The Daily Llama brings you short, one-word meditations and a corresponding quote for your complete wool-being (#seewhatwedidthere?) for Monday, February 1st through Friday, February 5th, 2021. Channel your inner peace and practice good selfcare with daily meditations. Even a few minutes can make a difference!
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1st
WORD OF THE DAY: REASON
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
People often say that “everything happens for a reason” when they are trying to reconcile a negative event with an optimistic perspective on life. Often, we can get lost analyzing our lives to figure out the reason bad things happen. For many, the idea that there isn’t any reason or meaning to negative events in life can feel too scary of an idea to accept.
As someone wise once said, “Everything may happen for a reason but it’s not always a good reason.” Often, bad things happen because people made poor choices. The consequences of choices are not experienced by one person alone. Consequences are communal. A fart in the car is smelt by all.
Another problem with trying to figure out the reasons why bad things happen is that it puts us at the center of the story. We’re not asking why these bad things happen at all; we’re asking why these bad things happened to me?
Well, why not you? What makes you so special that you should be exempt from any of the misery that has visited almost every other human being since the beginning of time?
Suffering is a part of life. The reason why suffering exists at all is a philosophical and theological inquiry that has many possible end results, not one definitive one. At the end of the day, the only reason that exists is the one that is cultivated by your beliefs. So, think carefully about what you believe.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2nd
WORD OF THE DAY: CONTEMPLATE
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
One thing that is valuable to do in recovery is to take time regularly for self-contemplation. To contemplate means to give continued attention to something. For some, this may feel selfish or self-centered to devote so much time to thinking about yourself.
But self-contemplation is a necessity to remain sober.
We must take time to sift through our thoughts and feelings, and decide which ones are important to keep and which ones we need to remedy or resolve. It is dangerous for us to let things fester, especially things that do not seem like such a big deal at first. It is those things that have the potential to grow the most because we underestimate their power to wreak havoc in our spiritual lives.
It’s vital to remember that contemplation is not just about the past either. It’s about thoughtful consideration of the direction we want our lives to take. We don’t end up anywhere good by accident. It takes thought and planning.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3rd
WORD OF THE DAY: EXAMINE
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
There is a lot of wisdom in learning to focus on one’s own inventory and not anybody else’s. It is a skill that does not come naturally. Most of us find it easier to judge someone else’s shortcomings than to correctly identify all the ways we fall short.
When we start to feel acutely critical of other people, it is a very loud emotional signal that cues us to take a look at our own neglected needs. We are more prone to feeling judgmental when our spirits feel deprived.
For instance, we are more likely to feel resentful toward others we judge as “lazy” when we have been neglecting our own need for rest or have been overextending ourselves. We are more likely to be offended by “rude” strangers when we have allowed our egos to feel entitled and special again.
Examining ourselves and owning up to our responsibility for self-care does not give others a free pass to walk all over us. But self-examination can release bitterness from our hearts and allow us to find our power again.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4th
WORD OF THE DAY: SYNTHESIS
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
When we allow ourselves to think or behave in extreme ways, we are out of balance and we can easily cause harm to ourselves or others. Our strengths can easily become our weaknesses if we do not attune ourselves to work towards the middle.
A compassionate person is in danger of being used if she fails to set strong boundaries. A self-confident person may be at risk of making a serious mistake if he does not learn to humble himself and ask for help or feedback.
Balance is the goal. Synthesis is the key.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5th
WORD OF THE DAY: PERSUADE
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
We will not be able to convince anyone to trust us again by our powers of persuasion. It is not something we can force to happen just because we are tired of being mistrusted and questioned. Trust takes time to build back.
Trust is like a dish. Once broken, you can glue the pieces back together and it will work as a dish. But it is more fragile and vulnerable to future breaks, and it never returns to its original form.
We don’t repair trust through words. Repairs are made through actions. We make repairs by changing the way we think and the way we behave. It’s a slow process.
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