Have you been making your daily resolutions to start each day with a positive attitude and a mindset to celebrate every day like Valentine’s Day? That was our challenge to you in Resolve to Live, Love, Share, to live each day “inspired by the love that comes with being alive.”
February 14 is now behind us and NewYears Resolutions are from so long ago you may not remember them, even our suggested resolution that came with its own playlist. It’s not unusual to hit the new year so hard that by mid-February, you are already looking for a break. It is also not wrong.
Some may say but the year is still just starting! What do you want a break from? We say that there are no restrictions to how you want to live your life. You may need to follow time and attendance rules at work or in school, but in life, you create the calendar and control the time clock. And every day in that calendar deserves a break from always being on the clock.
The world has given us a hectic and harried start to the year. It would be understandable if you became caught up in the energy of so much, so many, and often overlapping news and events that 2025 brought. February offered a chance to remember that love still is humanity’s uncontested ruler. That is, it is if you listened to your mind and to your heart to slow down, connect with those who share life with you, and feel the love around you.
We also get caught up in the happenings of everyday life that it sometimes takes an outside force to slow us down. Diem had to put aside business for a few days to attend to travel for a funeral. Michael left his routine to direct time and energy to caring for his daughter’s dog while she was gone for a few days. It was, in fact, how that dog has adapted to life after an amputation and chemotherapy that became the inspiration for this post.
We closed the post that featured his story saying that Michael’s daughter’s dog is “an example of how well all animals, humans included, can adapt to almost any situation. Do not concentrate on the past. Do not worry about the future. Throw your entire being into the present. Maybe that’s why they call it being in the present.”
It is easy to extend compassion and be present for others, but how do we do for ourselves? In an article for a different publication, Diem addressed the challenge of finding the right rhythm to being in your own presence. She wrote, “It’s in the quiet pauses: noticing sunlight streaming through a window, savoring a cup of tea, or letting ourselves take a deep breath. Life happens in these moments of what is, not in the rush of what’s ahead or the weight of what’s behind.”
You can’t notice what is around you if you are always wondering about what did or didn’t happen last week, last month, last year. Likewise you cannot enjoy what is in front of you right now if you spend all your time wondering what you will be doing next week, next month, next year. Learning from the past and planning for the future are necessary exercises but not at the expense of engagement - and enjoyment - of the present.
It does us good to spend some time every day throwing our entire beings into the present. That was our thought for New Years when we encouraged you to start each day with your personal mantra to remind yourself that love is for everybody and to, “Fill your days with hope, life, and love, with sharing and caring, with laughter and living through the pain.”
Our suggestion then was to look to 1960s rock ballad lyrics for an inspiring mantra, but you do what works for you. However you do it, do it slowly, intentionally, and with feeling until you feel the love that comes from being alive. Then do it again tomorrow.
We may have the capacity to give grace to others, but it seems inconceivable to give ourselves grace. It's as if we're all on the rodent exercise wheel that never stops and never lets us off. We go until we're exhausted, and then, rather than enjoying rest, we collapse. I love your focus on sharing love in the moment, being there for people, and recognizing we're all in the same boat, so why rock it. Focusing on today isn't a universal value. It should be. Thanks for the reminder to pause mindfully.