Today, recognize the presence a Mind bigger than your human brain, an intelligent Love. Trust this Mind to communicate with and educate you and those you know. Be willing to let go of assumptions and limited perceptions.
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Today, respect yourself. Respect your expertise, your wisdom. Respect your intuition. Respect your need for rest or healthy food or exercise or fun or . Respect yourself enough to say what needs to be said.
Today, consciously place your worries, large and small, in Love's lap. When one arises, place it in Love's lap. Another arises, place it in Love's lap. Today, trust Love's ability to hold your worries for you while you rest.
Today, accept your full range of emotions and treat them as you would those of a small child you love, with kindness and wisdom. If you are out of perspective, comfort and sooth yourself. If you are having negative emotions, don't dramatize or fear them--or judge yourself for having them. If you are hungry, eat. If you need a break, give it to yourself. If you need movement or play or company, give it to yourself.
Today, let go of grand plans. Focus instead on meeting each demand of today with love and kind attention. Answering emails, cleaning the house, making a lunch, attending a meeting, greeting someone: bring to each task a depth of love.
*anonymous quote falsely attributed to Mother Teresa. In the 1800s, after she was turned away from a inn and forced to sleep outside, the Japanese poet Rengetsu wrote this poem:
Refused at the inn-- but I took this unkindness as a gracious act; under the hazy evening moon I slept beneath the blossoms. Today, when you are feeling rejected or refused, look for the blossoms. Peace is not the absence of conflict or discomfort. Instead, peace is the activity of the divine. Today, when confronted with anything unsettling, acknowledge divine peace as a present law, activity, and foundation. Also, to help break a sense of agitation and worry, consciously look for evidence of peace, order, and kindness.
Zen teacher Edward Espe Brown says, "Your life is just fine as it is, thank you." Martha Beck writes, "Ignore anyone who says you aren't making, doing, or becoming enough." Today, appreciate the beauties of your life. Let go of unrealistic standards and appreciate the charming, messy imperfections of your good life.
Today, attend to anxious thoughts with the words of Julian of Norwich, "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."
Today, be kind to all the thoughts that challenge you, your anxieties and compulsive thinking. Greet them with kindness and respect, but don't give them authority. Treat them with the same tender firmness you would a child overwhelmed by groundless fears. As Emerson says, "When a dog is chasing after you, whistle for him."
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AuthorTarn Wilson is the author of the memoir The Slow Farm and numerous essays. You may read more of her work at tarnwilson.com. Archives
September 2020
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