Teacher Appreciation Day at Memorial.
My Seven S’s
For some reason, words with S’s resonate with me. I have 7 words that I lean on to guide me through my day, every day. I recite them when I meditate, I cycle through them when my mind is spinning in the middle of the night, and I use them to help ground me when I feel myself getting swept up in things that pull me away from the “me” that I feel best about. And, as a default, I BREATHE.
Slow down.
I’ve heard people say, “Walk slow, think slow.” As if it were a bad thing. Personally, I feel best when I physically move slow, and when I slow my mind down.
Soften.
I believe our physical body is directly in tune with our emotional body. When our physical self is tense and tight, our mind is rigid and unable to adapt comfortably. For me, it’s easier to first relax my body…and, then my mind can follow and settle.
Stay.
I am still working hard to keep my mind from wandering; the monkey mind is still very real for me. I speak to my mind like you would your dog: “STAY.”
Surrender.
I believe in a universal force, call it what you will. And, I believe that I am not just a pawn, but a participant in it’s plan. This force has a plan greater than what I might be able to understand now, but if I surrender to it…not resist it…magical things will happen.
Simple.
Live simply. Avoid over thinking, over speaking, over consuming, over training, over ANYthing. Search for the middle, a balance.
Seek understanding.
Unity and harmony will come with seeking others’ perspectives. We are all conditioned to understand “the way”, but if we don’t seek to understand others’ “ways”, we will never live in peace.
Sit in silence.
Speaking of living in peace; I believe we find our own peace when we sit with ourselves, in silence, as often as possible. At least once a day. As hard as it is, it is where we learn about ourselves and how to cultivate growth.