Welcome to Active Meditation.
How Not To Be Miserable In this meditation,
We affirm our strengths and our deep human and spiritual possibilities.
As we settle down and prepare for meditation,
We close our eyes to minimize physical distractions.
We take a few deep breaths,
The exhale being longer than the deep inhale.
As we breathe,
We visualize or sense our excess energy,
Leaving our body with the exhale breath.
Our body knows how to relax if we let it.
Note the tense areas of the body and let this tension go.
As we help us relax,
We remove all expression and tension from our face.
Do this now.
Relax all the face muscles.
Let the tension be released from the body and the face.
Let it go.
We proceed next to our self-inquiry detachment process,
Recognizing each of our vehicles of awareness.
Our physical body,
Our emotions,
Desires,
And our mind,
Our intellect.
These vehicles are impermanent.
We need them to operate on the physical plane.
We detach from each of them,
Knowing that we are always more than these temporary instruments of awareness.
They are not who we really are.
Of course we have a body.
It is just that we are more than the physical form.
We are the intelligence that operates our body.
We are more than our emotions and feelings,
Certainly more than our fears,
Doubts,
Or frustrated desires.
We can control our emotions.
We are more than our thoughts.
We are the creator of thoughts.
We are the users of our mind,
Our ideas.
And we know we are more than our memories.
We utilize all of these instruments of awareness to express our kindness,
Our good intentions,
Our love,
And to do worthwhile things in the world.
We are the observing and directing intelligence of our body,
Emotions,
And desires.
We are the silent witness of our thoughts and memories.
We are responsive to the guiding power,
Wisdom,
And love of our higher self.
We acknowledge and leave the worries of the day for later.
Do this now.
Leave your worries behind as we leave the outer world.
Relax.
Let go.
In this relaxed state of mind and feeling,
Let us be mindful that there is a presence of power and intelligence in our higher self that never leaves us.
Even in our moments of anxiety,
Confusion,
Or doubt,
It is a resource to guide us to better choices.
It is the storehouse of our common sense and the accumulated knowledge and skills we have developed over the years.
Although we might not consider it to be true,
Our higher self,
This presence,
Contains the blueprint for a healthy body,
Emotions,
And mind,
And the plan for our constructive lifestyle.
With these possibilities to consider,
We need to be mindful that while our personality is a mixture of different qualities,
Talents,
And strengths,
Plus a few weaknesses and faults,
It is important to view ourselves as a work in progress,
As one who already has generated many achievements,
Has experienced many victories in coping with problems,
Has overcome many small doubts and fears,
And has successfully managed many challenges and setbacks,
And even many insults and losses.
It is important to appreciate the larger context of the human strengths and skills we have developed,
Along with the awareness of the value of our courage and confidence,
Our ability to keep going after setbacks,
Our capacity to rise above the flaws we see,
And our willingness to try again after a failure.
We need to be mindful that our successes and achievements say more about who we are than our faults and failures.
Loyal friends mean more to us than those who regard us as flawed and incapable.
We need to be mindful that while we are not perfect in most areas,
We are very good at many things.
We value our gifts and strengths.
We try to act responsibly,
Insofar as possible.
We seek to do good and to be helpful in our world.
We have an appreciation of the good potentials in our self and our outer life.
Unlike many people we know,
We see mostly gloom and negativity out there,
Everywhere.
I am able to perceive good possibilities in good people who are struggling to do the best they can.
Unlike others who see only corruption and dishonesty in society,
I see the imperfections,
But I also see the constructive possibilities that exist as well.
I know,
As a regular human being,
In some mysterious way,
I have a connection to a source of wisdom,
Love,
And power.
It transcends any problem or illness,
Or any distress I may experience.
I believe I have many strengths and skills that empower and protect me from danger.
Powers that I can use every day to cope with challenges,
Manage setbacks and insults,
And deal with the daily duties that I have.
I do believe in my innate strengths and goodness.
This is what defines who I am.
I do believe I always have the choice to be mindful of my capacity to be a problem solver,
An achiever,
A person who can finish each day with confidence,
Knowing that I am able to make a positive contribution to my world.
Although I continue to recognize the weaknesses in me,
And where I still need to grow in key areas,
I am able to find good qualities in myself,
In my world,
And in society itself.
What we see as imperfection is much of the time just a phase on the way to significant improvement.
In our hearts and minds,
We sense that this improvement grows from underlying seeds of greatness.
As we choose to be mindful of these core strengths and our seeds of greatness,
We are empowered to live each day with confidence,
With hope,
With courage.
We are inspired to rise above the confusion and disorder in mass consciousness,
Rise above and view with compassion and understanding those of us who seem to celebrate disorder and destruction.
I will choose a more constructive approach to life,
As I know that I am an intelligent,
Resourceful adult,
Always mindful of my strengths and achievements,
Of my deep human and spiritual possibilities.
I will choose to thrive in this imperfect world,
To live each day with confidence,
That each of us deserves to succeed,
That each of us can live our lives in a manner that will fulfill this,
Our destiny.
Reflect on these thoughts for a few moments.
I will choose to thrive in this imperfect world.
I will choose to thrive in this imperfect world.
I am able to find good qualities in myself,
In my world,
And in society itself.
I will choose to thrive in this imperfect world.
I will choose to thrive in this imperfect world.
I do believe in my innate strengths and goodness.
This is what defines who I am.
I will choose to thrive in this imperfect world.
I will choose to thrive in this imperfect world.
It's time to return to the waking state,
Our regular levels of thoughts,
Feelings,
And actions.
And when we do,
We will retain this greater awareness.
We will be able to use our inner powers and abilities more effectively.
As we re-enter time and space,
We know that our personality has made progress in developing a working relationship with our higher self.
We can confidently say,
I am.
