The Daily Llama brings you the word of the day, short meditations for your complete wool-being (#seewhatwedidthere?) for Monday, November 23rd through Friday, November 27th.
MONDAY, November 23rd
WORD OF THE DAY: BLESSING
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Meditate on this:
One of the best tools we could have in our recovery toolbox is the daily practice of counting our blessings. While practicing gratitude is not a cure or treatment for persistent clinical depression or anxiety, taking stock of what’s good in our lives on a daily basis can increase feelings of optimism and improve our outlook. If we take a moment to breathe deeply and reflect on our present circumstances with the intention of identifying our blessings, we may find that the Universe showers us with little gifts to get us through each day. What three things happened today that I can call a blessing?
TUESDAY, November 24th
WORD OF THE DAY: APPRECIATION
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Meditate on this:
Another way to incorporate a practice of gratitude in our lives is to be appreciative for the people in our lives. We become more emotionally mature when we move beyond feeling appreciative not just for what they do for us, but we feel appreciative for who they are as people. True appreciation acknowledges that we are not entitled to anything, and everything we receive from others is a gift. We cannot have a entitled mindset and be truly appreciative at the same time.
WEDNESDAY, November 25th
WORD OF THE DAY: RECOGNITION
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Meditate on this:
Our egos love getting recognition for the good things we do. Generally, we are not so great at taking credit for the things that are a tad more shady. Similarly, we may find it very easy to locate the people or things in our lives that give us heartache or misery. Yet we don’t always give credit to the people who have shown us kindness or helped us out along the way. Some of us struggle with a habit of “disqualifying the positive,” a mental error which zeros in on the negative and overlooks the positive.
It’s an old defense mechanism which we believe protects us somehow from being disappointed, let down, or hurt. But it’s the same defense which keeps love from getting in, too. Often when we actively use this defense mechanism to protect an old wound, we may also find ourselves keeping a silent tally of all the people who have wronged us and have come to the conclusion that the world is a horrible place to be.
But what would happen if we stopped keeping score? What would happen if we let go of the emotional scoreboard in our hearts, and instead practiced gratitude for being alive?
THURSDAY, November 26th
WORD OF THE DAY: THANKFUL
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Meditate on this:
It can be difficult to tap into an attitude of thankfulness in the midst of troubles. It is usually after the troubles have passed when it becomes a little easier to feel thankful, such as in “thank God that’s over.” Finding things to be thankful for in the midst of trouble does not cure us of the pain or prevent further trouble from happening. But practicing thankfulness can become the lifeline that helps us get through the hard times.
FRIDAY, November 27th
WORD OF THE DAY: GRACE
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Meditate on this:
Just for today, you are here and you are alive. Take a moment to reflect on all the things that had to happen in order for YOU to happen. You are a walking miracle, even if most of the time you don’t feel that way. Here’s the thing: most of us don’t go through our day thinking about ourselves as miracles. And we certainly don’t spend a lot of time thinking that other people are miracles either. But in the words of Dr. Seuss, “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Today, find a way to honor the miracle that is your life.
Resources are available if you need them
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.
