I allow my day to unfold as it may and I allow myself to experience joy regardless of the unfolding!
– Joshua Zuchter
Many say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In some cases that is true, while for others it is not.
The essence of this message though, is significant – The way we begin our day typically determines how we will feel for the rest of the day. If our day begins with difficulty, frustration, clutter and resistance, how do you think the rest of our day is likely to go? Alternatively, if our day begins with peace, inspiration, energy, clarity, and magic, there is a much greater chance our day will continue in a similar manner.
For most of us, upon awakening in the morning, we get a sense of how we feel. Unfortunately, it typically ends there as we then become victims to those feelings. If we are feeling good then we are good, if we are feeling bad then we are bad and don’t feel like going into work or potentially even getting out of bed. The saying ‘he/she woke up on the wrong side of the bed’ is a great example of how we can become the pawns to our own minds rather than the players.
What if, however, upon awakening in the morning and before leaving bed, we face the potential of the day in a more deliberate and intentional way?
What if, instead of tuning in to how we feel, we choose how we want to feel and then reinforce and infuse those desired feelings into our consciousness and literally declare those feelings?!
An incredible tool that I have been suggesting to clients of late, that we can put to great use first thing in the morning, or for that matter at any time we need it, is a Personal Declaration. This is similar to a personal affirmation, mantra or life statement that helps to empower, enliven, and ground us.
If you know me, you know that I enjoy comic book movies. One of my favourites is The Green Lantern, played by Ryan Reynolds. Although the movie’s reviews were not stellar, it had some profound wisdom in it that we can all utilize.
In fairly brief summary:
The Green Lantern Corps is the name that represents, essentially these super beings who patrol the Universe and protect it and its inhabitants from danger. One of the interesting scenes from the movie, (don’t worry, I know you REALLY want to watch it so I will not give anything significant away) is when Ryan Reynolds, as The Green Lantern character, is on the verge of being destroyed. The ‘bad guy’, Parallax is essentially saying that within a few moments, the Green Lantern will be dead as will the rest of planet Earth and there is nothing he can do about it.
You can probably guess what happens here. None-the-less, at that exact time, the Green Lantern begins to repeat the Green Lantern Corps’ mantra:
In brightest day…
in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight!
Let those who worship evil’s might, beware my power
-Green Lantern’s light!
This is a very potent moment in the film as Ryan Reynolds’ character, who was fearful, actually faces his fear.
Regardless of whether anyone thinks this is cheesy or not, this one statement, repeated by the Green Lantern, helps him to face his fear. Rather than becoming lost in his fears and his own mind, by repeating this ‘mantra’, he is literally making a declaration – it is a deliberate and intentional choice of Being.
The statement helps him to face his fear and move beyond it.
There are only three ways to deal with fear that I know of:
Take a drug – this, however, only numbs us to the fear and therefore the fear is still there and we must stay on the drug otherwise at some point, we will have to face it.
Suppress the fear – unfortunately the fear remains for another day.
Face the fear. In order to do this however, one needs to be able to be sane and clear enough to do so. One has to have belief, faith, determination, and the courage to face one’s fear. This is where a Personal Declaration can provide incredible benefit.
Whether you are a morning person or not, using a Personal Declaration that can be used in the morning has many benefits including:
Gives you energy to arise
Provides more natural, balanced energy that can sustain you throughout your day
Nourishes for your Soul
Helps to keep you grounded and centred emotionally
Supports being productive
Helps to create focus for you day
Fosters more life balance throughout the day
Fosters more peace throughout the day
Supports having a clear mind
Supports you not being affected as much or at all by others and what is going on around you throughout the day
Your Personal Declaration can be used as a personal pep talk, when you are aware that you should be taking action on something but are afraid or anxious.
Personal Declarations can include the following elements:
What you stand for.
What is important to you.
What traits, beliefs, and ways of looking at life you uphold in the highest way.
How you would choose to feel each day.
How you choose to interact with others in the perfect world each day.
Here are two samples:
Today I choose to feel empowered knowing that the choices I make today are a part of the creation of my world.
Today I choose to be relentless in loving others regardless of whether love comes back.
Today, I allow myself to experience the profound nature of who I am and in the experience of today, open myself up to the wonder and magic that exists in each moment.
Today I strive for excellence in everything I do. Today I honour and respect my body’s essential needs for life. Today I allow all people to make their own choices as I will also make my own.
Another example quoted from the movie documentary What the Bleep Do We Know, by Dr. Joe Dispenza:
“‘So if we’re consciously designing our destiny, and if we’re consciously from a spiritual standpoint throwing in with the idea that our thoughts can affect our reality or affect our life — because reality equals life — then I have this little pact that I have when I create my day. I say,
‘I’m taking this time to create my day and I’m infecting the quantum field. Now if (it) is in fact the observer’s watching me the whole time that I’m doing this and there is a spiritual aspect to myself, then show me a sign today that you paid attention to any one of these things that I created, and bring them in a way that I won’t expect, so I’m as surprised at my ability to be able to experience these things.
And make it so that I have no doubt that it’s come from you,’ and so I live my life, in a sense, all day long thinking about being a genius or thinking about being the glory and the power of God or thinking about being unconditional love.”
I recall travelling to a third world country years ago. The individual who organized the tour did not follow through on what was promised… so there I was in a third world country, not sure what to do, while at the same time super angry that it was still occurring. I remember being in a train station. I had an enormous head ache to the point that I felt like my head was going to pop off. In that moment, I had a thought to repeat a quote I wrote from years prior:
‘Cast your judgments aside for you have attracted the Light of God into your life through all Beings who are manifest.’
-Joshua
In that moment, that quote became my Personal Declaration because it was the only thing that would temper my mind at the time. I must have repeated it out loud about 300 or more times until my mind finally let go and I felt more peace. That Personal Declaration must have saved me somehow.
If you would like to begin using a Personal Declaration, and for that matter create one of your very own, here are some guidelines to keep in mind (from an article I wrote about how to create affirmations). The same principles apply to creating your own Personal Declaration as they do for creating affirmations or mantras.
If you would like to write one out and want quick feedback from me, send it along and I will personally give it a bit of attention and reply with brief feedback for you.
Once you have created your own Personal Declaration it is time to begin ‘vibing’ in it.
Choose it. Declare it. Step into it. Make it so.
Say it each and every morning before arising out of bed. Repeat it throughout the day. If it is long and requires reading, get to the point where you know it by heart.
Also be open to the fact that as you evolve, so too will your declaration. You may remove some items, while at other times add.
Make your declaration very personal, meaningful, and so deep that it stirs your Soul, your mind, and gives you chills each time you say it!
Copyright © 2013 Joshua Zuchter. All rights reserved.