The Daily Llama, by Staci DesRault, brings you short, one-word meditations and a corresponding quote plus a reflection for your complete wool-being (#seewhatwedidthere?) for Monday, October 30th – Friday, November 3rd, 2023.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 30th
WORD OF THE DAY: FORESIGHT
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
Our past may be something we wish to avoid or forget, and it may sound much more desirable to stay in the present or look forward to the future than to revisit the past. But if we don’t review the past and spend enough time there talking and listening to the past versions of ourselves, our future performance of us may keep making the same mistakes as we did in the past.
Foresight relies on our ability to detect patterns and comfortably predict what will happen next. To create changes in outcomes, we change our patterns.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31st
WORD OF THE DAILY: GAIN
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
Sometimes we have to lose things that are important to us to gain (or keep) the ultimately important things. When faced with such a dilemma, you can expect a lot of pain and self-doubt to occur. People you love and care about may be angry with you. Some may try hard to convince you to change your mind. And you may change your mind, or you might stick to your guns. It may culminate in total disaster. But if you can say in the end that you told the truth, you did what you felt was right, and you know without a doubt that you would do it the same way again if you had to do it over, then you have gained the ability to understand and to trust your own heart.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1st
WORD OF THE DAY: HARNESS
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
Getting caught up in our feelings and acting or speaking without much thought can be straightforward. It is equally easy to minimize the impact of fleeting emotion. But the feelings and emotions that we most often practice and let run wild merge with our thoughts to create our attitude, and our attitude frame how we see ourselves and the world. Our perspective shapes our behavior and influences the choices we make. To work on harnessing our attitudes does not mean we suppress negative emotions or force ourselves to feel only positive ones. All feelings deserve to be judged, acknowledged, seen, and expressed. They can audition. They can even be cast in the play. Just don’t let them steal the show.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2nd
WORD OF THE DAY: INDOMITABLE
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
Please do not underestimate your ability to make it through challenging situations. You are the culmination of a long line of survivors. Your DNA was gathered from all corners of the world and mixed with stardust and magic to create the magnificent creature looking back at you in the mirror. Indomitability is in your genetic code. You may have suffered some bumps and bruises but made it this far against impossible odds.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd
WORD OF THE DAY: JUDICIOUS
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
Just as how we eat impacts our physical health, what we read influences our mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Thanks to modern technology, there exist a variety of ways in which we can expand our minds through reading or even by listening to someone read to us. While there are numerous ways to gain information and insight, studies suggest nothing replaces good old-fashioned reading on paper, such as with a physical newspaper, magazine, or book. Reading (on paper, not the internet) fosters improved concentration, learning, and recall. One of the best things we can do to support our brains in early recovery is to engage in tasks that force our brains to make new neural connections and reading (the old-fashioned way) does just that.
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.
