Reiki’s principle for daily living:
Just for today, I will count my blessings
Life brings good and bad, joy and sorrow, to everyone. What we choose to dwell on becomes a bigger part of our reality. When we focus on things that are not going well, we tend to become sad, angry or frustrated. When we put our attention on the best parts of our lives, we feel happy and, yes, blessed.
We cannot close our eyes to the realities of our life, whether good or bad. Therefore, I say: See everything, deal with whatever you need to deal with, but then choose what you want to dwell on.
And why not dwell on the things that make you happy? Spend five or 10 minutes a day acknowledging the things you have in life and you will see how your mind shifts from focusing on what is lacking in your life to dwelling on what you have going for you.
Consciously count your blessings, saying each one aloud or silently, as you like, in a full sentence. And keep this practice entirely positive – no “but” “although” etc. Do this in the morning and set a positive tone for the whole day. Do it again at night and enjoy a peaceful, restful sleep.
This is an excellent exercise to do with your children, too, especially if you are worried that they are growing up in a culture of entitlement.
In my work with children, I have heard them list the most unexpected things: life itself, my nice home, education, my two eyes, my family, my friends. All they need is a little impetus to get them started.
Reiki offers us 5 principles for daily living.
Just for today:
- I will count my blessings.
- I will not worry.
- I will not be angry.
- I will do my work honestly.
- I will honour my teachers and elders, and be kind to all living beings.