That KIND of Day!

There is one more Meiji Principle to share with you, and it is one that may seem the easiest to follow – until you try it! 

Just for today, I will be kind to all living things, including myself.

We show kindness throughout our daily lives, making sure our child’s favorite shirt is clean for the dance, cooking a favorite dinner for a spouse, gently pulling the burrs out of the dog’s fur.  Out in the world, too: Picking up a dropped item for a stranger; putting out birdseed during the winter; using eco-friendly fertilizers in your garden.

So check off the first part.  You are kind to all living things. 

Now for the second part  . . . including myself.

What have you done for yourself lately?  How will you continue to be kind to others if you’re cranky?  How will you help your neighbor if you gobbled a handful of Thin Mints for breakfast and have now crashed in a heap on your couch?  How will you drag that birdseed from the trunk of the car to the garage if you haven’t been to yoga class in weeks and your back is killing you? 

Being kind to your self is not selfish; it is imperative.  Put that thought in your head first, and then start slowly.  Eat healthful foods.  Get to yoga class regularly.  Take a half hour to meditate or read a few chapters of your romance novel.  Smile at yourself in the mirror.  Drop the pebble of kindness into your self and watch the ripples move outward, touching everyone around you with your own special brand of Kind. 

Work It, Baby!

The fourth Meiji Principle is, Just for today, I will do my work honestly and diligently.

The word work can have negative connotations, but really, what else would you be doing all day?  Lying around on the couch, reading romance novels and eating bonbons?  Ok, bad example, because I know you all answered, “Heck yeah!”  You get my drift, though.  Working is living.  It gives purpose to our days and allows us to rest easy at night. You choose to do your work with a smile or a frown, and your reward comes from that same place, so choose wisely!

Whatever your work encompasses, embrace it with conviction, perform it with passion, and complete it with satisfaction.  Don’t shirk, don’t shrink away, and don’t let your work overwhelm you.  Do your work honestly.  Do it diligently.  Do it with a Buddha smile.

And don’t forget that your work includes self-care.  Lying on that couch and reading a mystery is one of your daily chores – maybe skip the bonbons and munch an apple so you don’t sugar-crash and become unable to roll off the couch!

All work ends with a payoff.  Sometimes the payoff is cash, sometimes it’s a clean house, sometimes it’s the hug from your daughter when you get that stain out of her favorite shirt.  Do your work honestly and diligently, and enjoy your sweet dreams at night!

Gratitude (yes, again - it's a biggie!)

The third Meiji Principle says, Just for today, I will express gratitude for everything, including things that challenge me.

Gratitude is something almost everyone practices every day.  “Thanks,” we say to the clerk as she hands us our change.  “Oh, thank you,” we tell the person who just complimented our new shoes.  You step further into gratitude when you turn your face to the shining sun and let the warmth flow through you, or bite into a ripe peach, grateful for the sensory pleasure. It’s easy, natural, to express gratitude for these things.

But what about those challenging things, like when your boss embarrasses you in front of co-workers?  When you have a boatload of things to do, and no time to do it all.  When the sun has been hiding for days and you start to think that spring is just a fairy tale.  Why be grateful for those things? 

Challenges big and small are deserving of gratitude.  Each facet of your day is just that – a part of You, and deserving of celebration.  Some things we celebrate just getting through. Some things we are grateful for because they are over.  Some things, the hardest things, call for our gratitude simply because of what we learn from them.  No, I’m not grateful the guinea pig bit me; I am grateful I learned the lesson not to stick my fingers in cages before I tried it again with the parrot whose beak can crack walnuts! 

See the world through eyes of gratitude, and see if that brings a change in attitude!  (Sorry, couldn’t resist the rhyme . . .)

The Second Meiji Principle

Just for today, I will have faith and trust in the divine plan.

What, you may ask, is the divine plan?  Do I have one of my own, or is it something I share with others?  Is this plan set in stone, or can I change it if I don’t like where it’s taking me?  And who the heck made this plan without discussing it first with me?

Imagine yourself wearing nice new hiking boots, walking down a wooded path. You can keep your eyes down, watching where you step and carefully treading on the smooth spots, avoiding rocks and puddles.  This way, you will stay on the path and not get lost, but you won’t see the rabbit scurry under the fallen log, or notice the cheerful people who pass.  You may miss the signpost that gives you a choice of direction, the detour that could bring you to the picnic area or to a scenic overlook.

Or you can lift your eyes to the canopy overhead, gazing at the lush leaves, looking for birds, and rejoicing in the sparkle of the sun through the foliage.   But this way, too, might cause you to miss the signposts; and what happens when a muddy puddle appears in your path, or the way turns rocky?  At the very least you’ll mess up your new boots; worse, you may trip and bruise your knees.

Look around.  Up, down, and sideways.  Notice that you are not alone, that other hikers and animals and insects are sharing space with you.  If you trip, decide whether you need to sit down for a while, or just brush yourself off and continue.  If you come across a signpost directing you to a side path, listen to your heart and spirit and choose which way to go.

As to who made the plan in the first place, well, you’ll just have to ask that of yourself and discover where your faith lies.