Words to Live By

A simple message today. When life feels complicated and overwhelming it can be grounding to have a few words to live by to go back to. I love this by Glennon Doyle Melton: Just Show Up. Be Brave. Be Kind. Rest. Try Again. A friend who I know has a lot going on in her life posted it on Facebook the other day, and just imagining her saying it to herself grounds me, calms me as well. It’s been shared 2725 times so far. When I say it to myself now it’s like a massive group meditation!

What words do you live by? A dear friend’s father would say “Neatness, Sleep, Exercise, Food” to each of the kids once they were in college whenever they said goodbye, a parting message boiling life down to the essentials. A friend who runs marathons tells herself “Strong, Fast, Easy, Easy” on her long runs, as good a directive as any for taking life on wholeheartedly without wearing yourself out. A friend who lost her husband to cancer and hikes alone now says “Dig deep” when faced with mountains to climb, literal and metaphorical.

A mantra you connect with clears out anxious thinking and replaces it with purpose. Mine these days is: I Want an Interesting and Meaningful Life. So come what may – good or bad, easy or hard – I’ll be okay.

Say it with me. And tell me yours, so I can say it with you, too.