Gigi Langer

Worry Less Now!

 Love More Now!

A SPIRITUAL SOLUTION

Today I gave a talk about “Ours Is A Spiritual Solution” at a luncheon with 480 recovering women from the Detroit area. That felt like a really big deal to me because 480 is a big crowd!

I was so worried it wouldn’t be “good enough,” so I prepared like crazy. I made notes and prayed my ass off that I would be able to say the right things.

But I knew my main job was to show up as spiritually fit as possuible. So, I went to more meetings than usual, prayed constantly, and meditated every day.

All week I asked my friends to pray for me, and last night I sent out a “Hail Mary” to my FaceBook friends, asking for prayers. The responses were so inspiring, and the prayers worked!’

Today was the big day, and when I arrived, I went into the handicapped bathroom stall, checked my notes, and said a prayer. Then, we all ate lunch. As dessert was being served, my sponsor and a friend joined me in that same bathroom stall to pray together. (That handicapped stall was starting to feel like my own private office!!).

When I got up to talk, I was amazed, as God did for me what I could not do for myself: I felt relaxed and enjoyed giving the talk; I even got a few laughs from the group. Afterward, I was so relieved that many people said it was inspiring.

Once again, God pulled the rabbit out of the hat, and showed us all that—no matter how big the challenge—ours IS a spiritual solution. Amen!

Once again, thanks to my friends for your prayers and encouragement!

PS. The committee made a recording and I’ll be sure to share the link tomorrow when they post it on RecoveredCast.com.

Gigi Langer is the author of award-winning 50 Ways to Worry Less Now, 4.8 stars on Amazon. Available in paperback, e-book, or audiobook. Purchase at https://GigiLanger.com/buy

Put on the Wings of Your True Self

Have your wings been broken because you flew too close to the ground? 

The image of the angel crashing to the ground is all-too familiar for those of us who have faced illness, addiction, codependency, loss, or other hardships.

And there we lay, broken and miserable, unable to rise again.

If we’re open and willing, however, soon the curative power of love appears, and we rise and rise, until we again fly on toward our dreams.

Then we reach down and help the next angel repair her broken wings, so she can soar in freedom with us.

Willie Nelson’s “Angel Flying Too Close to The Ground” paints it so beautifully. I like this performance on YouTube because, altho’ a bit grainy, it shows some nice close-ups of him singing with wonderful expression. Give it a listen!

Click here to hear Willie sing it.https://youtu.be/c4zkBpFOB_w



LYRICS: ANGEL FLYING TOO CLOSE TO THE GROUND
If you had not fallen, then I would not have found you,
Angel flying too close to the ground.
I patched up your broken wing, and hung around a while.
Tried to keep your spirits up, and your fever down.
I knew someday that you would fly away,
For love’s the greatest healer to be found.

So leave me if you need to, ‘cuz I will still remember, 
Angel flying too close to the ground.
Fly on, fly on past the speed of sound;
I’d rather see you up, than see you down.
Leave me if you need to; ‘cuz I will still remember,
Angel flying too close to the ground.
wings of true self worry less now

When I first got sober and fell in love with this song, I found the beautiful little figurine shown near the title above.

When one of her wings broke, I repaired it with loving care (you can see the crack between her wings here). Later, as I received the healing power of recovery, I could feel my tiny wings begin to sprout.

Over the years, they grew and grew until I took on the challenge of writing “Worry Less Now.”

To complete that project, I needed a really BIG set of wings. And God provided.
Here are the life-sized ones that live with me right here in my office. Every once in a while, I don them and prance around, giving thanks for Love’s healing power.

How connected are you with your true self, the you that lies in your heart, not your head? Your true self is unfettered by old wounds; it’s courageous, generous, and powerful enough to fulfill your dreams.

And it has WINGS!!

Gigi Langer

Gigi Langer, PhD has helped thousands of people improve their lives at home and at work. She’s written several books for educators, and is a sought-after speaker and workshop leader.  Gigi holds a doctorate in Psychological Studies in Education  and an MA in Psychology, both from Stanford.

Worry Less Now Cover

To learn more ways to reject negative thinking, order a personalized SIGNED COPY of my award-winning book, 50 Ways to Worry Less Now here.   Amazon (4.7 stars), Barnes and Noble, and e-book formats. AUDIOBOOK COMING SOON!

HOW TO KNOW YOUR FUTURE IS SECURE

So many of us “live in the wreckage of our future.” We fear all sorts of catastrophes–a lost job, a sick or injured loved one, disability, poverty, loneliness—the list goes on and on.

But the future isn’t here yet, and it’s only our imagination that’s creating these dire scenarios. Even if we’ve experienced these things in the past, there’s no logical reason to believe they’ll happen to us in the future.

Even so, it’s almost impossible to “reason our way” out of these fears, especially for those of us who go WAY overboard with our sense of impending doom.

Yup! I’m one of those–the (former) Queen of Worry–a highly sensitive person from an alcoholic family. So, there’s that!

Fortunately, I’ve had many wonderful coaches and mentors teach me powerful tools to tame my overactive imagination.

Meditation is an obvious choice and so is prayer. But what about energy work, cognitive reframing, 12-step tools, and masterminding? Or Byron Katie’s “The Work” that asks us, “Is this true?” Finally, I’ve gotten help from guided meditations, tapping, the Law of Attraction, group therapy, Buddhist practices, journaling, and one of my favorites, self-compassion.

When I need to calm my fears, I often say, “I place the future in the Hands of God” (Lesson #194, A Course in Miracles).

This statement affirms that there’s a perfect order in all things. And I know it’s true because, when I look back, I see how things I had feared worked out in the most amazing ways; in fact, the “worst of the worst” never happened.

So, since we can’t really control the future, why not just relax, do the best we can, and leave the results up to our Higher Power (Universe, Spirit, True Self, Pure Awareness, etc.)?

I’m very grateful to know my future is secure. It’s a pretty cool way to live, when I can pull it off.

How do you deal with your fears about the future? I’d love to hear from you!

gigi langer worry less now

Gigi Langer, PhD has helped thousands of people improve their lives at home and at work. She’s written several books for educators, and is a sought-after speaker and workshop leader.  Gigi holds a doctorate in Psychological Studies in Education  and an MA in Psychology, both from Stanford.

Worry Less Now Cover

To learn more ways to reject negative thinking, order a personalized SIGNED COPY of my award-winning book, 50 Ways to Worry Less Now here.   Amazon (4.7 stars), Barnes and Noble, and e-book formats. AUDIOBOOK COMING SOON!

A Mystery Quote: “Songs of Plenty and Songs of Want”

a course in miracles

Several years ago, my friend, Mo, dictated into her 1990s tape recorder several selections from A Course in Miracles (ACIM).  I’ve spent many hours listening to the 90-minute tape; I even converted it to a CD when cassettes died. Now it lives in my phone’s music app. I love every wise word Mo recorded, and I often thank “Angel Mo” for this dear gift.

At the very end of Mo’s recording is a section called, “The Human Experience.” I’ve always thought it was taken from ACIM, because everything else on the tape was from there. But this beautiful section is NOT in the Course, and I can’t find its source anywhere. CAN YOU? If You’re The First One to Find It, You’ll Get A Free Copy of “Worry Less Now.” Here is part of the section I love so much. 

The Human Experience

“So dear are you to me. I see you struggle and let go, struggle and let go again. And that is the dance of life. Seek not to end the dance. 

The earthly dance moves from ballroom to ballroom, 
from dance floor to dance floor. The cosmic dance moves from era to era. But the dance must continue until all the music has been heard. 

You are now hearing different stanzas to the same song. The song is salvation. The verses speak of learning all there is to learn. 

All there is to learn includes songs of plenty and songs of want. You learn the dance of prosperity and the dance of scarcity, until you realize that all the dances are the same.

You move to the rhythm, sway to the beat. You pause to start again. You feel the heartbeat of the music until your heart and the beat of the music are one. Then that dance is over.

Worry not, my child. All earthly experiences teach only one thing: That you are a child of a loving God who punishes you not.”

Isn’t that beautiful? Although it’s very similar the the Course‘s style, it’s not from there. I hope you can find out where it was published.

What IS a Course in Miracles, Anyway?

You may already know about the Course, perhaps from Marianne Williamson’s best seller, A Return to Love–a wonderful introduction. The three books form a “curriculum” that people study on their own or in a group, thus the reference to a “course.” It’s main purpose (the “miracle”) is to help us align our thoughts and actions with love rather than with fear.
Here is my summary of some of the key ideas presented in ACIM (from Chapter 3 in 50 Ways to Worry Less Now)

•  We are spiritual beings living inside a physical body. The confusion of the human experience comes from thinking our body represents the full extent of our being. The true essence of a person, however, is not the body. It is the spirit, also known as the soul, positive power, love, true self, and so on. Most of us seek to connect with a loving source of safety, comfort, and wisdom.

•  Fear separates us. When we believe we are merely a physical body, we think there isn’t enough love, attention, or material security to go around. We live in fear as we constantly compete against others to fulfill our human needs. In this survival state, we separate ourselves from one another. The Course and many other teachings refer to this self-centered fear as “the ego,” and consider it the main source of unhappiness. (Note that Freud defined the ego differently—as the decision-making part of the personality.)

•  Love connects us. When love (positive power) is our driving force, we trust there is enough of everything we need to be happy and secure. We connect with others in loving care and compassion. We are no longer driven by our fears and we find joy.

To simplify: Fear, judgment, and separation create negativity and worries. Loving connections cure them.

What do you think? Do you agree? What’s your experience with ideas such as these? I’d love to hear from you!

Worry Less Now CoverGigi Langer has been clean and sober for 33 years, and holds a PhD in Psychological Studies in Education from Stanford University. She’s a sought-after speaker and retreat leader who has helped thousands improve their lives at work and at home.
Read her blog here or order her award-winning book (50 Ways to Worry Less Now) from Barnes and Noble, Amazon (5 stars), and all e-book vendors.