Daily Meditations for Tough Times

Say Nice Things Today

Say nice things today.

Ask your boss how her weekend meant and really listen to her.

Compliment your spouse on how well they made breakfast, got the kids to school or cleaned up the house.

Sincerely thank the person who bags your groceries, fills your tank with gas or mows your lawn.

Let that one customer service representative who actually knows what he is doing know that he really made your day. And you’ll feel better.

Trust me one this – being positive and sending our warm regards does as much for you as it does for another person.

You reap the benefits of feeling good about yourself as you subtly change your mindset to one who focuses on the good instead of the bad.

Saying nice things to others reminds you that everyone has something good about themselves.

Now it’s your job to find it.

Your Best is Good Enough

Your house will not always be spotlessly clean. 

You will not always turn in a perfect 8-hour day at work. 

You will not always remember to be kind to your spouse. 

You will not always be patient with your children. 

Your best is good enough. 

As long as you are loving, receptive, responsible and apologetic - that is good enough. 

As long as you learn from your mistakes, give your best on a daily basis, and make amends - that's good enough too.

Be okay with who you are and live up to YOUR standards today.

And remember - your best is good enough.

Don't Beat Up On Yourself!

Beating up on yourself is bad. You have enough people and enough situations that hammer at your self-esteem and make you feel incapable or unworthy. You don't need to add your voice to the chorus. Even if everyone doesn't like you, that's okay. There is no person in history who was loved by everyone.

Think on this: You should be the one person who thinks well of yourself – within reason of course. You should praise your own efforts because you won’t always get that praise from others. You should think well of your own decisions, since you are the one who has to live with them.

So, enjoy today. Find some positive things about yourself to reflect on. Remember the good things you’ve accomplished. Tell yourself you’re really okay. And move on.

You Have a Lot to Do, But Nothing to Worry About

You always have a lot to do, but....

You have absolutely NOTHING to worry about!

Worrying is a total and absolute and complete waste of time.

It won't solve any problems, make you any smarter or help you accomplish anything in addition to what you're already doing.

Solve what you can, do what you can, be proactive and all that...

BUT DON'T WORRY!!

Don't obsess over what should be done.

Don't dwell on what you could have done better.

And certainly don't let those worries keep you up at night, interfere with your life's enjoyment or hinder you from pursuing your dreams.

Think, problem-solve, stay on top of things as much as possible, but DON'T WORRY!

You have a lot to do, but absolutely NOTHING to worry about.

It's ineffective, a waste of time and a waste of a good life.

There's Always A Lot You Have To Do

There's always a lot you have to do.

Bills that need to get paid.

Laundry that needs folding.

Dinner needing to be made.

And homework do do yourself, assist with or try and forget.

There's always a lot to do.

But you STILL have to take time for yourself.

Don't let those million and one things interfere with the very real task of taking care of yourself.

Make sure you get 8 hours of sleep.

Make sure you get at least one veggie and one fruit in your diet today.

Make sure you walk at least three times per week, 30 minutes per day (or some equivalent exercise every week).

And make sure you keep your stress at a manageable level.

Those are the basics.

Make sure those other things flow around those essentials.

Take care of yourself first.

Do those other things second.

Because there is one thing that will never change:

There's always a lot you have to do.

Just make sure you stay at the top of that particular to-do list!

This is It!

This is it!

You are now living the life you dreamed of so long ago.

It may not be what you wanted, but your life is happening right here, right now.

You have a circle of friends you love and who love you.

You have a family (who may be those aforementioned friends) that provide support and love when you need it.

You have a job.

You're getting the bills paid.

Your children are doing well.

You're clearly on the path to where you're meant to be.

You've taken ownership and control of your life, your finances and your potential to do good for the world.

This is it!

This is your life.

Are you making the most of it?

Quit Stressing Out!

I know you're busy.

I understand that life is constantly making demands on you.

You don't have enough time to do the things you need to do.

Much less the things you want to do.

But let me give you one piece of advice:

Quit Stressing Out!

Take a deep breath...

Breathe in....

Breathe out...

Take a moment just to be where you are.

In the middle of whatever...

Just take a minute.

And remember:

Stressing out won't solve any of your problems.

Stressing out won't make you handle any of them any better.

Stressing out won't help your blood pressure stay down.

Stressing out won't make anything become any easier.

Stressing out will only make you feel worse.

It makes you angry at the world for absolutely no reason at all.

It drains away all your optimism.

And puts you in a bad mood.

And, finally, it puts you one step behind where you've fought so hard to be:

In a place of health, balance and mental wellness.

Don't give up that fight.

Remain persistent in the face of stress.

Control it, don't let it control  you.

Quit Stressing Out!

And Feel Better :)

Setbacks Are Normal

Setbacks occur.

Setbacks are normal.

How many times have you started a new diet or made New Year’s Resolutions and found it difficult to stay on point?

Setbacks are our teachers. When we fail to succeed, we have an opportunity to learn what we did wrong. Did we choose the wrong program? Did we set unrealistic goals?

Think of a recent setback and allow it to teach you. Reflect on what went wrong, why it went wrong and how you can do it better the next time.

YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE.

You must simply change your approach. 

Or choose a different option entirely.

It's okay to change your mind.

It's NOT okay to keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results (that's the definition of stupidity :) .

Think instead about how you will do things differently next time.

Remind yourself that you almost always get a do-over.

And, as always, when the reflection is done, move on...

It's Okay to Feel Hurt

It’s okay to feel hurt. It’s okay to acknowledge that your best friend hurt your feelings, that your spouse made a thoughtless remark or that your co-worker said just the very thing designed to set your teeth on edge.

You are HUMAN. You were given emotions for a reason – to feel things. Feelings are great indicators of things we should pay attention to. If our feelings are hurt, there is most likely a reason. And you should reflect on what that reason may be.

You are not Super Woman or Super Man. Everyone feels pain. Everyone gets hurt. Your job is to reflect on the circumstances, learn from them and move on.

Acknowledge your PAIN. Ignoring it will only make it worse. It’s important that you acknowledge and deal with it because it has a nasty habit of compounding in the back of your mind when you’re not paying attention. A thoughtless remark on top of a too-close-to-home criticism does not a happy person make. Be happy – by allowing your pain to be acknowledged, explored and then dismissed.

Take Some Risks Today!

Take some risks today!

Risk being out of your comfort zone!

Risk sharing your true feelings with someone you love! 

Risk being thought foolish to pursue a noble goal! 

Risk exposing just a little bit of yourself to reveal your true soul!

Risk talking to someone who you think despises you! 

Risk looking stupid to reach out and help someone else (even if they reject that help!). 

Risk avoiding stagnation. 

Risk  avoiding inertia.

Risk escaping all those things that are holding you back. 

Take some risks today!

And See Where They Might Lead You :)