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Aristotle said that “We are what we repeatedly do.” Bearing that in mind, how much conscious thought do you give to your daily routines and rhythm?

 

According to the ancient and divine study of astrology, the first hour of the day—sunrise—is governed by Aries, the zodiac sign of action and motivation. Bringing awareness to this power point means it is possible to completely transform one’s life by making changes to morning habits and rituals. The time and energy that you devote to your morning rhythm sets the template of your day. Simple actions can create more calm, love, balance, groundedness, and poise. They can also help to eliminate chaos and stress.

image by Ylanite Koppens

The first hour of the morning is the ideal time for consciously creating changes because your body is fresh from sleep; that place where you’re connected with your Higher Self. By making the most of this narrow window of time, you can consciously and creatively embed new ways of thinking and being. The connection between your physical and non-physical selves in the first hour is potent, and yet in modern culture it’s often the time that the vast majority of people drink caffeine or consume sugar-laden breakfast cereals, and watch the news. I don’t say this judgementally, but to highlight that these trigger the adrenal glands into a stress response, which can be particularly damaging during this sensitive psychic time frame.

 

Consciously creating the day isn’t just about what you do, but about what you don’t do. It’s a delicious dance between action and inaction, between movement and stillness. Choosing to focus on your thoughts and feelings in a conscious way will bring attention to the parts of life you may wish to amplify. Small rituals allow rhythms to be established which nurture your body, home, work, and relationships. They become foundations for the building of your day, and therefore your life. For example, stress is created by resistance and fear, so to live a calm and peaceful life, it’s necessary to go with the flow. In each circumstance of your day where you might be apprehensive or feeling challenged, take a moment to ask ‘what am I learning from this?’ ‘Am I responding as the highest version of myself?’

 

 

If your daily rhythm is based on gratitude and love, you’ll feel energised, empowered and nourished at the deepest level. By creating habits that support you in this way, you’ll see your life transform. So, if this day is your greatest gift, how will you write upon it? What choices will you make? What will you do differently? Consider yourself the author of your life, and script a path that you truly desire.

 

The quality of life rests on how you spend each day. A good life isn’t marked just by major events such as buying a home, receiving a pay rise or getting married. A wonderful, soul-filled life is one whereby every waking day is a pleasure. The ordinary day becomes extraordinary. Creating your day is about choosing the world you want to live in.

 

Each of us is a creator. By making a practice of greeting each day with the sunrise, and devoting time to ‘dream through’ the day ahead, it can give you a new perspective, and for many people this can alleviate depression and improve self-worth. At the heart of living a life you love is actually making sure you spend time doing activities that bring you pleasure, as this will leave you energised. The human body is wired to seek pleasure over pain.

People who deliberately create their day soon discover that they grow spiritually, flourish in all areas of life, create robust health and improve previous states of ill health, and develop an inner strength that will take them through any trying times. They learn that life doesn’t have to be a constant struggle, and that we’re here on this Earth to live and grow with joy.

 

The human brain is incredibly powerful, and by far the most important resource any of us has. Many people input negative information, and then wonder why they have negative or unfulfilling lives. The brain is like a computer: the more you enter data that expresses the life you want to live, the increased likelihood there is of changes happening quickly. Many of us have been ‘programmed’ to live according to what our parents, teachers, religion or culture would have us believe. When you start making choices that suit your inner calling, your life can change in seemingly miraculous ways.

 

Every day is sacred. Consciously creating your day, by setting the tone in the first hour, is one of the greatest spiritual decisions you can make. As you deliberately establish the template and intention of your day, coincidences and serendipity will knock at your door. You have unlimited potential to create the life of your heart. How do you do this? One way is to start each day with the words: I create my day. Say them out loud, or if you feel self-conscious in front of a partner, say them in your head several times. Get used to how it feels so that it becomes automatic to begin your day in this way. This immediately shifts you into a state of empowerment rather than one of victimhood or even neutrality.

Image by Ylanite Koppens

For example, before I open my eyes in the morning, I say ‘I create my day’. I give thanks. I thank my body. I thank my comfy bed for helping me to have a great night’s sleep. I thank the new day. I express my sheer joy and excitement of another beautiful day in which to experience life. I thank the birds for their beautiful songs. Funny how they never wake up in a bad mood and decide not to sing. I express gratitude for this wonderful life. I feel deep appreciation for my family. My day always begins and ends with expressing gratitude.

 

It is common to think of gratitude as simply saying ‘thank you’, almost as if by rote: the way many people were taught in childhood. True gratitude is something that is felt, rather than said. Living with heartfelt gratitude shifts the body to a new level of being. When I express my appreciation, I allow the feeling to fill my entire body. I smile, and I imagine that sense of gratitude spreading from me throughout the Universe. This is powerful and empowering.

 

After I give thanks, I think through my day, such as what plans I have, and how I want things to proceed. I literally create my day before I have even got out of bed. I always expect the best. I am open to good and wonderful things coming into my life. I am suggestible to kindness, laughter, peace, friendship, wealth, grace, creative inspiration, and good health.

 

If you start your day with the expectation that you wish to be living the highest version of yourself, then your intention has no choice but to manifest. The brain and heart have direct nerve connections to each other. In fact, there are many more that go from the heart to the brain than from the brain to the heart. We take from this that it’s important to ‘feel’ our way into any changes we want to make. Your heart literally has the power to give your brain new commands. According to the Institute of HeartMath, the heart has an electromagnetic field that reaches out into the Universe. This means we can literally feed off that Cosmic energy and manifest miracles in our lives.

 

If you’ve not lived with deliberate intention like this before, remember this: the body is based on chemical reactions. You have the power to shift these. You have the inner authority to create your day. Be your own author. You can choose to be a victim of Fate or you can choose to be a creator.

 

You have to be consistent with any new practice until it becomes second nature. To create your day, it means developing habits you do every day that lead you to creating the life you want. Many goals simply don’t get achieved overnight. They take dedication, perseverance, responsibility and patience. Did you know that eighty percent of people who join a gym quit within five months? People expect to see quick changes to their body shape, and aren’t prepared to put in the time and effort necessary to see their goals achieved. Yet, if they’re working consistently each day there are definitely changes happening. Getting your mind ‘fit’ works similarly to exercising your body: if you want to see change, you have to work at it every single day. Unlike working out in the gym, you can see changes manifest in your life at astonishing speed when you fully commit to prioritising the first hour of the day as a conscious template.

 

Your internal landscape need not be tarnished by an outer event. You always have the ability to create your reaction to any and all situations, no matter how dramatic or tragic. The choice in how to perceive a situation is applicable both in the world and with our inner realm.

 

Studies show that optimistic people create good luck for themselves. Conversely, pessimists don’t believe they’re lucky, and have a hard time bringing joy into their lives. It is a person’s optimism—their faith in life and the future—which makes them resilient to life’s knocks. They are living proof that you literally create your own luck.

 

When you say or write the words ‘I create my day’, you are sending a strong message to the Universe. You are speaking a powerful and undeniable truth. By engaging in this act, you must be open to watching your life manifest according to your desires. Two of the most important words you can speak are I am. Choose carefully the words you say after them, such as I am tired. I am angry. I am broke. You can be all those things, but reframe them: My body is tired. I feel angry because… My purse or bank account is… Affirm what you desire, rather than focusing on what you don’t have. For example, I am wealthy. I am healthy. I am happy. I am energetic. Perhaps you have a long-term health condition. It might feel totally at odds to say “I am healthy”. Why not try: My body is healing. I am open to health and healing. My body knows how to heal. I am attracting the right healing modalities for me.

 

When you start your day, be sure to include a nourishing breakfast as part of your morning ritual. When taking in food and beverages, this isn’t the time to be imbibing the latest murder or Wall Street catastrophe. Eat your food in silence or pleasurable companionship. Your digestive system will thank you for it. Consciously express kindness and tolerance to everyone you come in contact with, whether it’s by phone, on the road, or face to face. Engage your smile muscles and let it be your instinctive response whenever you meet someone. I grew up with a beautiful wall poster in my kitchen:

A smile costs nothing, but gives much. It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give. Give your smiles freely. Feed yourself, and other people, with love and affection. Nourish your mind, body and soul with beauty, respect and integrity. Engage in pleasurable activities which honour body and soul.

 

A key factor to consciously creating each day is that of living in the present moment and being grateful for everything in your life. By being 100% focused on where you are, who you’re with, and what you’re doing, you open yourself up to living with grace. You can’t control the future, but you can create the path upon which you would like to walk. Those who embark on this journey learn that less is more, and that the secret ingredient to a love-filled, soul-felt life is about inner work.

As a child, my mother taught us a mealtime grace that begins with the words: I am a creator. What a powerful statement to teach a child! We are all creators; it’s just that some of us do so deliberately by setting our intentions and then focusing on them. Other people create their lives, too, but don’t understand how powerful they are with their negative words and thoughts, and complain when everything is going wrong. They manifest into their lives, but are often angry, miserable and feel like a victim.

 

A person who consciously creates their life tends to have an aura of positivity, peace, love and calm. They’re clear about their vision, and even when they can’t see the final outcome they draw on reserves of faith and trust. Regardless of what happens in their life, they look for the positives. Challenges become obstacles that require decision making, but do not bring the person to their knees.

 

When you become fully aware that you, and you alone, are responsible for your life, then everything around you will change. No longer will it be acceptable to you to blame other people or circumstances. The Internet is huge, but imagine the energy behind the Universe Wide Web. We are constantly receiving and sending thoughts and feelings into it, and as a result either repel or attract those thoughts/emotions back into our life.

 

When spending time each day to consciously create, you can do so from the warmth and comfort of your cosy bed or you can create a dedicated space in your home. Ensure the phone is off/down, and allow yourself to breathe deeply. Close your eyes. Let go of any fears, stresses or niggling worries. Fill your mind with a vision of how you would like your day to manifest. If you have a difficult meeting coming up, see yourself filled with love and compassion for the other party, and a peaceful resolution. Use your mind like a cinema, and see beautiful pictures. Experience the feeling of what you’d like to have happen in your day. Empower yourself, one day at a time, by visualising the life you want. Start with today.

Choose the thoughts that take up space in your head. Those that are based on love will trigger a completely different energy in your body than those of hate, anger, fear and other negative feelings. The more experience you have in consciously creating your day, the more empowered you’ll feel. You will walk through life feeling like a magician able to conjure up your most intentional thoughts.

 

Look, too, to your bedtime and your rituals around that. One part of the day sets the tone for the hours ahead, and the other offers us a chance to close the current day and prepare for the next by being thankful for what has gone before. Sunrise. Sunset. Open. Close. The rituals you choose during your waking day need to be personal, and based on ideas and practices that you’re comfortable with, or can grow to find comforting.

The beauty of the conscious creator is that they make the world a better place, not just for themselves, but for everyone around them. It only takes a few minutes every day to transform your life. You know when you’re becoming more conscious of how you create because all sorts of synchronicities start happening. Seeming coincidences become part of your daily life. They’re affirmations from the Universe that you’re on the right path. Consider this as spiritual grace. The more we live like this, the more readily and quickly our brain creates new neural pathways. Learning to create your day has many benefits, and can help to heal illnesses, both physical and mental. Creating your day is empowering and fun! It allows you to invest in yourself, by choosing your thoughts and feelings, and it means that, by default, you create a beautiful life one day at a time.

 

 

Begin each day with questions such as:

What will bring me the most joy today?

What do I find pleasurable?

What can I do to laugh today?

What fun can I manifest today?

What kindnesses can I bring to someone’s day?

Where can I express gratitude today?

How can I be a more loving mother/wife/husband/father today?

 

Raise your vibration

All great teachers throughout time have taught this fundamental truth: our inner world reflects our outer world.

 

I’ll conclude with some ideas to help raise your vibration:

[] Watch your self-talk. Choose thoughts such as: I am happy. I am healthy. I am loving. I am caring. I am wealthy. I am kind. I always have everything I need. My relationships are easy and nourishing.

[] Say thank you or write a thank-you note

[] Absorb the beauty around you (the light in your lover’s eyes, a child’s smile, Moonlight, flowers, a stream in a mossy woods, Autumnal sunlight on golden leaves, birdsong.)

[] Activate abundance within you by doing something for someone else

[] Listen to music you love

[] Dance

[] Go for a run

[] Walk in the woods, along the beach, in a meadow, up a mountain

[] Meditate or simply sit in silence for a few minutes

[] Pray (as in expressing gratitude, not pleading for something)

[] Play with a pet

[] Smell flowers

[] Walk barefoot on the grass

[] Take time to laugh with a friend

[] Read something inspirational

[] Listen to chants by monks or nuns

[] Enjoy sunlight. Use coconut oil on your skin rather than toxic skin creams.

[] Practice yoga or Pilates

[] Hug a person, pet or tree

[] Collect gifts from nature, such as berries, shells, cones, leaves

[] Meet a happy friend for a cuppa

[] Drink pure water every day

[] Eat living foods at each meal (fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds)

[] Do exercise that you love, and try to do it at least five times a week

[] Spray magnesium oil onto your skin twice a day

[] Step away from all forms of technology and get back into the natural field

[] Declutter your home and car (it works every time!)

[] Practise forgiveness (of self and others)

[] Enjoy one of the many healing modalities available, such as reflexology, floatation-tank therapy, massage, cranio-sacral therapy, and shiatsu.

[] Choose your company wisely. We become like the five people we hang out with the most!

 

www.veronikarobinson.com

 

When my younger daughter was three, she asked me “What’s at the end of forever?” It’s the sort of question that makes you realise mothering is not going to be a piece of cake! Most of her questions were of that ilk.

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My teenage years were spent with my nose inside Mills & Boon romance novels living vicariously through women courted by Mr Right. Sure beat biology classes, anyway. I have long believed in happily ever after. It’s not a myth. But, like “what’s at the end of forever?”, it may not be easy to answer.

My marriage to a good man certainly feels like ‘happily ever after’ but the reality is that at some point one or other of us will be saying farewell when our beloved leaves this Earth. The love, however, will continue throughout eternity. Of that, I’m certain.

Whatever it is that we’re seeking when we search out a soulmate isn’t just about how good a person is between the sheets or how good they will look in a wedding dress, but it is absolutely about how they feel in our heart. The best way to choose if someone is right for you is with your eyes closed. There’s nothing wrong with physical attraction and chemistry, but it’s the icing NOT the cake. True love that lasts through the years is about something deeper; something which transcends the physical.

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When I write love stories they may well have a happily ever after, but what I’m really writing is ‘I’ll leave you happy for now’. That’s not to say that happiness can’t be ongoing, but the only thing we ever have is now. I wish for my characters a Happily Now. And I wish that for myself. I wish that for you.

 

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How do we create happiness in our daily lives? Isn’t it just a by-product of some external activity or experience? Something that ebbs and flows like the tides?

For me, happiness isn’t necessarily walking about with a smile on my face (though that is lovely), but about an inner contentment. It’s about savouring the small pleasures of life, and ensuring I meet my sensorial needs each day. It is about awakening my senses and experiencing pleasure. These are never about the future, but the present moment. As I type, birds sing beautifully in the trees outside. Why would I wish that for ten or fifty years from now? HERE, today, right now, is where I am experiencing their joy. Birdsong becomes my joy.

 

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Tulips on my windowsill make my heart sing. Now, not in the future.

I sip spring water from my glass. Now, not in twenty years.

Chatting with friends isn’t something I dream about years down the road. I engage and cherish the experience now.

I smile when I open an email from a grateful reader. Now, not in some distant future.

Confession: over the years I’ve spent a small fortune on psychics and fortune tellers. What’s interesting is that I have come to a solid and secure place in my life where I recognise that I CREATE my future by what I think and feel today. And this goes for all of us. No one’s future is set in stone. We are the masters of our own Fate.

No one puts the thoughts into our heads but us. We choose them. We can filter them. Weed them out. Plant new thoughts. As gardeners of the mind, we have the power to transform our lives one thought at a time. This isn’t about being the archetypal Pollyanna so much as holding a state of grace and gratitude.

If you’re searching for a happily ever after, start here. What are your prevailing thoughts? What way does the wind blow your feelings? What are you most grateful for? Being mindful of how and when and why you are grateful is the best fortune teller of all. The more your heart expands with joy and gratitude, the bigger and brighter your life.

Start where you are: the roof over your head. The food on your plate. The company you keep. A grateful heart is a happy heart.

 

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Veronika Robinson is the author of about seventeen books (she’s lost count!). Her most recent publication is I Create My Day: simple ways to create a beautiful and nourishing life. Signed copies from https://www.veronikarobinson.com/author/non-fiction.shtml

Discover the path of spiritual grace. I Create My Day is a sacred journey into the heart of attitudinal healing, and invites you to create the life of your dreams one day at a time. Regardless of how you currently experience the world, this book promises to show how you can create a magnificent life that is nourishing, beautiful and authentic. At the heart of a handcrafted life is a spirit of reverence, gratitude and grace. By including the simple ideas in this book as part of your every day, you will witness your life unfold in ways that are miraculous, meaningful and, always, from the heart. Creating your day is one of the greatest spiritual decisions you can make.

Or available from Amazon here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Create-My-Day-Beautiful-Nourishing/dp/0993158625/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459266654&sr=8-1&keywords=I+Create+My+Day

You can also ask your local library or bookshop to stock copies.

 

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