Ripples #834: Stewardship of the Self.
May 18, 2015
PEBBLE
Self-care is never a selfish act—it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.
-Parker Palmer, shared by Reoh in St. Louis, MO
BOULDER
There is so much about my fate that I cannot control…but other things do fall under the jurisdiction. I can decide how I spend my time, whom I interact with, whom I share my body and life and money and energy with. I can select what I can read and eat and study. I can choose how I’m going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life-whether I will see them as curses or opportunities. I can choose my words and the tone of voice in which I speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts.
-Elizabeth Gilbert, shared by Thomas in Wichita, KS
PONDER
Even if life is more stressful than you wish it were; even if you have more to do than you think is possible; even if you are facing challenges that seem overwhelming; even if ALL of those things are true and a million other things that are simultaneously on the verge of spinning out of control: there remains within you the possibility of taking a single deep breath (or more) and creating a single brief moment (or more) of stillness that encourages you to look past the limitations and the fear and the frustration so you can identify and seize opportunities to mindfully rise above the chaos that surrounds you and invite a sense of calm peace and quiet clarity to settle around you.
Embrace each moment you can to steady yourself, calm your nerves, and make the best possible choices about self-care: thinking, eating, exercising, recovering, and most importantly increasing the number of moments throughout the day that you are: here, now; here, now; here, now.
As you move through this hectic week, keep in mind that the daily choices you make about self-stewardship increase the odds that you’ll make it through today’s challenges and move into tomorrow with a bit more experience, another slice of wisdom, and an extra dollop of confidence in yourself.
Peace,
Paul
The Ripples Guy
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