gratitude | Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

An Infallible Secret of Joy

Anita Mathias — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 18:56:28 +0000

I have always hungrily sought joy–primarily in reading and poetry as a child and teen… And, having lived in some beautiful places in my life, such as Nainital in the Himalayas during boarding school; and in Norham Gardens, facing the University Parks, for two years as an undergraduate at Oxford, I’ve almost unconsciously relied on […]

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Grazie Signore! “Thank you, Lord, for those who have greater gifts.”

Anita Mathias — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 11:14:18 +0000

In his excellent The Ragamuffin Gospel, Brennan Manning mentions the limited Antonio Salieri, court composer to the Holy Roman Emperor, who was conscientious, devout, and wildly jealous of the wildly gifted Mozart who–neither conscientious, nor devout–tossed off sublime music in the interludes of a life of “wine, women and song, and he didn’t sing much.” […]

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On Choosing Happiness Today

Anita Mathias — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 19:04:24 +0000

The three legged runner is the symbol of the beautiful Isle of Man which I loved exploring. Ah, that’s me. One foot in the past—well, naturally, I am writing a memoir. One foot in the present, trying to live each day well. One restless foot leaping into the future, planning, dreaming. But perhaps the most […]

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The Creative’s Planner, 2016

Anita Mathias — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 20:13:12 +0000

I have designed my own 2016 Planner to plan and organise my creative work, and the other things I want to keep track of. I used the blueprint in 2014, and found it brought clarity to my day and increased my productivity. Here it is if you’d like to order a copy. On Amazon.com and on […]

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Let me be singing when the evening comes

Anita Mathias — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 20:55:47 +0000

My daughters, Zoe and Irene, returned from a visit to my mother in India moved and struck by a 91 year old childless widow called Jenny. Jenny lived alone, in a tiny house that a landlord had carved off from his own house. One “room” was a corridor. Her tiny bedroom leaked and the landlord […]

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The Power of Praise, Even in the Animal Kingdom

Anita Mathias — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 21:29:27 +0000

I keep learning and forgetting and learning again the spiritual power of praise and gratitude—eucharisteo. It’s one of those spiritual practices that unleashes disproportionate power—like prayer, or the power of love. Why it even works in the animal kingdom. Several feisty horses live in the field behind my garden. Many villagers bring them apples […]

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The Arithmetic of Counting Blessings

Anita Mathias — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 21:43:00 +0000

I have started to keep a gratitude journal, noting five things a day I am grateful for. Like the hawk I saw float over the fields of Garsington. My pink rose bush in prolific blossom. And the very fact of slowing down and giving thanks, even, especially, when I am stressed or sad, does induce […]

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Becoming a person full of joy, overflowing with thankfulness is a matter of practice!

Anita Mathias — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 20:31:00 +0000

Irene, delighted with and thankful for the sash of her new dress! About 15 years ago, I was on a women’s retreat at which we were asked to write down what we wanted our lives to look like in 5 years. Along with ambitious, pipe-dream goals which have not come to pass, I included […]

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Change your Words, Change your Emotions

Anita Mathias — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:33:00 +0000

Speed-reading “just this one.” Jake, the Collie, finds a spot to rest his weary head. I finally started a massive project —getting rid of all the books from my second-hand books business which I had for a couple of intensive years, and a couple of desultory years. Progress, as you can see, was slow. * * * […]

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