Dear friends,
Welcome to this meditation which I hope will fill you with a sense of gratitude for the gift of each new day.
Let's begin by bringing yourselves to a state of relaxation.
So make sure you are sitting comfortably on your cushion or on your chair,
Your back reasonably straight,
Not rigid,
But not slouching,
Holding yourself with an alert type of posture.
And take a few moments to relax.
Your body may be here,
But maybe your mind is somewhere else.
It's good for them to meet up in the same place,
So here and now would be an ideal place for this reunion.
If you have established a regular place for your meditation,
So much the better.
You'll find it easy to come to a place of relaxation once you take your seat there.
Next,
Simply bring your attention to your breathing.
To begin,
You might like to take in just one deep breath,
But basically you want to allow your breathing to simply be.
Breathing in and out in the normal way,
But with a sense of awareness.
If you place your hands on your chest,
You will notice the rising and falling of your chest as you breathe in and out.
Notice how each in-breath provides you with good,
Life-giving air,
And each out-breath is your invitation to let go of anything that might be bothering you.
So,
Breathing in the good air,
Breathing out the concerns of yesterday.
Breathing in the good air,
Breathing out the tasks that should be left until tomorrow.
Simply breathing in and simply breathing out.
Let's have a one-minute pause now.
Welcome back.
What,
Another day?
Here I am again?
Could you believe it?
Here yesterday,
And now another day,
Today.
What a gift.
It has been said that if the only prayer we ever say is thank you,
It is enough.
So let's pause again,
Just 60 seconds,
To give thanks for this gift of another day,
A new day of life and possibility.
Welcome back again.
So what can this gift mean?
And what can be an adequate response?
What am I prompted to do when given the gift of yet another new day?
The answer is very simple.
It's a very simple and everyday response,
And it costs nothing but awareness.
I must remember to be grateful now.
Remember to be happy now.
Remember to be kind now.
Remember to be loving now.
I must remember to breathe more deeply.
Remember to be more present.
To be more open to beauty.
To beauty in the world around me,
And particularly to beauty in the people who surround me.
I must remember to believe in myself.
Trust my instincts and gut feeling.
I must be open to forgiveness.
Not only offering forgiveness to other people,
But remembering to forgive myself as well.
I must remember to walk gently on the good earth,
This amazing,
Life-giving planet of ours.
I must let go.
Share more.
Be content.
Enjoy the fear of missing out.
Be more present.
I must remember to be more patient,
More compassionate,
More understanding.
I must remember to be a bridge over troubled water,
A friend in bad times as well as good.
Let me be a listening ear,
Remembering to listen,
To really listen,
Fully,
To what other people say.
And to be aware of what they would wish to say,
If only they felt they had a listening ear.
I must remember to be open to change,
Realising that change is the only constant.
Let me welcome change,
Embracing the future with enthusiasm and courage and hope,
Celebrating all life has to offer,
Realising gratefully in the good times that this too shall pass,
And enjoying the corresponding consolation for the difficult times.
This too shall pass.
Let's have another one minute pause,
Just 60 seconds before we move on again.
So what other way to express gratitude for this new day?
I must remember to cherish this moment now,
Remembering to live fully now,
Remembering to give more generously now.
I must remember to speak truth,
To stand up for what is right when fear tempts me to be quiet.
I must be a voice for those who have none,
Otherwise who will speak for those who have no voice?
In these situations I must choose action over comfort,
Justice over ease,
My courage overcoming my fear,
Knowing that if I do not speak now,
Who will?
I must remember to embrace my imperfections,
Not allowing them to prevent me from doing good.
There is,
After all,
A crack in everything.
So let me remember to take risks now,
Though not very dangerous ones.
Let me delay my dreams no longer,
But pursue them now.
Let me heal wounds now,
Remembering that time is short.
I must remember to express gratitude now while I can,
Remember to seek understanding now while I can,
Remember to make amends now while I can.
May I remember to leave a legacy of love now,
Remembering to uplift others now,
Remembering to appreciate my time here,
Now,
Today.
The gift of this new day reminds me to live with purpose now,
To make a difference now.
And why?
The life we enjoy today is precious and fleeting.
We will,
In time,
Be separated from everyone and everything we know and love.
So our commitment to give thanks and spread love every day may gratitude be our abiding attitude and thanks the word that accompanies our final breath.
Namaste
