There are 5 Sections of focus which will be distributed every 8 days
Section 1 | Preparing the Way | PDF(1)
Section 2 | Surrendering | PDF(2)
Section 3 | Staying the Course | PDF(3)
Section 4 | Living as A Prayer | PDF(4)
Section 5 | Emerging Stronger, Brighter & Wiser | PDF(5)
DOWNLOAD ALL | 40 Days of Spiritual Practices PDF
‘Emerge Stronger, Brighter and Wiser.’
40 days is often used in sacred texts as time of prayer and meditation. Moses spent 40 days on the Mountain, Jesus prayed for 40 days in the wilderness, Buddha meditated more than 40 days under the Tree of Enlightenment and in Hinduism 40 days of fasting is recommended. This 40 Days of Spiritual Practices will guide you in establishing sacred patterns of openness and serenity in your life.
These 40 days shall begin on Tuesday, February 23rd and conclude on Saturday, April 3rd, the day before Easter. Easter Service at the Napa Valley Center for Spiritual Living will be a day of celebration of our Emergence. We will celebrate with special music, inspirational readings and messages. You are prayerfully invited to join our community spiritually and collectively for these 40 Days of Spiritual Practices as well as virtually for Easter Morning Service on Sunday, April 4th.
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Day 33 Emerging
“Flutter Your Wings. You are ready.” -Butterfly Luv Hugz
In our spiritual practice we have prepared the way, surrendered, stayed the course and lived as a prayer. Now it is time to emerge Stronger, Brighter and Wiser. We do not have to second guess ourselves. We have done the work and now it is time fly.
Practice: In your morning practice, feel your inner strength that is more powerful than muscle. Notice your heart center and recognize love as the greatest force in the world. Keep feeling this connection with your inner strength and your love during your day.
Day 34 Seeking Spirit Every Day In Every Way
Why look for God? …. Look for the one looking for God … but then Why look at all? … He is not lost … He is right here … Closer than your own breath!” ~ Rumi
In the quiet we can find our true Divine self. We can realize we are one with everything that surrounds us. In these moments we can cherish the gift that is bestowed upon us by acknowledging that oneness. We can open our arms and embrace the good and the God in all life.
Practice: Emerge from your sleep in the morning and from an imaginary cocoon and invite Spirt to be with you in morning sacred time. It’s OK to grab a cup of tea or coffee and just savor these delicious moments with a sense of a greater power. Allow your true self to emerge.
Day 35 Smile
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”—Thich Nhat Hanh
The simple act of smiling can lift our spirits if we are feeling sad. Have you noticed that we smile when others are smiling?
Practice: Sit in your quiet place and relax by breathing deeply. Begin your meditation practice with a slight smile. Then smile broadly. Continue to smile throughout your morning practice. Commit to smiling all day, whether alone and around others. Notice how smiling affects how you feel. Notice if others are smiling around you also.
Day 36 Share The Joy
“Do you realize that your love, your peace, your joy, your bliss can be so powerful in you that it becomes contagious, and people just want to be around you and they don’t know even know why?” ― Lisa Nichols
Joy is the inner happiness that is not connected to an event or person. It is sourced in the Divine and can always be found if we let go of our negative and limited thinking. Our negativity is a lower energy thus does not spread. The higher vibration of joy is contagious. Others are drawn towards it.
Practice: Allow yourself to imagine and experience joy during your morning practice. Then take the joy with you wherever you go. If you lose that feeling, take a quiet moment to discover it again.
Day 37 Expect Miracles
“Loving ourselves and others works miracles in our lives.” – Louise Hay
When we are willing to follow nudges and intuition, to be mindful of truth revealed in us, and being open to synchronicities, miracles happen. We can expect them and be grateful for them at the same time.
Practice: Set an intention in the morning to be open for miracles. As you go through your day, be open to nudges, revelations, and synchronicities for they are the catalyst for miracles.
Day 38 Where Is The Love?
“Where is the love you said that you would give to me soon as you were free?” -Ralph McDonald and William Salter
We all seek connection and love. Many think romantic love is everything, when truly, love is everywhere. As we open our hearts, we will find it and it will find us. When there is seemingly a lack of love in a friendship, relationship or situation, we can ask Spirit in our mind, “Where is the love?” or “How can I experience or be the love in this situation?” Allow yourself to open to the possibility in the moment of experiencing love, not necessarily from someone, but in someone and around someone.
Practice: Today, for each person with whom you come in contact, silently bless them, recognize their divinity and silently say, “I love you.” No exceptions.
Day 39 A Vessel For God
“God needs us to shine It’s light, as me, as you. Use me, oh God I stand for you and here I’ll abide As you show me all that I must do.” -Rickie Byars
Is it hard to imagine that God needs us? We are its emissaries, its messenger and its way that love is expressed on the human level. When we are open to letting Spirit shine its light through us, we can be that clear Divine expression.
Practice: Google the song “Use Me” by Ricke Byars on any of your devices. Listen the words and sing along with them, feeling your willingness to let God use you in powerful and uplifting ways. Act from this feeling today.
Day 40 Emerge With ‘God-Findence’
“I speak with confidence because the world needs my light.” – Gabrielle Bernstein
When we emerge with a stronger and more spiritual connection, we can be confident that we are doing the work of Spirit by just being our authentic self. We let go of our doubts and know that our love, our humor, our lightness of being, our care, and our tenacity, all make a difference. We may not be able to do all that the world needs and the world needs all that we can do.
Practice: Sit in your sacred space and recognize a power greater than you in this moment. Then you can say, “I know Spirit is all there is and I am one with Spirit. I invite the awareness of Spirit to be here right now with me.” You can also invite Spirit in a question, “Spirit, will your presence be with me now?” and then be in silence and breathe quietly. Then go be Spirit’s messenger in the world.
Section 1| Preparing the Way
Day 1 | Dedicating A Space To Practice
“Each place is the right place--the place where I now am can be a sacred space.”
– Ravi Ravindra
The sacred is simply recognizing the Divine Intelligence right where we are. To develop a habit of letting go and allowing, it is recommended to establish a particular place and particular time to practice. From there, we invite Spirit to join us in this place. Spirit is everywhere and when we ask for Spirit to be with us, we are inviting it into our awareness and our heart.
Practice: Find a small table or area in your home where you can add spiritually inspired items to create an altar. Plan on spending at least 20 to 30 minutes in this space each day for the 40 Days of Spiritual Practices. For now, just sit and recognize a power greater than you in this moment. Then you can say, “I know Spirit is all there is and I am one with Spirit. I invite the awareness of Spirit to be here right now with me.” You can also invite Spirit in a question, “Spirit, will your presence be with me now?” and then be in silence and breathe quietly.
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Day 2 | Finding The Breath
“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.”
– Amit Ray
There is nothing more centering and calming than to stop and take a few deep breaths. The breath reminds us to let go and find perspective on any concerns we might have.
Practice: Take your seat in your sacred place. Set a timer for at least 10 minutes. Use the practice from Day 1 and then breathe deeply in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Focus only on the breath. Let thoughts that come, go. Don’t follow them. Just let them go and focus on the breath.
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Day 3 | Let Yourself BE
“Everything is a part everything anyway. You can have it all, if let yourself be.”
– Donovan
Is it that simple? Contentment and peace by just allowing ourselves to be? Yet, maybe we resist because it is the unknown.
Practice: Find a sacred place and quiet your thoughts with your breath for 10-15 minutes. Breathe deeply and slowly 6-8 times. With each out-breath, relax your body and let go completely. Return to a natural breath. As you have thoughts, let them go like a cloud drifting away.
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Day 4 | Take A Seat
“As we take the one seat and develop a meditative attention, the heart presents itself naturally for healing. The grief we have carried for so long, from pains and dashed expectations and hopes, arises. We grieve for our past traumas and present fears, for all of the feelings we never dared experience consciously. Whatever shame or unworthiness we have within us arises.”
– Jack Kornfield
The Buddhist teacher, Jack Kornfield, refers to a sacred spot that we choose to meditate as the ‘one seat.’ When we are willing to sit down in this seat, we may be distracted by our thoughts or feelings. To develop our practice of allowing emergence, it is essential to stay in this seat and be with our feelings, to let them arise, and be with them. As Jack Kornfield suggests, there is a natural healing happening when we are willing to take the ‘one seat.’ We do not have to ‘do’ anything.
Practice: Take a seat in your sacred place. Breathe deeply and slowly. Allow feelings and thoughts just to be.
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Day 5 | Being Centered
“Breathing in, I calm my body and mind. Breathing out, I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh
Centering ourselves whether sitting, standing, or walking is a mindful process to be present and aware of the moment. Centeredness can always be found in each moment.
Practice: Sit in a sacred place. Begin by breathing deeply and relaxing. Slowly and quietly say in your mind the quote by the Buddhist teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, with your breath: (in) Breathing in, I calm my body and mind. (out) Breathing out, I smile. (in) Dwelling in the present moment, (out) I know this is the only moment. Continue repeating with your breath 10 times and then sit in your centeredness for at least 10 more minutes. If you find yourself distracted, you can go back to mindful breathing.
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Day 6 | Grounding Your Spirituality
“It is only by grounding our awareness in the living sensation of our bodies
that the ‘I Am,’ our real presence, can awaken.”
– G.I. Gurdjieff
Grounding is the act of balancing your spiritual and physical energy by connecting yourself with the earth. Scientific studies are proving that grounding allows a positive flow of electrons from the earth, which reduces inflammation, improves sleep, reduces stress….and more.
Practice: Stand outside on the earth. Imagine your feet having roots that go into the soil. Be aware of the center of your body near your navel. While maintaining this grounded-ness, stretch, do yoga postures, breathe the fresh air, sit in the sun or maybe even hug a tree. Stay connected to Mother Earth for as long as you desire.
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Day 7 | Body Awareness
"Embrace and love your body. It's the most amazing thing you'll ever own."
– Anonymous
Take some time today to become aware of all that your body does for you. This is the vehicle through which you move and interact with the world, and it is constantly working for your highest good. Appreciate all of the systems, organs, and cells that are working in Divine Harmony for you today!
Practice: In your sitting time, breathe in, as you allow yourself to feel energy moving up through your body, up your spine and then breathe out as you imagine the energy moving out through your arms and the top of your head. Do this 5-6 times and then sit in your energetic body affirming health and vitality and being grateful for all that is does for you.
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Day 8 | Energizing The Body And Mind
"Every moment is a choice. What we think, say and do is up to us.
Our choices create our reality. Choose wisely.”
– Rev. Jane Beach
We can energize our body and mind in many ways. We can choose to feed ourselves nutritious foods. We can energize them by choosing to exercise them with physical activities and learning new things. We can also energize them by simply relaxing and just being in the moment. Let your body guide you in practices that energize it.
Practice: In your sitting time, reflect on things that deplete your energy and the things that energize you. Make a practice today of lessening one thing that depletes and expanding or lengthening one thing that energizes you.
Section 2 | Surrendering
Day 9 | Surrendering
“The awakening process all boils down to this: surrender.” – Maria Erving
Surrender is a word we question because we think we might be giving up who we are. Yet every faith tradition recommends surrendering to a higher power. We can actually discover freedom by letting go of our over-thinking and just being present.
Practice: Lay down flat on the floor, belly down for 5 or more minutes. Surrender everything to Spirit, fully and completely. Speak out loud to Spirit, “I let go of the little me and let the Divine me come through. Thy way, not mine. I am thine. I give up so that Spirit can lead me.”
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Day 10 | Letting Go Of Judgment
“It is fair to judge people and stained-glass windows only in their best light.”
-William A. Ward
What if what we judge of others is something that we subconsciously judge in ourselves? How would our day be different if we did not give power to our judgment, whether at work, in the market, or walking or listening to the news. One gym created a concept called “the judgment free zone” which was to provide a safe environment in which to work out without worrying about being judged. How about we create that zone in all of our world?
Practice: As you sit today, in your imagination think of a pet, yours or someone else’s and how they love you for you are - no matter what. Today, take this attitude of acceptance into your daily routine. Notice your thoughts about others and your judgments. Just notice them and don’t attach to them as the truth. Accept each person as a Divine expression.
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Day 11 | Forgiveness
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
— Lewis B. Smedes
One of the most challenging parts of letting go and surrendering is forgiveness. Forgiveness is best done as a daily practice by being willing to forgive others for perceived wrongs. When we are not willing to forgive, it is our own being that is stifled and limited. We forgive others so that we can be free. We are called by Spirit to forgive events and situations that may seem small or may dominate your life. Either way or in-between, forgiveness is the pathway to freedom.
Practice: Sit in a sacred spot. Come to peace with your breath. Speak directly to Spirit, “I choose freedom. I am willing to forgive. Reveal to me what I am called to forgive in order to be free.” Allow yourself to imagine people and events in your life that were uncomfortable or painful. In your mind, say to the people involved in those situations, ‘I choose freedom. I forgive you.’ It may take several practices to feel the freedom of forgiveness from some situations.
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Day 12 | Self-forgiveness
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Poems & Letters
As we do our daily forgiveness practice, let us remember to forgive ourselves for the missteps we have taken. We have made choices from what we thought was the best thing at the time. We learn what we need to learn and then we forgive ourselves. Without self-forgiveness our learning will be in vain and we are likely to repeat our misstep again.
Practice: Sit in a sacred spot. Come to a peace with your breath. Speak directly to Spirit, “I choose freedom. I am willing to forgive myself. Reveal to me what I am called to forgive in order to be free.” Say to yourself, ‘I choose freedom. I forgive myself.’ It may take several practices to feel the freedom from some situations.
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Day 13 | Surrendering Your Thoughts
"Do not allow your thought processes to run on automatic. Thoughts of peace and love are available; make a conscious effort to select them."-A Course in Miracles
At times it may seem like our thoughts are like a runaway train. Always remember we have a choice to slow down our thoughts and to be mindful.
Practice: In your sacred space, notice your thoughts. Let them go by. Throughout the day make an effort to notice your thoughts. Let go of the ones that over-focus on past or future events. (Some contemplation and planning may be important.) A persistent distraction takes away from the joy and peace of the moment.
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Day 14 | Resting Your Mind
"I will not allow anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet." -Mahatma Ghandi
We are the only one who has power over our thoughts. Don't give that power away.
Practice: Treat yourself gently today. Take time to be still and rest your mind and body. Focus on that which relaxes you and brings you peace and joy.
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Day 15 | Letting Go Of Stress
“In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers.” ― Fred Rogers
Even when we are in a tunnel or a thick forest, there is light surrounding that very place in any given moment. We are the light. No matter the stress we might feel, the light is always there. Learning to let go and trust that everything is in Divine timing and order is easier with a sense of the Divine Spirit within and the faith that this Divine Spirit is with us at all times. We can know that we’re a being full of the light that vibrates in every instant. Let go of the seriousness and treat yourself ‘lightly.’
Practice: Notice any worries and stresses. Ask yourself, “Is my worry justified or am I making it up? Is it really true? Do I really know this?” Just breathe, recognizing that everything is in its natural and Divine order. Your best outcome will manifest when you relax and allow Spirit to reveal your highest and best good. Repeat to yourself, ‘I allow the highest and best to come through me. I am strong and confident.’ Enjoy a short walk and walk with confidence and trust.
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Day 16 | Surrendering Deeper
“Enlightenment has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It’s seeing through the facade of pretense. It’s the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true.” -Adyashanti
Surrendering can be painful because we are letting go of our beliefs and our identity that we have built over many years. Jesus surrendered in the Garden of Gethsemane, Moses in front of the burning bush and Buddha under the tree of enlightenment. They each struggled with surrendering to a Spirit. When they did, they were transformed and the wisdom they found has inspired, literally, billions of people.
Practice: Either sit in a chair or kneel on the floor and lower your head below your heart. Surrender the thoughts from your head to your heart and its connection with Spirit. Continue for as long as you are comfortable.
Section 3 | Staying the Course
Day 17 Letting Go And Trusting
“The key to serenity is trusting that the universe has your back.” – Gabrielle Bernstein
Sometimes we have trouble believing that good things are happening right now and will happen in the future. This resistance can be attributed to experiences of being hurt in the past or from not wanting to get our ‘hopes up’ in case we are disappointed. If we are less than open, we have a ‘less than’ experience of the good that the universe has for us. The only way we will find and peace, joy and meaning in our life is to be open to the good in the moment.
Practice: Sit quietly in your sacred space. Think about the day before you. Notice situations in your life when you might be holding back because of the fear of being disappointed. Set that hesitation aside and be willing to be open to all of your good in this moment and for the rest of the day.
Day 18 Be Willing To Be The Light
“When day comes we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” -Amanda Gorman, U.S. Youth Poet Laureate
As we step into the world, are we willing to be Divine beings having human experiences or do we choose to play small and pretend we are human beings having human experiences? Our playing small means that we will be having limited experiences. Only an awareness of our Divinity can bring us greater experiences of peace, love, and light.
Practice: Sit in your sacred space and imagine your body as a divine being filled with and radiating light. As you go about your day, be mindful of your Divinity having human experiences.
Day 19 Boundless Life
“We are not bound by precedent but freed by Principle.” - Ernest Holmes
No matter our experiences from our past, we can choose new experiences and new ways of being in the present moment. Spiritual principles assure us that as we choose, a manifestation of our intention and attention is being created.
Practice: In your quiet time consider an experience where you would like to manifest a magnificent outcome. Contemplate what new ways of being you will choose to guide this manifestation. Carry this practice throughout your day.
Day 20 Living Fully
"Life's short. Use the fine china." - Colin Wright.
Often we think that we need to save our special things for special days. Yet every day that we are alive is a special occasion! We can treat ourselves by using the fine china, pulling out that nice lotion, or burning that beautiful candle. We can live fully every day. We're worth it!
Practice: In a sacred place, take 10-15 minutes to feel joy and gratitude of all you have and all you are. Make a list in journal or a notepad. Choose one thing in your life that you are saving for a special day and plan to use it or open it.
Day 21 Beginner’s Mind
“Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” -Meister Eckhart
The Buddhists teach a concept called ‘beginner’s mind.’ Beginner’s mind is letting go of our expectations and preconceived ideas about something, and seeing people and things with an open mind as if we have never seen that person or situation.
Practice: Pick up an object, preferably something edible like a piece of fruit. Let go of what you know about that object and look at it and touch it with a beginner mind. If it is edible, slowly peel it or open it and mindfully taste it with a beginner’s mind. Allow yourself to sit with experience for a few moments. Go through your day using a ‘beginner’s mind.’
Day 22 Let Go Of Fixing
“Every day I wake up and ask myself, how can I accept myself and others more fully?”- Alaric Hutchison
We are all created in the image and likeness of God. Yet each of us is a unique creation, different from all others and absolutely spiritually correct and perfect exactly the way we are.
Practice: Look in the mirror and say 10 times, “I love you just the way you are and I am grateful.” Then think of someone you think needs fixing and say “I love you just the way you are and I am grateful you are in my life.”
Day 23 You Are Enough
“Time is too short to be living someone else’s life.”—Kobi Yamada
Only you can be you. God makes no mistakes. We are all whole, complete and fabulous expressions of the Divine.
Practice: Sit quietly and clear your mind of thoughts. Breathe deeply. Say to yourself, "There is nothing I need to add or change to improve upon God’s creation of me. I am enough.”
Day 24 Moving to Peace and Acceptance
“For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Anger is an appropriate emotion at times. Anger can even bring us clarity and determination. It is the holding on to anger that is unhealthy. Through a willingness to accept a situation, let go, and even forgive, if necessary, we can find inner peace. Peace is a natural state of being.
Practice: In your sitting practice, think of something recent that frustrated you. Notice the feeling in your body. Does it have location in your body? Ask for Spirit to help to become aware of the importance of this anger. What was the learning in it? Once you are ready, accept the situation, let go of the anger and forgive yourself or another. Let the feelings lessen and allow a sense of release, freedom, and peace come over you.
Section 4 | Living as a Prayer
Day 25 Living As A Prayer
“The most powerful thought is a prayerful thought. When I'm praying for you, I am praying for my own peace of mind. I can only have for myself what I am willing to wish for you.” ― Marianne Williamson
Our prayers need not be reserved for a quiet moment. Life itself can be a prayer. The first 2 steps of affirmative prayer we teach at the Napa Valley Center for Spiritual Living are: 1.) Spirit is all there is, and 2.) we are one with it. We can walk and talk these steps throughout our day with the intention of healing and revealing our spiritual truth.
Practice: Start with a prayer in your sacred place in the morning. Any prayer. Set reminder alarms throughout your day to remind you to practice the presence of Spirit through prayer.
Day 26 Nurturing Yourself
"Put yourself at the top of your to-do list every single day and the rest will fall into place." – Unknown
We are often told that we cannot pour from an empty cup. When we are only focused on helping others, our cup runs dry and we no longer have the time or energy to take care of anyone, including ourself.
Practice: In your sitting time, imagine the feeling of love for someone else and then shift that same feeling to surround yourself with love for your whole being. Choose something to do for yourself or say to yourself today that is nurturing or comforting.
Day 27 Be Gentle with Yourself and Others
“Kindness is my Religion.” -Dali Lama
We are each totally unique and perfect in our Divine Expression, even when we make missteps. We must give ourself permission to love, nurture, and be kind to ourself and others just as we would with a child. We each deserve it! We all have things we would like to change about ourselves or in our lives. We can begin by accepting the perfection of where we are now. We can assume the best in others.
Practice: Watch your thoughts about yourself and others today. If you notice any that are critical of yourself or another, take the time to change them into something positive and write them down or text them to yourself. We can also practice loving kindness towards ourselves when we think we have made a mistake, or we think we have missed an opportunity.
Day 28 Cultivating An Attitude Of Gratitude
"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough." -Meister Eckhart
No matter who you are, there are always things to be grateful for in your life. As you come to appreciate even the smallest of these, you are building an attitude of gratitude and a consciousness for more good to manifest.
Practice: As you awaken in the morning, take the time to think of at least five things you are grateful for. Right before you fall asleep tonight, review your day and give thanks for at least five more things you are grateful for.
Day 29 Be In Awe
“He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.” - Albert Einstein
Awe is a feeling of reverence, amazement, or wonder brought on by something which catches our attention in a moment. It is the feeling we have when being in a forest or viewing a canyon or waterfall. It is also when we recognize the inner beauty of a person or the miracle of a moment.
Practice: Give yourself a gift of five minutes of contemplation in awe of everything you see around you. Go outside and turn your attention to the many miracles that surround you.
Day 30 Peace In, Peace Out
“Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.” —Wayne W. Dyer
When we seek peace from outside ourselves, it is subject to the whims of others. We need to first seek peace on the inside and then we can know peace around us and in the world. The first step in finding this peace is accepting life as it is. As Byron Katie suggests, every time we argue with reality, we lose. From this acceptance we can seek a new and different experience. We find the inner peace and then we find the outer peace. Peace in, Peace out.
Practice: In your sitting practice, just breathe, relax and allow yourself to feel an inner peace. As things come up that disturb or alter the peace, just notice them, accept them for what they are and come back to the peace.
Day 31 Good News
“Sometimes you have to let go of the picture of what you thought it would be like and learn to find joy in the story you are actually living.” Rachel Marie Martin
We can be caught in the web of the bad news of the day that all sources of the media feed us. We can turn around any negativity in our mind and find hope, or good in it. We can also seek and become aware of the good news. We may not be able to depend on traditional sources to provide us with it. There are online sites for good news and kinder living, like dailygood.org, karmatube.org, kindspring.org, conversations.org, and awakin.org. Let us trust in the goodness of the Universe focus on the good news.
Practice: Search online or in your daily routine for the good today. It is always there.
Day 32 Be Kind
“Kindness is a powerful quality that we each possess. When displayed, shared, and received, kindness creates peace, friendliness and community.” Talulah Finkelstein, age 9, Co-founder of ‘Be Kind,’ Napa, CA
Kindness is love in action. It is contagious. There is a TV ad that show a progression of kind actions from one person to another and it comes back around to the person who first initiated the act of kindness. Although the scenario is dramatized, the kindness we do does come back to us because as we express more love we are more open to love. Kindness makes the world go round.
Practice: In your quiet space, consider how you can practice kindness for others today. Commit to at least 5 acts of kindness today. Choose one to be random by being kind anonymously where the receiver will never know.
Section 5 | Emerging Stronger, Brighter & Wiser
Day 33 Emerging
“Flutter Your Wings. You are ready.” -Butterfly Luv Hugz
In our spiritual practice we have prepared the way, surrendered, stayed the course and lived as a prayer. Now it is time to emerge Stronger, Brighter and Wiser. We do not have to second guess ourselves. We have done the work and now it is time fly.
Practice: In your morning practice, feel your inner strength that is more powerful than muscle. Notice your heart center and recognize love as the greatest force in the world. Keep feeling this connection with your inner strength and your love during your day.
Day 34 Seeking Spirit Every Day In Every Way
Why look for God? …. Look for the one looking for God … but then Why look at all? … He is not lost … He is right here … Closer than your own breath!” ~ Rumi
In the quiet we can find our true Divine self. We can realize we are one with everything that surrounds us. In these moments we can cherish the gift that is bestowed upon us by acknowledging that oneness. We can open our arms and embrace the good and the God in all life.
Practice: Emerge from your sleep in the morning and from an imaginary cocoon and invite Spirt to be with you in morning sacred time. It’s OK to grab a cup of tea or coffee and just savor these delicious moments with a sense of a greater power. Allow your true self to emerge.
Day 35 Smile
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”—Thich Nhat Hanh
The simple act of smiling can lift our spirits if we are feeling sad. Have you noticed that we smile when others are smiling?
Practice: Sit in your quiet place and relax by breathing deeply. Begin your meditation practice with a slight smile. Then smile broadly. Continue to smile throughout your morning practice. Commit to smiling all day, whether alone and around others. Notice how smiling affects how you feel. Notice if others are smiling around you also.
Day 36 Share The Joy
“Do you realize that your love, your peace, your joy, your bliss can be so powerful in you that it becomes contagious, and people just want to be around you and they don’t know even know why?” ― Lisa Nichols
Joy is the inner happiness that is not connected to an event or person. It is sourced in the Divine and can always be found if we let go of our negative and limited thinking. Our negativity is a lower energy thus does not spread. The higher vibration of joy is contagious. Others are drawn towards it.
Practice: Allow yourself to imagine and experience joy during your morning practice. Then take the joy with you wherever you go. If you lose that feeling, take a quiet moment to discover it again.
Day 37 Expect Miracles
“Loving ourselves and others works miracles in our lives.” – Louise Hay
When we are willing to follow nudges and intuition, to be mindful of truth revealed in us, and being open to synchronicities, miracles happen. We can expect them and be grateful for them at the same time.
Practice: Set an intention in the morning to be open for miracles. As you go through your day, be open to nudges, revelations, and synchronicities for they are the catalyst for miracles.
Day 38 Where Is The Love?
“Where is the love you said that you would give to me soon as you were free?” -Ralph McDonald and William Salter
We all seek connection and love. Many think romantic love is everything, when truly, love is everywhere. As we open our hearts, we will find it and it will find us. When there is seemingly a lack of love in a friendship, relationship or situation, we can ask Spirit in our mind, “Where is the love?” or “How can I experience or be the love in this situation?” Allow yourself to open to the possibility in the moment of experiencing love, not necessarily from someone, but in someone and around someone.
Practice: Today, for each person with whom you come in contact, silently bless them, recognize their divinity and silently say, “I love you.” No exceptions.
Day 39 A Vessel For God
“God needs us to shine It’s light, as me, as you. Use me, oh God I stand for you and here I’ll abide As you show me all that I must do.” -Rickie Byars
Is it hard to imagine that God needs us? We are its emissaries, its messenger and its way that love is expressed on the human level. When we are open to letting Spirit shine its light through us, we can be that clear Divine expression.
Practice: Google the song “Use Me” by Ricke Byars on any of your devices. Listen the words and sing along with them, feeling your willingness to let God use you in powerful and uplifting ways. Act from this feeling today.
Day 40 Emerge With ‘God-Findence’
“I speak with confidence because the world needs my light.” – Gabrielle Bernstein
When we emerge with a stronger and more spiritual connection, we can be confident that we are doing the work of Spirit by just being our authentic self. We let go of our doubts and know that our love, our humor, our lightness of being, our care, and our tenacity, all make a difference. We may not be able to do all that the world needs and the world needs all that we can do.
Practice: Sit in your sacred space and recognize a power greater than you in this moment. Then you can say, “I know Spirit is all there is and I am one with Spirit. I invite the awareness of Spirit to be here right now with me.” You can also invite Spirit in a question, “Spirit, will your presence be with me now?” and then be in silence and breathe quietly. Then go be Spirit’s messenger in the world.