4 Ways to Start Your Day
Creating a Peaceful World from Within
In recognition of the International Day of Peace on September 21st
When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing that happens? Like most people in the western world you most likely start thinking about what you need to do that day. Or you may worry about something, engage in an ongoing mental gripe about someone, or fantasize about what could be. Our mind wanders, and usually not towards peaceful thoughts.
You are the creator, and your energy is the magnetic force that turns the dial on your life compass.
Your day’s unfolding is determined by what you bring to it, not what happens to you. And what you put into your inner space first thing in the morning, the energy and thoughts you hold, is the foundation of how you create and thus experience your day.
Participants in my workshops learn how much their internal state influences their perspectives and decisions. One of the things I have them do when they first arrive is consider a particular life challenge and the best solution they have at this moment. Then after doing some activities that help them ground, clear their mind, and enter a more open minded state, they revisit this particular challenge. To their surprise, they have a new solution in mind that they much prefer over their original one. It is always more peaceful and productive.
It is at this point that I ask them, “Imagine for a moment if you spend every day of your life without taking the time to ground, clear and open? Imagine the impact this has on your health, happiness and productivity? Where would your life compass lead you? What might you have missed? And imagine what is possible if you consistently made your inner space a priority in your life? What might you experience then?”
Life is not about discovering your self, it is about creating your self.
Here are some ideas you can do for a morning practice. For those short on time, do one or more in a time that works for you. If you do want to partake in more than one, I suggest doing them in the order they are listed.
Daydream: When you first wake up, continue to lie in bed with your eyes closed and spend five minutes connecting to the most pleasant thoughts you can think of. It could be doing something you love, or a peak experience from the past, or dreaming up the dreamiest of dreams you can imagine. Bask in the warmth of your thoughts, and if any unwanted intruders pop in your mind, notice them like you’d notice a cloud in the sky, take a deep breath, and bring your attention back to your daydream. The purpose of this activity is to engage and cultivate a feel-good feeling within, and to remind you of what is important.
Meditate: Spend 5-15 minutes laying in bed or in a seated position. Take long slow deep breaths in through the nose and out of the mouth. When you have filled your lungs hold your breath for five seconds and then allow your out-breath to take more time than your in-breath. Visualize light filling your body as you breathe in, and feel/imagine it being the energy you want to experience more of in your life (peace, joy, abundance etc). When you exhale feel/imagine sending out anything you no longer wish to keep (stress, worry etc). With each inhale and exhale, feel your energy expand.
"Acknowledging the good that is already in your life is the foundation for all abundance." ~ Eckhart Tolle
Appreciate: Buy a nice journal that is dedicated simply to expressing appreciation, and grab a pen that is comfortable to write with. Fill out at least one page a day of things you appreciate. It could be as small as a glass to as large as your life partner. Include on your list at least five things you appreciate about yourself. The appreciation mindset is powerful. You will soon find yourself increasingly seeing the good in life and appreciating what you once took for granted. Have you ever wondered what we’d do if we didn’t have glasses to drink out of? And what life could be like if we spent more time appreciating our Self?
Intend: Once you have cleared your mind and spent time appreciating your life, you are in a powerful space to create intentions for the day. In a different journal, write down your intentions for the day. What do you want to experience, create? You can do it for the day, and also for the week, month and year. A particular format I like to use from the work of Abraham Hicks is to write my intentions in the form of, Wouldn’t it be nice if…. What I like about this statement is there is a feeling lightness and detachment to it, which are key to manifesting your intentions. Another way is simply to write, My intention is…
"Start the day with love, fill the day with love, end the day with love." ~ Sai Baba
Creating a morning practice is part of the equation of peaceful living. Throughout your day you may be required to revisit one of the steps above. During a difficult meeting you may need to take some deep breaths. Or you may notice that you are dwelling on the negative in what someone is saying instead of finding value. Therefore, continuously monitor what you are putting into your inner space. The peace of our planet is determined by what each person’s internal state of consciousness is, for our external world is simply a manifestation of it.
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4 Ways to Start
Your Day
