(Madisyn Taylor)
In a world where we have routines for nearly everything, our route to work, our physical fitness regimen, and our weekday schedule it's amazing how many people forget to create a routine for meeting their spiritual needs. We run around in an attempt to be at our many appointments on time and meet our many obligations. In our efforts to be as productive as possible, however, our spiritual needs tend to take a backseat. After all, taking care of our spiritual needs doesn't directly pay the bills or tone our abdominal muscles. We may even wonder who has time to meditate or write in their journal when there are more pressing matters to see to. The truth is that nurturing ourselves spiritually is what gives us the energy and grounding that we need to make sure that our lives stay on track.
How you choose to nurture yourself spiritually is a personal choice. For some people, meditating once a day may be what they need to stay cantered. While spending 10-20 minutes with your eyes closed and your brain devoid of thought may seem like a lot of time doing nothing, this state of nothingness actually allows you to stay calm and focused so you can be as productive as possible. Writing in your journal everyday lets you stay in touch with yourself so that you are always tuned in to your feelings. Repeating affirmations for success, happiness, and well-being on a regular basis can help you live with optimism and enthusiasm and create what you want in life.
Having a routine for nurturing your spirit that you do each day lets you feed energy to your soul and can serve you well if your life suddenly takes an unexpected turn into a difficult period. This kind of routine grounds your spirit in your body so that you stay anchored in yourself as you move through each day. Nurturing yourself spiritually allows you to not only stay on track in your life, but it allows for your life to stay on track with what your spirit wants.
My Thoughts:
My daily routine, if there are no plans to get in the way is very much fixed. Usually I am up by about 6.30am (or earlier), the first thing on the agenda is to take the prescribed drugs so I don’t forget them, open the study windows if the weather allows even if it is chilly, and then sit quietly gazing out to sea whilst drinking my first cup of coffee.
During the working weekdays there are the same scattering of early dog walkers, and the children being dropped off nextdoor to their grandad ready for the school run. Everyday there are the sound of trains as they make their way along the coast taking people to and from Glasgow. There is always a constant flurry of seabirds, that seem to always be squabbling. Then there are periods of calm where tranquillity reigns and all that can be heard is the gentle lapping of lazy waves when the weather is inclement. If mother nature is a little more enthusiastic the sea will bubble and boil, crashing in anger at the shoreline relentlessly, wind howling and more often than not the rain lashing at the pains of glass that protect me from the elements. But whatever the natural conditions, it is always amazing to sit and watch.
If the sea mist has not descended a plethora of sea crafts can be seen, from tiny fishing boats to huge container ships, the ferry trundling back and forth to Arran, warships, tall ships and expensive yachts, to little sailboats to pleasure crafts costing millions, and in the summer as steady stream of luxury cruise liners doing the rounds of the Scottish islands.
Watching all this in the time it takes to drink a mug of coffee sets me up for each day.
Then I write my blog.