‘Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.’ – Oscar Wilde

You are unique; you are masterfully made to discover your purpose and make the world a better place than you met it. There has never been anyone like you in the universe’s history, Sui generis (class of your own), you are king (queen), and you must remind yourself often. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” Most of us are leading lives of quiet desperation, sleepwalking through our lives in a digital slumber that has gotten us engulfed in our own bubble.

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things..”― Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience and Other Essays ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Meditations

Daily Calm with Tamara Levitt – Breath in Three Acts

Intentionally slowing down our breath is something we don’t often do. The way we breathe has a direct and immediate impact on the state of our mind, emotions and nervous system. When we are agitated or anxious, our breath is often quick and shallow, but when we are calm and grounded, it tends to be long and deep.

It is helpful to remember that we can deliberately alter our breath when we want to soften stress or anxiety.

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”― Thich Nhat Hang, Stepping into Freedom: An Introduction to Buddhist Monastic Training

Daily Jay with Jay Shetty – A Mindful Life

When we boost our happy hormones, manage stress, and soothe our nervous system, we are naturally more inclined to be more mindful. Mindfulness is part of an ecosystem that requires balance and care. A mindful practice doesn’t equal a mindful life, but your mindful practice can support a mindful life and vice versa. The more you cultivate your ecosystem, the more you align your lifestyle, habits, and routines, the more mindful you become.

Daily Trip with Jeff Warren – Let It Be

In the experience of meditation, letting go is not about you doing anything, it is about you not doing, It is about you letting things be exactly as they are. Letting feeling, resistance, and doubt be there. It is about letting everything come and go in its way and its own time. It is natural for the mind to try to hold on to and grip certain emotions, whether they are pleasurable or not. Let the emotions change on their own; let them be.