Day 4: Oprah Winfrey – Change your attitude & change your future
Music Credit: From the album Journey Through the Matrix by David Gibson and Harry Massey
Begin to see life as ‘on your side’
Sometimes we feel that life has something against us. After repeated failure, heartbreak or setback it would be easy to give up. But experts who study learned helplessness tell us that a shift in our mindset is all we need to start seeing brighter days.
By embracing a mental attitude oriented towards growth we can shift our perception of our troubles into surmountable challenges rather than obstinate obstacles. This allows us to mobilize renewed energy and vitality to overcome, bounce back and rise again.
By practicing the compassion meditation we open our hearts to a kinder energy that allows us to recognize that we are not alone in stumbling along the road of life. And seeing ourselves compassionately can allow us to see other elements of our personality, our winning side can shine and we can pick ourselves up again to make a difference in our lives and in the world.
You deserve compassion just as much as anyone else. If you find it hard to comfort yourself, give yourself a break, or offer the same compassionate understanding you would give to a friend, then you may find this practice useful. Slowly you will find that embracing a self-forgiving, self-compassionate attitude empowers you to begin again and forge ahead with confidence. Self-compassion allows you to create a future worth looking forward to!
“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future just by changing his attitude.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
THE COMPASSION MEDITATION PRACTICE
Begin today’s meditation by taking five deep, slow breaths. Breathe in through your nose slowly to the count of 6, hold your breath for 2 counts, and exhale slowly to the count of 6. Do this for a total of 5 breaths.
With your hands resting on your lap, or on your heart if you wish, recite the loving kindness phrases and really try to generate the feelings of kindness, friendliness and compassion. Starting with yourself, say:
May I be free from suffering. May I be peaceful and truly happy. May I be well in body, mind and heart. May I live with ease.
As you feel the warmth coming from your heart, a sincere desire that you not suffer, see if you can extend that feeling to someone you care about. Imagine a dear friend or loved one and repeat the phrases:
May you be free from suffering. May you be peaceful and truly happy. May you be well in body, mind and heart. May you live with ease.
Finally, as you bask in these wonderful feelings of kindness and compassion, extend the wish to all beings on the planet.
Spend a few minutes allowing this wave of loving kindness to swirl around you and radiate out from you. I will sound a bell when the meditation period is over.
Take this feeling of connectedness with you throughout your day. Always remembering that you, too, are worthy of a life free from suffering, full of peace and true happiness.
Please share this 21-day challenge with your friends and loved ones using the hashtags #Compassion #Meditation
May you be free from suffering. May you be peaceful and truly happy. May you be well in body, mind and heart. May you live with ease.
With love,
