Become the person that you want to be…one day at a time.

We all have an image of our ideal self, the kind of human being we would like to be, of the kind of life we would like to live. But more often than not, reality has a different plan for us. No matter how much we want to be the tranquil, equanimous, all-accepting, ever-blissful Buddha, somehow we end up being the angry, frustrated and anxious poor Joe instead.

It all looks so huge, so overwhelming and we often end up just drifting from one crisis to another, from one challenge to another, juggling between all possible disaster management techniques that we know…waiting for the moment, for the opportunity when we can take that deep breath and feel that relief, when we really can be unruffled, calm and peaceful.

As we may have figured out by now, such a time may never come. Waiting for the ‘right time’ when everything will be okay or at least better, somewhere becomes our excuse to continue in our current patterns of thought and behavior. Everyone can be calm and friendly in fair weather. The test of your mettle is being so when the going gets tough. And yes, it seems easier said than done but maybe it doesn’t need to be all that difficult either.

How can we then Initiate the Process of Self Growth?

Understanding the thought behind taking one step at a time, one can now try living one day at a time. I know we can’t be calm ALL the time, we can’t not worry ALL the time, we can’t be thankful ALL the time.. well, don’t. Try being one of these, just for today.

Just for today, try gratitude. Gratitude for the smallest of blessings – be it running water, bright sunlight, a caring spouse or a laughing child. The problems are there, but just for today, try focusing your energy on being thankful instead, we can worry over the problems later. Just for today, be confident in whatever you do. Just for today, be kind to whoever you meet, even yourself. Just for today… be the person you wish to be.

This thought is beautifully encapsulated in the 5 principles of Reiki, which follow thus:

Just for today, I will not be angry

Just for today, I will not worry

Just for today, I will be grateful

Just for today, I will do my work honestly

Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing

As we do this, we give our mind and body practice in living these ideals…it’s on-the-job training. You learn how to be calmer, by being calm one day at a time. You learn self-love by loving yourself one day at a time. You learn to live, by living one day at a time..

A life is lived one day, one moment at a time. Just for this moment, just for this day, I choose to be the best version of ME.

Who do you choose to be today?

Post contributed by: Mahima Gupta (Psychologist, Inner Space, 2010-2012).