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Exercise My Soul
Just for today, I will exercise my soul in three ways: I will do somebody a good turn, and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don't want to--just for exercise. I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt; they may be hurt, but today I will not show it
Just for today, I will exercise my soul in three ways: I will do somebody a good turn, and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don't want to--just for exercise. I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt; they may be hurt, but today I will not show it
The first part of the fifth verse always makes me chuckle because for the first year I read this verse, I read it as, “Just for Today, I will exercise.”
At the time I was quite ill and had difficulty walking across the room let alone exercising. I had a stool I sat on to wash dishes and felt washed out all the time. But I read, “Just for Today I will exercise,” and I decided that just for today, I would exercise. I started by walking out of my house and walking to the end of the driveway and back. I sat at the end of the driveway quite a while before walking back, but I did walk back. I read this poem each morning and decided that, “Just for Today, I could exercise.” Over the following weeks, I walked to the end of the driveway and down the street past a couple of houses before returning home. During these treks, I sat on the curb several times. The distance I could walk kept increasing and before I knew it, I was walking around the block, then, blocks. Finally, there was nowhere I couldn’t walk. Once I got my strength back and read this fifth verse, I read, “Just for Today I will exercise my soul in three ways”. I was stunned.
How could I have read this verse so wrong for so many months? Then, I realized, I needed to read, “Just for Today, I will exercise,” to regain my health. If we open our hearts to our spirit, we receive what we need.
But, for me, this is such a complex verse. In this verse we are discussing spirituality, humility, stretching, and grace. Wow!
Let’s start with, “Just for today, I will do somebody a good turn, and not get found out.” I don’t think this means the person receiving the good turn shouldn’t know. Just don’t brag about it.
This first part of this verse is so very easy. Think about it. Just a smile or kind word can completely change a person’s outlook on their day.
I remember one day when my children were young. I had dropped my husband at work and was driving home. I was so sad. I don’t remember why; maybe hormones, maybe too much on my plate, maybe my husband and I had had a disagreement. It doesn’t matter. I was sad, teary sad, and my world felt bleak.
I drove through a tollbooth. Because I didn’t have correct change, I pulled to booth with an attendant and absently handed him a dollar. As he handed me my change, he took an extra second, gave me a huge smile, and said with the most gently, joyful voice possible, “You have a beautiful day, now!”
His smile and the real joy behind his words touched my heart and lifted my spirit. The rest of my day was perfect. In fact later in the day when I had to go through the tollbooth again, I went through his booth and thanked him for changing my perspective on my day.
I never forgot how a complete stranger, changed my day. Since that day, I have tried to always greet anyone I meet on the street, see on a bus, or bump into throughout the day with a smile. Over the years I realized how many people are lonely, hurting, or depressed. Just a few kind words can change their perspective on their day. In the process, I have made so many friends I would have never known if I hadn’t smiled and greeted a perfect stranger.
So, Just for today, I will do somebody a good turn, and not get found out.
And, as Melody Beattie says, “Live your life from your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people's souls.”
Just for Today… I will do at least two things I don't want to--just for exercise.
One excellent way to exercise your soul is to meditate. I realize many of you consider me a broken record in regards to meditation. Last week I was speaking to a woman, suggesting she meditate and she told me she couldn’t quiet her mind to meditate or even sit still even ten minutes. I explained, “It is in those crazy moments we need meditation most.”
If meditation seems impossible to you practice it just 10 minutes a day. But, stay faithful to the practice for at least 6 weeks. Use a mantra. Just a couple really positive words work. Say them over, repeatedly in your mind. As other thoughts invade, just keep repeating your mantra. Don’t worry that those other thoughts exist. Keep your focus on your mantra. What you are doing is training your mind to slow down and focus on a single thought. This focusing allows your spirit to rise to the surface and be heard.
If you are too antsy to sit and meditate, walk slow deliberate steps saying your mantra as you walk. Make your walk and mantra a rhythm. Keep walking for at least ten minutes. Again, you are training your mind to quiet enough you can hear your spirit.
Another excellent way to exercise your soul is look at an aspect of your personality that could stand improving. Say, you aren’t very patient or you tend to procrastinate. Just for today, you can be patient or achieve some of those things on your to-do list. But, be aware, as you realize you should be more patient events will make you challenge your patience.
How can you learn patience if everything goes smoothly? Each time something comes along to challenge your patience, recognize it as an opportunity to exercise your soul.
Then, “I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt; they may be hurt, but today I will not show it.”
As, Khalil Gibran says, “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.”
When we live from our Spirit, get rid of the craziness in our lives, we don’t need to show anyone our feelings are hurt because our spirit is unconditional love personified.
Unconditional love doesn’t hurt for itself. Unconditional love sees the hurt in others and wants to love the hurt away. So, if we feel hurt, we need to do a quick check on how we have shoved our spirit down. We need to let go and allow our spirit to carry us to that position of unconditional love.
As, William Newton Clarke says, “Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see”
And, as the Serenity Prayer says… "God, Give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference."
So, Just for today, exercise your soul in three ways: do somebody a good turn, and not get found out. Do at least two things you don't want to--just for exercise. And… Do not show anyone that your feelings are hurt; they may be hurt, but today don’t show it.
The first part of the fifth verse always makes me chuckle because for the first year I read this verse, I read it as, “Just for Today, I will exercise.”
At the time I was quite ill and had difficulty walking across the room let alone exercising. I had a stool I sat on to wash dishes and felt washed out all the time. But I read, “Just for Today I will exercise,” and I decided that just for today, I would exercise. I started by walking out of my house and walking to the end of the driveway and back. I sat at the end of the driveway quite a while before walking back, but I did walk back. I read this poem each morning and decided that, “Just for Today, I could exercise.” Over the following weeks, I walked to the end of the driveway and down the street past a couple of houses before returning home. During these treks, I sat on the curb several times. The distance I could walk kept increasing and before I knew it, I was walking around the block, then, blocks. Finally, there was nowhere I couldn’t walk. Once I got my strength back and read this fifth verse, I read, “Just for Today I will exercise my soul in three ways”. I was stunned.
How could I have read this verse so wrong for so many months? Then, I realized, I needed to read, “Just for Today, I will exercise,” to regain my health. If we open our hearts to our spirit, we receive what we need.
But, for me, this is such a complex verse. In this verse we are discussing spirituality, humility, stretching, and grace. Wow!
Let’s start with, “Just for today, I will do somebody a good turn, and not get found out.” I don’t think this means the person receiving the good turn shouldn’t know. Just don’t brag about it.
This first part of this verse is so very easy. Think about it. Just a smile or kind word can completely change a person’s outlook on their day.
I remember one day when my children were young. I had dropped my husband at work and was driving home. I was so sad. I don’t remember why; maybe hormones, maybe too much on my plate, maybe my husband and I had had a disagreement. It doesn’t matter. I was sad, teary sad, and my world felt bleak.
I drove through a tollbooth. Because I didn’t have correct change, I pulled to booth with an attendant and absently handed him a dollar. As he handed me my change, he took an extra second, gave me a huge smile, and said with the most gently, joyful voice possible, “You have a beautiful day, now!”
His smile and the real joy behind his words touched my heart and lifted my spirit. The rest of my day was perfect. In fact later in the day when I had to go through the tollbooth again, I went through his booth and thanked him for changing my perspective on my day.
I never forgot how a complete stranger, changed my day. Since that day, I have tried to always greet anyone I meet on the street, see on a bus, or bump into throughout the day with a smile. Over the years I realized how many people are lonely, hurting, or depressed. Just a few kind words can change their perspective on their day. In the process, I have made so many friends I would have never known if I hadn’t smiled and greeted a perfect stranger.
So, Just for today, I will do somebody a good turn, and not get found out.
And, as Melody Beattie says, “Live your life from your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people's souls.”
Just for Today… I will do at least two things I don't want to--just for exercise.
One excellent way to exercise your soul is to meditate. I realize many of you consider me a broken record in regards to meditation. Last week I was speaking to a woman, suggesting she meditate and she told me she couldn’t quiet her mind to meditate or even sit still even ten minutes. I explained, “It is in those crazy moments we need meditation most.”
If meditation seems impossible to you practice it just 10 minutes a day. But, stay faithful to the practice for at least 6 weeks. Use a mantra. Just a couple really positive words work. Say them over, repeatedly in your mind. As other thoughts invade, just keep repeating your mantra. Don’t worry that those other thoughts exist. Keep your focus on your mantra. What you are doing is training your mind to slow down and focus on a single thought. This focusing allows your spirit to rise to the surface and be heard.
If you are too antsy to sit and meditate, walk slow deliberate steps saying your mantra as you walk. Make your walk and mantra a rhythm. Keep walking for at least ten minutes. Again, you are training your mind to quiet enough you can hear your spirit.
Another excellent way to exercise your soul is look at an aspect of your personality that could stand improving. Say, you aren’t very patient or you tend to procrastinate. Just for today, you can be patient or achieve some of those things on your to-do list. But, be aware, as you realize you should be more patient events will make you challenge your patience.
How can you learn patience if everything goes smoothly? Each time something comes along to challenge your patience, recognize it as an opportunity to exercise your soul.
Then, “I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt; they may be hurt, but today I will not show it.”
As, Khalil Gibran says, “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.”
When we live from our Spirit, get rid of the craziness in our lives, we don’t need to show anyone our feelings are hurt because our spirit is unconditional love personified.
Unconditional love doesn’t hurt for itself. Unconditional love sees the hurt in others and wants to love the hurt away. So, if we feel hurt, we need to do a quick check on how we have shoved our spirit down. We need to let go and allow our spirit to carry us to that position of unconditional love.
As, William Newton Clarke says, “Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see”
And, as the Serenity Prayer says… "God, Give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference."
So, Just for today, exercise your soul in three ways: do somebody a good turn, and not get found out. Do at least two things you don't want to--just for exercise. And… Do not show anyone that your feelings are hurt; they may be hurt, but today don’t show it.
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