Words To Live By

Anyone who knows me also knows that I am a huge believer in the power of using affirmations. I know there are some people who think that just chanting affirmations every day isn’t really doing any good. I respectfully have to disagree with them. As we have learned here from our time together, words have power. Spoken words have even more power, and if we put our intentions and energy behind those words, we can change our lives.

For a while I took my affirmations one step further and began taking a page in my journal every day to write out my favorites by hand, especially those that were focused on a particular situation I was working with. Then it occurred to me that there were common threads to all the affirmations that I chose every day. As I continued to work on creating my authentic life, I decided that over and above my daily affirmations, what I really needed was a motto to live by, something that would serve me in all areas of my life day in and day out. This is what I came up with:

“Do what you love, and love what you do.”

The moment I wrote it out on paper and looked at the words staring back at me, I knew I had hit on the right motto for me. If my life was going to be about being authentic, then it should be a life that I loved regardless of what I was doing. Sure, there will be moments throughout my day and throughout my life that aren’t necessarily things I would choose to do for fun, like going to the dentist and washing windows, but how I show up for those moments will define how I experience them. So I can either dread and fret about going to the dentist, or I can send love ahead to the dentist, his assistant, and, yes, even to my teeth, and do the very best I can to get through it. When I’m washing windows, I can put on some upbeat music (I like to clean to the complete collection of Fleetwood Mac’s greatest hits), and sing my way through the suds! I may not be doing what I love in those moments, but I can send love to what I’m doing and love myself through it.

I’ve had some other favorite sayings that I’ve used in the past, such as:

“Bloom where you’re planted.”

“Do what you can, with what you have, from where you are.”

“Plant a garden, grow a life.”

(Did you notice the gardening theme I’ve got going here?)

This time, however, I think I’ve hit on the gold medal of mottos, at least for my own life.

You don’t need to be a gold medal mind reader to know that this week’s writing assignment is going to ask you to come up with a motto for the authentic life that you are creating. Whatever you decide on, let it speak to the life you want to live now!

Peace and blessings.