Key Messages
Finding Strength Through Self-Love: Understanding How To Cope With Trauma And Turbulent Times
When the world outside gets more and more challenging each day, it’s important to have faith in yourself and be able to love who you are.
Starting off with the belief that it is possible and achievable is key-and to do this, you need to look inwardly first and accept your own flaws and imperfections.
In Dusk, Night, Dawn by Gudjon Bergmann, these sections will show you how to do just that!
By reading this book you’ll discover why focusing your attention on inner growth is so powerful; learn strategies on dealing with past traumas; gain insight into where to turn when feeling lack of faith; and uncover the beauty of even the darkest times.
All of these lessons ultimately lead towards learning how to start believing in, and loving yourself.
Rediscovering Hope: How To Emerge From Turmoil With Faith In Life And Its Possibilities
We all want to feel connected and rooted in our lives but sometimes it can be hard when the world around us is full of turbulence and crisis.
But Anne Lamott found a way to stay grounded—and she wants to share her story with you: how she was able to recover her faith by waking up to the present moment.
It all started with an argument with her husband; not a real one, per se, as he hadn’t even responded to her texts yet.
She was caught up in worrying about the future, so her best friend called her out on it and helped her come back to the present moment.
She stepped back and realized that although arguments will happen, she was still married to her best friend and was very much in love
Anne thought back on how this realization reminded her of a similar one from years ago during her alcohol addiction recovery.
Then too, she had felt disconnected from herself and what she calls “the purest expression” of who she is-her soul.
With hindsight driving away perfectionism, self-hatred, egotism (her “holy trinity of toxicity”), Anne began taking small steps such as paying bills or cleaning dishes daily – tiny actions which made sure that she stayed firmly grounded in the here-and-now.
Over time, those little steps led to larger ones that allowed Anne to start loving herself once again.
If this sounds like your story right now too then there’s hope!.
Begin by connecting with your curiosity – if you feel something special or hear a voice whispering inside you then that’s your soul trying to reach out!
And remember — don’t forget about all those simple beautiful moments sprinkled every day: A bowl of cherries waiting for you on the table or a perfectly sunny morning…
Enjoy them!
Learn How To Love Yourself By Letting Yourself Be Seen And Loved
Intimacy is about more than just looking and being seen on the surface.
It’s about really seeing and being seen for who you are – warts and all.
Anne Lamott experienced this with her husband when she felt so insecure about her sunburned arms, yet he could still love her in spite of it.
And when she saw him for who he truly was, flaws and all, it was a powerful moment that affirmed his lovable qualities to both of them.
In order to experience true intimacy with someone else, we need to be willing to let ourselves be seen – even if that means showing our darkest parts or admitting our mistakes.
That’s where the fear comes in because sharing these parts of ourselves can lead us vulnerable to potential rejection or loss.
But embracing vulnerability is also a great gift because learning how to be lovable starts from within; by accepting yourself and allowing yourself to feel loved despite your flaws, you learn how to accept others too.
The Key To Real Transformation Is Pinpointing And Overcoming Our Fears Through Practicing Goodness And Forgiveness
Anne Lamott realized that she spends much of her time obsessing over trivial matters and living in a state of low-level fear.
Her wise friend Father Terry was able to help her gain perspective on this way of living, telling her that we don’t get over things, but can instead strive for a spiritual awakening.
At the heart of this is understanding that where you choose to focus your attention has the power to really change your life.
As Anne remembered what Father Terry used to say: “Try to be less of an asshole” – basically, try and focus on being more compassionate and doing good deeds – and you’ll be amazed at how much of a shift can come from this.
Indeed, in order for true transformation to occur, doing good needs to come from the core; it needs to become your heart’s desire.
In this way, it will bring peace and open up new possibilities one never thought possible – allowing us finally forgive ourselves by shifting the blame away from our real selves.
By changing where we focus our attention, we can truly begin healing our hearts and discovering its beauty all over again.
Feed Your Faith And Hear The Whisper Of God: Finding Strength In Even The Worst Of Circumstances
We all face struggles in life, but it’s important to remember that no matter how rough the going gets, you always have what you need to press on.
This was powerfully illustrated by the story of Anne Lamott’s friend whose 22-year-old son has an incurable brain cancer yet remains optimistic and determined.
Her approach – “lunch money faith” – encourages her take one step further even when things seem dark and she runs out of strength, relying always on a mental buoyancy which keeps her afloat.
This echoes a turning point in Elijah’s story: finding himself in the desert after all other hope appears lost, only for God to send an angel who provided him with sustenance both physical and spiritual through His whisper.
In this way we can draw from the divine strength familiar to Elijah and be encouraged that we, too, have enough within us to keep going in hard times.
Lamott suggests that we nourish ourselves with small communion with God: ask Him if He is there, hit pause on thoughts whirling in our heads and listen for an answer Spirit carries.
These moments remind us of the power we possess to keep pressing onward even when our own flagging motivation isn’t enough any longer.
No matter how challenging life may be at any time or place, we have enough courage and conviction inside each of us to soldier through—we just need allow ourselves some quiet space from which we can draw strength as necessary.
The Power Of Darkness: How Time Spent In The Dark Can Help Us Reconnect With The Light
Anne Lamott discovered the calming serenity of darkness when she was plunged into darkness due to a power outage in California.
She found that without all the electronic distractions, she was able to focus on the beauty of shadow and light – a beautiful contrast that can be often missed in our background noise-filled lives.
By taking away all of life’s stimulus, Anne also found that people connected to each other more deeply.
Everyone stepped up and offered friendship and service during the dark times, something that could be hard to do when everyone is rushed or preoccupied.
Lamott experienced a spiritual epiphany where she realized we are all interconnected and rooted to the earth in some way.
She also understood how comforting love can be when everything else is taken away – love brings out the beauty in ourselves and our environment during our darkest hours.
The key takeaway here is that darkness is soothing because it helps us to see the light – both literally in terms of lighting candles while living without electricity, but figuratively as well – being able to appreciate the reassurance and comfort brought by those around us at a difficult time.
Wrap Up
Ultimately, the key to a happy life outlined in Anne Lamott’s book “Dusk, Night, Dawn” is learning how to cultivate gratitude and love.
She discovered that these two components are essential for gaining an open heart and living with joy and fulfillment.
Another important element she discussed was recognizing the abundance in your life – of your family, friends, health, or whatever you’re grateful for—and cherishing it.
The truth is: No matter what struggles or hardships may come your way in life, focusing on the beauty of your blessings can help get you through them.
