gladdening the mind

In a letter sent to his parents, journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested last week in Russia and charged with espionage, told his family that he is not losing hope. “I read. I exercise. And I am trying to write." Attempting to boost his family’s spirits, he even poked fun at his mother's cooking. "Mom, for better or worse, your cooking prepared me well for jail food!"
“We are all aided by appreciating the good in our lives. We are nourished by connecting to something bigger. In Buddhist teaching, it’s called gladdening the mind, creating an ease of heart that can accompany us in times of adversity or trauma.” – Sharon Salzberg, Real Happiness
Affirmative prayer: I give thanks for the spirit of gladness in the heart of us all. I know that this sense of wholeness is my great resting place and the source of my livingness. I pray that those who are oppressed may tap into this empowering, sustaining energy and that peace, hope, and healing become their felt experience. Goodness revealed. Thank you, God, forever, Amen.

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