First Baptist Church of Herndon

An Empty Notebook

Linda Soller | Sep 05, 2022

I ordered some special notebooks to be used as gifts, one set of three John Derian designs, each with a different paper cover. Two of the three really suit specific people and I kept the third for myself. They are not large. The paper is unlined. I am not really sure what I will do with mine if I’m being honest, but I love it. My notebook has been sitting in my office for me to see each day for weeks. Still, I haven’t decided how to use it. I don’t feel sad or worried, instead there is something very comforting to me about that simple, lovely, empty notebook.

As a child, well, even in college, I loved the beginning of the school year or semester. Each new class or subject held its own unique promise. Each beginning came with a new  notebook. Always starting clean and fresh I had one notebook per class. In my mind that meant failures or shortcomings in one subject would not bleed into another. There were lots of notebooks!

As we go through life, I fear we find it too easy to see the negative in things around us. Bad omens or some such thing. For me it has always been best to focus on the positive, but that isn’t easy for everyone. So, I have a suggestion for those of you who struggle to pull yourself out of the negative world vibes that surround us. Pause and stop long enough to think of the things that bring a smile to your face or warm your heart. Maybe you will consider something from your childhood, or the way your garden looks, or the even the way a song makes you feel. I have found it easier to use items / views / sounds as opposed to events to trigger my positive thoughts. It should only take a few minutes. Perhaps you’ll have multiple happiness triggers. Your time will be well spent if you can discover that one thing to use to change your mood. We have so many more blessings than we realize. We just need to recognize them. They may be complicated, but they may also be as simple as an empty notebook. 

Be the love in the world  :o)