 Metta - Lovingkindness Practice, a form of mindfulness practice, involves sending blessings of goodwill to a series of individuals—beginning with our self first—then benefactors, loved ones, strangers, difficult people, and, ultimately to all beings everywhere. Metta opens our heart ever so gently. Done in stages, the practice softens us and warms our feelings toward others. In time, our heart can be as wide as the world, embracing all beings with thoughts of kindness.
To whom could you send blessings of loving-kindness today? ©2026, Janice L. Lundy  Today, focus on love.
At any given moment of the day, know that you can stop, take a breath and make a quick self-assessment by asking yourself, "How much love am I feeling right now?" If the answer isn’t satisfactory, you can make a conscious choice to amplify it. Turn up your volume of love! You can do the same with any virtue you wish to experience more of—peace, generosity, kindness, and so on. Ask yourself, “How much gratitude am I feeling right now?” Or, “How generous am I feeling?” Self-assess, make a different choice, and turn up the volume! ©2026, Janice L. Lundy  How is your inner life these days? What kind of progress are you making each day to experience more peace of mind and well-being?
One way we can make steady progress is by doing a little less of one thing and a little more of something else. This way the change we wish to make is done with self-compassion, not with the energy of “I should.” For example, saying no to busyness and yes to an afternoon of “Sabbath time.” Sitting less and moving more. Complaining less and appreciating more. ‘Progress, not perfection,’ is a good mantra to keep. ©2026, Janice L. Lundy  How can we find inner peace amidst the chaos of everyday life? In order to relieve our personal stress and make the changes necessary to live a life characterized by serenity, we must have a passion for creating it. We must want it, desire it so intensely, that we are unwilling to settle for anything less.
For many of us this comes only after we have hit rock bottom—an unwanted health diagnosis or an unexpected loss—and we have nowhere to go but up. We have no other choice but to make peace with our situation or we simply cannot function. The choice to have more peace in our lives, no matter what is happening in it is just that, a personal choice. How can you choose peace for yourself today? ©2026, Janice L. Lundy  Do you have a grateful heart? Are you someone who sees life as full and blessed, rather than lacking or unfortunate? Are you the purveyor of a positive attitude? The wearer of a smile? Do you say ‘Thank You’?
Offering sentiments or tokens of appreciation can help both the giver and receiver feel better in a world that is often challenging to face. Everyone wants to be appreciated. Our everyday lives are ripe with situations that are difficult to bear. We can all use a boost of kindness now and then. One thought, offered by the Buddha, can remind us to offer words of thanks and appreciation to those around us. "Life is so very difficult. How can we be anything but kind?" Heaven knows, we can all use more kindness. ©2026, Janice L. Lundy  Courage. It is a potent word and one that we often associate with other people rather than ourselves. The word "courage," comes from the Latin cor, meaning heart. It denotes acts of bravery sourced in the heart.
Even if we do not feel particularly courageous, each of us can act with conviction of the heart. We can speak up, lend a hand, invite someone who may be troubled, lost, or alone into our heart. Even simple acts like these can be seen as courageous ones. Why? Because in that moment of reaching out, we forget our "small self.” We become a vital member of a global community of hearts who deeply care for one another, and who are willing to act bravely on the behalf of all beings everywhere. Today, be courageous. Open your heart. ©2026, Janice L. Lundy  Mindfulness is a desirable state to which we can aspire. 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 |
Gentle and timely reminders for the spiritual journey, because sometimes we forget or need a kind nudge back to Center.
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