Tag: meditation

Mantras and Quotes for a Happier Life
inspiration · personal development · relatable · self help · wisdom

Mantras and Quotes for a Happier Life

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If you want to manifest a happier life, become a lifelong collector of positive quotes. Some positive quotes resonate on such a deep level that they become mantras. By definition, mantra is a word, phrase or sound that is repeated, often in prayer or meditation. Mantras help to focus the mind and to promote mental and spiritual well-being. Over time, positive quotes and mantras can weave themselves into your heart and soul. It can happen in such an integrated way that they change your life. You can access this valuable coping skill daily, even hourly.

Read on to learn some of the most life changing and impactful mantras and quotes for daily life. Anyone can learn these quotes and mantras, which starts by just reading them each day. Over time, they become a habit and a practice. The human mind tends to lean toward the negative. So you want to avoid living on autopilot, just thinking whatever thoughts fall into your head. You get to choose your thoughts, so you might as well choose good ones!

I’ve got this. This is such a common affirmation, that chances are you probably already say it multiple times a day. Even for seemingly menial tasks like carrying laundry downstairs and not wanting to drop anything. It is just a simple reminder in the moment that YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS.

“I get to instead” of “I have to.” How often do we say to ourselves that we HAVE TO do something? “I have to go to work/school.” “I have to take the kids to their appointment.” “I have to go to the store.” What’s interesting about the three examples, is that they’re privileges. If you’re honest with yourself, you may actually like doing those things. Saying “have to” to “get to” moves us from a place of dread to a place of gratitude.

I want to make myself proud. When you make the statement “I want to make myself proud,” it’s guiding you to alignment. It’s a reminder to be true to yourself and the type of person you want to be. At first, you might lean toward thoughts of guilt and areas where you have not felt proud of yourself. That’s normal! On a sheet of paper, make a two-column chart. On the left side jot down any of these areas. On the right, you list action steps of what you can do to make yourself proud in this area. Let’s say cleaning your house is an area you don’t always feel proud of. But you can break it down into small chores over time so that you will feel proud. You deserve a clean home. Your family deserves a clean space to live. And when you do things that move you in that direction, you feel proud.

What can I do today to make tomorrow even better? This one is a “magical sentence.” What would your life be like a year from now? Five, ten years from now – if you asked yourself this question every day? It’s one to cling to all day everyday, so much so that it can become your overall VIBE. Start thinking of things you can put into place now, so that tomorrow will run more smoothly. Engage in this practice throughout your day. We all probably do some version of planning ahead to put things in place for our future. Making this a daily mantra can change your life, adding so much peace and a sense of calm.

Assume positive intentions. If you’re someone who tends to be skeptical and cynical, this one is a game-changer. It reminds you to give others the benefit of the doubt. It will help you to become more trusting of others. It allows you to make the shift from assuming the worst in others to looking for the good. Which leads to the next mantra.

Look for the good. Look for the good in others, in yourself, in circumstances, and in difficulties. It will shift your negative thinking to a more positive way of looking at everything. You can place post-its with this quote in areas where you spend a lot of time. Each day, and even in the present moment, ask yourself what good can be found. The impact of this simple daily process will train your brain to look for (and find) a better life.

Things are getting better all the time. Say this to yourself daily. It will help you make this mindshift change: The things that lie ahead are going to be much greater than anything that you’ve left behind. Of course, no one is so naive as to think you won’t have adversity. But you should recognize and believe that the mind is powerful. Our thoughts are powerful. You want to manifest a great life for yourself and your family. Believing that the things your heart wants are coming is an important part of the process of becoming.

Who I am in Christ. This is a series of mantras that come from Joyce Meyer, author and speaker. How often do we get in our own heads? We say negative things about ourselves, focusing on all the things that we think are wrong with us. What if you spent that same mental energy focusing on what is right about you? What if you focused on who God says you are? You can find a sermon where Joyce Meyer shares these. Just do a simple Google or YouTube search for “Who I am in Christ Joyce Meyer.” Be prepared for an emotional reaction when you hear them aloud. You may tear up, the truth resonating with every fiber of your being. Again, you can find a similar and equally powerful list of mantras in this post. Consider printing them out and posting them somewhere you will see them everyday. Better yet, write them out. That way you can commit them to memory and hold them in your heart and mind.

My sincere hope is that you can find and apply any one or more of these mantras to your life. The consistent daily practice of repeating them will elevate your thinking. Your improved thinking will change your life. Namaste.

health · inspiration · personal development · self help · Uncategorized · wisdom

Starting a Metta Practice

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This is a new concept to me, and I discovered it listening to this episode of the Ten Percent Happier podcast. What made it compelling to me, was when the guest Devin Berry shared that he felt difficult to be around, angry, and easily offended. He also describes himself as sarcastic and skeptical, and that fact that all of those descriptors sadly resonated with me and how badly I didn’t want them to.

As I listened to him talk through a Metta Practice, I tried it for myself. I did not expect the tears to flow! I released so much emotion as I wished love and kindness to others, but especially as I wished it for myself and also forgave myself. I didn’t know that I needed this. Thank you Devin so much for being vulnerable and sharing your experience with Metta.

It has been a long time since I have felt this big of a shift in energy in such a positive way, and I wanted to share it here for a couple of reasons: 1) to selfishly help me process it, and 2) in case others want to find all of the high points shared in the podcast and this short and condensed form.

Initially I thought I would just listen to the podcast once a week, but I don’t trust myself to dedicate an hour to listen through all that is presented there.

Metta is a Buddhist practice that essentially is a practice of wishing others good will, including yourself. It’s the practice of becoming kind and benevolent. There are many mantras involved which I already believe in and practice. I have been a long time believer in the concept of repeating a positive saying or intention throughout my day. I have a yoga practice, and deep breathing and quieting the mind is a part of that.

I also want to go on the record as saying that you do not have to be Buddhist to practice Metta and wish goodwill toward others. I identify as a Christian, believe and God and Jesus, 100 percent. I strongly believe that you can adopt pieces of other religious practices as your own and that all religions have practices we can use to better ourselves.

This practice of Metta takes meditation a step further with a very specific series of mantras, to open your mind and heart.

Choose some meaningful phrases of what you want to bring into your life. These were suggested:

May I be happy and peaceful (may I have joy and contentment).

May I be safe.

May I be protected.

May I have well-being.

This can be hard to wish for yourself. Dan Harris, the host of the podcast, suggests that you begin with “easy people” – someone you love, and if people are hard choose a pet. This made me laugh, but I also found it relatable. Dan suggests also starting your children or spouse. He really likes to front load with two easy people. “May they be happy and peaceful, may they be safe, may they be protected, may they have well-being.”

Eastern practice starts with yourself, but that is hard for most of us so they are inverting this. Once you’ve done your two easy people, you can move to a mentor. “May they be happy and peaceful, may they be safe, may they be protected, may they have well-being.”

Then someone you see on a regular basis, and neutral person. I am sitting at a coffee shop right now, and I chose the barista that I literally have seen every day this summer. I’m not even sure of her name, but “May they be happy and peaceful, may they be safe, may they be protected, may they have well-being.” This one got to me today, because it opened my eyes to how I neglect to think of people in service as being just like me, having real feelings and hopes and dreams. Teary-eyed as a type this.

From the neutral person you shift to a difficult person. “May they be happy and peaceful, may they be safe, may they be protected, may they have well-being.” Each time a think of a “difficult” person, what I find is that I really care for them and have no issue really wanting these things for them, but what makes it hard is that I don’t feel like they want it in return for me. I feel that they either don’t like me or that I annoy them. It points me back to my own lack of self-worth.

From the difficult person you shift to yourself. The idea being that you are better able to want these things for yourself if you are able to wish them for others, even those who are difficult. “May I be happy and peaceful, may I be safe, may I be protected, may I have well-being.”

I will add that as Dan talks through this part of the podcast which I found so very valuable, but he talked through it so fast that I had to re-listen to this part over and over to get it all in my mind. Roughly around 17 minutes into the podcast.

The sense of seeing yourself as a part of an interconnected web, helps you to be kind and step outside yourself. It helps you stop feeling you need more and more, that you need to collect things.

Think of people in your life who have been generous to you. How can you replicate that? How can you serve and volunteer and contribute to the greater good? Each time you practice this, it will help you let go of your since of self and selfishness.

Again, here is the link to the episode of Ten Percent Happier that I refer to in the blog post, but I also recommend that you subscribe to Dan Harris’s Podcast. They are all so good.