The Daily Llama brings you the word of the day, short meditations for your complete wool-being (#seewhatwedidthere?) for Monday, October 12th through Wednesday, October 14th.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 12th
WORD OF THE DAY: IGNITE
MEDITATE ON THIS:
It hurts to be disappointed or rejected. It hurts to fail or to lose. Sometimes these painful moments can be gifts from the universe, meant to divert us toward our truer path. (Not all painful experiences have a silver lining. Sometimes shitty things just happen.) It takes honest self-inventory to understand all the dynamics that contribute to something not working out in our favor. The “it’s not you, it’s me” response to a break-up may be nice to hear, but it may not always be true.
If we never consider that we did not get something we really wanted because of our own behaviors or character flaws, we will never grow in the area we need to grow in to get what it is we want. We need to be able to look at ourselves both honestly and lovingly if we are to ignite our growth. In the end, we may find we did nothing wrong at all and we may decide we wouldn’t change a thing about ourselves. But we are more powerful because of our willingness to look.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13th
WORD OF THE DAY: ILLUMINATE
MEDITATE ON THIS:
There is a saying that “Love is blind.” The meaning behind this is that when we fall in love, we don’t see that person’s faults. And that can sometimes be true. However, it is equally true that when we look at someone or something through the lens of preconceived notions and judgments, we are also blinded in that we are not able to see that person’s strengths, value or beauty. Through learning to love ourselves and our neighbors as ourselves, we can begin to see others more clearly. In what ways can I show love to others today?
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14th
WORD OF THE DAY: IMAGINE
MEDITATE ON THIS:
Chronic stress can greatly impact our ability to use our imagination. We must work intentionally to protect our energy and our imagination, as our ability to respond spontaneously and creatively to life’s problems is critical for maintaining overall wellness. When we are tired and overworked and full of anxiety and fear, we are at great risk at phoning it in when we need to show up for ourselves in a new way. Children have a natural ability to imagine. They have an easier time believing that their dreams are possible. We need daily to tap into this mindset of what may be possible if we are to remain on a journey of spiritual growth. How can I set aside a little time each day to let myself imagine my dreams becoming my reality?
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15th
WORD OF THE DAY: CREATE
MEDITATE ON THIS:
We are the authors of our lives. This does not mean that adversity does not exist, or that we have unlimited power, or that we will never be impacted by injustices in the world. But we are in charge of our thoughts, our choices, our behaviors, our character in response to everything that happens to us. Who we are is not a static thing like a statue that once it is made, it remains the same forever. We are in a constant flow of creating who we are. If we don’t like something, we can seek to change it. If we find we cannot change it, we can seek to change our perspective of it. What things can I do to create the kind of self I will be happy to live with all my life?
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16th
WORD OF THE DAY: ENDEAVOR
MEDITATE ON THIS:
Learning to live life on life’s terms without the option of numbing out when things get painful is difficult. What is also difficult is that once we’ve stopped numbing ourselves, we are then expected to face the worst parts of ourselves, make a list, say it out loud to someone, then apologize to those we’ve harmed, and keep doing it over and over again. It’s akin the vulnerability of getting naked in front of someone, but that someone is probably mad at you. But this is how we find peace, beauty and dignity. By “doing the next right thing.” According to a bonafide genius, this is the most important human endeavor there is: to do the next right thing as though our inner balance and very existence depend on it.
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Resources Are Available
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