The English language seems to give us some insight into the powers that we truly have with regard to the way we live our lives.
The phrases “waking up on the wrong/right side of the bed” and “starting off on the right foot” seem to be having a deeper meaning. Even “wake up” and “wake up call” have significance in our daily life.
The way we begin our day has a lot to do with the way the day turns out. The way we live today determines how the rest of our life is going to be. Every new day is a fresh opportunity to take our lives to newer and greater joys.
This article looks at the following:
Do we have control over our daily lives?
We do not realize that we have control of our lives, because a lot is happening to us, and to others around us.
As long as we do not know why they are happening, we think that life is happening to us. When it comes to being in control of our lives, most of us take control by way of action. As soon as an idea comes to our mind we tend to step into action.
Although we clearly live in an action-oriented world and actions bring results, it always starts with our thoughts. It is our thoughts that help us to take charge of our lives. By thoughts I mean the ideas, inspirations, memories, beliefs, desires, intentions, aspirations and so on and so forth. Life responds to our thoughts, good or bad, intended or unintended, right or wrong.
It is the content of our mind that eventually leads to things happening. The more optimism gathered around a thought or idea, the greater the chances of the idea materializing and lesser the actions to be taken.
Here are some interesting thoughts about thoughts!
Every thought that we ever thought and are thinking are materializing.
We may be aware of them, or we may not be aware of them.
Good and bad thoughts, expansive and limiting, progressive and sabotaging, loving and hateful, it doesn't matter what our thoughts are, they are materializing without fail.
When we are not aware we think that life is happening to us.
We do not take ownership of the “bad” things and blame others. Likewise, we do not take ownership of good things and give credit to others.
Life does not respond to the words, but the energy of our thoughts.
New thoughts have least energy and momentum, and repetitive thoughts have greater energy and momentum
This is how our Universe exists.
Consider a situation in your life such as choosing a career. Somewhere in your teens or early twenties you decide on your path.
From many choices and a decision is made. You gathered enough information and resources to help you with the right steps to be taken. No matter how many years it takes you focus on your plans and successfully complete the education, assignments, internship and other requirements.
A lot of thoughts went towards it consistently, rather than against it or away from it. When you needed info you checked with others and got clarity. Even if you slipped or tripped, you mostly found your way back on track.
This is really how everything in life works, both the tangible and intangible. Everything is possible if we choose to make it possible.
At every juncture we have the power to choose what we want to be, do or have. We have the power to be happy, to be rich or have the lifestyle that we want. It is all tuned to what we choose at a given point of time.
Whether we know it or not, we are creating our lives with the content and quality of our thoughts. We can take control of our lives little by little by choosing to think and feel in ways that benefit us. Now let us see why starting our day mindfully is important.
Why the Start of the Day is Important
As soon as you wake up you may notice that your mind is quiet. This quiet space in your mind is a fertile ground for you to set the tone for your day. You are closest to and have easy access to the infinite intelligence and life-force energy.
Your brain waves are gradually moving from delta to gamma and then to alpha state, which is the meditative state. Before you start any activity, it is a good idea to sit with your quiet mind for a while and begin to feed it with optimistic and positive thoughts.
Remember that your thoughts have energy and evoke an emotion. So, it will be helpful to have thoughts that will uplift you. The emotional tone and thoughts that we set for ourselves at the beginning of the day have an impact on the way the day turns out for us.
There are three usual ways in which we wake up.
If you wake up in a good mood, then you have it going for you already. You only have to see to it that you maintain your attitude. You can also uplift yourself more with self-appreciation and encouragement as you move through the day.
If your mood is neutral, then you can easily take yourself up the emotional ladder with appreciative thoughts.
Now if you wake up in a foul state of mind, you have some work to do. Let us call it soothing yourself. You can tell yourself, “It is okay, everything is going to be fine. This is not going to last long. There is always sunshine after rain. I want to feel better, happier”.
After you begin feeling better, you can get to some of the practices listed below. Spending the first hour of the day with your mind, body and soul is the greatest gift that you can give yourself.
Ways to Set the Emotional Tone for your Day
Whatever your emotional place, you could start your day by doing at least one or all of the following.
1. Deep Breaths
Taking deep breaths as soon as you wake up helps you to stay in touch with your body, mind and soul. Practice taking a few deep gentle breaths into your body and relax as you exhale. You will notice that there are muscles and tissues that will relax, and you will remain open to a greater mind space.
2. Meditation
Sitting quietly in an undisturbed place for 15-20 minutes is a great way to empty out the mind and allow a fertile space for receiving better and meaningful ideas. There is a peacefulness that surpasses all chaos around us as well as inner happiness that flows naturally. You can observe your own breath to quiet your mind. Alternatively can also identify a consistent vibration outside, like a fan, air-conditioner or generator that is not loud yet steady. As you keep your mind focused on it, you will find your thoughts slowing down and your awareness settling into a calm space within you.
3. Appreciation
Acknowledge how good your sleep was, your comfortable bed and the covers, fan, air-conditioner and your room. Find reasons to thank all the blessings that you have, perhaps the roof above your head and family members who are so loving and supportive. Do not make an effort, but let it come naturally. As you move on to your ablutions and activities, deliberately look for things that you like in your surroundings. Step out into nature for a few minutes and let your senses soak in the wonders that we tend to overlook.
4. Mirror Dialogues
Then stand for some time in front of the mirror and say “Hi, ……. (Your name), how are you today? No matter what, I love you. Today is the first day of the rest of my life and I am going to make it my best”. You can add anything you want to hear first thing in the morning.
5. Positive Thoughts on Important Aspects
Keep a book of positive thoughts and write optimistic sentences on subjects that are important to you, like today’s meetings, house, travel, work etc.
For example:
i. Self
I love and accept myself. Everything I do, I do it for my highest good. I approve of myself. I like having my space and I enjoy it. I care for the way I feel. It is easy for me to feel good. I am gentle, kind and nicer to myself.
ii. Relationships
I like harmonious and mutually respecting relationships with everyone around me. I have wonderful interactions with people. It's easy for me to see the best in myself and others. I like being peaceful and having enjoyable conversations with others.
My intimate relationship is cozy and comfortable. We understand each other well. We appreciate and encourage each other gracefully. We love being each other's cheerleaders.
iii. Health
I listen to my body and understand my body's needs. I like caring for my body. I nurture my body with delicious food, enjoyable exercises, enough rest and deep relaxation. I like it when my body feels light, energetic, frisky and vibrant.
iv. Money
There is an abundance of money all around and I allow a steady and generous income. I have fun spending money on the things that I like. I like that the energy of money represents life experiences, stability, balance, satisfaction and more. I am seeing the spirit of life in money, and I am open to receiving more.
v. Life
Life is good and beautiful. Life easily propels me forward. I trust the process of life as it balances all aspects naturally. Everything is unfolding perfectly. I flow through life with ease and grace.
6. Body Movements
Stretching, yoga, and brisk walking are amazing and safe ways to let more energy flow into the body. Jogging, skipping and other high impact workouts also help with drawing in more life-force energy, provided you are accustomed to it. Being aware of your breath is the key element here.
Wrapping Up
You may want to set the emotional tone of your day with something that looks like this:
I happily woke up enjoying the pleasant weather. It is picture perfect outside with warm golden sun rays peeking through rain drenched trees, perky birds chirping and pesky squirrels. Looked at the mirror and appreciated the pure presence within me. With a peaceful outlook towards my precious life, I am passionately looking forward to a pizzazz day. I love how I playfully plan my emotional tone to have praiseworthy moments with priceless people! Life is plain simple, pleasing and worth pursuing!
Or like this:
I salute the beauty of earth around me as I open the windows and doors every morning. I look out and tell the plants and trees, the stones and the dirt, the walls and the roads, 'you are beautiful'. I look at the trash and the scraps and say, 'thank you, you served me or somebody well'. I say hello to birds and the squirrels, the dogs and the cats. I thank mother earth for the bounty she shows me and feel good to be born here.
About Anuja
In her coaching and mentoring sessions, Anuja applies two approaches that bring results. "We are spiritual beings on a human experience. We create our life with our thoughts. " She believes that we are guided by an unseen energy (or energies)
Her work across ethnicities, gender and age encourages people find their inner happiness, zest for life, creative thinking and tap their unlimited potential. Past Life Regression, Inner Child Work, Breathwork and Tapping are some of the techniques she practices.
She facilitates workshops on various life topics and gets invited to varied platforms. Apart from coaching, training and blogging, she is also passionate about cooking and travelling. She is currently writing her first book.
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