Daily Gratitude

Daily Gratitude: “I am disciplined out of love for myself.”

It’s time for another affirmation that caught my eye.

Why did this one spark an interest?

Because so many people see or hear the word “discipline” and cringe. To some it implies sacrifice. To others it symbolizes boredom. Still others think it’s stupid, not necessary or just not for them.

It all depends, I guess, on how you look at and define discipline for yourself. If you begin to look at it as something very positive and something that will lead to results you want, then that outlook will provide you with motivation.

After i retired i wanted time to read a lot of books. But I could never “find the time” (which is simply a limiting belief that I fell into but fortunately realized). So I started waking up early and doing the most important daily tasks then before my mind and schedule could disrupt me. The first year I did that I read 60 or 70 books. Just by getting up early and devoting time to reading.

It was something i strongly desired for myself. Love for myself. So i did it every day and now if I end up missing it because I’m at a race, my system feels disrupted. Isn’t that weird.

What is one thing that you want to do. Really really want to do. How can you create a routine to do it on a consistent and persistent basis? If one idea doesn’t work, keep experimenting until you find something that does.

Share your successes and your challenges with finding that routine. Share with us or with a friend. Use the power of more than one mind to come up with a solution.

Daily Gratitude

Daily Gratitude: “Kindness is always fashionable.”

Some people may disagree with this when they look at the world around them.

But we don’t have to absorb the negativity of all that’s out there. Not even the negative thoughts and actions of those close to us.

Our job is to surround ourselves with a bubble of high positive vibrations and continually maintain it. We have to keep working to make it strong enough to resist penetration by those with negative vibrations. That takes constant vigilance and work. But the good news is that it’s productive and usually fun work to raise your vibrations.

And being kind to others is one of the best ways to do that. What does it take to be kind? Nothing. And if you extend kindness, even with just a smile, that will elevate your mood (which is your vibrations) and that elevation will make you want to smile at someone else or perhaps do more.

Do you keep track of your kindnesses? Maybe you could journal about them or just list them. Write down what you did and then write down how you felt! Do this for a week and then review your list. How has it affected you – both the acts of kindness and the fact that you’ve been logging them.

Then share the results of the ideas with other people and get them on board your kindness train. All aboard!

Daily Gratitude

Daily Gratitude: “We rise by lifting others”

Have you ever been feeling less than enthusiastic, just moseying along apathetically? Nothing excites you?

Then you see someone who has their hands full and they’re headed to a door. You rush up to open the door for them and they smile and thank you profusely. All you did was open a door. Yet you feel like you just won the lottery. Why? Because the act of giving and of helping others releases feel good chemicals in your brain (and body) and those chemicals totally change your mood.

Have you known someone whose life isn’t going really well right now and you’ve sat with them, just listening? They pour their heart out to you. When you leave did you ever think you’re an evil person because you feel better? You’re not evil. You feel better for the same reason we just talked about. You gave someone something. You gave yourself. You gave your time. And you don’t regret it. You know you helped them. You don’t have to give money or gifts to uplift someone. Just showing you care is enough. They will remember that moment and you forever. And your subconscious knows this. That’s why you can feel good in the face of other people’s troubles and not be a bad person.

One caveat that’s not in this quote. You cannot lift others up if you are so drained that there’s no strength left. You have to take care of yourself first before you take on others. Lift yourself up and then lift others. Put your own oxygen mask on before you put it on your kids.