Perseverance is the foundation of all actions. Lao Tzu
Being persistent and consistent are the secret sauce of making progress on the spiritual path. For me, this means that I keep making the commitment to focus on my higher mind and soul. Some days are filled with spiritual work and success on my path; some days aren’t. I am learning to see these “off days” as a signal to recommit to myself and my soul. It is not the time to take a negative inventory of my life, my efforts and my spiritual progress.
I am learning to be kind and gentle with myself. In the old days, I would beat myself up, listening to the voice of chaos. I would listen to the words of discouragement. I would listen long enough that I would start to believe it. Now I know that a day when I didn’t get everything done is just that, and nothing more. Tomorrow is a new day, and tomorrow is my opportunity to try again. I now recognize that I have a choice how I treat myself. That inner voice of self-criticism was never my soul. While I chose to listen in the past, I choose to ignore it now. The voice of my higher mind and soul is the gentle voice of encouragement that says “we got this.”
Affirmation: I am one with my higher mind and soul in every moment.