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 3rd – Friday, January 7th, 2022. Welcome to another NEW YEAR with The Daily Llama!
MONDAY, JANUARY 3RD
WORD OF THE DAY: ABIDE
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“As we grow older and realize more clearly the limitations of human happiness, we come to see that the only real and abiding pleasure in life is to give pleasure to other people.” – P.G. Wodehouse, Something Fresh
MEDITATE ON THIS:
My joy abides in my ability to create it for myself. While other people can surprise me with kindness and love, I am careful to avoid nurturing expectations that other people are responsible for my happiness. I alone am responsible for my own happiness, and today I reflect on the relationship between my happiness and how I treat other people.
The Daily Llama Fun Fact of the Day:
Today is National Thank God It’s Monday Day, National Fruitcake Toss Day, and Festival of Sleep Day.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 4TH
WORD OF THE DAY: BEAM
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” – William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
MEDITATE ON THIS:
Although I may be one person, my life can have an impact beyond what I can see or know. While it can feel good to bestow a random act of kindness on a stranger, it is also important to make the necessary repairs that are needed to keep relationships with family and friends thriving. Today I will focus on doing a good deed for someone I love, or tending to a relationship that needs to be nurtured.
The Daily Llama Fun Fact of the Day:
Today is National Spaghetti Day and National Trivia Day. It’s also World Braille Day and World Hypnotism Day.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5TH
WORD OF THE DAY: CHARGE
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“From the backstabbing co-worker to the meddling sister-in-law, you are in charge of how you react to the people and events in your life. You can either give negativity power over your life or you can choose happiness instead. Take control and choose to focus on what is important in your life. Those who cannot live fully often become destroyers of life.” – Anais Nin
MEDITATE ON THIS:
It doesn’t always feel like I am in charge of my emotions or my reactions. Yet how I feel and what I do are my responsibility completely, even if I am not yet fully in control of my feelings and behaviors. It is far too easy to give negativity power in my life. But I will keep working at it. Today I will focus on observing my thoughts and feelings, and I will practice not acting impulsively until I have considered my options.
The Daily Llama Fun Fact of the Day:
Today is National Bird Day, National Screenwriter’s Day, and National Whipped Cream Day.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 6TH
WORD OF THE DAY: DETACH
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Attachment is the great fabricator of illusions; reality can be obtained only by someone who is detached. ” – Simone Weil
MEDITATE ON THIS:
Today’s mantra is as follows: It is not always about me. I may have thoughts and feelings about what is occurring, but it is not always about me. I may still be raw and hurting from a past experience, but not every situation or thing that happens is about me. Not everything happens for a reason, and even if things do happen for a reason, that reason may not be about me. When I detach myself from the belief that life is disastrous when things don’t go my way, I will find myself more resilient and capable of weathering the storms that come.
The Daily Llama Fun Fact of the Day:
Today is Three Kings Day or Epiphany, which also makes it National Take Down the Christmas Tree Day. It is also World Day for War Orphans.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 7TH
WORD OF THE DAY: EDIFY
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“I know now that true charity consists in bearing all our neighbors’ defects–not being surprised at their weakness, but edified at their smallest virtues.” – St. Thérèse de Lisieux
MEDITATE ON THIS:
In the most basic sense, getting annoyed derives from a lack of acceptance. Whether or not the annoyance is justified, or the acceptance thereof helpful, is not the focus of today’s task. Today I will practice bringing my attention to how often I get annoyed and what triggers the feeling of annoyance, for annoyance is the seed that grows into resentment. I will ask myself: what is my unmet need at this moment? Is the thing that I am annoyed at really what I am upset about?
The Daily Llama Fun Fact of the Day:
Today is Orthodox Christmas. Today also is Old Rock Day, Distaff Day, and Harlem Globetrotter’s 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.
