We are all so dramatic! Yes, yes, we are living in some pretty dramatic times, but even MORE reason to find a way to focus on JOY! What IS working, what CAN we do to make life more loving, more kind. Take a BIG, DEEP BREATH and let go! For this moment all is well, the sky is not falling down. Breathe.
Today I will stop and BREATHE, really take in a deep inhale and let it out. And in that next moment, let myself be at peace.
Have you ever been worried about something and no matter what you do you can’t seem to change the dialogue in your head? I get like that sometimes and have found it is very hard to have a NEW thought until I write down what is bothering me, then write down what I would prefer. I call this, “Making your Mantra”. In meditation, a mantra is the sound or word you say over and over again to quiet your mind. Read what you have written, good and bad, and then think about a one-line positive statement about the situation. This becomes the line you say to yourself anytime a negative thought about the situation comes up.
“Today I will re-direct my thinking by using the power of my Mantra.”
Real fear is when we feel threatened, physically, emotionally. But when we are about to begin a new phase of our lives, a new job, a new relationship, moving to a new place, what comes up for most is something different. Exhilaration. The anticipation of the unknown heightens all of our senses, making us keenly aware of what we want, which is success. The anxiety of the unknown factors, the question of “Will I do well in this new experience?” is normal. Love First teaches that when you understand you have attracted this experience, this person, into your life and that YOU are the co-creator of it all, you stay connected to your own power and KNOW that all is really well and you are exactly where you wanted to be.
“Today I will look forward to my next great adventure and know that I am exhilarated by the opportunities I have created for myself.”
Being someone who is always looking forward can sometimes make it hard to stay in
today. Being mindful and experiencing “the NOW” requires discipline and faith. That tomorrow will be a new day to experience and to obsesses on it would be to dishonor today.
“Today I will live in the “gift of the present” and let tomorrow unfold without worry.”
Saw a great ad on TV last night, a man was noticing all these tragic issues in the world and they started following him around. He became overwhelmed and sad, then he stopped in front of a city community center and went inside to volunteer. The announcer said, “The best way to feel better about all the issues facing the world is to take action to change them.” True words.
“Today I will look for ways to take positive action to change what I am worried about.”
To worry is to contemplate bad outcomes. The vibration of worry is the opposite of Love. It is wise to look at the evidence of a situation, evidence, facts, not gossip or what you think is going on, and evaluate it so you can make a decision. If you are practicing Love First and your basic attitude is one of love, the decision will come from love, not fear. But if you start to play the “What if?” game, then you are spending enormous energy to worry, which changes nothing.
“Today I will practice a positive attitude and know that I will be able to come from Love, not fear.”
I lost a beautiful little diamond ring on my trip, okay, I lost all my makeup, too, and I can’t decide which is more of a loss! But here’s the thing, I am not really that upset about the ring or the makeup, I was upset with MYSELF for losing it. I wasn’t paying attention and I was in a hurry, driving on a 10-hour ride with dogs and kids.
For me, this is a gentle love tap from the Universe to slow it down, be more mindful. So if you find yourself “losing things” (and they are just things, they can be replaced) take a seat and after a good venting of the frustration, take a deep breath and hear the lesson, “Slow Down”.
“Today, if I find myself distracted, misplacing things, or feeling anxious, I will take a seat and breathe, remembering to slow down and give myself a break.”
Have you ever been rushing along, trying to “get it all done” and then you get hurt, sick, in an accident? At this point you have no choice but to slow down and take a step back from the insanity!
It would be nice to be able to do this without the illness or injury, and in time, you will begin to notice when you are doing too much, “hitting the wall”. The practice of “Love First” creates the awareness to notice when you are out of balance with your SELF, the uneasy feeling in your chest that you are not in harmony with YOU.
“Today if I begin to feel stressed, I will STOP and BREATHE 5 times, slowly, and when I am calm, I will look at what I must do, and decide what can wait.”
This little phrase goes along with yesterday’s quote. I am not always a patient person. Sometimes that’s a good thing, because I get a lot done in my business in a timely way. But in my personal relationships, not everyone moves as fast as I would like and I have to know when to practice patience and when to be more insistent. Sometimes, when I can’t get an answer right away, anxiety can creep in while I have to wait, and that’s when that phrase, “You will know when you find out” is really helpful.
“Today I will practice being more patient and trust that “I will know when I find out.”
I am truly blessed to travel around and meet so many interesting people! When I was younger, however, I did not make friends easily and I found myself getting very nervous if I had to go into a group of people that I perceived as “me vs. them” scenario.
“Love First” came out of learning how to connect with people by loving myself, first, then flowing that love to others before they even opened their mouths. Because I found out something fascinating, half of the time that I was nervous about the group or someone I thought was more important than me, THEY were nervous, too!
Someone had to stop this dance of fear, so I just had to get over myself and jump in! Here’s a little trick I learned:
“Today, somewhere in my travels is my new best friend. As I look for them and I know they are looking for me, I will greet everyone with the joyful expectation that we may just become friends.”