This is how we nurture the seeds of joy, compassion, and strength.

 

Right now, you have access to an unlimited supply of peace.

The kind of joyful, steady peace you can dip your toes into on a hot summer day. 

In this moment, you can have the fresh air of freedom, like opening all the windows and letting the light pour in.

Whenever you want, you can summon the courage that rolls through the sky like thunder.

And whenever you need it, you have the key to a strength that’s both solid enough to build an empire upon and giving enough to allow the flowers to break through.

I know that sometimes it feels like what you need is somewhere out there, in a buried chest, and you don’t even have a map, but you carry the most valuable treasures on the inside.

Wherever, whenever, however you are, you can create your own joy. And freedom. And courage, strength, wisdom, compassion, and peace. 

The seeds have been planted, and it’s you who nurtures them. 

To begin, give yourself a little space – a little time, a little sacred place, a little room to catch your thoughts and breath. And in that space, practice stillness. Practice acceptance of what you find in that stillness, offering it curiosity and caring.

I use this Soul Smile Meditation for solace when I feel depleted, when I want to bask in gratitude, and when I want to align with goodness.

 

Breathing in, I find my center.
I bring love and peace into my body.

Breathing out, I feel my soul smile.
I release light and joy into the world. 

 

Breathing in, we find our center, that place of calm and stillness. It’s where our most authentic desires are born, our wisest decisions are made, and our most focused, intentional actions begin.

This is how we water the seeds of joy, compassion, and strength. This is what renews our spirits.

Breathing out, we release all that we’ve cultivated into the world. I like to imagine my thoughts and intentions traveling through the wind and landing on the flowers, houses, and who might need them.

It’s in the flow between inhaling and exhaling that we anchor ourselves to the present, and it’s in the present that we can examine the past and dabble in the future. It’s there that we can play in our desires, set intentions, and move forward with focused energy.

If you’d like to practice this meditation, it’s as simple getting still, breathing, and repeating to yourself: 

Breathing in, I find my center. I bring {whatever you need} into my body.

Breathing out, I feel my soul smile. I release {whatever you want} to the world.

Try it and let me know how it felt in the comments below.

And if you’d like more, you can find this meditation in my new book, There, I Might Find Peace. It’s poetry and prose, mantras and meditations for peace, love, and strength.

A quick update on our book…thanks to all of the beautiful support from our community, our book is ranked #48 in inspirational poetry, right up there beside Rumi, Maya Angelou, and contemporary powerhouses like Cleo Wade and Rupi Kaur. You all are amazing. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out or have and want to leave a few words or stars, scoot on over to Amazon.