The love of living the day

The love of living the day as fully as possible is a daily pursuit for me. Waking up in the morning to do my practice of writing, reflection, and meditation is an expression of love - for myself. It is my form of self-care. I am blessed with a profound freedom of choosing how to live today. That act is easier to realize when the stressors and anxiety are low; by pursuing the practice of the practice, I am strengthening my muscles for the inevitable future of struggle and pain. The practice is in the present but the rewards are realized now and later. I am grateful for the time and space to explore these ways of living. Gratitude is both an internal and external expression of love, too. I am grateful for the ability to start my day off with a mindful presence.

Art by Melissa Harris

An intention to inspire: Love and Kindness

A few months back, I treated myself to one of those monthly subscription services called Lunarly.  Each month, I received a package that contains a plant, a crystal or special rock, some self-care products, and an intention...all of which are based on the New Moon cycle.  I love it!

Each morning, I write a reflection on the month's intention.  It provides an opportunity to really go deep on a specific topic or issue.  I do this on top of my morning journal writing and evening gratitude reflection.  I am learning a lot about how I can best navigate life's challenges and celebrate the joys.

Moving forward, I hope to share some of those writings here on my Direct Living blog because it is very much in line with the intention of living a life as directly as you can by understanding your deepest essence. Perhaps you may recognize a similar journey or be prompted to pursue the same practice.  Enjoy and I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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Love is...a friend (or two!) who give you a call when you least expect it.  Love is...thoughtfully assembling a few birthday surprises to ship to a friend across the country.  Love is...convening a social outing group for your new friends so other women can also pursue fun activities that they might not know about and make a few new pals. Love is...recognizing my own needs for self-care and joyful living.  It is reminding myself that the day will be filled with challenges and joy - no doubt about that!  Love is...taking note that I get to choose how to see and feel each of my experiences and determine how I will move forward - and through - those experiences. Love is...believing and knowing that all is well.  Love is...welcoming the lessons and learning from them.

 

“Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.” – Vivian Komori