The Examen

One of my favorite books of all time is called, "Sleeping With Bread, Holding What Gives You Life."

Click on the title, "The Examen" to be taken to the Google book version.

The book guides you to meditate for a short while each day on two things: what you are most grateful for, and what you are least grateful for. At points in my life when I've felt lost, or needing direction, doing this excercise for even a few days in a row has helped me immensely. When written down in journal form, the excercise can be gone back to at later dates to help regain focus.

Today I am most grateful for sleep and the freedom to rebound after working two 12-hour night shifts. I've not always had that freedom, nor the ability or peace to sleep. I've not always had someone understanding around to watch my children or take care of everything.

I am least grateful for my own forgetting to return a key that was lent to me at work last night. The key is an extra that opens the medication drawers in patient rooms on a particular unit. Work is a 45 minute drive in a direction I don't normally go unless I'm going there to work. It will be a 1 1/2 hour trip on my day off to return the key. If I don't return it until the next day I work, which is Tuesday, every nurse needing the extra key will be inconvenienced for 4 days. I have to take it back and spend the money on gas, or live with feeling guilty.

My gratefulness tells me that I've made life choices to put me in a position of more comfort. It is one of the more selfish gratefulnesses I've had, but it feels good to know that what I wanted at one time, something that seemed difficult to obtain, I now have. Gratefulness for me tends to center around time spent with my children, or making others feel good, or helping people, so today, what stands out is a little different. My ungratefulness tells me to pay more attention to small things so I don't end up feeling guilty.

This book was laying on the end table in the home of a person I considered a great teacher in my life. I was there for a meditation group, and picked it up while waiting for others to arrive. I liked it so much that I bought myself a copy. If I'd recommend one book to my friends and enemies alike, it would be this one.