Living the Alphabet

Awareness greets me each morning. She asks, “what will you do with today?”

Almost always, I answer boldly, listing what I’d like to accomplish; knowing how I desire to make a difference in the next 24 hours.
But, every once in a while, I whisper, “I have no idea”. My tank is already close to empty and the day has just begun.

How do you start most of your days? Is it with joy and fascination for what lies ahead? Is it with sadness and trepidation about the challenges it will bring? Or, is it neither—just one more block of time to be filled and left behind?

Peace Full Living doesn’t require perfection or sainthood (thank God), but I do believe that it requires awareness. So, (no matter what your answer is to “How do you start your day?”) what if, for at least the next week, you try “living the alphabet”? There’s nothing earth-shattering here, and I certainly haven’t covered everything, but small meaningful gestures matter, a lot. They can change someone’s world (including yours)!

Appreciate every gift that you have and every person who blesses your world.
Be transparent (but never invisible).
Carry something inspirational to read while you’re stuck in a grocery line (adversity into advantage).
Don’t automatically assume you know what’s going on in another person’s life.
Every night before you go to sleep think of 3 things that you’re grateful for.
Figure out what you truly treasure.
Get up 10 minutes earlier so you don’t start the day in a rush.
Have positive people as friends (yep, this may involve rethinking who you hang around with).
Invest in yourself (you are worth it).
Jot down anything nice that pops into your mind about a person you know; tell him or her.
Know the difference between real concerns and simple worries.
Learn to forgive (which is not the same as forgetting).
Memorize a sentence with 5 of your best attributes; recite it as often as possible.
Never underestimate the power of what you say (once it’s out there, you can’t take it back).
Opt for time with a friend over time with a TV or device.
Practice saying “thank you”.
Quit believing other people are “better” than you (we’re all spirit energy, stuck in human bodies, with tiny brains).
Remind yourself that you’re not in charge of the universe.
Slow down; ask, “where am I running to?”
Think for yourself; you do have opinions and they do matter.
Use your mind; you’ve heard the expression “it’s a terrible thing to waste”.
Volunteer when you have some extra time.
Write an actual note to someone to let him/her know how important he/she is to you.
Xenodochy is being kind and hospitable (especially to those who feel like outsiders); practice that.
Yearn for truth and love and joy, not for the latest material thing.
Zone in on what those you love are REALLY saying (often not the same as what you’re hearing).

Little things do make a BIG difference. You make a big difference.

My prayer for you, this week, is that you realize the beauty of you, the importance of you and the life-changing power of you. You are amazing.
Kay