Try these simple affirmations from Carmen Warrington, author of Today I Will… with an open mind and open heart and see if they work for you.
#1. Claim your right to nurture yourself.
Take a bubblebath, have a massage, cook yourself a special meal, read your favourite poetry, meditate, potter, or do something nice for yourself. Tell yourself you deserve to be nurtured. Give your desires a high priority in your day. Enjoying a good quality of life is just as important as fulfilling your responsibilities. Keep a balance between expending and replenishing your energy. Treat yourself well and enjoy life.
#2. Wholeheartedly embrace alternatives.
Consider the possibility that your way of doing things is not the only way. Other methods may be just as valid. Think about how you want the chores to be completed, your opinions about what makes good driving, or the way you communicate. Consider deeply your personal rules — are they so essential that everyone should do the same? Acquire tolerance, become less set in your ways, learn to adapt and be in harmony with others rather than trying to control them. Respect alternative points of view.
#3. Put a full stop on the past.
Whatever happened cannot be changed; it is now part of your history. Your past has shaped you and brought you to this moment. Cast from your mind phrases such as ‘I should have’, ‘why didn’t I’ and ‘if only’. Accept the lessons you have learnt from past choices. Make peace with yourself.
Disentangle yourself from regret, shame and guilt. Shake off the past and move forward with peace of mind.
#4. Free yourself from the subtle chains of an unfinished project.
Perhaps the unfinished project is no longer relevant or necessary, or has been given a much lower priority. Decide if the project is still worth investing your energy in and, if not, put it to rest once and for all. Is the cause of your procrastination fear or confusion? Invoke the appropriate virtue or power needed to complete the task. You are a powerful soul.
#5. Simply let go.
It’s great to be in control, and it’s great to let go. Let go of your expectations and fixed ideas about how things should be done. Don’t try to force things to happen. Just do as much as you can, then step back and see what takes shape. If you feel responsible for someone else’s moods or emotions, let these feelings go. Relax and allow new influences and options to emerge. Let your destiny steer you.
This is an edited extract from Today I Will… by Carmen Warrington, $16.99, published by Hachette Australia.
ABOUT: Carmen Warrington is an accomplished performer, meditation artist, songwriter, celebrant and author. Carmen has a degree in psychology and is a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art. Through her business, Calm and Creative, Carmen lives in Melbourne and runs workshops which focus on creativity and meditation for professional artists and people who simply want to experience and develop their innate artistic talents. Today I Will… is also available on CD through Carmen’s website.
