A Positive Start to the Day

By Nancy Rynes, author of Awakenings from the Light
What one thing can we do to easily start our days off on a positive note?
Begin each day with a short prayer or meditation. Yes, you read that right. Pray, meditate, or engage in some other quiet and mindful activity for a few minutes before starting your day.

I can almost hear the protests: "I don't have time," or "my morning is too hectic." I would gently suggest that those are exactly the reasons why it's important to wake up a few minutes early and pray or meditate.

Why start each day with a prayer? And what kind of prayer or meditation do I mean?


Start each day with a few moments in prayer or meditation because happiness doesn't grow on trees...it grows in your heart. And beginning the day by reconnecting to the Divine is one easy way to begin to create more happiness, peace, and contentment in your life. When I give talks or appear on radio shows, it surprises me how many people think that just because I had an NDE, I also achieved instant enlightenment. I wish that was the case...really I do! What actually happens when someone has an NDE or any other spiritually-transformative experience is that he or she has been given an opportunity and an invitation to spiritually "wake up." That's it. It's not a guarantee that your life will be magical, abundant, spirit-filled, or even happy. It's an invitation for you to reach out and grow deeper in connection with the Divine and with our own spiritual core. It's an invitation for you to take the reins and make your life into one of joy, contentment, or meaning. How have I continued to grow a deeper connection to God after my NDE? I do it by creating a spiritual practice for myself and following it daily. An important part of that practice is taking a few minutes each morning to pray. And when I pray, my prayers also set my intentions for the day. Prayers that multitask...I LOVE it! The prayer doesn't have to be long, involved, profound, or unempowering. The only thing it needs to be is genuine and heartfelt. Here is an example:
“Divine Spirit, today I walk in Your Light and Love. My words and actions come from light and love. My thoughts and feelings come from light and love. Please wrap me in your loving light and allow me to be of service in whatever way is best for me and all concerned.”
[Recite the above while visualizing light bubble around you (or a sound bubble of love, etc.)]. The prayer can be one of gratitude:
“Divine Spirit, I am so grateful for this day. Thank you for a safe place to call home. Thank you for my ability to walk, run, laugh, and hug my kids. Please wrap me in your loving light and allow me to be of service in whatever way is best for me and all concerned.”
Take a few moments to come up with a short morning prayer that has meaning for you. It doesn't have to be perfect, just meaningful in your life. You can tweak it and change it over time -- it doesn't need to remain static.

If you prefer something other than prayer, simply spend a few minutes in a meditative practice, going on a quiet/mindful walk, or even just sitting in your favorite chair and taking a half dozen deep, relaxing breaths.

What are the benefits? Starting off the day by intentionally being spiritual and mindful sets the tone for the hours to come. Over time, you may want to expand your practice too but for now, it's perfectly fine to focus on morning prayer. For me, my prayer time is a reminder of why I'm here, to be more loving and peace-filled, and that reminder usually carries through the rest of the day.


Blessings everyone!

Nancy


Upcoming Events

January 14, 2017, 1:30 PM - 5 PM. Seattle, WA: Awakenings from the Light and Spiritual Communication Intro. At Seattle IANDS (http://www.seattleiands.org)  meeting. Click here for directions to: (http://www.seattleiands.org/meeting-directions.html)  UW Medicine, South Lake Union Campus, Brotman Building, Brotman Auditorium (850 Republican Street, Seattle, WA 98109).
Recent Radio Interviews:


"Sounds of the Heart Radio"

What a beautiful conversation with Sandy Goldstone on "Sounds of the Heart" radio (Oct 2016). Not your usual NDE talk...Sandy is also an experiencer and we delved into some very deep, spiritual topics. Listen here. (https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/95310/the-atheist-who-died-and-returned-awakened)


"We Don't Die Radio

Nancy was a guest on "We Don't Die Radio." Two former atheists got together to talk about the afterlife...join us for a fun and insightful discussion! Check out Episode 121: Listen in... (http://www.wedontdieradio.com)


AngelHeart Radio
Anayah Joi Holilly  and I chatted about my NDE and how my life felt before being taken to heaven. We had such a super time we decided to take a deep dive into near-death experiences, the afterlife, and the importance of a spiritual practice over 3 episodes:
* Listen to Part 1 (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/angelheartradio/2016/10/14/the-athiest-who-went-to-heaven--and-came-back-anayah-shares-nancy-rynes)
* Listen to Part 2 (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/angelheartradio/2016/10/21/nde-heaven-transformed-nancy-rynes-from-an-athiest-into-a-spiritual-teacher)
* Listen to Part 3 (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/angelheartradio/2016/10/28/spiritual-lessons-from-the-sacred-pond-heaven-beyond-anayah-nancy-rynes)

Posted by Nancy Rynes, author of Awakenings from the Light 
http://NancyRynes.com )
All content copyright Nancy Rynes, 2015-2016
Bio: Nancy Rynes is a speaker, artist, and author of "Awakenings from the Light" (available from Amazon.com). Nancy's books and workshops teach you how to bring a little bit of Heaven to your life on Earth. She lives near Seattle, Washington. Check out her website: NancyRynes.com