Lock Yourself in Your Room

Say you’re feeling down, bluesy more or less. Say you’re feeling discouraged and defeated. Say someone has hurt your feelings, disappointed you, or caused you to question your own value. Say you are feeling rather worthless. Say you are bored. The root of your problem is forgetfulness. You have forgotten something important.

          This may sound like a strange idea, but do it anyway to nourish your happiness. Lock yourself in a comfortable room--- a bedroom, say --- and vow not to leave that room until you remember what you forgot and feel significantly different. Vow not to leave that room until you remember right down to your toes that you are loved by God with an absolutely unconditional love. Vow not to leave that room until you feel this love in the centre of your being.

          Good move. Don’t expect instant results, however. This could take a few hours. So bring nourishment with you, but no junk food allowed. Bring fresh fruits, a few fresh carrots, some pure water. Bring a leaf of whole-grain bread or some whole-grain rolls. Bring food that loaded with nutrition, no empty calories, no heavy-duty fat content. Bring food for your happiness into your locked room.

          Now sit down or lie down. If you lie down and go to sleep, that’s good. If you go to sleep that’s because you need the rest, body and soul. Don’t fight it. If you sit down and don’t feel sleepy, then sit here. Don’t open a book, just sit here. Don’t turn on a radio or play recorded music. Just sit here. Look out the window if there is something good to look at our there. Otherwise, don’t look out the window. Just sit there and wait. Wait. Talk to God if you want to. Don’t talk you God if you don’t want to.

          Talk to yourself if you want to. Don’t talk to yourself if you don’t want to. Either is good. Be still, be quiet, and wait. Just wait. If you feel like writing then write whatever you want to write. Don’t write if you don’t feel like writing. This is a time to do whatever you feel like doing. Breathe in and out. Listen to your heart softly pounding in your chest. Listen to whatever sounds the room many make. Listen.

          Wait in that room until you feel yourself from the inside out. Then, and only then, start talking to yourself or talking to God, whichever seems best at the moment. Talk about how you are feeling from the inside out. Tell God, yourself, or the room all about it. Then wait. Wait for grace from the inside out. Wait and God’s own life will come to you from the inside out. It will happen if you wait. So wait. Say a prayer if you want to, and wait. Let yourself be and let God be, and quiet joy will come. It will.

          This is a guaranteed way to nourish your happiness. If you can.