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

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

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

The next time you find yourself in a challenging situation with another person, ask yourself these questions: "Will what I am about to say (or do) help or hurt?" "Will my choice enhance the situation or hinder it?"  
 
Then take a breath, listen deeply, and access your wise heart. Allow it to speak and take the lead over your ego's needs or agenda. Let go into kindness and see what transpires.

​©2025, Janice L. Lundy

Are you being a “soul friend” today? Are you holding someone's hand, embracing his or her heart as a representative of divine presence in the world? 
 
In difficult times, we all need someone who can offer us unconditional kindness. Let us never forget that our extension of kindness and compassion serves as a mirror of the Ultimate. Let us offer it regularly and serve others unreservedly.

​©2024, Janice L. Lundy

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