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, January 17th – Friday, January 21st, 2022.
MONDAY, JANUARY 17TH
WORD OF THE DAY: FRIENDSHIP
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“It’s the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter.” – Marlene Dietrich
MEDITATE ON THIS:
We are not meant to do life alone. Research suggests that having quality friendships can reduce risk of premature death by half, and social isolation is linked to higher rates of high blood pressure, heart disease, substance use and cancer (see links below for sources). Yet it takes time, emotional energy, chemistry, and a willingness to self-disclose and be vulnerable to move someone from an acquaintance to a friend. As we get older, it can become more challenging to find time and energy to nurture friendships. Our careers or family obligations take up a lot of our time. We may experience health issues that make it more complicated to socialize, or struggle with social anxiety and/or past trauma which makes it harder to open up. The good news is that we don’t need 100k followers on Instagram to enhance our lives, and we don’t need to go out every Friday and Saturday night to the trendiest locales. We just need 2-4 good friends (according to science). In the end, it’s the friends we can call at 4 a.m. that matter the most.
Helpful links:
Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review
The Daily Llama Fun Fact of the Day:
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Today is also National Classy Day, the inaugural debut of a day that is named in honor of Betty White.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 18TH
WORD OF THE DAY: GUESSING
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we’ll never know most of them. But even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.” – Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
MEDITATE ON THIS:
We examine the past enough so that we may transform our present and give us hope for our future. Be cautious not to get stuck in “analysis paralysis” about why things happened the way that they did. We practice self-love and acceptance. Our pain teaches us compassion. We learn to set healthy boundaries where they are needed, and we learn to take down the walls that need to come down. Most days we guess at it. And that’s okay.
The Daily Llama Fun Fact of the Day:
Today is National Thesaurus Day, National Winnie the Pooh Day, and National Peking Duck Day.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19TH
WORD OF THE DAY: HOSPITABLE
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.” – Saint Basi
MEDITATE ON THIS:
When we are kind to someone, they may or may not be kind in return. It does not mean our kindness was in vain. When we do the next right thing, we may not get an immediate reward, and we may not feel instantly better. Our lives are like gardens. It takes more than one seed to make a garden, and not all seeds that are planted will bloom in a season. Some things require years to take root and grow.
The Daily Llama Fun Fact of the Day:
Today is National Popcorn Day and World Quark Day.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 20TH
WORD OF THE DAY: INTERWOVEN
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Man does not weave this web of life. He is merely a strand of it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.” – Chief Seattle
MEDITATE ON THIS:
How we treat the world around us can reveal how we inwardly feel about ourselves. Additionally, how we look at others may show us how we see ourselves. How we behave discloses what is in our hearts.
The Daily Llama Fun Fact of the Day:
Today is National Buttercrunch Day, National Cheese Lover’s Day, and National Disc Jockey Day.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 21ST
WORD OF THE DAY: JUXTAPOSE
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“We live in a world of constant juxtaposition between joy that’s possible and pain that’s all too common. We hope for love and success and abundance, but we never quite forget that there is always lurking the possibility of disaster.” – Marianne Williamson
MEDITATE ON THIS:
May today give us the grace to accept the juxtaposition of both our joy and of our pain. Also, may this day’s light give us the wisdom to hold onto the truth that we cannot have one without having the other. May this day’s closure grant us peace while still living with much uncertainty.
The Daily Llama Fun Fact of the Day:
Today is National Granola Bar Day, National Hugging Day, and National Squirrel Appreciation Day.
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.
