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Years ago, in 1978, Life showed me a formula for working with what I had that turned it into more. Frequently, what I received exceeded that which I could imagine myself having. I began a course in learning to live in a way that connected me to the essential creative power that we’ve each been given. Are we God? No. But we’re one with God and with Life, no matter what name we use to call our Higher Power.
If you’re willing to give less than ten minutes a day to this simple activity, you can change your life in less than two months. Most of us spend that much time creating pain and misery for ourselves. Why not take those ten minutes and use them to turn the dross in our lives into gold?
Each of us can become an Alchemist.
When the miracles we create are for the Higher Good, they’ll appear (usually) more quickly. We’ll have more power. But we can use this activity to create miracles for ourselves, too. We can have an abundant life – whatever “abundance” means to us. When our needs are met, we’re in the strongest position possible to serve others altruistically.
When this site first opened, the book that it accompanies wasn’t released yet. We didn’t know what to expect so we created a simple site. The book has been out for a short time now. With over three hundred posts or comments, we realized a simple site wouldn’t do.
That’s why we’ve now turned it into a forum. The forum divided itself naturally into three sections: Help, What to Expect, and Success Stories. The “Help” Section answers most questions about how to do the activity. If you don’t find your answer there, ask.
“”What to Expect” contains people’s comments on life changes taking place at different stages in their process of working this activity.
“Success Stories” are reports from people — most of whom have stuck with the activity for forty days and want to share what happened from working this activity.
Browse the site. Search for answers to questions. Post new questions or ideas, or update us on how the activity works for you. Most importantly, become familiar with the growing community of people who have learned to make miracles a way of life.
Melody responds to most questions herself, unless she’s immersed in a project. She’ll come up for air and respond to your comment or question — but you may have to be patient. The fun part of this site is that enough people are becoming experts at creating miracles and doing the activity that the Miracle Community is self-sustaining. It operates the way a good group should — giving and receiving support whether Melody shows up that particular day or not. People take what they need, give what they can, and it works.
Where do you need a miracle? At home? With your family? For yourself? In romance? Spirituality? Finances? Maybe it’s something you think of as minor, such as dropping some weight. Whatever your need, a miracle waits around the corner, one that meets your needs perfectly. Come on in.
We now require registration, but all you need to do to register is create a screen name and password.
Captcha can be annoying and difficult to get right, but spam can be more annoying. If you can’t read the words, keep clicking the spot on the top right. Eventually, letters will show up that you can type correctly. Before attempting to post though, copy what you’ve written by highlighting it and then pressing Control C. That way, if you don’t get the Captcha words right, you won’t lose your post. All you need to do is position the cursor in the comment box, press Control V, and your comment reappears. Remember to copy your post again by highlighting it and pressing Control C – just in case you get the Captcha part wrong.
This site is here to help you get the most out of reading and practicing the activity in Make Miracles in Forty Days, to answer questions, to help you figure out how to apply the activity to your particular situation, and to support you as you recreate your life.
We’re a community of people actively participating in creating the miracles we need. As the need presents itself, we’ll continue to grow and expand – allowing visitors to post pictures if they want. Meanwhile, we invite you to comment or post about how this activity works for you. Join us now as making miracles becomes a way of life for you.
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Make Miracles in Forty Days
is now available at Amazon.com
or at your local bookseller
If you follow the Amazon link you can either buy the paper version or download it to your PC or Kindle Device. The kindle version is cheaper than the paper version and Amazon has free apps to read the book on your computer if you don't have one of their Kindle machines
Dear Melody,
I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I read you each day, and – probably like tens of thousands of people – feel like you are speaking each day directly to me. You have been a huge part of my recovery, and your insight and wisdom have helped me to reconnect to life and joy.
Thank you for sharing yourself with all of us, and I hope you know how much we love you.
Blessings,
Bill
Dear Melody Beattie:
I represent representing a design company that is interested in the quote, ““Gratitude unlocks the
fullness in life. It turns what we have into enough.”
Would you contact me about licensing of this material?
Thank you so much for your time.
Sincerely,
Karen Auvinen, PhD
I started reading the book The Language of Letting Go on January 1, 2012. Today I am reading May 17 passage. On April 30, 2012 I read “There’s a force out there, whether you call it destiny or use some other word, that brings people together who are meant to be together. It’s the butterfly story”.
Those words touched me in a special way… because this year I wrote the following in my journal….”So here it is…. I love you I will always love you and though we may not be together your once upon a time love still lives in the crevices of my heart… tucked deep deep inside the woman I have become….
So…. here is the hard part… trully trully letting go…..and living with the memory of youthful love and life realities … but it’s during those times when gentle reminders creep in my thoughts that I am filled with sadness. I trully need to learn how to apply the butterfly story…..relinguish outcomes and live free and happy of yester-year, today and what tomorrow may bring…
I just started the book and finished the second chapter; the activity is to start the excercises. I am a little confused about thanking for things that are causing me stress and/or anxiety and/or in this case, overwhelming sadness. Could someone help me better understand how to do this morning gratitude list for things I’m not grateful for. Apparently, I truly missed something; I am going to re read the second chapter before moving on.
Looking forward to the “miracles!”
feeling worse on day 9 of the miracles. Realize how naive, vulnerable, and codependent I have been for 58 yrs. already a huge miracle has happened. Next journal I will also be grateful but ask for a few things
This post is to say a huge ‘Thank You” to all of you who have sent your support, good thoughts, and held me up in prayer. I know the book says “40 days” — but the more we practice anything, the harder the lessons get. The past few days brought together all the pain, loss, and what I thought was a mistaken path of the past five years. I don’t have to ‘fake or force” the gratitude anymore. It’s real. What i thought was taking me further from where I wanted to be was actually the exact training I needed for the next stage in my life. I’m still awe-struck by the amazing power of our HP and of Life to know what we need so much better than we do (at times). Everything really does happen for a reason (and it’s not to torture us). I’m really blown away, and will share more about it in a blog later on. For now, thank you — to all who have supported me through: the death of my mother, thea foregoing (I thought) of my career; the embezzlement of half a million dollars and all the paperwork that brought (also something I thought was taking me further away from where I wanted to be). It has all been training to help me accomplish my dreams. Every single bit of it. All I can do is laugh. I’m so glad that Someone turned the lights on. Melody
After years of psychotherapy and attending recovery groups, I discovery ready Co-dependent No-More the real cause of my problems. Its been a long time and a lot has happened. I enjoyed recovery for a long time but, I some how I strayed away. I have paid a big price but, I am back. And, I am grateful to find the website and blog and anxious to read and discover the wisdom in Make Miracles in Forty Days.
Thank God for giving the wisdom to Melody Beattie to pass on to the rest of us in need of help and recovery.
Thanks for your positive post, and welcome to the forum. I look forward to hearing updates. Melody
PS – The above long, long post, although it’s a response to someone’s comment, became very much like a blog. So for those of you that need a tweak of inspiration and who need y our faith renewed, need to be reassured that there’s a plan (even if you can’t see it), you may want to read the post. If it were in the blog section, I’d call it, “This One Caught Me By Surprise.”
i knew it wasn’t humanly possible and didn’t think it Divinely possible that the last years of my life made any sense. But I had an awakening on Good Friday — I received my BIG miracle from the last years of what I thought had been senseless pain.
Best,
Melody
PPS — And maybe I will blog about it too.
My gratitude? It’s become real. To all of you who have been holding me in prayer and sending me good thoughts, Thank You. My faith has been severely tested, but God finally showed His hand and all is indeed well, despite the idea that it appears otherwise. Keep doing the miracle exercise, guys and gals. Sometimes it takes more than 40 days, but it really works. I knew that in 1978, when it was given to me. I’ve known it ever since. I knew it when I did the “beta test workshop” using the activity in Los Angeles. I knew it when I turned in the manuscript for the miracles book. And I knew it when I built this website to support people doing the activity. But Life needed to remind me of what I already knew.
HAPPY EASTER ALL. It is truly a time of resurrection, of coming out of the darkness and pain of good Friday — or if you’re of the Jewish Faith, of the Angel of Death passing over the homes, to the triumph of being released from slavery, or rising from the dead — whatever the lesson your faith teaches you. The metaphor is truly one that describes how Life works.
We can trust, even when we don’t.
I’m glad you’re back. It’s so easy after YEARS of recovery to think we can just live like normal people, and we can because we are normal, but we have to work so much harder to believe it. When I wrote Codependent No More, I had no idea how truly powerful these behaviors and coping mechanisms are, how long they grip us, and run our lives. But in many ways, these behaviors did save our lives (until they turned on us). I’m grateful that I sought and found some answers to my pain and was allowed to share them with others to continue to help saving my own butt. Thanks for writing in to comment. Best, Melody
This post is in reply to Sarah’s post. However, Sarah’s post isn’t in here — it’s already been approved — so if you see Sarah (in the virtual world), tell her I responded.
Sarah — I don’t know what all you emotions mean. You sound like a schoolgirl in love, and there is nothing wrong with feeling that way. Nothing. I don’t know where your relationship is supposed to go — if this man came to wake you up, and come alive again? Did he come to actually participate in a relationship? I don’t have the answers. But from what you tell me, it sounds to me like you’re doing your exercises exactly right — but you were wrong. You haven’t received your miracle yet. If you did, you would be at peace.
I don’t know if you’ve read my book Choices — and you certainly don’t have to buy it for me to make the point I want to make. In it are 20-30 stories that all tell one big story about all the choices we make every day. And I mentioned situations such as the one you’re in and believe I even told a story about that but am not sure because it’s been a while since I wrote that book. But I talk about the Chinese finger cuffs — the bamboo tube that we put our index fingers in. Our fingers slide in so easily and naturally, yet when we pull to get free, the harder we pull the more stuck we become. It’s only by letting go of our resistance and easing out organically — just plain stopping our pushing or pulling — that we get free. I believe the woman in this story had a situation very much the same as yours — she couldn’t control her emotions, or emotional soul-level response to a man she met, yet it was all wrong, absolutely wrong from the start and she was filled with guilt and angst, yet the emotions wouldn’t leave. It drove her crazy. The relationship was a secret — had to be kept a secret. And the harder she tried to fight these feelings (because there really wasn’t a relationship, except in her own mind, and in fact in his) but there was no real relationship happening, yet these feelings overpowered her and the more she fought them, the stronger the hold became of these feelings on her. It caused her to engage more in thoughts about the man to the point where she was semi-obsessed with ‘FIGURING IT OUT.”
Now, I’m going to move to another story. I was sitting at home one day, years ago, when the phone rang. I answered it and an insightful friend asked what I was doing. I described a situation in my life that truly confounded me and then I said, “I’m just sitting here trying to figure it out.”
“No,” my friend replied. “You’re trying to control it. But you can’t. So why don’t you work on letting go?”
That’s what “trying to figure it out” is — a form of control, yet an entirely normal response to a confounding situation.
I realize I’m being duplicitous and avoiding a straight answer — but I don’t have an answer for you. Obviously, you’re meant to go through this experience, otherwise you wouldn’t be going through it. And it’s not over yet, or it would be ended — within you. You’d be free of it. So, my best information is to tell you to get comfortable feeling uncomfortable until this mystery becomes solved for you.
After spending the majority of the last decade in one sort of severe trauma and pain or another, this Easter — as I sat bemoaning the half a million dollars a trusted person embezzled for me, that my trusted bank refuses to make good on, and then further bemoaning that just as I came close to using up my entire health insurance policy (a fantastic one that the horrendous illness that began in 2004 used up after not using any of it for most of my life) — anyway, just as I used up my benefits, the Affordable Health Care Act’s Part ii kicked in, in 2010, and lifted the ceiling on my benefits. I was saved. It was then my doctor told me I had been in the process of actively dying for three years, but together — through combining Western and Eastern medicine, and through prayers and healing and the slightest bit of faith, I slowly began to heal to the point where my doc now says I’ll likely outlive him (and he’s astounded) but the price of this is high, dollar wise, every month — with medical costs. If the Supreme Court (HANG ON, THERE’S A POINT TO THIS THAT HAS TO DO WITH YOU) tosses out the new law, I will be left uninsured and uninsurable and in the interim, while waiting for the Supreme Court to make its decision, I feel like a prisoner on death row, waiting to hear if I’m going to be executed or if I will receive a stay. It’s painful. I had goals (and I do not adhere to the saying about how God laughs when we make plans — i think it’s mean and unhelpful) — anyway, I had goals since I began writing in 1979, when I was pregnant with Shane (my son who was killed in a tragic accident in 1991). The peak of my writing goals was to write screenplays for the last third or half of my career. Now, I’ve left out some of the tragedies of the last decade (being conservator after a horrendous court battle for my mom while she died from Alzheimer’s is another — taking monthly trips to MN from 2006 until 2009). The point is, I have been despairing, feeling abandoned by God, feeling like my life had totally stopped making any sense at all and nothing was happening for any particular reason with the possible exception of torturing me. Now, sitting on death row — it’s been pur5e hell and I’ve repeatedly said, “it keeps taking me further and further away from where I want to be — in my creative side, my intuitive side.” I had to learn to do the work of a professional conservator and while I CAN do numbers I hate to because it uses a part of my brain separate from the part that writes, and I missed writing. I wanted to tell stories. I wanted to be using the other side of my brain, hanging out with my writing angels. Then the embezzlement — and all the forms, and paperwork, and more time living in the part of my brain — accessing it — that I didn’t want to access. I lost all hope. God had ripped up my address, taken me out of his phone book. My future? I didn’t have one and I was even at the point where I thought, maybe I am supposed to die — because there’s no life here worth living. See, if we know there’s a purpose, we can endure horrendous amounts of pain and agony. For a good reason. But if there’s no purpose, then it becomes just plain suffering. We’re not being nailed to a cross in an altruistic event; we’re being buried alive at the hands of a madman. Anyway, that’s what it felt like, and it went on for the majority of the past ten years. One damn BIG painful, debilitating thing after another taking me further and further away from where I wanted to be.
Or so I thought.
Until Good Friday, of this year. I’ve begun taking classes from a new instructor, one I took a workshop from sometime back. His teaching is totally different from anything in all the how to write screenplay books I’ve read; his assignments aren’t even about writing — they’re about how our minds work, the two parts of them, and our belief systems, and then in class Thursday night, with a couple sentences, the whole last decade became pulled together.
I’m not going to get into the details of it, but what I thought was taking me away from my goals was the exact training I needed to achieve my goals — the math. The using that side of my brain, and being able to freely and powerfully access it at will — it was (Life was) or had been a college course in screenwriting; I just didn’t know it at the time.
So, the point of this very long response is this; yes, Virginia. Everything really does happen for a reason, and the reason isn’t that we’re being punished. We’re not. There’s a plan. It can be trusted. But sometimes it’s better if we don’t know what that plan is and just allow ourselves to go through the experiences until the mystery becomes revealed and the lights come on and we see — in a way that truly brings peace.
That day will come. I don’t know when. I don’t know where. But I can promise you with every cell in my body, you will see and there is a purpose for what you’re going through and it’s okay for you to trust life and feel all your feelings.
It (what we’re doing in recovery) isn’t trite. It works. It’s magical; it’s mysterious; it’s confounding at times and sometimes it hurts like hell. But it will all be more than okay in the end and if it’s not okay, it’s because it’s not over yet.
More shall be revealed.
And that’s about all ai have to say.
Best,
Melody
I do know what you are saying. Agree with it all. Sometime it is really hard, especially the pain. We want to resist we don’t want to learn the lessons. How could good possibly come from this. Life is cruel. But it is the grit that creates the pearl. I have been reading that instructor’s website and I believe he is amazing. just reading his stufff makes you see things differently. he reminds me alot of you. I think your style and his mesh really well. Both of you speak the truth, if you know what i mean.
good luck.
Wow! Melody. You really are a hero to me. No, my dear. I do not Idolize you. I respect you more than I can ever express in these few words. I just read your post to Sarah. All I can say is, yes “Virginia” we all go through heartache. This is not a unique situation, but the pain is real. If there is one thing all of us who read this and others blogs have in common is that we all understand suffering. The experiences and the situations may be different, but the suffering is the same on all the various levels at which we experience it. And yes, Melody, there are lessons. No matter how deep we get, how buried we are in the enormity of the situation or the pain and emotions, there is always a lesson to be learned. Always always always. I’d like to share my story as well. Maybe this will help.
Love and Light ~ to you Sarah and to you Melody for continually sharing yourself so candidly and selfishly with all of us who admire your courage and tenacity! You have taught us that Making miracles is more than just a forty day project. it is a lifelong blessing.
Nicole
http://intuitivecloset.blogspot.ca/2012/04/life-i-chose-are-you-kidding-me.html
Darnit! Should proofread before I post those things….that last post should have read ‘selflessly.’ Sorry Melody! Forgive me?
Melody,
Thank you for persevering and retaining your indominatible spirit in the presence of such blatant betrayal & heartache….Prior to acquiring “…40 Days” I was re-reading some of your older works on CoDependency. I happened to look up your website after looking into some of the other works that you’ve written since the CoDa literature. My interest was peaked by “The Grief Club” I was deeply saddened at discovering the great loss you had suffered in losing your beloved Shane. Later, I had read somewhere in one of your missives about the situation you were facing with your assistant. Then I received the book and read your acknowledgements in the back of the book giving shining accolades to this person…putting 2+2 together, my instant reaction was OMG-WTF!!!!!!!!!! I honor you for shining your beautiful light for others even when the universe prompted you to dig to your very depths to find the will and motivation to just keep breathing in and out and has continued to test your resolve and commitment to establishing and protecting your boundaries. I’ve known people who have “brass ones”, but you’ve got pure gold ones, babe!
You’re a maverick at the process of turning pain into pure inspiration.
love’n'light,
Thank you for being “you”
Thank you. I wish I was all that brave — but most of the time we don’t get that much choice in the matter. We either fol — in which case we still keep waking up every day or we deal with the hand we got dealt the best we can — becaise we sto;; lee[ wlom i[ everu day. The last decade sucked but there were lesons about something important each step of the way. It’s so easy to see people thr way we want to, instead of the way they are — but most people in this world are experiencin some kind of pain or loss. If you gabe me a choice between an interesting life or a perfectly content one — well it’s a hard call but I think zi’d chose interesting every time. The only regret I have, the only thing I’d change, is the loss of my son — bit I didn’t get a choice on that. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Dear Melody,
It was amazing! 60 days after starting it happened. While I put my faith into it there were days where I thought this is never going to happen but I got so many other benefits from the practice that I kept going and lo and behold that which I asked for against the odds happened! I’ve already started my next miracle. I’ve been a fan of yours for years and I thanks for the difference you have made in many lives. Peace and Blessings, Jo
The Miracle really happens when I saw that the gratitude list can be done 24/7 just as a meditation!
I always feel people are replacing me.. Some days are great I can laugh at work and act well but when will this insecurity leave me.. I try giving it to god but never leave it there?? I am in my 60′s still not owning my own person what do you think of me is what i would feel?? I know I have a great sense of humor and maybe that covers up my sense of self??
hi Melody,
Just wanted to say a huge huge thankyou for all your work…it is helping me get to the bottom of issues that have been under issues that have dogged me all my life. I started my 40 days list on tues 21st (interestingly the beginning of Lent) and in just a few days have seen a situation turn around and more importantly see me become aware of my feelings and behaviours. That gives me choices in how to respond. feel like I’m taking responsibility for some things for the first time in my life…and I’m a 57 yr old psychotherapist!
bless you x
Melody,
Thank you for sharing, for your books, for your bravery.
You write of so many of the situations that I live with: The 65-year old run down house and tiny money and few skills; the codependency I learned as a child that is so challenging to overcome, and the ever present wish for my mother to show me the love that would help me be strong enough to face the world; the father of my children that I still have fear of and yet still give him way too much power, the nasty divorce like Dr. Joi went through, where the dishonest guy keeps winning, over and over.
I made the choice to start your “Miracle Project” today. What timing to start it on the first day of Lent. 40 days I will work it, longer if needed, being thankful “in” all these undesirable feelings and situations.
Would you share with me the most unpolluted place to learn about the Universal Laws you speak of?
I believe. I have much love inside. All the negative must go.
Thank you!!!!
To Polly and Jama: I want to thank both of you for your kind words, and all of you for the outpouring of support. I need it right now as I face a challenging situation — one I’d prefer not to go through (going to court while Sharon is charged, pleads guilty or innocent, and then going forward with a trial, if she pleads innocent). She is determined to attack me, as the next five to twenty years of her lifei hangs in the balance, and she’s blaming it on me for turning the case in to the police — but half a million or therabouts (including expenses) is just plain too much to overlook. Besides, I would be breaking the law if I didn’t report it (for not accounting for that money, paying back readers who my ex-assistant alleedly took money from (a word I have to use), but people who I had to pay back — bottom line. Plus, it’s all just painful, scary, and tough. I so appreciate your support and kind words, and it means more to me than you’ll ever know.
Melody…holding you in prayerxx
Melody,
You are wearing God’s armor and doing the right thing. You can do anything through Christ that gives you strength. I will add my prayers. God’s promises are true.
Your acceptance in this shows me such an example. Jama
Hi Melody
I’m still finding my 67-year-old way around this site, and every time I discover something wonderful that I’d missed before. I’ve just found your post, dated February 26, 2012, in which you say you are facing having to go to court (and all the rest, which must be so very distressing for you). How are things now? Does it still hang over you? I wish to add my love, support and encouragement. You CAN do this. We are all with you. My youngest grandson, aged just 3 and a half, had recently learnt to use the toilet by himself, and was finally out of nappies (you have another name for them, I think, but I cannot remember what it is). He’d gone upstairs to use the toilet, insisting he did NOT need any help, but my daughter, him mother, was listening out just in case he needed help in a hurry; in fact, all of us downstairs were listening, whilst talking slightly more quietly. Suddenly we heard from upstairs, his little voice saying so very earnestly, “Come on bottom, you can do it!” Wow – to be able to give himself that gift of support, was so magical, we didn’t know whether to smile, or cry. So, come on Melody, you CAN do it – no matter what, and no matter how. With much love from the UK, Susie x
I know you from your earlier books,that gave me the open mind, to really listen to your miracle project. As in my patten i jumped a head to start,that seem to be the way i roll.Been sober since 10\1979 always loved gratudied list[cant spell yet].so doing this in my morning meditation started to do this work. i said to myself that i was grateful my father who i had made plans with to have breakfast with blew off.[before this i would try to do some mental exercise or pray to find with this selfish behaviors] .anyway i said i was grateful, all of a sudden i started to laugh so deeply something that i never experecined before. help more then i can say. bought your recording now will do the way you suggested to do it thanks
thank you I agree.
I listened to Making Miracles twice, and have been writing for about 2 1/2 months, My miracle hasn’t happened…yet, but I do sense a change, just a little in me. My writing has made my cry almost daily and I think that is probably good… so much pain in my life at the moment, but I think it was under the surface and now coming out, even as I write this. I want to change and I don’t want to repeat same mistakes over and over, I hoping getting out the blocked emotions will ultimately help. thank you Medody
Janette, I KNOW getting out all those emotions will get you where you want to be. And the length of time you’ve been repressing your emotions will have a lot to do with how long it takes to find peace and connect with your power. Try not to focus on where you want to be — and instead focus on the gratitude practice and where you are right now. If we’ve been pushing our feelings away for years — we’re not going to soar free overnight. But digging out all that “junk’ inside, accepting yourself as completely okay for having those feelings, and being willing to feel uncomfortable and even express gratitude for that (getting away from this is good, this is bad, etc.) is the path to where we want and need to go. I promise. Melody
Janette — while listening to the book can be helpful — focusing only on where we want to be isn’t where our miracle is. Your miracle is inside you, and surrendering to where you are is such a sheer act of faith that we begin to move toward where we want to be. I was so peaceful by the time my miracles came that I really didn’t notice — because I didn’t need anything external to be peaceful or happy anyore. There is nothing more sure to bring peace than surrendering to each moment and how we feel, and who we are. Just like there is nothing more guaranteed to bring frustration than looking outside ourselves for our joy. Melody