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, September 18th – Friday, September 22nd, 2023.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18th
WORD OF THE DAY: REVERE
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
Sometimes when we see or experience something, every day no longer feels special or miraculous. It can be easy to assume that what is now will always be. But it won’t. Everything changes, and everything has a beginning and an end. That is as true for our sorrow as it is for our joy.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th
WORD OF THE DAILY: GATHER
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
Many cultures have some version of a harvest festival. When harvest arrives, the pace of work slows down and allows the community time to appreciate the fruits of their labor, quite literally. Harvest time is a life-affirming celebration that recognizes the importance of having a community to survive and thrive.
One does not harvest alone. It necessitates community.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th
WORD OF THE DAY: BEFALL
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
It is much easier to make friends as children thanas an adult. Researchers evaluated the length of time (on average) it took people to form friendships, and they concluded it took 40-60 hours to make a casual friend, 80-100 hours to make a good friend, and over 200 hours to form a best friend. Lydia Denworth, in her book Friendship: The Evolution, Biology and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond, describes this study and further extrapolates that time alone is not the deciding factor for friendship, but the quality of conversation as well.
To nurture friendships, you not only need to make time for them, but you need to invest emotionally as well.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st
WORD OF THE DAY: VARIETY
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
In recovery, we need various people to support, nurture, and challenge us. Different voices bring us different perspectives. If we look at the people in our lives, and everyone thinks and feels the same way we do, we’re in danger of developing blind spots in our recovery. Various opinions and personalities may sometimes challenge a group’s unity, but it is also the most critical aspect of nurturing the health of a group.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd
WORD OF THE DAY: ALERT
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
MEDITATE ON THIS:
One of the best tools in our recovery toolbox is learning how to practice stillness. The stillness is not the tool itself; the action of practicing or making room for the stillness is fundamental. When we work on quieting down and being present and aware, we practice setting limits on ourselves. We are bringing our brain under our mind’s management. We learn to separate our thoughts about things from the things themselves. We begin to accept that thinking it doesn’t make it true. We can become more objective observers of our own and others’ behaviors.
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.
