Happy Mindful Monday, 

I received this in my email:

“I live in Sandy Hook, and I have to try and be brave every time there is another school shooting, which literally breaks my heart. Then I have to be brave when I attend rallies and participate in marches and travel to DC and talk to congressmen and senators, hoping and praying for some commonsense gun reform. Activism is way out of my comfort zone, but I have tried and will keep trying—and hopefully someday, it will make a difference.”

Take a deep breath—that was all I could do after reading her message.

While most of us feel so helpless to do anything, here’s a teacher taking time out to travel to DC to protest gun violence. No educator anywhere should have to go through what she’s going through. Not now, not ever.

My heart breaks.

My mind refuses to understand why this keeps happening.

And then the next day after I received Liz’s email, my friend- a yoga teacher, said this as she was speaking to a group of yogis:

“We talk a lot about what is wrong in the world. And how messed up everything is and that we are heading towards castasphrophes, environmental disasters, world poverty, and all these things. All of this is true, absolutely. 

But there are some really beautiful, really positive things about the time that we live in. And one of those things is that we are much more respectful to each other’s diversity than we ever have been in the history of humanity. So that’s incredible. 

And another one is that we are much more in the driving seat of how we choose our lives is to be. All the conventional things (like working 9 to 5, getting married, having kids) is really changing. 

When I talk to my teenagers, I’m amazed how creative they are and how they want their lives to be and what they want to do. It’s something we can all embrace. We have the opportunity to be creative. Everything is possible, and the world opens up if you have persistence, trust, and tenacity!”

Her inspiring words made me think back to the Liz’s email. 

And I was struck with the idea that we have to “believe.”

We have to believe with our hearts and souls that things will change for the better.

That goodness will prevail.

That at the core of human beings, we want to be good and do good.

That we live in a time where our collective voices and actions make a difference.

Join me in this moment of “believing”:

Come to stillness.

Take a pause.

Find a comfortable seat.

Take a deep breath in and take a long breath out.

Do that again.

Close down your eyes or gaze in front of you.

Let go of your day thus far—of what’s happening next.

Just be in this present moment.

Today, we are going to explore this idea of “believing.”

In a chaotic world, we must believe that things will work out.

Somehow, in some way, that goodness will prevail.

Bring your palms together in front of your heart.

Rub your palms together to generate some heat.

Take your palms to your third eye, take a deep breath, and think, “I believe.”

Bring your palms to your lips, take a deep breath, and think, “I believe.”

Bring your palms to your heart center, take a deep breath, and think, “I believe.”

Now cross your palms flat on your chest and feel the warmth of your hands.

Recall something difficult that you are going through in your life or is happening in the world.

Take a moment to think about those difficulties.

Now take a deep breath and think, “I believe.”

Take a few moments to believe that something good will come of this difficult situation.

Believe in your heart. 

Believe with every breath you take.

Believe with every cell of your being.

Gently bow your head.

Relax your shoulders.

When you’re ready, open your eyes.

After this “I Believe” meditation, take a moment to notice how you feel. Notice if you feel compelled to take action—whether it’s to talk to someone, email or call someone, or do something towards making a difference to that particular situation.

Now, I’d be naïve to think that this simple meditation is going to instantly make the world a better place. But I do believe in the power of positive thinking. I do believe that if we keep showing up, if we keep trusting in ourselves, trusting in others, and trusting in the higher power (whatever that means to you), we have the opportunity to change how we see the world.

Feel free to come back to this “I Believe” meditation any time you are experiencing a challenging situation, no matter how big or small. Let’s be brave and believe in a fair, just world. If this meditation brings up more than you bargained for, please reach out to a health professional. You are not alone, and help is available.

We would love to hear if you try this “I Believe” meditation and if it made a difference for you. Simply hit reply and share your story. We absolutely LOVE hearing your stories.
​

From this moment to yours – I believe in you,