Name: Hallelujah Anyway
Rating: 4.4 (30 reviews)
Author: Anne Lamott

What’s in it for me? Rekindle mercy and kindness in your life.

Have you ever felt like your whole life was a mess and that conquering that mess and getting on a good path seemed completely impossible? Most of us have felt like that sometimes – like we are not living up to our potential – but there is a way to move forward and transform the confusion into something good. A path of mercy. But what does that mean?

Here we will explore mercy in the sense of being kind and forgiving toward both ourselves and others. Not just any ordinary kindness, but a radical kindness leading us to a point where we can honestly exclaim: “Hallelujah!”

In these blinks, you’ll learn

why we should strive to be more like infants;
how the expectations of our parents and society can make a mess of our lives; and
why less is literally more when you’re striving for mercy.

Mercy comes from unexpected places, and simple truths are not always easy to put into practice.

Life is full of ups and downs. Sometimes it can be joyous, and other times it’s downright scary and unsettling. In times of darkness, we can search for answers and come up empty. But then, out of the blue, we can stumble upon a solution.

Mercy is often found in odd places. When she is experiencing a difficult time, the author finds comfort in the Bible. Specifically, she finds it with Micah, the Old Testament prophet. In the words of Micah, all God expects from us is to be merciful, just and humble.

This might sound simple enough in theory, but in practice, it can be tricky

To be merciful, one must already possess certain qualities, most importantly being humble. Now, you might think that being humble isn’t so difficult, yet everywhere you look you can see that it’s in short supply.

People everywhere are striving to stand out and be celebrated by their peers with fame and recognition. Let’s face it, humbleness is not a common mode of behavior these days. If someone were to practice it, they’d likely do so in an attempt to be recognized as the best and most humble person around.

Why is this? Why does being humble and merciful come so unnaturally to us?

Everyone starts out as a simple, humble being, but then we all experience the trauma of being hurt when we try to approach others with a kind and open heart. This instills in us a fear that people will exploit our vulnerabilities or imperfections. So, instead, we build up defenses and move in the opposite direction to humility.

In the blinks ahead, we’ll look at how we can move in the right direction.

The pain of growing up removes us from happiness, but memories can reconnect us.

If you’ve ever been stuck trying to get out the door because you’ve lost your keys, you know the frantic feeling that can come as you look in every possible crevice and corner.

If you’re looking for mercy and happiness in your life, you might encounter that same frantic feeling. Where did it all go?

Life can fold us into tight bundles, but acceptance can get us to unfold.

Would you ever describe yourself as feeling “folded up”? This is a description that the German poet, Rilke, used. He wrote about feeling folded and closed up in certain places, and that he longed to unfold.

Sounds rather appropriate, right? If you ever feel folded up into a tight bundle, it might be due to your efforts to achieve and to please others.

We think that buying more stuff can bring happiness, but this is only an unhelpful distraction.

If you need to get somewhere, you can take out your phone, open up an app and get directions in a matter of seconds.

If only there were an app that told us where to go and what to do when we’re feeling down and out.

Everyone loses hope sometimes, and when that happens, we need consolation.

Knowing mercy and believing in God doesn’t always add up to happiness or fewer worries about life.

In fact, the pain and depression that someone with religion can feel can often result in doubts and questions of faith. But this is just another fact of life; everybody experiences despair when they lose hope and faith.

We can bring ourselves closer to mercy by reconnecting with our youthful perspective.

If you’ve ever looked at a young child and wondered why they seem so carefree and happy, the answer is: they’re full of love.

As children, love and mercy come easily to us since these feelings are part of human nature.

Mercy can take time, so be patient and accept your own shortcomings.

If you started to learn how to knit today, you wouldn’t expect to be a master knitter by the end of the day. You’d expect many days of dropped stitches and uneven patterns in your future.

Likewise, the path to finding mercy in your life will take time.