Mantra Monday

Yup...Monday again. It keeps comin' round, like it or not, guys.

Remember the song, "Just Another Manic Monday. I wish it were Sunday...cause that's my fun day?" (who knows the group that sang this... HELLO 1980's in the house)

In my line of work the pressure to practice what I preach keeps me honest so today when Monday morning mania woke me up with its bad breath I said to myself, "Steph, if you're going to live with integrity, girl, you gotta find a way to embrace Monday."

Ask and you shall receive.

Guess who provided? The unlikely Rachel Held Evans.

Rachel is a gifted author, blogger and speaker, who says on her blog's description:

"Charles Darwin said that the survival or extinction of an organism is determined by its ability to adapt to its environment. I think faith operates the same way. Changes in the environment--be they cultural or experiential—test the resilience of our faith and challenge us to rethink our most fundamental beliefs and values.

That’s what this [my] blog is about. It's about how faith survives by continually changing."

I made Rachel's acquaintance when I hopped over to visit my friend Wendy's blog, All in a Day's Thoughts and read Rachel's brilliant guest post. Quick commercial for Wendy: If you are a writer, you're missing out if you don't follow Wendy's blog -who happens to be my very first follower :-) Wendy, there is a special place in my heart for you, sister!

Rachel periodically shares her personal "mantras" on her blog-those quotes and words of wisdom that have become part of her live's vernacular.

I loved this idea so much I am copying it, with Rachel's blessing. (Thank you Rachel for such a cool idea and the blessing to adopt it.)

Mondays until further notice will now be...Mantra Mondays!

The definition of a mantra according the the free dictionary is:

1. Hinduism A sacred verbal formula repeated in prayer, meditation, or incantation, such as an invocation of a god, a magic spell, or a syllable or portion of scripture containing mystical potentialities.
2. A commonly repeated word or phrase:

No matter how self-actualized I'd like to think I am, I must admit there are moments when anger and bitterness intoxicate me, take advantage of my inebriated state and cart me off to their dark side. But the sobering mantra that spares me from a severe emotional hangover came from Wally Lamb's page-turner, I Know This Much Is True about ten years ago, when

I tucked this book in my big, South Philly girl pocket book and prayed every traffic light I came to would turn red-so I could keep reading it.

On its own the story is compelling but when you consider I am an identical twin, and the main character is an identical twin it's more personal. Three quarters of the way into the book, Wally's main character comes to this insight:

*Love grows from the rich loam of forgiveness*

For months after I read this, it took the place of "Hey girls!" when I picked my nieces up from their respective bus stops after school. A born-again evangelist for the concept of forgiveness, I wanted them to know that forgiveness is a gift you give yourself and from it...love blossoms.

In no way do I want to come off Pollyana about this because I do know forgiveness is a tough pill to swallow-but...when you ingest it, you feel better, right?

Have you tried forgiveness? Do you struggle with it yourselves, too?