Daily Devotions

A few months ago, Phillip bought us each a book called ‘Good Morning, I love you’ which is a guided gratitude journal. We started another journal last year called The Five Minute Journal but didn’t last the distance. Yesterday we began our new practice in our new journal and this morning I started again on my own and it got me thinking.

Over the course of my lifetime, I have started so many things, and my typical pattern of behaviour is that I just don’t finish them. But it just dawned on me now as I write these words, this is the story I have been telling myself over and over again.

What if I was to change my perspective on this story as I let go of these words that I have no doubt limited me from stepping into my fullest potential over and over?

What if I begin saying something different to myself?

And this is what came through in my journal;

Yes, Sarah you’ve had the intention of creating a daily devotion or morning routine for many years now and you are been testing out many different things like gratitude practices, meditation, prayer, and journaling to see what works best for you. There’s no ‘right’ way and there will be seasons in your life where you have more time and space to spend on your devotion and others when you don’t and these will be the times when you show yourself kindness and compassion and simply start where you are at.

Now this story feels so much better. It feels expansive and full of potential.

But it’s interesting because as I was writing this there was still a voice in my head saying “Yes, Sarah that sounds great, but you still have evidence to suggest that my story is better.”

This is where the ego is very sneaky and quite frankly so powerful.

Ultimately I still have free will to override my ego with the intention of creating a new belief, a new thought pattern, and a new story.

It reminds me of the Cycle of Change that I learned from my friend and mentor, Kathy.

It’s really very simple, but not always the easiest to execute.

We set the intention of creating a new belief.

For example:

It’s my intention to spend a little or a lot of time on my daily devotion depending on my schedule so that I can create a foundation that will support my daily habit.

Each day I will have choices. Will I get up early enough to spend on my daily devotion? How much time? Am I going into the office or working from home today? Will I do a guided meditation in the morning, at lunchtime or before going to sleep, or even both? Have I written in my guided gratitude journal today?

So depending on the choices I make at any given time will create evidence or experiences that support the pattern of behaviour or new belief I have the desire to create and change. And so the cycle continues each and every day either creating your new behaviour and belief or not.

This is the power of intention and reflection, the gift of awareness that will shift your perspective and your way of being.

I’m not saying it’s always easy, I would suggest it’s more about being persistent and consistent always pivoting and starting again and again. Over time there will be a compound effect of change. That’s the gift of desiring to become a better version of yourself each and every day.

Much love, Sarah xxx