Today's Meditation:

If you turn on the news the first thing every morning, what kinds of words will you be hearing?  Probably "murder," "terrorism," "dead," "guilty," and other such words.  If you hear that type of word first thing each day, what kinds of words will be in your mind?  What words will be easiest to use, the first to come to mind while you're speaking?

But what if you start each day with a peaceful state of mind?  It stands to reason that if you do so, you'll be more likely and more able to spread peace and peaceful thoughts to others if your own mind is focused on peacefulness and contentedness.  It truly is your choice, and your choice only--what comes out is usually influenced very strongly by what goes in.

How do you talk to other people?  Do your words spread happiness and content feelings, or do your words spread unhappiness and discontent?  You have a choice every time you open your mouth to add to the peace of the world or to add to the conflict and lack of peace in the world, and that's a choice that we all probably should take more seriously than we do.

Spreading peace brings peace to us, ourselves.  Spreading love opens us up to receiving love.  Far too few of us think about how we should go about developing our own state of mind, or of how our state of mind affects others--and ultimately ourselves in return.  Develop your peaceful attitude towards life, and you'll find that life will develop peaceful ways of treating you.

Questions to consider:

With what kinds of thoughts do you tend to start your days?

How do we get into habits such as different ways of starting our days?  How often do we objectively consider whether or not those habits are beneficial to us?

What are some of the most peaceful and pleasant thoughts that you've experienced?

For further thought:

Garner up pleasant thoughts in your mind,
for pleasant thoughts make pleasant lives.

John Wilkins

Today's quotation:

Watch your manner of speech if you wish to develop
a peaceful state of mind.  Start each day by affirming
peaceful, contented and happy attitudes and your
days will tend to be pleasant and successful.

Norman Vincent Peale

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