Stepping Forward

Taking a step into the unknown is scary, risky, exciting, and full of possibility.  What gives me the courage to move forward?  I can remain paralyzed with my fears holding me back or I can take a chance that what lies before me will be greater than what lies behind me.  It’s a choice.

I choose to step forward despite the outdated warning signals that tell me it’s too dangerous.  I will acknowledge that my well-developed defense system has served me well in the past before I had more effective means of caring for myself.  Today, I can turn down the sensitivity of the alarm button as it’s just a bit too sensitive for my needs now.  I trust I can handle what this day holds and reach out for support if it becomes overwhelming.  Here goes…

Practicing Thanks-giving

There are so many blessed moments to acknowledge in a day, even though I often lean towards pointing out unmet needs, things that don’t go the way I want them to go, and sad times.  It’s my choice today:  focus on what I appreciate or become wrapped up in negative energy.  Choosing negativity leads to bitterness, envy, resentment, and depression; it’s a journey into darkness and dead end roads.  Choosing gratitude leads to appreciation, caring, connection, and peace; it’s a journey into happiness and satisfaction.

Today, I am grateful for having a choice.  I will mindfully recognize the blessings I have received and practice thanks-giving for those experiences of grace.  I offer the intention of bringing blessing to those around me as I move into this day.

Gratitude for Friends

Friends bring sweet connection and comfort to the heart.  They stand by you when you are misunderstood and take the extra effort to clarify mixed up messages without automatically judging your intent as negative.  They provide encouragement, support, and are the captains of your cheerleading squad.  They believe in you when you don’t believe in yourself.  I am grateful and indebted to the gifts my friends offer me.  My hope is that I extend to them the same caring presence I have experienced. 

Today I will acknowledge the invitations to connect others send me through their smiles and gentle heart touches while extending the same to those I encounter.

Mindful Living

There are days when life feels crowded by millions of details clamoring for attention and each one telling me it’s more important than the rest.  It’s easy to become overwhelmed and either go into overdrive or shut down.  I will blindly move through the day indiscriminately knocking off one item from my “To Do’ list after another wearing myself out or become paralyzed and thoughtlessly sit for hours in front of the TV or computer screen wasting time.  All or nothing becomes my motto.

Today, I choose to sit quietly breathing and grounding myself.  I will take time to be still and focus my attention; centering myself in now-ness and here-ness.   I can quiet the ‘hurry up’ voice within and move mindfully into this day with intention to focus on presence no matter how I choose to spend my time.

Standing in My Power

I can stand in the power of being ‘me’ today.  In the past, I may have felt too scared of being rejected to stand up for myself. I believed, at one time, I didn’t have much to say and what I did have to say no one was interested in hearing.  I thought my actions didn’t matter much and others achievements were much more important than my own.  I kept quiet and watched others live life.

Now, I recognize I have a right to speak up and voice an opinion; whether others agree with me or not my viewpoint matters.  I choose to live my own life rather than being delegated to a corner of silence.  I can take action when I feel moved to do so and acknowledge the accomplishments I reach.  I will feel my feet on the ground and stand up straight facing this day with dignity and pride.

Acknowledging What I Know

 

There are days when anxiety threatens to sabotage my efforts.  It’s at these moments that I choose to remember what I have learned.  I will breathe and notice my connection with life energy within and surrounding me that reaches out to nourish and sustain me.  I will recognize how I touch the earth at the places where the container of my body intersects with all that supports and grounds me.  I will acknowledge that I am alright in this moment and with all likelihood will be able to handle the next one and the next one after that.  I will rest peacefully with gratitude for this day of possibility and trust in my higher power.

Page of Promise

As this day dawns, I am curious about what it will hold.  It may hold blessing or curse, happiness or sadness, joy or sorrow, unique and novel change or stability and routine.  Who knows?  I will open my heart and mind to whatever comes with a desire that I might respond with compassion, humor and creativity.  In my life story, if a year has 365 pages, then today is page 22,859.  Hmmm, how many remarkable pages have already been written and today holds out another page of promise.