
It is the end of the month, and what a month it has been right? Don’t let the daily assault on common sense and good distract you from your primary purpose. Yes, stay aware. Yes, fight back as you can. Yes, do all that.
But first do you. More than ever right now, it’s about self care. It’s about taking care of ourselves so that we can go out into the world and successfully meet the challenges that are being presented.
How on earth do we do that? I will share with you what has been working for me. I’ve changed my routine. I no longer begin my day with news and social media, and I no longer end my day with those either. Instead, I begin my day with reading my daily meditation books, with introspection, and journaling if needed. My meditation time is midday, by the way. And I end the evening with more reading of positive stuff.
Those readings help, a lot. For example, today’s reading by Mark Nepo, in his “Book of Awakening,” gave me the inspiration for this writing. It reminded me to not allow the distraction of the mess out there to make things messy inside of me. It reminded me that I have a responsibility to myself to take care of myself first. And most importantly, it reminded me that everything begins within. My beliefs lead to my thoughts which lead to my emotions which lead to my actions. So I must be aware of, and change if necessary, any beliefs and thoughts that are creating havoc in my life.
And I must remind myself of who I am and how I have promised myself I would show up in the world. With any commitment to change, there will be times when the news of the day will throw us off track and send us running back to old default settings: basically fight, flight or hide. When that happens, it is important to acknowledge that has happened and move back to equanimity. Move back to what we have promised ourselves. And we do so with compassion, forgiveness and grace.
Today, I stay in equanimity: calm and peaceful.