One way you can to begin to live the core value of peace and kindness to all is to begin with yourself, specifically, by noticing your internal dialogue. How do you speak to yourself? Do you berate, judge or ridicule yourself? In truth, how you speak to yourself is either an act of self-care or an act of hostility. 
 
Speaking unkindly in this way sets us up to carry it forward by speaking carelessly to others. We perpetuate our inner hurt out into the world and others then suffer. 
 
Today, begin to speak to yourself as kindly as you would your own precious child. 

​©2024, Janice L. Lundy

​The divine is found in every form, in every person with whom you cross paths, even those individuals who appear to be the most difficult. Every human being is fashioned with an all-knowing hand. Each is struggling to live with as little discomfort and the highest degree of happiness that’s possible. We are more alike than we are different. 
 
Knowing this, how shall we choose to treat one another? If I am you and you are me, how shall we live?

​Learning to live through your spiritual identity takes time. As children, we first had to learn to crawl, then to walk. When we took those first faltering steps we were down on the floor more than we were up walking. We'd fall, get up, try again, and, inevitably fall some more until our body/mind system came together to perform the astounding task of balancing perfectly while standing, then moving about with ease on two legs.
 
The same is true for learning to walk in the world as a loving, compassionate presence. It takes practice, and a divine readiness of body, mind and spirit coming together in exactly the right way. Let us be patient and kind with ourselves as we learn to let go and live into Love.

​©2024 Janice L. Lundy

​How can you be with yourself in a more kindly way?
 
Would it be to quiet yourself and rest? To let go of a pressing deadline? To re-engage a spiritual practice you've been too busy to enjoy? Choose one. Do one.
 
Do a good deed today by being good to you.

Let us be kind when it comes to how we speak. We can learn to speak directly, to make our thoughts and needs known, yet do so with grace and dignity.
 
Gentle speech is sourced in confidence and self-knowledge. We can express ourselves clearly, aware that each word we speak has the power to help or heal the situation. We choose wisely for we wish to be known—but to cause no harm.

​©2023, Janice L. Lundy

Many years ago I did a kind thing for myself. I stopped trying to create balance in my life. Instead I made a kinder choice: create inner harmony.

Balance, by its very nature, is impossible to achieve. Nothing is ever balanced (I'm thinking of the see-saw [teeter-totter) of my childhood here ...). It's either up or down. Too much or too little. Trying to achieve balance for me was a self-defeating choice because no one can ever get anything "just right." I experienced trying to get my life in balance as pressure, resulting in failure (of course!)—a misguided attempt at perfection. 

But harmony, oh, that had a lovely, gentle ring to it. It reminded me of musical notes coming together in a pleasing way. More like rhythm. A delightful blending of elements that just flowed.  Now this I could get behind. I decided to pitch balance and opt for harmony instead. 

Instead of striving for and struggling with balance, how can we shift our efforts to focus instead on creating inner harmony? Here's  an idea, a simple starting point. 

You can begin to create greater harmony in your life by paying close attention to what your body is trying to tell you in any given situation, honoring that revelation, then making choices that foster your well-being. 
 
You can do this by literally listening to your body through the vehicle of your senses. Pay mindful attention to what you are seeing and hearing. Note your body's response. Ask yourself, 'Is this experience creating feelings of peace and well-being in me, or is it causing me stress, worry, pressure or fear?'
 
When we listen mindfully, we can make healthy, new choices for ourselves—choices rooted in loving-kindness. 

And new choices are easy to make and implement when they are sourced in self-kindness. 

​©2024, Janice L. Lundy

Are you kind to your mind? We often think about being kind to our body. We give it rest, nurturing, and what it needs to be well. What would it mean if you were kind to your mind in the same way? Consider developing an attitude of loving-kindness toward it, just as you would toward a little child, thinking of your mind as tender and dear. ​

It's a fair guess to say that very few of us have done this. If anything, we may be self-critical of what goes on in our mind— judgmental, harsh, or impatient—because we are frustrated by its many thoughts. We may feel inadequate because we not proficient at keeping a calm mind or meditating. Our thoughts being of a certain nature, may feel that we are not “spiritual enough.”

Instead of fault-finding, take a gentler approach toward your mind. Offer blessings of loving-kindness to your mind, such as these:

May I relax and rest in pure awareness today.
May I be at peace with everything that arises.
May my mind be at ease, my heart at rest.
May all be well.
​

©2023, Janice L. Lundy
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