“It’s Never Too Late To Start The Day Over”
— Lyrics by Michael Franti
Welcome to the first week of May, the double 5 (05-05, in 23), the full moon in May and Vesak. Welcome to our meditation for the well-being of all life on earth. Welcome to our Earth Send on this sunlit Friday.
If you have requested reiki for yourself or a loved person, it is on the way to all the recipients in the request. Relax and take it in.
If you have requested good thoughts, light work, prayers and spiritual assistance, welcome the flow of good vibes and blessings coming your way now.
Appreciation, blessings and love go to all who are participating in this circle today.
To set the tone for this session, let’s recall the 5 reiki rules:
Just for today, I will not worry.
Just for today, I will not anger.
Just for today, I will honour my teachers and elders.
Just for today, I will work honestly.
Just for today, I will say thanks to all the blessings I enjoy.
As you let the words sink in, let your mind browse for sensations of a worry-free day, of how you could curb worries in the bud, and of how you let go of anger on an average day. Bring the faces and the chuckles of your teachers to the forefront of your mind, and let some well-liked memories with your ancestors, grandparents and parents warm you. Witness how you are conducting business that benefits both your customers and you, and how integrity is the recipe of your success and reputation; witness how you do your inner work with courage and harvest the merits of your practice and mindfulness. Immerse yourself into the many layers of your blessings, going beyond the obvious — if you are reading this, you have privileges that people in many parts of the world don’t have —, into the dimension of what had to happen that you can access all these positive conditions today.
You can access these positive conditions anytime you want to.
Maybe you have observed tedium, insensitivity, conflict readiness and negativity bias in your social circle or neighbourhood. Do not judge it, simply observe when you are getting infected by it. Figure out the fastest route to lightness of heart, appreciation and fascination with the reality you are in:
Do you need more music in your day? Who are the co-creators who you can team up with? What kind of aesthetic expresses more of what uplifts you? Can you add it to your decor and your clothes? What genre of literature puts things in perspective for you? Whose poetry puts you into a better mood? Can you imagine giving 30 min of your week to these good influences? Are there documentaries that fill you with awe? When could you watch them? By choosing new priorities and by treating yourself better, through more cleanliness, order and beauty, you can change the energies in your environment.
The talk and the nonverbal energies of gossipy, easily agitated, disorganized and sullen people can affect your inner processes, too. Who you can change is yourself. And what you can change is the extent of exposure to people whose mind formations you do not want.
Some people claim that what made them sick is their circle. I empathize. I know what that is about. I will add that it is our responsibility to wake up our own remedies, both the strategies of how to swim in the shared waters and the commitment to our healing, regardless of what may be going on around us. People with scary illnesses do it, even with no support from the outside; they have to. Having no other choice but to say YES to health is inspirational. If it can be done in precarious chapters of life, it can be done in mellower times.
You could introduce some complainers to activities that neither of you have tried before. If they don’t want to participate, it is an opportunity for you to expand your circle, find people who love what you love and who gladly attend workshops with you.
I never mentioned before that I was known to shlep acquaintances and friends to programs, concerts, galleries, nurseries, cultural venues and trips… But I also go on my own and have been going alone for years. As a younger person, I felt safer to go to places with company. But when I started to go to group settings without an entourage, I realized that it was not intimidating and that I paid better attention to the content and the presentation, and I met people who shared at least one interest with me. Many events, courses, readings, concerts and panels ended up amazing, even though I had come through the door alone.
I can only encourage you to listen to your heart’s whispers and to not postpone the learning that you want to dip into and to not let emotional attachments and other excuses interfere with your learning.
Learning is rejuvenating. Putting yourself into unfamiliar settings can be so good.
It is more rewarding than listening to old tapes coming from people who never change their tune and old tapes that are yours.
If you feel that forces and limitations beyond your control or the people you are surrounded with are “holding you down”, there is a good chance that the problem is with your will. Where there is a will, there is a way. So fix your will first.
It is good to remember that we can return to the five reiki precepts before every reiki session and also in quiet moments during the day.
For example, when we wake up and before bed time. In the late afternoon, as we conclude the work day. Any time we want to bring our attitude and conduct up a notch!
So maybe you had a stressful situation to which you did not bring your best, you got impatient, got carried away with indignation, trepidation, self-pity or the sense that you are not getting anywhere with your approach. Or you struggle with the conditions surrounding your income or with the insights you gain into your psyche. Or you lie in bed, sleepless and nervous, because something happened hours before that disturbed your peace of mind. Perhaps you had an ugly argument with someone you want to have a solid relationship with. — These real life situations are the moments when we can return to the 5 reiki rules, too.
We don’t have to wait for the “blank slate” of a new day or the next month in order to start over. Simply cancel all rumination and anger. Decide that for the rest of the day you will not worry and not anger. Remember that you have the know-how and the imprints with good examples. Honesty in all dealings feels clean and lets you advance, and you choose it consciously. You have a lot to be grateful for. You do not take it for granted, oh no. You let your consciousness feast on it.
“It is never too late to start the day over” are lyrics that Michael Franti sang over a decade ago. Indeed. We can course-correct matter-of-factly and often.
Savour the beauty of this day. May your thoughts be profound and loving.
Itadakimasu, in gassho.
Santosha and smiles.
5 May 2023
Nanda Jurela 