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 9th – Friday, October 13th, 2023.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 9th
WORD OF THE DAY: INNATE
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
When we take inventory of all our feelings and behaviors in our past, it may initially seem that we’re just making a list of the things we’re ashamed of—the things we believe make us unlovable and horrible in some way. With this perspective, it’s understandable why so many attempts to avoid making this list at any cost because we have already been carrying so much shame.
But we are not making this list to see how we have sucked as human beings (though inevitably, we must face some of our suckage).
We make this list to return to our deepest needs and values. We make this list to remember our worth and begin to behave in a way aligned with our core values.
It is an inventory that points us toward our heart’s deepest longing if only we learn how to listen with compassion and empathy to what our past behaviors say about the nature of our pain.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10th
WORD OF THE DAY: INSTINCTIVE
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
The absence of fear is as problematic as constantly living in fear. Denying fear can mean that we are not in tune with the fragility of life, have become complacent, or have returned to the illusion that we are somehow invincible. We need to be sensitive enough to our fears to live with appreciation for the gift that is our life but not so bogged down with fear that we are living in a fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response.
Fear helps keep our instincts sharp and helps us avoid complacency. But it should ride shotgun, not sit in the driver’s seat.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11th
WORD OF THE DAY: VISCERAL
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
For most people, recovery from addiction is not just recovery from addiction. It’s also recovery from all the stuff that happened before alcohol and drugs came into the picture, as well as all the things that happened after alcohol and drugs came into view. Recovery is not about abstinence; it’s recovering one’s mind and body from trauma’s profound and lasting impact.
It can be challenging for some people to obtain sobriety without first developing the skills to create physical and emotional safety for themselves.
We rely on our gut instincts to tell us who and what is safe. But after years of living with trauma, getting the signals mixed up is common. Many come into recovery after years of putting trust in the people and things that hurt us and fearing and rebelling against the people and things that may help them.
So, we practice setting boundaries with our time, energy, physical space, and bodies. It will probably be a little messy for a while, and that’s okay. We are re-learning how to take care of ourselves, and we are re-learning our values.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12th
WORD OF THE DAY: HABITUAL
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear writes that habits are the pathway to changing one’s identity because the most effective way to change who you are is to change what you do. The challenge in creating change, he notes, is not that people lack achievable goals but that we try to change the wrong thing or we try to change it in the wrong way.
Everything we do adds up. This is both good news and bad news. The good news is that every effort toward implementing a good habit will pay off over time (even if we do not see immediate results). The bad news is that so will the bad habits because we always practice something.
We are always engaging in some type of behavior.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13th
WORD OF THE DAY: INTRINSIC
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
You have intrinsic value simply because you exist. Your story has value simply because you are alive to tell it right now. You have overcome your unique set of challenges to be here today at this moment. Your story is not over yet. You may not see how you will get through your present challenge. But you can either solve the problem or surrender the problem and ask for help. It may come to pass that you fuck it up again. That’s okay. Keep going. Your worth is not wrapped up in the outcome, nor does your worth come from your effort.
Your worth just is.
But you won’t feel your worth unless you put in the effort.
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.
