understanding and regulating the quality of energy we express is a vital function for the spiritual activist. Entering life situations with a higher sense of “why we are here” is key. Looking constantly for situations to extend love is key. As Gandhi said, we must “be” the change we wish to see happen.
Conclusion
In many ways, what we think of is what we get. But we must remember that we are not spiritual narcissists working miracles at will; but rather that it is the power of love, i.e. God working through us. It is in receiving God’s love that we receive God’s power to creatively further the enhancement of goodness. God allows us to become illuminators when we believe and refuse to give up hope. Don’t turn down the chance for meeting with God in this life; it is an astonishing gift.
Every day is a chance to re-create. We can reshape our thoughts with mental exercise (prayer), just as we reshape our bodies with physical exercise. As Marianne puts it: “every event is part of a divine curriculum, set up by God for our growth and healing”. Often it is the situations that take us to our knees that awaken us.
We’re here to grow our spirits out from roots that descend into materiality. We’re here to develop spiritual muscle. The work of resurrection is a process on-going in every moment. We choose daily whether to put our faith in a world of limitations or a world of limitless good. Choose wisely.
-End-
Fantasy or Fact
I’ve always embraced the fact that a story does not have to be literally true in order to convey an important moral truth and Marianne drives that point home very profoundly. Humans have always sought to explain the mysterious with mythology, which is expressive of the awe that comes from bearing awareness.
I came to understand this even more when I recently walked the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. The Camino trek is marked extensively with yellow arrows that bring to mind the “yellow brick road” in The Wizard of Oz. Like Dorothy, we meet many friends along the Camino and some are in need of hearts, courage or brains. Wizards reside about the many cathedrals along the way; and even a wicked witch or two will pop up unexpectedly. And like Dorothy, we ultimately find our way back home through the course of friendships and relationships we encounter along the journey.
Marianne doesn’t cite the Wizard of Oz or the Camino de Santiago, but she does mention other works of fantasy with similar relevance in our lives, such as the Narnia series, Harry Potter and Cinderella. Further, Marianne doesn’t neglect the Gospels, reminding us that Jesus said we could work miracles, even move mountains and heal the sick. However, Marianne points out that in order to work such miracles we must “seek” to accomplish them, which implies the presence of optimistic belief and hope.
Praxis
Pessimism is the quickest way in which we are defeated. In order to cultivate sacred things, we have to understand they are more than mere abstractions. We have to believe enough to comprehend the sacred as something profound and capable of transforming lives. Such transformations are where the spiritual becomes manifest within our material existence. But gaining this manifestation involves practice.
Practice is more than merely proclaiming our spirituality; practice involves undertaking actions that awaken awareness within the material plane of our existence. We may have believed slavery was wrong but it persisted until actions were initiated to discontinue it. We may have believed in women’s suffrage but it never materialized until actions were taken. Our actions go much further than we like to believe in actually modifying the state of our reality.
Believe
Is it so hard to imagine nations of the world recognizing each other as fellow citizens of this planet? Is it so hard to imagine flowers, snacks and smiles greeting us when we arrive in another country instead of long lines, customs agents, guards, and automatic weapons? Is it that hard to imagine abundance and peace instead of poverty and war? We must first accept these visions and believe them possible before our lives will become channels through which they emerge.
When we begin a journey of action, we will invariably meet monsters within us that will try to deter us. The monsters which must be defeated include: narcissism, rejection, humiliation, selfishness, greed, fear, and many others. Winning these battles necessitates that we understand these monsters do not define us and that we can better them. We have to actively choose and believe in rebirth for ourselves in order to win. It is by first transforming ourselves that we begin to transform the world.
Focus
I’m certain that Marianne takes the concept of “spiritual focus” a bit too far for many of my fundamentalist friends when she equates it to a “magic wand”. Such fundamentalists will immediately call her a “new age witch” or suggest she is attempting to subliminally direct the reader into witchcraft; but reading on will let any reader see how relevant her analogy is for understanding that spiritual awareness goes beyond mere passive belief and entails focus and direct action. Authentic belief motivates and empowers the believer to effectuate changes in the material world. Passive belief is, at best, merely lukewarm.
Love is not passive but proactive; neutrality is laziness. We must do more than merely feel love, we must also “express” it. And we do this most effectively by directing love into the darkened areas of human existence: to foster children, unloved homeless peoples, abandoned widows, divorcees, the unloved, the incarcerated, substance abusers and those struggling merely to find adequate sustenance.
Like in Cinderella, with the mice turning into horses, the pumpkin into a carriage, and the rags into a beautiful ball gown, distressed people around us can change when we show more faith in them. The authentic believer lives with the power of love burning in their heart like a fire, ready to direct that power out of them toward others. In this sense, Marianne’s “magic wand” analogy is perhaps better understood. We do undoubtedly possess the ability to effectuate change in the world around us and the extent of this ability is directly related to the extent of our spiritual focus. Love is a power to be applied, with no less expectation for its effect than the application of gas or electricity.
Thoughts
By focusing or directing our love, we work to invoke the world we wish to see and we repudiate the world we despise. But this entails that we pay close attention to the nature of our thinking and guard against thoughts of fear, error, intimidation, reluctance, temptation, etc. Other people telepathically register or sense our thoughts. We have no persuasive power with people who can feel our underlying contempt. An agitated mind creates an agitated world. Our mind must become a magnet to attract positive things.
Purifying our mental and emotional energy opens pathways of potentiality that are full of love and creativity. Conversely, fearful and destructive thoughts set up fearful and destructive patterns in our lives. The spiritual life is one of mental discipline in which we cleave to higher thought forms, i.e. God. The potential for divinely empowered consciousness exists within every one of us.
Understanding and regulating the quality of energy we express is a vital function for the spiritual activist. Entering life situations with a higher sense of “why we are here” is key. Looking constantly for situations to extend love is key. As Gandhi said, we must “be” the change we wish to see happen.
Conclusion
In many ways, what we think of is what we get. But we must remember that we are not spiritual narcissists working miracles at will; but rather that it is the power of love, i.e. God working through us. It is in receiving God’s love that we receive God’s power to creatively further the enhancement of goodness. God allows us to become illuminators when we believe and refuse to give up hope. Don’t turn down the chance for meeting with God in this life; it is an astonishing gift.
Every day is a chance to re-create. We can reshape our thoughts with mental exercise (prayer), just as we reshape our bodies with physical exercise. As Marianne puts it: “every event is part of a divine curriculum, set up by God for our growth and healing”. Often it is the situations that take us to our knees that awaken us.
We’re here to grow our spirits out from roots that descend into materiality. We’re here to develop spiritual muscle. The work of resurrection is a process on-going in every moment. We choose daily whether to put our faith in a world of limitations or a world of limitless good. Choose wisely.
-End-
November 17, 2013
Blz. 43:
"Door welke vorm van leed ons leven ook getekend is, als we op dit moment voor een wonder openstaan, kan er een wonder gebeuren. En er bestaat geen groter wonder dan een mens die volledig wordt wie hij of zij zijn kan. Zodra we gaan beseffen dat we zijn wie we besluiten te zijn, zijn we genezen. En juist door wat we niet geven kunnen we worden tegengehouden, in feite nooit door wat we niet krijgen."
Blz. 58-59:
"Voorts verzetten we ons tegen de liefde omdat het rationele denken erdoor in het gedrang komt. Je kunt met je aardse manier van denken niet snappen hoe wonderen werken, en we hebben ons hele leven geleerd alles te wantrouwen wat niet rationeel verklaard kan worden. Maar het feit dat we niet snappen hoe wonderen werken wil nog niet zeggen dat ze niet gebeuren. En hoewel de westerse wetenschap eeuwenlang stelde dat onze innerlijke zijnstoestand geen invloed heeft op de toestand van onze omgeving, stelt de hedendaagse wetenschap iets heel anders. Heisenbergs onzekerheidsprincipe laat zien dat een object zelf verandert wanneer onze waarneming van dat object verandert. Het verband tussen onze innerlijke realiteit en onze uiterlijke realiteit is een spectaculair verschijnsel dat voor het denken niet, maar voor het hart wel te bevatten is."
Blz. 72:
"Zodra je de behoefte loslaat 'gezien' te worden, slim te zijn, iets te bereiken, iets te presteren, maak je de weg vrij voor je innerlijke glans, zodat die naar buiten komt. Zoek in deze rumoerige wereld de stilte van je hart. En door de kracht van de stilte wordt de chaos weer in harmonie gebracht, niet door jou maar via jou, zoals dat voor alle wonderen geldt.
Als wij mensen regelmatig die stilte betreden, wordt ons leven van bovenaf verlicht."
"Door welke vorm van leed ons leven ook getekend is, als we op dit moment voor een wonder openstaan, kan er een wonder gebeuren. En er bestaat geen groter wonder dan een mens die volledig wordt wie hij of zij zijn kan. Zodra we gaan beseffen dat we zijn wie we besluiten te zijn, zijn we genezen. En juist door wat we niet geven kunnen we worden tegengehouden, in feite nooit door wat we niet krijgen."
Blz. 58-59:
"Voorts verzetten we ons tegen de liefde omdat het rationele denken erdoor in het gedrang komt. Je kunt met je aardse manier van denken niet snappen hoe wonderen werken, en we hebben ons hele leven geleerd alles te wantrouwen wat niet rationeel verklaard kan worden. Maar het feit dat we niet snappen hoe wonderen werken wil nog niet zeggen dat ze niet gebeuren. En hoewel de westerse wetenschap eeuwenlang stelde dat onze innerlijke zijnstoestand geen invloed heeft op de toestand van onze omgeving, stelt de hedendaagse wetenschap iets heel anders. Heisenbergs onzekerheidsprincipe laat zien dat een object zelf verandert wanneer onze waarneming van dat object verandert. Het verband tussen onze innerlijke realiteit en onze uiterlijke realiteit is een spectaculair verschijnsel dat voor het denken niet, maar voor het hart wel te bevatten is."
Blz. 72:
"Zodra je de behoefte loslaat 'gezien' te worden, slim te zijn, iets te bereiken, iets te presteren, maak je de weg vrij voor je innerlijke glans, zodat die naar buiten komt. Zoek in deze rumoerige wereld de stilte van je hart. En door de kracht van de stilte wordt de chaos weer in harmonie gebracht, niet door jou maar via jou, zoals dat voor alle wonderen geldt.
Als wij mensen regelmatig die stilte betreden, wordt ons leven van bovenaf verlicht."
July 19, 2017
This is a great book. I had heard about the author and have watched some of her YouTube videos. She has a weekly lecture that she gives in NYC from some center where she practices her faith and you can watch old episodes on YouTube. She is a "student" of A Course in Miracles - which is a whole "thing" onto itself. I was concerned about reading her book that I would have to be familiar or have gone thru A Course in Miracles to be able to follow it - but that was not the case at all. She does mention some of the teachings of A Course in Miracles but only to start a point or emphasize a point but she then goes on to explain it in more detail. This book is more on the religious side as it does refer to God more than other books on spirituality. But she does so in a way that I did not find over the top or too preachy. I think she is very intelligent and the book is very well written. I have also heard her interviewed on YouTube about her work and she speaks very well and conveys her message very clearly. I have another one of her books on my list to read.
September 9, 2015
I started this book ages ago and put it down at one point because life. Recently I rearranged my books and placed this one closer to the top with the intention of finishing it. With roughly 100 pages (more or less) left I decided to abandon it. I remember liking aspects of the books like certain things she had said, but in general being iffy about it. As I picked it up again I was quickly reminded as to why I was weary of it. It's sort of a new age universe is talking to you book but with God. It just doesn't make sense. She goes back to God constantly attempting to make Him the focus but there's nothing about scripture or gospel (maybe I missed something), but it's really a karma being one with the universe and giving up to God philosophy. I don't even know if that's a real thing or not, but it is in this book. So I've decided not to finish it because even if there are things that I may agree with or could implement, there's isn't enough of what I believe as a Christian.
September 28, 2016
This book is my life's philosophy of the moment. I loved pretty much every page of it and plan to buy it so I can reread it time and again. The only part of it that I might not agree with her about and that I need more time to discover for myself is the part about the sacrament of marriage.
I've read many of Marianne's books and this is my favorite- one I would recommend to others because it is the most simple and straight-forward.
It's so beautiful to imagine the world this way and imagine people receiving the love we all desperately seek.
Thank you, Marianne, for writing this.
I've read many of Marianne's books and this is my favorite- one I would recommend to others because it is the most simple and straight-forward.
It's so beautiful to imagine the world this way and imagine people receiving the love we all desperately seek.
Thank you, Marianne, for writing this.
July 31, 2017
Enjoyed the way the book was written as it is easy to read and comprehend. A great book that taught me to be grateful of things and people around me. It also taught me how Christians should behave and live in grace daily. Her life experiences and inspiring anecdotes provide us with an attitude of hope and miracles. We should encompass thoughts of grace, live a day of grace and lead a life of grace. Yet there are challenges and obstacles that we need to overcome. This book also provides her practice of compassion and gratification daily. Good book to read to reconcile with the Lord.
May 7, 2009
I found this book inspirational and enjoyable. There were a few bits that I didn't enjoy quite as much, but overall I would recommend this book. The author addresses spiritual practices without addressing them to any particular religion or spirituality specifically. For this reason, almost everyone can benefit from reading this book and will find it enjoyable and inspirational, which I believe was the writers purpose.
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March 25, 2011This title was South Austin Spiritual Book Group's pick for March of 2011.
The book was well edited and had practical suggestions that I am actually using in my daily life now.
However, many of the members of our group felt that "Return to Love", Williamson's first book, was far superior
to this one and that her voice is not as authentic as it was in the beginning of her career when she was closer to the Course in Miracles.
The book was well edited and had practical suggestions that I am actually using in my daily life now.
However, many of the members of our group felt that "Return to Love", Williamson's first book, was far superior
to this one and that her voice is not as authentic as it was in the beginning of her career when she was closer to the Course in Miracles.
February 7, 2013
In this book Marrianne Williamson's approach to the mysteries of this world and how easily we loose sight of them; whether through weakening of our spiritual core or negative effects of this realm, is truly a refreshing way to remind us to continue having hope, forgiveness and love. We not only have the ability to thrive in continuous biss, but are privilaged to experience all the fantastic blessing of miraculous grace. Truly a blessing to be reminded.
August 23, 2013
Gutenberg's printing of the bible (1400's) revolutionized the distribution of knowledge. The distribution of printed text was directly responsible for a sharp increase in literacy. Of course stories are open to interpretation and we tend to see what we want to see. Every creature on earth seeks the same, to thrive without fear. Trust will conquer fear. Now you may ask who and what do I trust? Matthew 7:15-20
January 12, 2009
Although I don't agree with all of Williamson's theological explanations, this book struck a chord. Love and being in harmony with God's will truly can heal each of us and all of us at the same time. I've always loved reading books with True principles from all religions, and this one did not disappoint.
May 18, 2011
Again this book took me to a better place of understanding my self and the world we live in. If we all lived by the philosophy that is written in the pages of this amazing book we would see that we live in an amazing place. This is the third time I have read this and it continues to resonate with me!
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