but a mind full of what? A mind full of awareness. A mind full of attention and the open space to receive it. A mind full of intention, the wish to be present to yourself, to life as it is in this very moment.
 
And what about its opposite, "mindlessness"? Mind-less? Perhaps this could be perceived as a mind that is not fully functioning at its best; a mind that is off somewhere, caught up in distraction, or void of awareness altogether. Present-moment attention lost in a blur of confusion, your good intentions for clarity having disappeared.
 
You can always reclaim yourself from this state of mind. Refocus your attention and energize your intention. With awareness and choice, you can back to a full experience of being here ... right now. And, when you do, you’ll discover that ease is yours once again.


​©2026, Janice L. Lundy

If you have ever suffered a dramatic loss or death, or dealt with a life-threatening illness, the importance of living in the present makes itself known. You learn very quickly that the past is over and done with; that there is no reason to dwell on the past except to learn and go on. You understand more fully that there are no guarantees of tomorrow; that you, or the people you love, may not even be here one hour from now. So you learn to stay present, to savor and appreciate the moment at hand.
 
Barbara DeAngelis, Ph.D. says in her book, Real Moments: “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why we call it the "present."
 
The present moment is truly a gift, one we can leave unopened or one that we can joyously unwrap to savor its beauty and meaning. The choice is ours.

​©2026, Janice L. Lundy

We do this journey with a warm and loving heart. We are gentle with ourselves. We go slowly and treat ourselves kindly. We let go of notions of perfection, of getting it right, or being the most spiritual person on the block. We do what we can when we can and pat ourselves on the back all along the way. 

Excerpted from:
My Deepest Me: A 30-Day Retreat to Nourish Your Inner Life
https://www.janlundy.com/writings.html

©2026, Janice L. Lundy

It is healthy to slow down, to give yourself well-deserved R & R—rest and relaxation. Author Robert Gerzon explains in his book, Finding Serenity in the Age of Anxiety, that our bodies are not intended, nor constructed, for such fast-paced living. 
 
As a passenger on the train of life, you may often move through your days at breakneck speeds. And when you do, this speediness is felt in your mind as racing thoughts, stress and anxiety. It manifests in your body as health disorders —heart arrhythmia, headache, neck and shoulder pain, digestion woes, and more. When you slow down, you immediately feel better; your body and mind tell you so. 
 
The only thing we really need do is slow down and listen—intently, deeply—and trust our body's wisdom. We'll instinctively know what to do or not do to be well. But first we must slow down enough to listen. Are you listening today?

©2026, Janice L. Lundy

It takes practice to notice the nature of our thoughts; to gently guide them in a more skillful direction. One technique that can help is to connect with a phrase that calms you. 
​
This phrase can be an affirmation, a song lyric, a scripture, a mantra, a positive "something" that holds your attention, something that has meaning for you.
 
Engage this process not from your head, but from your heart. Drop your awareness down into that deeper place; allow the phrase itself to "breathe" through your heart. Say it silently, repeat it again and again for as long as it takes for you to settle down.
 
Today what would be your mind stabilizing, heart-opening phrase?

©2026, Janice L. Lundy

​Every day offers a new beginning. Conflicts resolved. Resentments put aside. Fears surrendered. With the dawn, comes the opportunity to begin again. Just as the sun rises each day, creating a unique and breathtaking panorama, so can you paint a fresh and brilliant day for yourself.

©2025, Janice L. Lundy

​Unconditional love—the glorious, "forever after" kind of love of dreams and fairy tales— can only become real when we set it free from expectations, from all those limiting "shoulds." Unconditional love is love without conditions--without rules, lists, even thinly disguised hopes. Simply put, if love is tied to any of these, it will surely disappoint. Our expectations of love limit it. The conditions we place upon it stop its flow.
 
A very wise teacher of love, Daphne Rose Kingma, may have said it best: "Let go of love as you want it so that, finally, you can take hold of love as it is." This, in my view, is what unconditional love really means: to release it from expectations so it can surprise and delight us again and again. Love blooms in an atmosphere of liberty not “shoulds,” and when we allow our love to be free, so are we. Then, and only then, will we experience the love we have been longing for.
 
Today, how can you set love free in your own life?

​©2025, Janice L. Lundy

At any time during your busy day, stop what you're doing and take a break to center yourself, to remember who you are, a "human being," not a "human doing."  
 
Without going anywhere, you can restore and rejuvenate yourself with a relaxing "Soul Infusion": a brief period of “dropping in,” a short respite from the pace of life, and a coming home to your sacred self. Stop, listen, re-connect. Say to yourself, ‘Breathe, I am a human BE-ing.’

​©2025, Janice L. Lundy

If you desire to live in a more, peaceful and harmonious way with yourself, your neighbors and with Mother Earth, where do you begin? You begin where you are, within yourself, and cultivate the qualities you wish to see in the world today. Your inner work will change how you view others and the planet at large. The "work of self" is the work of the world. 
 
Let us remember that as a collective of intentional beings, we are dedicating ourselves to a most noble cause—living our core values. And as we do, the world will begin to reflect the changes that are happening within each of us.

​©2025, Janice L. Lundy

What gift can you give yourself today? Among the best gifts you can give is to be fully aware of your thoughts and feelings. When you are awake and aware, you can choose how to respond to what is happening around you with grace, instead of reacting to others with sloppy words, impatience or temper. To react or respond: this is the key to inner freedom. 
 
We all have the power to choose our words and actions. What an intoxicating gift! Let us stop, look, and listen before we do anything, ensuring peace of mind and harmonious relations with others.

​©2025, Janice L. Lundy