Therefore I say that man must travel in the way of God. Day by day he must endeavour to become better, his belief must increase and become firmer, his good qualities and his turning to God must be greater, the fire of his love must flame more brightly; then day by day he will make progress, for to stop advancing is the means of going back . . .
I used to be somewhat confused about how to call myself to account each day, particularly since I am prone to beating myself up without even knowing I’m doing it, always focusing on what I’ve done wrong and taking responsibility and feeling guilty for things that have nothing to do with me. This wasn’t a very happy life!
I’m a big fan of checklists, and this quote satisfies my needs nicely. When I call myself to account, I can ask myself:
- Was today better than yesterday? If so, how?
- Did my belief increase and become firmer? If so, how? What confirmations came my way to strengthen my belief?
- Were my good qualities stronger? Which virtues did I strengthen?
- How often did I remember to turn to God? For what reasons?
- How did the fire of my love for God flame more brightly? For myself? For others?
Notice that all of these questions force me to look at my improvements rather than my failures!
Knowing I can make progress, little by little, day by day by focusing on the positive, I am at peace, and I am grateful!
What jumped out for you as you read today’s meditation? I’d love it if you would share so we can all expand our knowledge of the Writings!
If you liked this meditation, you might also like my book Learning How to Be Happy