Daily Words That Shape Our Lives

"You're allowed to be a work in progress and a masterpiece at the same time." ~ Jess Sims

It's not what you say to everyone else that determines your life; it's what you whisper to yourself that has the greatest power and influence.

The best lessons in life are the ones we continue to learn over and over again because that's how we learn. The human mind needs lots of reminders and lots of practice. So often we forget that it's okay to make mistakes, to speak our mind, to say no, to prioritize ourselves, embrace our imperfections, to forgive and seek forgiveness and to begin again.

I'll segue for a moment here – I was working with a professional dog trainer today and the thing that stood out the most is the idea of acknowledging first what the dog does well. Rewarding the dog's good behavior encourages him to keep doing it, rather than scolding him for unpleasant behavior. The positive reinforcement becomes a new goal and becomes much easier to drop the unwanted behavior.

As humans we are blessed with the gift of neuroplasticity – a fancy word for saying our brains truly can change and adapt throughout our lives. The mind is like a muscle, and just like the muscles in the body need to be exercised to gain and maintain integrity and strength, our minds need to be trained daily to develop over time as well. 

Each day the messages we send ourselves become the building blocks that either strengthen us or weaken us. What are some of the messages you repeat to yourself? Are they words of inspiration, aspiration, affirmation? It's time to let go of the thoughts that don't make you strong. As we say in our yoga practice – where the focus goes, energy flows.

You and I both know we cannot control the outer world, but we can choose to fill our inner world with love, peace and gratitude for this life. The most powerful and practical life changes happen when you decide to take control of what you do have power over, rather than constantly craving control over what you don't. 

We are living in a world so vastly different than the one I remember growing up in. It feels even more important to cultivate inner peace, through self-acceptance, love and care.

Below I'm sharing with you a message that I read every morning. It resonates deeply with where I am at in my life at this time. It serves as a companion and a reminder of the path that I am on, the life I am building, and the abundance that flows through my life.

"Day in and day out, I am building my life on wisdom, on patience, on faith, on high values and morals. The foundation of my life is strong. Beautiful, abundant and prosperous things are being built."

You may feel inspired to write something that resonates and inspires you. I strongly encourage it as a way to cheer yourself on, validate your efforts and build upon your strengths.

Remember, as Jess shares, you're allowed to simultaneously be a work in progress and a masterpiece.