The Daily Llama brings you short, one-word meditations and a corresponding quote for your complete wool-being (#seewhatwedidthere?) for Monday, March 1st through Friday, March 5th, 2021. It’s Women’s History Month, so we will be celebrating by focusing on quotes from women we admire and respect.
MONDAY, MARCH 1st
THE DAILY LLAMA WORD OF THE DAY: ASPIRE
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
Our word of the day comes from the Latin word spirare, which means “breathe.” Once you add the “a” at the beginning, the meaning changes to “breathe on,” which insinuates a deeper breathing that occurs when more effort is applied to something. Thus, the phrase “aspire to great heights” means essentially that we work our ass off to the point of breathing heavily on everything and everybody until we get to where we’re going (which may seem impossible at first).
Aspiring for something is not a lazy person’s daydream. We cannot aspire for something lying in bed. That’s just dreaming. We aspire when we not only believe in our dreams, but we work hard to get to where we want to be.
What are you aspiring for in your life today?
TUESDAY, MARCH 2nd
THE DAILY LLAMA WORD OF THE DAY: DILIGENCE
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
When we give something its “due diligence,” it means we have utilized reasonable steps with care, caution and consistency to see something through to the end. In essence, we’ve taken responsibility to act with good intentions and integrity.
Diligence is a critical ingredient in the recipe for building healthy habits. We don’t get anywhere when we “occasionally” do something good for us. We only reap the benefits of a healthy behavior when we do them diligently.
What healthy habit are you trying to implement in your life? How can you be more diligent in that task?
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3rd
THE DAILY LLAMA WORD OF THE DAY: FAIRNESS
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
The concept of fairness is a complex idea. On the one hand, we’re often told that life is not fair. It’s a concept learned early in childhood when we cry about something not being fair and our parent (possibly at wit’s end) tells us that life is not fair. Then we live through a whole host of experiences which reinforce this belief that life is not fair. It seems best to just accept this and move on.
Yet on the other hand, we can’t seem to get the notion out of our heads that life should be fair (or at minimal, fairer than it currently is). Furthermore, we tend to believe that fairness, if not achieved, is at the very least something we ought to pursue and try to actualize into existence.
Fairness, it seems, is as subjective a feeling as sadness or happiness or anger. When we say something is unfair, we are essentially saying, “I am in pain, I’m angry or sad about that pain, and I am unable to accept that the pain I’m forced to endure should be endured at all.”
We can feel this pain for something we’ve endured, or something we’ve seen someone else endure. This yearning for fairness is closely related to compassion. And compassion makes the world better. There are few things more moving than when someone with power stands up and protects someone without power.
Still, there are times when trying to make things fair doesn’t work out.
There’s an old Russian folk tale about two bears and a piece of cheese. They decide to divide it evenly, but one side ends up being slightly bigger than the other side. So they turn to a fox to help them out. The fox takes a bite of the bigger side, but errs and so now what was the smaller piece is now the bigger piece. This goes on for a few bites until the two pieces are exactly the same size, but now so much smaller than where the two bears started.
Perhaps the take away on fairness is this: when we strive to make the world a fairer place, we are adding something good to the world. But when we focus on making things fair just for ourselves, we end up with less cheese.
THURSDAY, MARCH 4th
THE DAILY LLAMA WORD OF THE DAY: MISSION
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
Many companies, businesses and organization develop “mission statements” to help clarify who they are and what they do. It is essentially preventive boundary setting because in defining who they are, they also are describing who they want as customers.
It can be an effective therapeutic exercise to create a mission statement for oneself. It’s an exercise in paring down and simplifying what you want your life to be like, and by doing so, what you want to keep out of your life.
It’s generally understood that a good mission statement will be based on four qualities: value, inspiration, plausibility and specificity. The first two qualities-value and inspiration-define the purpose and the reason. The last two indicate what the plan is to actualize the vision.
To create a mission statement for yourself, first jot down your core values (i.e., what are the most important things in life for you, things you wish to remember on your death bed). Then, think of some kick ass people who embody these values for you. Maybe it’s not people. Make a list of those things and people that inspire you, and write about why. Next, answer the questions: How will I make this happen? Are these actions and goals achievable for me in this lifetime? What specific actions will I take to meet my core values?
Take everything you’ve written, and try to boil it down to one sentence (two at most) which defines who you want to be. For some of you, this may be hardest part, but it’s worth it. Your personal mission statement sets the parameters for how you will spend your time and energy day to day. Add up all those days, and it makes a life.
FRIDAY, MARCH 5th
THE DAILY LLAMA WORD OF THE DAY: PERSIST
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
To persist means to “stand firm” or “endure tenaciously.” This is essential to what recovery is all about. We stand firm in our quest for wellness and approach the quality of our lives with tenacity. We do not deny that relapses, regression, or slip-ups can occur. Recovery does not mean perfection. But it does mean persistence in the face of adversity.
Adversity teaches us a lot more than comfort does, and our adversaries (real or imagined) show us our character and what is important to us, or can reveal areas of growth that need to be strengthened or improved.
We are more equipped to persist in the face of challenges if we take the time to plant and nurture deep roots within our recovery network. For we really are stronger together.
Resources are available
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
